16. Eleazar screamed out as if this advice were even more painful than the whips:
17. "May we who are Abraham’s children never think so wickedly that we would pretend to act this inappropriately because we are cowards!
18. To change our ways now would be the truly thoughtless thing to do. We have lived in line with God’s truth well into old age and earned a reputation for keeping the Law.
19. We would become an example of ungodly behavior for the younger people, and pave the way for them to eat forbidden food.
20. It would be a disgrace for us to become a joke for our lack of courage, just to survive a little longer.
21. This tyrant would look down on us as cowards because we weren’t willing to defend the divine Law to the point of death.
22. For all these reasons, children of Abraham, die well for the sake of showing God proper respect!
23. As for you, soldiers of the tyrant, what are you waiting for?"
24. When the king’s advisors saw that he remained confident in the face of torture and didn’t appreciate their compassion, the guards carried him to the fire.