7. And, were it lawful for us to paint as on a tablet the religion of your story, the spectators would not shudder at beholding the mother of seven children enduring for the sake of religion various tortures even to death.
8. And it had been a worth thing to have inscribed upon the tomb itself these words as a memorial to those of the nation,
9. Here an aged priest, and an aged woman, and seven sons, are buried through the violence of a tyrant, who wished to destroy the polity of the Hebrews.
10. These also avenged their nation, looking to God, and enduring torments to death.
11. For it was truly a divine contest which was carried through by them.
12. For at that time virtue presided over the contest, approving the victory through endurance, namely, immortality, eternal life.
13. Eleazar was the first to contend: and the mother of the seven children entered the contest; and the brethren contended.
14. The tyrant was the opposite; and the world and living men were the spectators.
15. And reverence for God conquered, and crowned her own athletes.
16. Who did not admire those champions of true legislation? who were not astonied?
17. The tyrant himself, and all their council, admired their endurance;
18. through which, also, they now stand beside the divine throne, and live a blessed life.
19. For Moses says, And all the saints are under your hands.
20. These, therefore, having been sanctified through God, have been honored not only with this honor, but that also by their means the enemy did not overcome our nation;
21. and that the tyrant was punished, and their country purified.
22. For they became the ransom to the sin of the nation; and the Divine Providence saved Israel, aforetime afflicted, by the blood of those pious ones, and the propitiatory death.