World English Bible

4 Maccabees 10:6-20 World English Bible (WEB)

6. And they dragged round his fingers, and his arms, and his legs, and his ankles.

7. And not being able by any means to strangle him, they tore off his skin, together with the extreme tips of his fingers, flayed him, and then haled him to the wheel;

8. around which his vertebral joints were loosened, and he saw his own flesh torn to shreds, and streams of blood flowing from his entrails.

9. And when about to die, he said,

10. We, O accursed tyrant, suffer this for the sake of Divine education and virtue.

11. But you, for your impiety and blood shedding, shall endure indissoluble torments.

12. And thus having died worthily of his brethren, they dragged forward the fourth, saying,

13. Do not you share the madness of your brethren: but give regard to the king, and save yourself.

14. But he said to them, You have not a fire so scorching as to make me play the coward.

15. By the blessed death of my brethren, and the eternal punishment of the tyrant, and the glorious life of the pious, I will not repudiate the noble brotherhood.

16. Invent, O tyrant, tortures; that you may learn, even through them, that I am the brother of those tormented before.

17. When he had said this, the blood-thirsty, and murderous, and unhallowed Antiochus ordered his tongue to be cut out.

18. But he said, Even if you take away the organ of speech, yet God hears the silent.

19. Behold, my tongue is extended, cut it off; for not for that halt you extirpate our reasoning.

20. Gladly do we lose our limbs in behalf of God.