ǁGûs tsî ǁîs ôagu tsîn ge ǁîn ǂgoms ǃaroma ra ǁō
1 ǀNî ǃnā-i ain ge hû ǃgâsagu tsî ǁîgu Jodeǁî îs tsîna ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ge ūhe. ǁÎn ge gao-aob xa hāguǁgan-en nî ǂûga ra ǁgarihese gere ǂnauhe. 2 Ob ge ǀguib ǂkham khoegu diba “Tare-ets nî nēsa xu hōsats ra ǃâubasen? A da ǁō, sida aboxagu di ǁnaetiga da nî ǁnāxūs xa” ti ge mî.
3 Nēs ge gao-aoba kaise ge ǁaixa kai, tsîb ge kai sūgu ǀapa gu nîs kōse nî ǀgamǀgamhe ǃkhaisa ge mîmā, 4 tsî i ge ǁnātimîsi ǁnāti ge dīhe. ǁÎb ge ǁîb khoega ge mîba, î gu ǁgûs tsî nau ǃnani ǃgâsagu mâ ra mû, hîa ǁnāb ǃhoa geb di namma ǃgaoǁnâ, danakhōs âba ǃgaoǁnâ tsî ǃomkha tsî ǂaira âba ǁhāǁnâ. 5 Tsî ǂkham khoeb ge aitsama huisen ǁoa, ob ge gao-aoba ǁîga ge mîmā, î gu ǁîba noxopab ra ǀom hîa ǀaes ǁga tani tsî amǃnâxapab ǃnâ ǁîba aoǂgā. ǀAnni nē amǃnâxapaba xu ra khâi, hîan ge ǃgâsagu tsî ǁîgu di îs tsîna ǁîǃnābe ǁkhoaǂgaoxase ǁōsa gere ǂgaoǂgaoǃnâgu, mîraǃâ: 6 “ǃKhūb Elob ge ra kō tsîb ge sida tsâba ra ǁnâuǃā. Moseb ge ǁnaetsanas hîab ge ǁnān hîa ge Eloba ǁnāxūnab ra ǀgoraǃgâǃnâs ǃnâ, nē ǃkhaisa nî ǃgāǃgāse ge xoa. ǁÎb ge ge mî: ‘ǃKhūb ge ǁnān ǁîba ra ǃoabana nî ǀkhomxa.’ ”
7 ǂGuro ǃgâsab ge nē ǀgaub ai ǁōs khaoǃgâ gu ge toroǃkhamaoga ǀgamǁîb ǀkha ge ǂgamǂgamsentsoatsoa tsî ǁîb di danakhōba ǀûn ǀkha danas âba xu ge ǂgaeǁnâ. ǁNās khaoǃgâ gu ge ǁîba ge dî: “Nē hāguǁgan-e nēsi ǂûts nî tamas ka io ge sa ǃomkha tsî ǂaira ǀguiǀguibese nî ǁhāǁnâsats ra ǂhâba?”
8 Ob ge ǁîb aboxagu gowab ǃnâ ge ǃeream: “Tātsē ta ǂû tide!” Toro-aogu ge ǂgurob ǀkha gu ge dī khami ǁîba gere tsâtsâ, 9 xaweb ge ǀuni ǀoms ai gao-aob ǃoa ge mî: “Sa ǃgamaotse! ǃGam da ǁkhāts ge a, xawe kurus di Gao-aob ge ǁîb di ǂhanuba da ge ǁnâuǀnam xui-ao ǁōba xu ūkhâi da tsî ǀamo ûiba nî mā da.”
10 Toro-aogu ge ǁkhawa ǃnonaǁî ǃgâsab ǀkha ge ǂgamǂgamsentsoatsoa. ǁÎb di nammab nî ūǂui ǃkhaisab ge mîmāhe, ob ge ǃhaese ǁnāti ge dī. Tsîb ge ǁkhoase ǁîb ǃomkha ǀhōǂui 11 tsî ǁkhoaǂgaoxase ge mî: “Elob ge nēna tita ge mā. Xawe ǁîb di ǂhanub ge ti ǃomkha xa ǃnāsa ǂâibasensa ūhâ tsî ta ge Elob nî ǁkhawa ǁîkha mā-oa te ǃkhaisa a ǂan.” 12 Gao-aob tsî ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ-in ge ǁîb di ǁkhoaǂgaosib tsî tsâba māsens xa ge burugâ.
