22
By doing this he might escape death and attain friendly treatment because of his old friendship with them.
23
But adopting a dignified perspective worthy of his seniority, his distinguished old age and the gray hair he had acquired, and worthy of his excellent conduct from childhood, and, moreover, worthy of the holy and God-created laws, he declared to them to send him to the grave immediately:
24
"It's not worthy of our old age to act out such a role. Otherwise, many of the young would assume wrongly that Eleazar the 90-year-old had changed to a foreign way of life.
25
If I acted out this charade for the sake of living a moment longer, I would mislead them, and I would be defiled and dishonored in my old age.
26
Even if I escaped the punishment of human beings for the moment, I would certainly not escape the hands of the almighty—whether alive or dead.