1 Some of the spearbearers said that
when she herself was about to be seized
for the purpose of being put to death, she
threw herself on the pile, rather than let
them touch her body.

2 O you mother, who together with seven
children destroyed the violence of the
tyrant, and rendered void his wicked
intentions, and exhibited the nobleness of
faith!

3 For you, like a house bravely built on
the pillar of your children, bore the shock
of tortures without swaying.

4 Cheer up, therefore, O holy-minded
mother! Hold the firm hope of your
steadfastness with God.

5 Not so gracious does the moon appear
with the stars in heaven, as you are established
as honorable before God, and fixed in the sky
with your sons whom you illuminated with
religion to the stars.

6 For your bearing of children was after
the manner of a child of Abraham.

7 If it were lawful for us to paint as
on a tablet the religion of your story, the
spectators wouldn’t shudder at seeing the
mother of seven children enduring for the
sake of religion various tortures even to
death.

8 It would have been a worthwhile thing
to have inscribed on the tomb itself these
words as a memorialto those ofthe 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 society 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.