2 Maccabees 7

1 Havia também sete irmãos que foram um dia presos com sua mãe, e que o rei, por meio de golpes de azorrague e de nervos de boi, quis coagir a comerem a proibida carne de porco.

2 Um dentre eles tomou a palavra e falou assim em nome de todos: "Que nos pretendes perguntar e saber de nós? Estamos prontos a morrer, antes de violar as leis de nossos pais".

3 O rei, fora de si, ordenou que aquecessem até a brasa assadeiras e caldeirões.

4 Logo que ficaram em brasa ordenou que cortassem a língua do que falara por todos e, depois, que lhe arrancassem a pele da cabeça e lhe cortassem também as extremidades, tudo isso à vista de seus irmãos e de sua mãe.

5 Em seguida, mandou conduzi-lo ao fogo inerte e mal respirando, para assá-lo. Enquanto o vapor da assadeira se espalhava em profusão, os outros, com sua mãe, exortavam-se mutua­mente a morrer com coragem.

6 "O Senhor nos vê – diziam – e certamente terá compaixão de nós, como o diz claramente Moisés no seu cântico de admoestações: Ele terá compaixão de seus servos."

7 Desse modo, morto o primeiro, conduziram o segundo ao suplício. Arrancaram-lhe a pele da cabeça com os cabelos e perguntaram-lhe: "Comerás carne de porco, ou preferes que teu corpo seja torturado membro por membro?".

8 Ele respondeu: "Não" – no idioma de seu país. Por isso, padeceu os mesmos tormentos do primeiro.

9 Estando prestes a dar o último suspiro, disse: "Maldito, tu nos arrebatas a vida presente, mas o Rei do universo nos ressuscitará para uma vida eterna, pois morremos por fidelidade às suas leis".

10 Após este, torturaram o terceiro. Reclamada a língua, ele a apresentou logo, e estendeu as mãos corajosamente.

11 Declarou com nobreza: "Do céu recebi estes membros, mas eu os desprezo por amor às suas leis, e dele espero recebê-los um dia de novo".

12 O próprio rei e os que o acompanhavam ficaram admirados com o heroísmo desse jovem, que reputava por nada os sofrimentos.

13 Morto este, aplicaram os mesmos suplícios ao quarto,

14 e este disse, quando estava a ponto de expirar: "É uma sorte desejável perecer pela mão humana com a esperança de que Deus nos ressuscite. Para ti, porém, certamente não haverá ressurreição para a vida!".

15 Arrastaram, em seguida, o quinto e torturaram.

16 Encarando o rei, lhe disse: "Ainda que mortal, tens poder sobre os homens, e fazes o que queres. Não penses, todavia, que nosso povo esteja abandonado por Deus!

17 Espera, verás quão grande é a sua potência e como ele te castigará a ti e à tua raça".

18 Após este, fizeram achegar-se o sexto, que disse antes de morrer: "Não te iludas. Nós mesmos merecemos estes sofrimentos, porque pecamos contra nosso Deus. Em consequência, recebemos estes flagelos surpreendentes.

19 Mas não creias tu que ficarás impune, após haveres ousado combater contra Deus".

20 Particularmente admirável e digna de elogios foi a mãe que viu perecer seus sete filhos no espaço de um só dia e o su­portou com heroísmo, porque sua esperança repousava no Senhor.

21 Ela exortava a cada um no seu idioma materno e, cheia de nobres sentimentos, com uma coragem varonil, realçava seu temperamento de mulher.

22 "Ignoro – dizia-lhes ela – como crescestes em meu seio, porque não fui eu que vos dei o espírito e a vida, não fui eu que ajuntei os vossos membros.

23 Mas o Criador do mundo, que formou o homem na sua origem e deu existência a todas as coisas, vos restituirá, em sua misericórdia, tanto o espírito como a vida, se agora fizerdes pouco caso de vós mesmos por amor às suas leis."

24 Receando, todavia, o desprezo e temendo o insulto, Antíoco solicitou em termos insistentes o mais jovem, que ainda restava, prometendo-lhe com juramento torná-lo rico e feliz, se abandonasse as tradições de seus antepassados, tratá-lo como amigo e confiar-lhe cargos.

