13. Think about this: if there is some power watching over you and your religion, it will excuse you for any action against the Law if you are compelled to do it."
14. When the tyrant had finished pressuring Eleazar to eat forbidden food, Eleazar asked to say something.
15. Antiochus gave him permission, and Eleazar began to give the following speech:
16. “Antiochus, we are persuaded to live our lives in line with the divine Law! We think that nothing is more compelling than our obedience to the Law.
17. That’s why we don’t think it’s right to disobey the Law under any circumstances.
18. “Even if, as you assume, our Law were not truly divine and we were wrong to think it is divine, even then it would be wrong for us to ruin our reputation for our godly way of life.
19. So don’t think it’s a minor sin for us to eat forbidden foods.
20. Whether we disobey the Law in a small matter or a big one, it is equally important,
21. because we are showing equal contempt for the Law itself.
22. “You look down on our way of life as though living this way were unreasonable.
23. However, our way of life teaches us self-control, so that we can have control over any pleasure or desire. It trains us to be brave, so that we willingly bear any suffering.
24. It educates us about justice, so that it is always our custom to treat everyone fairly. It educates us in the godly way of life, so that we worship with due respect the only God who really exists.
25. "So we don’t eat forbidden foods. We believe that God gave us the Law. The creator of the cosmic order has shown us compassion by giving us the Law in accordance with nature.
26. He has allowed us to eat what is most appropriate for our lives, but he has forbidden us to eat meat that would interfere with our welfare.
27. You are acting like a tyrant, trying not only to force us to break our Law but you are trying also to make us eat forbidden food that we hate just so you can make fun of us.