o

AND thus no sooner did the tyrant conclude his urging of them to eat unclean meat than all with one voice together, and as with one soul, said to him: 2 'Why dost thou delay, O tyrant? We are ready to die rather than transgress the commandments of our fathers.

O tyrant that counsellest us to transgress the Law, do not, hating us, pity us beyond ourselves.

Make trial therefore, O tyrant. And if thou takest our lives for the sake of righteousness, think not that thou hurtest us with thy tortures.

'O thou most abominable tyrant, thou enemy of the justice of heaven and bloody-minded, thou dost torment me in this fashion not for manslaying nor for impiety but for defending the Law of God.'

And when the guards said to him, 'Consent to eat, that so you may be released from your tortures,' he said to them, 'Your method, O miserable minions, is not strong enough to lead captive my Reason. Cut off my limbs, and burn my flesh, and twist my joints; through all the torments I will show you that in behalf of virtue the sons of the Hebrews alone are unconquerable.'

'Follow my example, O brothers. Do not for ever desert me, and forswear not our brotherhood in nobility of soul.

And to the tyrant he said, 'O most ruthless of tyrants, doth not it seem to thee that at this moment thou thyself sufferest tortures worse than mine in seeing thy tyranny's arrogant intention overcome by my endurance for righteousness' sake?

For I am supported under pain by the joys that come through virtue, whereas thou art in torment whilst glorying in thy impiety; neither shalt thou escape, O most abominable tyrant, the penalties of the divine wrath.'

And at the point of death he said, 'We, O most abominable tyrant, suffer thus for our upbringing and our virtue that are of God; but thou for thy impiety and thy cruelty shall endure torments without end.'

Invent tortures, O tyrant, in order that thou mayest learn thereby that I am brother of those who have been already tortured.'

But when this man also was put to a death of agony with the tortures, the fifth sprang forward saying, 'I shrink not, O tyrant, from demanding the torture for virtue's sake.

O enemy of virtue and enemy of man, for what crime dost thou destroy us in this way?

And thus in grievous strait for breath and anguish of body he exclaimed, 'Glorious, O tyrant, glorious against thy will are the boons that thou bestowest on me, enabling me to show my fidelity to the Law through yet more honourable tortures.'

But he in the midst of his tortures exclaimed, 'O contest worthy of saints, wherein so many of us brethren, in the cause of righteousness, have been entered for a competition in torments, and have not been conquered!

For the righteous understanding, O tyrant, is unconquerable.

In the armour of virtue I go to join my brothers in death, and to add in myself one strong avenger more to punish thee, O deviser of the tortures and enemy of the truly righteous.

And running up to the red-hot brazier, 'O impious tyrant,' he cried, 'and most ungodly of all sinners, art thou not ashamed to take thy blessings and thy kingship at the hands of God, and to slay his servants and torture the followers of righteousness?

Art thou not ashamed, being a man, O wretch with the heart of a wild beast, to take men of like feelings with thyself, made from the same elements, and tear out their tongues, and scourge and torture them in this manner?

'Let us die like brothers, O brethren, for the Law.

But though nature, companionship, and their virtuous disposition increased the ardour of their brotherly love, nevertheless the surviving sons through their religion supported the sight of their brethren, who were on the rack, being tortured to death; nay more, they even encouraged them to face the agony, so as not only to despise their own tortures, but also to conquer their passion of brotherly affection for their brethren. 34 O Reasoning minds, more kingly than kings, than freemen more free, of the harmony of the seven brethren, holy and well attuned to the keynote of piety!

O all-holy sevenfold companionship of brethren in harmony!

REASON of the sons, lord over the passions! O religion, that wast dearer to the mother than her children!

O how may I express the passionate love of parents for children? We stamp a marvellous likeness of our soul and of our shape on the tender nature of the child, and most of all through the mother's sympathy with her children being deeper than the father's.

O holy nature, and parental love, and yearning of parents for offspring, and wages of nursing, and unconquerable affection of mothers!