25 Como o jovem não lhe prestava nenhuma atenção, o rei mandou que a mãe se aproximasse e o exortasse com seus conselhos, para que o adolescente salvasse sua vida.

26 Como ele insistiu por muito tempo, ela consentiu em persuadir o filho.

27 Inclinou-se sobre ele e, zombando do cruel tirano, disse-lhe na língua materna: "Meu filho, compadece-te de tua mãe, que te trouxe nove meses no seio, que te amamentou durante três anos, que te nutriu, te conduziu e te educou até esta idade.

28 Eu te suplico, meu filho, contempla o céu e a terra. Reflete bem: tudo o que vês, Deus criou do nada, assim como todos os homens.

29 Não temas, pois, este algoz, mas sê digno de teus irmãos e aceita a morte, para que no dia da misericórdia eu te encontre no meio deles".

30 Logo que ela acabou de falar, o jovem disse: "Que estais a esperar? Não atenderei às ordens do rei. Obedeço àquele que deu a Lei a nossos pais, por intermédio de Moisés.

31 Mas tu, que és o inventor dessa perseguição contra os judeus, não escaparás à mão de Deus.

32 Quanto a nós é por causa de nossos pecados que sofremos

33 e se, para nos punir e corrigir, o Deus vivo e Senhor nosso se irou por pouco tempo contra nós, ele há de se reconciliar de novo com seus servos.

34 Ímpio, não te exaltes sem razão, embalando-te em vãs esperanças, enquanto levantas a mão sobre os servos do céu.

35 Tu ainda não escapaste ao julgamento do Deus Todo-poderoso que tudo vê!

36 Enquanto meus irmãos participam agora da vida eterna, em virtude do sinal da Aliança, após terem padecido um instante, tu sofrerás o justo castigo de teu orgulho, pelo julgamento de Deus.

37 A exemplo de meus irmãos, entrego meu corpo e minha vida pelas leis de nossos pais, e suplico a Deus que ele não se demore em apiedar-se de seu povo. Oxalá tu, em meio aos sofrimentos e provações, reconheças nele o Deus único.

38 Enfim, que se detenha em mim e em meus irmãos a cólera do Todo-poderoso, que se desencadeou sobre toda a nossa raça".

39 Abrasado de ira e enraivecido pela zombaria, o rei maltratou este com maior crueldade do que os outros.

40 Morreu, pois, o jovem purificado de toda mancha e completamente entregue ao Senhor.

41 Seguindo as pegadas de todos os seus filhos, a mãe pereceu por último.

42 Terminamos aqui nossa narração concernente aos banquetes rituais e a estas atrozes perseguições.

1 It came to pass that seven brothers and 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 One of them made himself the spokesman and said, "What would you ask and learn from us? For we are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors."

3 The king fell into a rage, and commanded that pans and caldrons be heated. 4 When these were immediately heated, he gave orders to cut out the tongue of him who had been their spokesman, and to scalp him, and to cut off his extremities, with the rest of his brothers and his mother looking on. 5 And when he was utterly*7:5 Gr. useless. maimed, the king gave orders to bring him to the fire, being yet alive, and to fry him in the pan. And as the smoke from the pan spread far, they and their mother also exhorted one another to die nobly, saying this: 6 "The Lord God sees, and in truth is*7:6 Or, comforted in entreated for us, as Moses declared in *7:6 See Deuteronomy 31:21 and 32:36. his song, which witnesses against the people to their faces, saying, ‘And he will have compassion on his servants.’"

7 And when the first had died like this, they brought the second to the mocking; and they pulled off the skin of his head with the hair and asked him, "Will you eat, before your body is punished in every limb?"

8 But he answered in the language of his ancestors and said to them, "No." Therefore he also underwent the next torture in succession, as the first had done. 9 When he was at the last gasp, he said, "You, miscreant, release us out of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us who have died for his laws up to an everlasting renewal of life."

10 After him, the third was made a victim of their mocking. When he was required, he quickly put out his tongue, and stretched out his hands courageously, 11 and nobly said, "I got these from heaven. For his laws’ sake I treat these with contempt. From him, I hope to receive these back again." 12 As a result, the king himself and those who were with him were astonished at the young man’s soul, for he regarded the pains as nothing.

