1The tyrant Anti'ochus, sitting in state with his counsellors on a certain high place, and with his armed soldiers standing about him, 2ordered the guards to seize each and every Hebrew and to compel them to eat pork and food sacrificed to idols. 3If any were not willing to eat defiling food, they were to be broken on the wheel and killed. 4And when many persons had been rounded up, one man, Elea'zar by name, leader of the flock, was brought5.4 Or was the first of the flock to be brought before the king. He was a man of priestly family, learned in the law, advanced in age, and known to many in the tyrant's court because of his philosophy.5.4 Other authorities read his advanced age

5When Anti'ochus saw him he said, 6“Before I begin to torture you, old man, I would advise you to save yourself by eating pork, 7for I respect your age and your grey hairs. Although you have had them for so long a time, it does not seem to me that you are a philosopher when you observe the religion of the Jews. 8Why, when nature has granted it to us, should you abhor eating the very excellent meat of this animal? 9It is senseless not to enjoy delicious things that are not shameful, and wrong to spurn the gifts of nature. 10It seems to me that you will do something even more senseless if, by holding a vain opinion concerning the truth, you continue to despise me to your own hurt. 11Will you not awaken from your foolish philosophy, dispel your futile reasonings, adopt a mind appropriate to your years, philosophize according to the truth of what is beneficial, 12and have compassion on your old age by honouring my humane advice? 13For consider this, that if there is some power watching over this religion of yours, it will excuse you from any transgression that arises out of compulsion.

14When the tyrant urged him in this fashion to eat meat unlawfully, Elea'zar asked to have a word. 15When he had received permission to speak, he began to address the people as follows: 16“We, O Anti'ochus, who have been persuaded to govern our lives by the divine law, think that there is no compulsion more powerful than our obedience to the law. 17Therefore we consider that we should not transgress it in any respect. 18Even if, as you suppose, our law were not truly divine and we had wrongly held it to be divine, not even so would it be right for us to invalidate our reputation for piety. 19Therefore do not suppose that it would be a petty sin if we were to eat defiling food; 20to transgress the law in matters either small or great is of equal seriousness, 21for in either case the law is equally despised. 22You scoff at our philosophy as though living by it were irrational, 23but it teaches us self-control, so that we master all pleasures and desires, and it also trains us in courage, so that we endure any suffering willingly; 24it instructs us in justice, so that in all our dealings we act impartially,5.24 Or so that we hold in balance all our habitual inclinations and it teaches us piety, so that with proper reverence we worship the only real God.

25“Therefore we do not eat defiling food; for since we believe that the law was established by God, we know that in the nature of things the Creator of the world in giving us the law has shown sympathy toward us. 26He has permitted us to eat what will be most suitable for our lives,5.26 Or souls but he has forbidden us to eat meats that would be contrary to this. 27It would be tyrannical for you to compel us not only to transgress the law, but also to eat in such a way that you may deride us for eating defiling food”, which are most hateful to us. 28But you shall have no such occasion to laugh at me, 29nor will I transgress the sacred oaths of my ancestors concerning the keeping of the law, 30not even if you gouge out my eyes and burn my entrails. 31I am not so old and cowardly as not to be young in reason on behalf of piety. 32Therefore get your torture wheels ready and fan the fire more vehemently! 33I do not so pity my old age as to break the ancestral law by my own act. 34I will not play false to you, O law that trained me, nor will I renounce you, beloved self-control. 35I will not put you to shame, philosophical reason, nor will I reject you, honoured priesthood and knowledge of the law. 36You, O king, shall5.36 Greek You shall not stain the honourable mouth of my old age, nor my long life lived lawfully. 37The fathers will receive me as pure, as one who does not fear your violence even to death. 38You may tyrannize the ungodly, but you shall not dominate my religious principles either by word or by deed.”