The Death of the Mother

1 Some of the guards said that when she too was about to be seized and put to death, she threw herself into the fire so that no one would touch her body.⁠a 2 Mother, who together with your seven children broke the tyrant’s violence, made his evil plans useless, and showed the nobility of faith! 3 For like a roof set nobly on the pillars of your children, you held firm and did not sway under the earthquake of the tortures. 4 Take courage, then, holy-minded mother, and hold firmly to the hope of your endurance before God. 5 The moon in heaven with the stars is not as majestic as you, who lit the way to piety for your seven star-like sons. You are honored by God and set firmly with them in heaven.⁠b 6 For your children were descended from father Abraham.

Honor and Deliverance through the Martyrs

7 If it were permitted for us to paint the story of your piety as an artist would, wouldn’t those who saw it shudder at the sight of a mother of seven children enduring many kinds of tortures to the death for the sake of piety? 8 It would be fitting to inscribe these words on their tomb as a memorial for the people of our nation: 9 “Here lie buried an aged priest, an old woman, and seven sons, because of the violence of a tyrant who wanted to destroy the way of life of the Hebrews. 10 They vindicated their nation, looking to God and enduring tortures to the death.” 11 For it was truly a divine contest that they fought.⁠c 12 For on that day virtue was the judge of the contest, testing them for endurance, and the prize was immortality in endless life. 13 Eleazar fought first, the mother of the seven sons competed, and the brothers fought. 14 The tyrant was the opponent, and the world and all humanity were the spectators. 15 Reverence for God was victorious and crowned its own athletes. 16 Who did not admire the athletes of the divine law? Who was not amazed? 17 Even the tyrant himself and his whole council admired their endurance, 18 and because of it they now stand beside the divine throne and live the life of the blessed age. 19 For Moses says, “All the saints are under your hands.”⁠d

The Martyrs' Deaths and the Deliverance of Israel

20 These, then, who have been consecrated for God’s sake, are honored not only with this honor, but also because through them the enemy did not overpower our nation, 21 the tyrant was punished, and the homeland was purified, since they became, as it were, a ransom for the sin of the nation. 22 And through the blood of those pious ones and their death as an atoning sacrifice,⁠e divine Providence saved Israel, which had previously been mistreated. 23 For when the tyrant Antiochus saw the courage of their virtue and their endurance under torture, he proclaimed their endurance to his soldiers as an example. 24 And so he had soldiers who were noble and brave in battle and in sieges, and he plundered and defeated all his enemies.