Helpful Saints Corpus Reader
4 Maccabees
4 Maccabees — Brenton historical English
Unverified edition · Chapter 14
Reading language: eng · Original language (catalog): Ancient source language(s)
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Chapter 14 · All reading sections
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4 Maccabees 14:1
And more than this, they even urged them on to this ill-treatment; so that they not only despised pains themselves, but they even got the better of their affections of brotherly love.
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4 Maccabees 14:2
O reasonings more royal than a king, and freer than freemen!
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4 Maccabees 14:3
Sacred and harmonious concert of the seven brethren as concerning piety!
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4 Maccabees 14:4
None of the seven youths turned cowardly, or shrank back from death.
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4 Maccabees 14:5
But all of them, as though running the road to immortality, hastened on to death through tortures.
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4 Maccabees 14:6
For just as hands and feet are moved sympathetically with the directions of the soul, so those holy youths agreed unto death for religion's sake, as through the immortal soul of religion.
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4 Maccabees 14:7
O holy seven of harmonious brethren! for as the seven days of creation, about religion,
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4 Maccabees 14:8
so the youths, circling around the number seven, annulled the fear of torments.
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4 Maccabees 14:9
We now shudder at the recital of the affliction of those young men; but they not only beheld, and not only heard the immediate execution of the threat, but undergoing it, persevered; and that through the pains of fire.
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4 Maccabees 14:10
And what could be more painful? for the power of fire, being sharp and quick, speedily dissolved their bodies.
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4 Maccabees 14:11
And think it not wonderful that reasoning bore rule over those men in their torments, when even a woman's mind despised more manifold pains.
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4 Maccabees 14:12
For the mother of those seven youths endured the rackings of each of her children.
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4 Maccabees 14:13
And consider how comprehensive is the love of offspring, which draws every one to sympathy of affection,
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4 Maccabees 14:14
where irrational animals possess a similar sympathy and love for their offspring with men.
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4 Maccabees 14:15
The tame birds frequenting the roofs of our houses, defend their fledglings.
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4 Maccabees 14:16
Others build their nests, and hatch their young, in the tops of mountains and in the precipices of valleys, and the holes and tops of trees, and keep off the intruder.
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4 Maccabees 14:17
And if not able to do this, they fly circling round them in agony of affection, calling out in their own note, and save their offspring in whatever manner they are able.
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4 Maccabees 14:18
But why should we point attention to the sympathy toward children shewn by irrational animals?
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4 Maccabees 14:19
The very bees, at the season of honey-making, attack all who approach; and pierce with their sting, as with a sword, those who draw near their hive, and repel them even unto death.
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4 Maccabees 14:20
But sympathy with her children did not turn aside the mother of the young men, who had a spirit kindred with that of Abraham.
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Recorded completeness: All 18 chapter files and 483 supplied numbered verses of this identified English witness; all supplied footnotes retained. No claim that this translation is an original-language source or HSLT. This independent historical edition retains its own source readings.. Available reading sections are listed below.
Available body coverage · eng
18 chapter/reading unit(s) · 483 nonempty passage record(s).
Supported chapters & passages
- Chapter 1 · 35 passage record(s)
- Chapter 2 · 24 passage record(s)
- Chapter 3 · 21 passage record(s)
- Chapter 4 · 26 passage record(s)
- Chapter 5 · 38 passage record(s)
- Chapter 6 · 35 passage record(s)
- Chapter 7 · 25 passage record(s)
- Chapter 8 · 27 passage record(s)
- Chapter 9 · 32 passage record(s)
- Chapter 10 · 21 passage record(s)
- Chapter 11 · 27 passage record(s)
- Chapter 12 · 20 passage record(s)
- Chapter 13 · 27 passage record(s)
- Chapter 14 · 20 passage record(s)
- Chapter 15 · 32 passage record(s)
- Chapter 16 · 25 passage record(s)
- Chapter 17 · 24 passage record(s)
- Chapter 18 · 24 passage record(s)
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