There were also taken and led to the king [2 Macc. vii. i.]
seven brethren, very believing;
and their mother together, and them they vexed with scourging,
that they should eat bacon, against God's law.
Then saith the eldest, 'what askest thou of us?
we are ready to die rather than to transgress
our creator's law which he ordained by Moses.'
Then the king grew angry and commanded to cut out his tongue,
and to scalp him and to cut off his hands,
and also to cut off his feet, and commanded to fetch a cauldron,
and to boil him therein until he gave up the ghost
before his brethren, that they might yield.
Moreover the six brethren themselves there testified
and the mother together, saying amongst themselves,
that they would die for God's ordinances.
' God himself comforteth us, as Moses revealed [Deut. xxxii. 43 ]
in the fifth book, that God comforteth his servants.'
Then the tormentors bound the second brother,
and they scalped him hatefully and asked him
whether he eat would before he should be hamstrung.
He saith 'that he would not,' and he then the like punishment
as his elder brother immediately received,
and saith to the king who commanded to kill them,
'Thou, most guilty king, slayest and consumest us,
but the Almighty King will raise us up again
to the eternal life, now that we die for his law.'
They bound the third and in derision they commanded
him to put out his tongue, and he quickly did so.
and reached out his hands to them, and with firmness quoth,
' These limbs I had through the heavenly king,
