4 Maccabees 6:17-19

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised

¹⁷ ‘Never may we, the children of Abraham,^[a] think so basely that out of cowardice we feign a role unbecoming to us! ¹⁸ For it would be irrational if, having lived in accordance with truth up to old age and having maintained in accordance with law the reputation of such a life, we should now change our course ¹⁹ and ourselves become a pattern of impiety to the young by setting them an example in the eating of defiling food.