14. Thus, in dealing with other nations, the Sovereign Lord patiently waits until they reach the full measure of their sins before punishing them; but with us he has decided to deal differently,
15. in order that he may not have to punish us later, when our sins have reached their fullness.
16. Therefore he never withdraws his mercy from us. Although he disciplines us with misfortunes, he does not abandon his own people.
17. Let these words suffice for recalling this truth. Without further ado we must go on with our story.
18. Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes, a man advanced in age and of noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
19. But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement, he went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
20. spitting out the meat as they should do who have the courage to reject food unlawful to taste even for love of life.
21. Those in charge of that unlawful sacrifice took the man aside, because of their long acquaintance with him, and privately urged him to bring his own provisions that he could legitimately eat, and only to pretend to eat the sacrificial meat prescribed by the king.
22. Thus he would escape death, and be treated kindly because of his old friendship with them.
23. But he made up his mind in a noble manner, worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age, the merited distinction of his gray hair, and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood. Above all loyal to the holy laws given by God, he swiftly declared, “Send me to Hades!”
24. “At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense; many of the young would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar had gone over to an alien religion.