7. And on the day of the king’s birth every month they were led along with bitter constraint to eat of the sacrifices; and when the feast of Bacchus came, they were compelled to go in procession in honor of Bacchus, wearing wreaths of ivy.
8. And there wemt out a decree to the neighbouring Greek cities, by the suggestion of Ptolemy, that they should observe the same conduct against the Jews, and should make them eat of the sacrifices;
9. and that they should kill such as did not choose to go over to the Greek rites. So the present misery was for all to see:
10. for two women were brought up for having circumcised their children; and these, when they had led them publicly round about the city, with the babes hung from their breasts, they cast down headlong from the wall.
11. And others, that had run together into the caves near by to keep the seventh day secretly, being betrayed to Philip were all burned together, because they scrupled to defend themselves, from regard to the honor of that most solemn day.
12. I beseech therefore those that read this book, that they be not discouraged because of the calamities, but account that these punishments were not for the destruction, but for the chastening of our race.
13. For indeed that those who act impiously be not let alone any long time, but straightway meet with retribution, is a sign of great beneficence.
14. For in the case of the other nations the Sovereign Lord does with longsuffering forbear, until that he punish them when they have attained to the full measure of their sins; but not so judged he as touching us,
15. that he may not take vengeance on us afterward, when we be come to the height of our sins.
16. Wherefore he never withdraws his mercy from us; but though he chasteneth with calamity, yet does he not forsake his own people.
17. Howbeit let this that we have spoken suffice to put you in remembrance; but after these few words we must come to the narrative.
18. Eleazar, one of the principal scribes, a man already well stricken in years, and of a noble countenance, was compelled to open his mouth to eat swine’s flesh.
19. But he, welcoming death with renown rather than life with pollution, advanced of his own accord to the instrument of torture, but first spat forth the flesh,
20. coming forward as men ought to come that are resolute to repel such things as not even for the natural love of life is it lawful to taste.