O mother, who now knew sharper pangs than the pangs of labour! O woman, alone among women, the fruit of whose womb was perfect religion!

O mother, who now knew sharper pangs than the pangs of labour! O woman, alone among women, the fruit of whose womb was perfect religion!

O mother of the race, vindicator of our Law, defender of our religion, and winner of the prize in the struggle within thyself!

O woman, nobler to resist than men, and braver than warriors to endure!

In vain for you, O my sons, did I endure the many pangs of labour, and the more difficult cares of your upbringing.

O mother, warrior of God in the cause of religion, old and a woman, thou didst both defeat the tyrant by thy endurance, and wast found stronger than a man, in deeds as well as words.

O mother, that together with thy seven sons didst break the tyrant's force, and bring to nought his evil devices, and gavest an example of the nobleness of faith.

O Israelites, children born of the seed of Abraham, obey this Law, and be righteous in all ways, recognizing that Inspired Reason is lord over the passions, and over pains, not only from within, but from without ourselves; by which means those men, delivering up their bodies to the torture for righteousness' sake, not only won the admiration of mankind, but were deemed worthy of a divine inheritance.

No man, O my God, changeth thy holy place;

Thou has given thy heart, O Lord, to thy believers: never wilt thou fail, nor be without fruits:

For all was revealed before thee as God, and ordered from the beginning before thee: and thou, O God, hast made all things. Hallelujah.

I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, because I love thee;

O Most High, thou wilt not forsake me, for thou art my hope:

And I worshipped the Lord on account of His glory; and I said, Blessed, O Lord, are they who are planted in thy land! and those who have a place in thy Paradise;

But everything is filled with fruit; glory be to thee, O God, the delight of Paradise for ever. Hallelujah.

As the eyes of a son to his father, so are my eyes, O Lord, at all times towards thee.

Turn not away thy mercies from me, O Lord: and take not thy kindness from me.

Stretch out to me, O Lord, at all times thy right hand: and be my guide even unto the end, according to thy good pleasure.

Let me be preserved from evil, and let thy meekness, O Lord, abide with me, and the fruits of thy love.

And open to me the harp of thy Holy Spirit, that with all its notes I may praise thee, O Lord.

O Lord, for the sake of them that are deficient do not remove thy word from me!

O ye sons of men, return ye, and ye daughters of men, come ye:

And I said: 'O LORD, my Lord, have I come into the world for this purpose that I might see the evils of my mother? Not (so) my Lord.

But one thing I will say in Your presence, O Lord.

Ye husbandmen, sow not again; And, O earth, wherefore give; you your harvest fruits? Keep within you the sweets of your sustenance.

And do ye, O heavens, 'withhold your dew, And open not the treasuries of rain:

And do thou, O sun withhold the light of your rays. And do thou, O moon, extinguish the multitude of your light; For why should light rise again Where the light of Zion is darkened?

And do thou, O sun withhold the light of your rays. And do thou, O moon, extinguish the multitude of your light; For why should light rise again Where the light of Zion is darkened?

Who will be judge regarding these things? Or to whom shall we complain regarding that which has befallen us? O Lord, how have you borne (it)?

Would that you had ears, O earth, And that you had a heart, O dust: That you might go and announce in Sheol, And say to the dead:

Would that you had ears, O earth, And that you had a heart, O dust: That you might go and announce in Sheol, And say to the dead:

But I will say this as I think. And I will speak against you, O land, which art prospering.

But who, O LORD, my Lord, will comprehend Your judgment, Or who will search out the profoundness of Your way? Or who will think out the weight of Your path?

But again I will speak in Your presence, O LORD, my Lord.

And I answered and said: 'O LORD, my Lord, lo! the years of this time are few and evil, and who is able in his little time to acquire that which is measureless?'

'O you that have made the earth, hear me, that have fixed the firmament by the word, and have made firm the height of the heaven by the spirit, that have called from the beginning of the world that which did not yet exist, and they obey you.

And I answered and said: 'Not so, O LORD, my Lord.'

