2 Maccabees 6:5-18
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5 The altar also was filled with profane things, which the law forbiddeth.
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6 Neither was it lawful for a man to keep sabbath days or ancient fasts, or to profess himself at all to be a Jew.
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7 And in the day of the king's birth every month they were brought by bitter constraint to eat of the sacrifices; and when the fast of Bacchus was kept, the Jews were compelled to go in procession to Bacchus, carrying ivy.
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8 Moreover there went out a decree to the neighbour cities of the heathen, by the suggestion of Ptolemee, against the Jews, that they should observe the same fashions, and be partakers of their sacrifices:
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9 And whoso would not conform themselves to the manners of the Gentiles should be put to death. Then might a man have seen the present misery.
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10 For there were two women brought, who had circumcised their children; whom when they had openly led round about the city, the babes handing at their breasts, they cast them down headlong from the wall.
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11 And others, that had run together into caves near by, to keep the sabbath day secretly, being discovered by Philip, were all burnt together, because they made a conscience to help themselves for the honour of the most sacred day.
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12 Now I beseech those that read this book, that they be not discouraged for these calamities, but that they judge those punishments not to be for destruction, but for a chastening of our nation.
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13 For it is a token of his great goodness, when wicked doers are not suffered any long time, but forthwith punished.
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14 For not as with other nations, whom the Lord patiently forbeareth to punish, till they be come to the fulness of their sins, so dealeth he with us,
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15 Lest that, being come to the height of sin, afterwards he should take vengeance of us.
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16 And therefore he never withdraweth his mercy from us: and though he punish with adversity, yet doth he never forsake his people.
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17 But let this that we at spoken be for a warning unto us. And now will we come to the declaring of the matter in a few words.
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18 Eleazar, one of the principal scribes, an aged man, and of a well favoured countenance, was constrained to open his mouth, and to eat swine's flesh.