2 Maccabees 7
GNV1560Tap a verse number to view it individually, or to play chapter audio from that verse when it’s loaded. Tap any word for its 1828 dictionary definition.
1IT came to passe also that seuen brethren, with their mother, were taken to be compelled by the King against the Law, to taste swines flesh, and were tormented with scourges and whippes. 2But one of them, which spake first, said thus, What sekest thou? and what woldest thou knowe of vs? we are readie to dye, rather then to transgresse the Lawes of our fathers. 3Then was the King angrie, and commanded to heat pannes and cauldrons, which were incontinently made hote. 4And he commanded the tongue of him that spake first, to be cut out, and to slay him & to cut of the vtmost partes of his bodie in the sight of his other brethren & his mother. 5Now when he was thus mangled in all his membres, he commanded him to be broght aliue to the fyre & to frye him in the panne: & while the smoke for a long time smoked out of the panne, the other brethren with their mother, exhorted one another to dye courageously, saying in this maner, 6The Lord God doeth regarde vs, & in dede taketh pleasure in vs, as Moyses* declared in the song wherein he testified openly, saying, That God wil take pleasure in his seruants. 7¶So when the first was dead after this maner, they broght the seconde to make him a mocking stocke: and when they had pulled the skinne with the heere ouer his head, they asked him, if he wolde eat, or he were punished in all the members of the bodie. 8But he answered in his owne langage, & said, No . Wherefore he was tormented forthewith like the first. 9And when he was at the last breth, he said, Thou murtherer takest this present life from vs, but the King of the worlde wil raise vs vp, which dye for his Lawes, in the resurrection of euerlasting life. 10¶After him was the thirde had in derision, and when they demanded his tongue, he put it out incontinently, & stretched forthe his hands boldely, 11And spake manfully, These haue I had from the heauen, but now for the Law of God, I despise them, and trust that I shal receiue them of him againe. 12In so muche that the King & they which were with him, marueiled at the yong mans courage, as at one that nothing regarded the paines . 13¶Now when he was dead also, they vexed and tormented the fourth in like maner. 14And when he was now readie to dye, he said thus, It is better that we shulde change this which we might hope for of men, & wait for our hope from God, that we may be raised vp againe by him: as for thee, thou shalt haue no resurrection to life. 15¶Afterwarde they broght the fift also & tormented him, 16Who loked vpon the King, & said, Thou hast power among men, and thogh thou be a mortal man, thou doest what thou wilt: but thinke not, that God hathe forsaken our nacion. 17But abide a while, and thou shalt se his great power, how he wil torment thee and thy sede. 18After him also they broght the sixt, who being at the point of death, said, Deceiue not thy self foolishly: for we suffer these things, which are worthie to be wondred at for our owne sakes, because we haue offended our God. 19But thinke not thou, which vndertakest to fight against God, that thou shalt be vnpunished. 20But the mother was marueilous aboue all other, & worthie of honorable memorie: for when she sawe her seuen sonnes slaine within the space of one day, she suffred it with a good wil, because of the hope that she had in the Lord. 21Yea, she exhorted euerie one of them in her owne langage, and being ful of courage and wisdome, stirred vp her womanlie affections with a manlie stomacke, and said vnto them, 22I can not tel how ye came into my wombe: for I nether gaue you breth nor life: it is not I that set in order the members of your bodie, 23But douteles the Creator of the worlde, which formed the birth of man, & founde out the beginning of all things, wil also of his owne mercie giue you breth and life againe, as ye now regarde not your owne selues, for his Lawes sake. 24Now Antiochus thinking him self despised, & considering the iniurious wordes, while the yongest was yet aliue, he did exhorte him not onely with wordes, but swore also vnto him by an othe that he wolde make him riche and welthie, if he wolde forsake the Lawes of his fathers, & that he wolde take him as a friend, & giue him offices. 25But when the yong man wolde in no case hearken vnto him, the King called his mother, and exhorted that she wolde counsel the yong man to saue his life. 26And when he had exhorted her with manie wordes, she promised him that she wolde counsel her sonne. 27So she turned her vnto him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorne, & spake in her owne langage, O my sonne, haue pitie vpon me, that bare thee nine moneths in my wombe, & gaue thee sucke thre yeres, & nourished thee, and toke care for thee vnto this age, and broght thee vp. 28I beseche thee, my sonne, loke vpon the heauen & the earth, and all that is therein, & consider that God made them of things that were not, & so was mankinde made likewise. 29Feare not this hangman, but shewe thy self worthie suche brethren by suffering death, that I may receiue thee in mercie with thy brethren. 30While she was yet speaking these wordes, the yong man said, Whome wait ye for? I wil not obey the Kings commandement: but I wil obey the commandement of the Lawe that was giuen vnto our fathers by Moyses. 31And thou that imaginest all mischief against the Hebrewes, shalt not escape the hand of God. 32For we suffer these things, because of our sinnes, 33But thogh the liuing Lord be angrie with vs a litle while for our chastening and correction, yet wil he be reconciled with his owne seruants. 34But thou, ô man without religion & moste wicked of all men, lift not thy self vp in vaine, which art puffed vp with vncerteine hope, and liftest thine hands against the seruants of God. 35For thou hast not yet escaped the iudgement of almightie God, which seeth all things. 36My brethren that haue suffered a litle paine, are now vnder the diuine couenant of euerlasting life: but thou through the iudgement of God, shalt suffer iust punishments for thy pride. 37Therefore I, as my brethren haue done, offer my bodie and life for the Lawes of our fathers, beseching God, that he wil sone be merciful vnto our nacion, and that thou by torment and punishment mayest confesse, that he is the onelie God, 38And that in me and my brethren the wrath of the Almightie, which is righteously fallen vpon all our nation, may cease. 39Then the King being kindled with anger, raged more cruelly against him then the others, and toke it grieuously, that he was mocked. 40So he also dyed holely, and put his whole trust in the Lord. 41Last of all after the sonnes, was the mother put to death. 42Let this now be ynough spoken concerning the bankets, and extreme cruelties.