12
At that point, partly out of pity for his old age,
13
partly out of sympathy from their acquaintance with him, partly out of admiration for his endurance, some of the king's retinue came to him and said,
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"Eleazar, why are you so irrationally destroying yourself through these evil things?
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We will set before you some cooked meat; save yourself by pretending to eat pork."
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But Eleazar, as though more bitterly tormented by this counsel, cried out:
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"May we, the children of Abraham, never think so basely that out of cowardice we feign a role unbecoming to us!
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For it would be irrational if we, who have lived in accordance with truth to old age and have maintained in accordance with law the reputation of such a life, should now change our course
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become a pattern of impiety to the young, in becoming an example of the eating of defiling food.
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It would be shameful if we should survive for a little while and during that time be a laughing stock to all for our cowardice,
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and if we should be despised by the tyrant as unmanly, and not protect our divine law even to death.
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Therefore, O children of Abraham, die nobly for your religion!