8
Whoever has the occupation of administering public affairs in line with the Law should be a person like you. They should protect the Law with their own blood and with genuine tears, and suffer to the point of death!
9
Father, you confirmed our commitment to obey the Law through your endurance that brought you honor. You didn't desert the holy way of life that you had praised so sincerely. Your actions made your words about divine philosophy convincing.
10
Old man, you had greater force than torture! Elder, you are more powerful than fire! Eleazar, you are supreme ruler over passions!
11
Our father Aaron ran into the midst of the people, armed with a container of burning incense, and had the victory over a fiery angel.
12
In the same way, Aaron's descendant Eleazar, though eaten up by fire, kept his thinking straight.
14
The most remarkable thing is that he became young again in spirit through clear thinking, though he was an old man whose body was no longer hard and strong—his muscles were soft, and his joints were weak. He made the many devices of torture ineffective with clear thinking, such as Isaac had shown.
15
How honorable is old age, respected gray hair, and a law-abiding life that the faithful seal of death made complete!
16
So if an old man thought nothing of being tortured to death for the sake of showing God proper respect, without question godly thinking is the commander of the emotions.
17
Some people might object, "Not everyone has command of the emotions, since not everyone uses wisdom."
18
But the people who are fully committed to give God proper respect from the heart are alone able to control the sensations of the body.