4 Maccabees 8:14-16

Common English Bible

¹⁴ “Young men, be afraid. Whatever justice you respect will have mercy on you, since you are being forced to break the Law.”

The brothers’ response to the tyrant

¹⁵ The brothers heard the promises and saw the terrible instruments, but they weren’t afraid. Instead, they resisted the tyrant’s arguments with their own philosophy and defeated the power of his tyranny through clear thinking. ¹⁶ But let’s think about what arguments they might have used if they had been cowardly and unmanly. Wouldn’t they have argued like this?