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;
19. but think not you that you shall be unpunished, having assayed to fight against God.
20. But above all was the mother marvelous and worthy of honorable memory; for when she looked on seven sons perishing within the space of one day, she bare the sight with a good courage for the hopes that she had set on the Lord.
21. And she exhorted each one of them in the language of their fathers, filled with a noble temper and stirring up her womanish thought with manly passion, saying to them,
22. I know not how you⌃ came into my womb, neither was it I that bestowed on you your spirit and your life, and it was not I that brought into order the first elements of each one of you.
23. Therefore the Creator of the world, who fashioned the generation of man and devised the generation of all things, in mercy gives back to you again both your spirit and your life, as you⌃ now contemn your own selves for his laws’ sake.
24. But Antiochus, thinking himself to be despised, and suspecting the reproachful voice, while the youngest was yet alive did not only make his appeal to him by words, but also at the same time promised with oaths that he would enrich him and raise him to high estate, if he would turn from the customs of his fathers, and that he would take him for his Friend and intrust him with affairs.
25. But when the young man would in no wise give heed, the king called to him his mother, and exhorted her that she would counsel the lad to save himself.
26. And when he had exhorted her with many words, she undertook to persuade her son.
27. But bending toward him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, she spoke thus in the language of her fathers: My son, have pity upon me that carried you nine months in my womb, and gave you suck three years, and nourished and brought you up to this age, and sustained you.