1. And it came to pass that seven brethren also with their mother were at the king’s command taken and shamefully handled with scourges and cords, to compel them to taste of the abominable swine’s flesh.
2. But one of them made himself the spokesman and said, What would you ask and learn of us? for we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our fathers.
3. And the king fell into a rage, and commanded to heat pans and caldrons:
4. and when these forthwith were heated, he commanded to cut out the tongue of him that had been their spokesman, and to scalp him, and to cut off his extremities, the rest of his brethren and his mother looking on.
5. And when he was utterly maimed, the king commanded to bring him to the fire, being yet alive, and to fry him in the pan. And as the vapor of the pan spread far, they and their mother also exhorted one another to die nobly, saying thus:
6. The Lord God sees, and in truth is entreated for us, as Moses declared in his song, which witnesseth against the people to their faces, saying, And he shall be entreated for his servants.
7. And when the first had died after this manner, they brought the second to the mocking; and they pulled off the skin of his head with the hair and asked him, Wilt you eat, before your body be punished in every limb?
8. But he answered in the language of his fathers and said to them, No. Wherefore he also underwent the next torture in succession, as the first had done.
9. And when he was at the last gasp, he said, You, miscreant, do release us out of this present life, but the King of the world shall raise up us, who have died for his laws, to an eternal renewal of life.
10. And after him was the third made a mocking-stock. And when he was required, he quickly put out his tongue, and stretched forth his hands courageously,
11. and nobly said, From heaven I possess these; and for his laws’ sake I contemn these; and from him I hope to receive these back again:
12. insomuch that the king himself and they that were with him were astonished at the young man’s soul, for that he nothing regarded the pains.
13. And when he too was dead, they shamefully handled and tortured the fourth in like manner.
14. And being come near to death he said thus: It is good to die at the hands of men and look for the hopes which are given by God, that we shall be raised up again by him; for as for you, you shall have no resurrection to life.
15. And next after him they brought the fifth, and shamefully handled him.
16. But he looked toward the king and said, Because you have authority among men, though you are yourself corruptible, you do what you will; yet think not that our race has been forsaken of God;
17. but hold you on your way, and behold his sovereign majesty, how it will torture you and your seed.
18. And after him they brought the sixth. And when he was at the point to die he said, Be not vainly deceived, for we suffer these things for our own doings, as sinning against our own God: marvelous things are come to pass;