And I answered and said: 'But, behold! O Lord, no one knowsthe number of those things which have passed nor yet of those things which are to come.

But if; O Lord, those things shall assuredly come to pass which you have foretold to me, so do you show this also unto me if indeed I have found grace in Your sight.

And I answered and said unto them: Hear, O Israel, and I will speak to you, And give ear, O seed of Jacob, and I will instruct you.

And I answered and said unto them: Hear, O Israel, and I will speak to you, And give ear, O seed of Jacob, and I will instruct you.

'O that mine eyes were springs, And mine eyelids a fount of tears.

Do you also therefore depart, O cedar, after the forest, which departed before you, and become dust with it, and let your ashes be mingled together.

And I prayed and said: 'O LORD, my Lord, you do always enlighten those who are led by understanding.

'O my Lord, you summon the advent of the times, And they stand before you; You cause the power of the ages to pass away, And they do not resist you; You arrange the method of the seasons, And they obey you.

And He answered and said unto me: 'You have prayed simply, O Baruch, And all your words have been heard.

And I answered and said: 'O Adam, what have you done to all those who are born from you? And what will be said to the first Eve who hearkened to the serpent?

You, O LORD, my Lord, know what is in Your creature.

'Nevertheless, I Will again ask from you, O Mighty One, yea, I will ask made all things.

And I besought the Mighty One, and said: 'You alone, O Lord, know of aforetime the deep things of the world, And the things which befall in their times You bring about by Your word, And against the works of the inhabitants of the earth you do hasten the beginnings of the times, And the end of the seasons you alone know.

For who doeth like unto Your marvelous deeds, O God, Or who comprehend Your deep thought of life.

But do You, O Lord, expound to me regarding those things which you have revealed to me, And inform me regarding that which I besought you.

And I answered and said: 'Who can understand, O Lord, Your goodness? For it is incomprehensible.

And the earth recognized all Thy righteous judgments, O God.

(And yet) I will justify Thee, O God, in uprightness of heart, For in Thy judgments is Thy righteousness (displayed), O God.

(And yet) I will justify Thee, O God, in uprightness of heart, For in Thy judgments is Thy righteousness (displayed), O God.

And I saw and entreated the Lord and said, Long enough, O Lord, has Thine hand been heavy on Israel, in bringing the nations upon (them).

And they will make an utter end, unless Thou, O Lord, rebuke them in Thy wrath.

Delay not, O God, to recompense them on (their) heads, To turn the pride of the dragon into dishonour.

Why sleepest thou, O my soul, And blessest not the Lord

Wherefore sittest thou, O profane (man), in the council of the pious, Seeing that thy heart is far removed from the Lord, Provoking with transgressions the God of Israel

Let his portion, O Lord, be dishonoured before thee; Let him go forth groaning and come home cursed.

Let his life be (spent) in anguish, and penury, and want, O Lord; Let his sleep be (beset) with pains and his awaking with perplexities.

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon all them that love Thee.

O Lord God, I will praise Thy name with joy, In the midst of them that know Thy righteous judgments.

For man and his portion (lie) before Thee in the balance; He cannot add to, so as to enlarge, what has been prescribed by Thee. O God,

For if I hunger, unto Thee will I cry, O God; And Thou wilt give to me.

Kings and rulers and peoples Thou dost nourish, O God; And who is the help of the poor and needy, if not Thou, O Lord

Kings and rulers and peoples Thou dost nourish, O God; And who is the help of the poor and needy, if not Thou, O Lord

Upon the whole earth is Thy mercy, O Lord, in goodness.

Make not Thy dwelling afar from us, O God; Lest they assail us that hate us without cause.

For Thou hast rejected them, O God; Let not their foot trample upon Thy holy inheritance.

Behold, now, O God, Thou hast shown us Thy judgment in Thy righteousness;

Our eyes have seen Thy judgments, O God. We have justified Thy name that is honoured for ever;

Turn, O God, Thy mercy upon us, and have pity upon us;

Overlook us not, O our God, lest the nations swallow us up, as though there were none to deliver.