7 There were also seven brothers who were arrested along with their mother. The king was trying to compel them to eat the forbidden pork by torturing them with whips and cords.

²⁰ The mother was particularly amazing and worthy of an honorable memory. She watched her seven sons die in the course of a single day but accepted it with a stout heart because of her hope in the Lord. ²¹ She encouraged each of them in their native language. Filled with noble thoughts, she fired up her womanly reasoning with manly courage, saying to them, ²² “I don’t know how you grew in my womb, nor did I grant the breath of life to you or arrange what makes you who you are. ²³ For this reason, the creator of the world—who brought about the beginning of humanity and searched out the origin of all things—will again mercifully give you both spirit and life, since you disregard yourselves because of his laws.”

²⁴ Antiochus thought that he was being treated with contempt and was suspicious of the tone of her voice. So he appealed to the youngest son, since he was still alive, not only through words but also through solemn pledges. If the young man turned from his ancestral practices, Antiochus promised him, he would make him both rich and prosperous, he would be considered a political advisor,^[a] and he would be entrusted with public affairs. ²⁵ When the young man wouldn’t accept the offer by any means, the king appealed to the mother to counsel the boy to save himself. ²⁶ After a great deal of urging, she agreed to try to persuade her son. ²⁷ By leaning toward her son and mocking the savage tyrant, she spoke in their native language: “Son, pity me who carried you in the womb nine months, nursed you for three years, nurtured you, and brought you into this stage of life with care. ²⁸ I beg you, child, to look at heaven and earth. See everything that is in them and know that God made these things from nothing, and created humankind in the same way. ²⁹ Don’t fear this killer but prove worthy of your brothers. Accept death so that in God’s mercy I should recover you with your brothers.”

³⁰ Just at the moment when she finished speaking,^[b] the young man said, “What are you all waiting for? I don’t intend to obey the king’s order, but I hear the command of the Law given to our ancestors through Moses. ³¹ But you, King, who have invented all sorts of evil against the Hebrews, will by no means escape God’s power.

³⁹ Bitterly annoyed at the young boy’s contempt, the king grew angry and treated him worse than the others. ⁴⁰ And this brother then died with integrity, trusting entirely in the Lord. ⁴¹ Last, after her sons, the mother died.

⁴² So then with regard to the eating of sacrificial meats and the extreme tortures they suffered, let this account be sufficient.

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

Faithful service

¹¹ As they listened to this, Jesus told them another parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought God’s kingdom would appear right away. ¹² He said, “A certain man who was born into royalty went to a distant land to receive his kingdom and then return. ¹³ He called together ten servants and gave each of them money worth four months’ wages.^[a] He said, ‘Do business with this until I return.’ ¹⁴ His citizens hated him, so they sent a representative after him who said, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ ¹⁵ After receiving his kingdom, he returned and called the servants to whom he had given the money to find out how much they had earned. ¹⁶ The first servant came forward and said, ‘Your money has earned a return of one thousand percent.’ ¹⁷ The king replied, ‘Excellent! You are a good servant. Because you have been faithful in a small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.’

¹⁸ “The second servant came and said, ‘Master, your money has made a return of five hundred percent.’ ¹⁹ To this one, the king said, ‘You will have authority over five cities.’

²⁰ “Another servant came and said, ‘Master, here is your money. I wrapped it up in a scarf for safekeeping. ²¹ I was afraid of you because you are a stern man. You withdraw what you haven’t deposited and you harvest what you haven’t planted.’ ²² The king replied, ‘I will judge you by the words of your own mouth, you worthless servant! You knew, did you, that I’m a stern man, withdrawing what I didn’t deposit, and harvesting what I didn’t plant? ²³ Why then didn’t you put my money in the bank? Then when I arrived, at least I could have gotten it back with interest.’

²⁴ “He said to his attendants, ‘Take his money and give it to the one who has ten times as much.’ ²⁵ ‘But Master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten times as much!’ ²⁶ He replied, ‘I say to you that everyone who has will be given more, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ²⁷ As for my enemies who don’t want me as their king, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

²⁸ After Jesus said this, he continued on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.