13 When he too was dead, they shamefully handled and tortured the fourth in the same way. 14 Being near to death he said this: "It is good to die at the hands of men and look for the hope which is given by God, that we will be raised up again by him. For as for you, you will have no resurrection to life."

15 Next after him, they brought the fifth and shamefully handled him. 16 But he looked toward *7:16 Gr. him. the king and said, "Because you have authority among men, though you are corruptible, you do what you please. But don’t think that our race has been forsaken by God. 17 But hold on to your ways, and see how his sovereign majesty will torture you and your descendants!"

18 After him they brought the sixth. When he was about to die, he said, "Don’t be vainly deceived, for we suffer these things for our own doings, as sinning against our own God. Astounding things have come to pass; 19 but don’t think that you will be unpunished, having tried to fight against God!"

20 But above all, the mother was marvelous and worthy of honorable memory; for when she watched seven sons perishing within the space of one day, she bore the sight with a good courage because of her hope in the Lord. 21 She exhorted each one of them in the language of their fathers, filled with a noble spirit and stirring up her woman’s thoughts with manly courage, saying to them, 22 "I don’t know how you came into my womb. It wasn’t I who gave you your *7:22 Or, breath spirit and your life. It wasn’t I who brought into order the first elements of each one of you. 23 Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the first origin of man and devised the first origin of all things, in mercy gives back to you again both your *7:23 Or, breath spirit and your life, as you now treat yourselves with contempt for his laws’ sake."

24 But Antiochus, thinking himself to be despised, and suspecting the reproachful voice, while the youngest was yet alive didn’t only make his appeal to him by words, but also at the same time promised with oaths that he would enrich him and*7:24 Gr. make him one that is counted happy. raise him to high honor if he would turn from the ways of his ancestors, and that he would take him for his *7:24 See 2 Maccabees 8:9. friend and entrust him with public affairs. 25 But when the young man would in no way listen, the king called to him his mother, and urged her to advise the youth to save himself. 26 When he had urged her with many words, she undertook to persuade her son. 27 But bending toward him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, she spoke this in the language of her fathers: "My son, have pity upon me who carried you nine months in my womb, and nursed you three years, and nourished and brought you up to this age, and sustained you. 28 I beg you, my child, to lift your eyes to the sky and the earth, and to see all things that are in it, and thus to recognize that God made them not of things that were, and that the race of men in this way comes into being. 29 Don’t be afraid of this butcher, but, proving yourself worthy of your brothers, accept your death, that in God’s mercy I may receive you again with your brothers."

30 But before she had finished speaking, the young man said, "What are you all waiting for? I don’t obey the commandment of the king, but I listen to the commandment of the law that was given to our fathers through Moses. 31 But you, who have devised all kinds of evil against the Hebrews, will in no way escape God’s hands. 32 For we are suffering because of our own sins. 33 If for rebuke and chastening, our living Lord has been angered a little while, yet he will again be reconciled with his own servants. 34 But you, O unholy man and of all most vile, don’t be vainly lifted up in your wild pride with uncertain hopes, raising your hand against the heavenly children. 35 For you have not yet escaped the judgment of the Almighty God who sees all things. 36 For these our brothers, having endured a *7:36 Gr. short pain of ever-flowing life. short pain that brings everlasting life, have now *7:36 Gr. fallen. By the omission of one Greek letter the words would signify having endured a short pain, have now drunk of ever-flowing life under God’s covenant.died under God’s covenant. But you, through God’s judgment, will receive in just measure the penalties of your arrogance. 37 But I, as my brothers, give up both body and soul for the laws of our fathers, calling upon God that he may speedily become *7:37 Gr. propitious. gracious to the nation, and that you, amidst trials and plagues, may confess that he alone is God, 38 and that in me and my brothers *7:38 Some authorities read may be stayed. you may bring to an end the wrath of the Almighty which has been justly brought upon our whole race."

39 But the king, falling into a rage, handled him worse than all the rest, being exasperated at his mocking. 40 So he also died pure, putting his whole trust in the Lord.

41 Last of all, after her sons, the mother died.

42 Let it then suffice to have said thus much concerning the sacrificial feasts and the extreme tortures.