12
and have compassion on your old age by honoring my humane advice?
13
For consider this: if there is some power watching over this religion of yours, it will excuse you from any transgression that arises out of compulsion."
14
When the tyrant urged him in this fashion to eat meat unlawfully, Eleazar asked to have a word.
15
When he had received permission to speak, he began to address the people as follows:
16
"We, O Antiochus, 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.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.