3. The oppression was harsh and almost intolerable.
4. Gentiles filled the Temple with drinking parties and all sorts of immorality. They even had intercourse with prostitutes there. Forbidden objects were brought into the Temple,
5. and the altar was covered with detestable sacrifices prohibited by our Law.
6. It was impossible to observe the Sabbath, to celebrate any of the traditional festivals, or even so much as to admit to being a Jew.
7. Each month when the king's birthday was celebrated, the Jews were compelled by brute force to eat the intestines of sacrificial animals. Then, during the festival in honour of the wine god Dionysus, they were required to wear ivy wreaths on their heads and march in procession.
8. On the advice of Ptolemy, the neighbouring Greek cities were also instructed to require Jews to eat the sacrifices;
9. they were told to put to death every Jew who refused to adopt the Greek way of life. It was easy to see that hard times were ahead.
21-22. Those in charge of the sacrifice had been friends of Eleazar for a long time, and because of this friendship they told him privately to bring meat that was lawful for him to eat. He need only pretend to eat the pork, they said, and in this way he would not be put to death.
23. But Eleazar made a decision worthy of his grey hair and advanced age. All his life he had lived in perfect obedience to God's holy laws, so he replied, “Kill me, here and now.
24. Such deception is not worthy of a man of my years. Many young people would think that I had denied my faith after I was ninety years old.
25. If I pretended to eat this meat, just to live a little while longer, it would bring shame and disgrace on me and lead many young people astray.
26. For the present I might be able to escape what you could do to me, but whether I live or die, I cannot escape Almighty God.
27. If I die bravely now, it will show that I deserved my long life.