13 ǁÎb ge ǁōs khaoǃgâ gu ge toroǃkhamaoga hakaǁîba ǁkhā ǀgaub ai ge tsûtsû, 14 xaweb ge ǀunis ai ge mî: “Tita ge sago ǃomǁae ǁōs ǃaroma ra ǃgâiaǂgao, Elob xa da nî ǁōba xu ūkhâihe ǃkhais di ǂgomǃgâsa da ūhâ xui-ao. Xawe sats ǃaromas ge ǁōba xu khâisa hâ tide, Antioxutse!”
15 Toro-aogu ge koroǁî axaba ū tsî tsûtsûtsoatsoa, 16 ob ge ǁîba gao-aoba ǃoa ais ǃnâ kō tsî ge mî: “Sats ge ǂâits ra xū-i hoa-e sida ǀkha, sats tsîn a ǁōǁkhā, hîa dīs di ǀgaiba ūhâ. Xawe tā Elob ge sida khoena ǁnāxū ti ǂâi. 17 ǃÂus ǀguisa hî. Elob ge ǁîb di kai ǁkhāsiba sîsenū tsî sats tsî sa ôananôagub tsîna nî tsûtsû.”
18 Tsî toroǃkhamaogu ge ǃnaniǁî axaba ū, ob ge ǁōb nîs aiǃâ ge mî: “Tā ǂâisā, sida xa ǃaromahe hâ xūn ai da ra tsâ xuige, sida di ǂhunuma Elob ǃoagu da ge ǁore xui-ao. ǁNā-amagas ge nē tsū xūn hoan ra sida ǀkha īsa. 19 Xawe tā Elob ǃoaguts ge ǃkham, hîa ǁkharahe tamasets nî xūhe ti ǂâi.”
20 ǁGûs ge ǁîgu hoagu xa ge buruxa i tsî sida di ǂâidi ǃnâ ǃgôasiba anu hâ. ǁÎs ôagas ge ǀgui tsēs ǃnâ ra ǁōse mû, xawes ge ǃKhūb ǃnâs ge ǂgom hâ i xui-ao kai ǁkhoaǂgaoxasib ǀkha nē ǃkhaisa ge mâǃkharu. 21 ǁÎs ge mâb hoaba tarekhoe tsâsigu tsî kai ǁkhoaǂgaosib ǀkha ǁgûsi gowab ǃnâ gere ǂgaoǂgaoǃnâ: 22 “Tita ge sago di ûib ge ti ǃnāb ǃnâ mâti tsoatsoa ǃkhaisa a ǀū. Ti tama ge hâ i ta ge ûib tsî ǀoms tsîra mā tsî sago di sorodi di uniǁaede ǀhaoǀhao ta. 23 Elob hîa ǃhūbaib, khoen tsî hoaraga xūna ge kurub ge ǁnāsa ge dī. ǁÎb ge a ǀkhomxaǃnâ tsî ûib tsî ǀoms tsîra, sats ǁî-aitsamats ǀnamsens ǃgâ-ai, ǁîb ǂhanuba ǀnam xui-ao ǁkhawa nî mā-oa tsi.”
24 Antioxub ge nē ǁgûs ra ǁîba ǃhō ǃkhaisa ge ǂan i, tsîb ge īǁkhā as kōse ǁîs ôab ǂkhamma gere gowadan ǂgao, îb ǁîb aboxagu di ǁnaetiga ǁnāxū. ǁÎb ge ǃkhūsib tsî ǃgâiǃgâb ǀguiba ǁîba mîmâiba tama, xaweb ge ǀgapi ǃharos ǂgaeǂguis dis tsî “Gao-aob di ǀHōsab” ti hâ ǂgaiǂams tsînab nî mā bi ǃkhaisa ge mîmâi. 25 Xaweb ge axaba ǁîb ǀkha ge ǁaeǁaesen tama hâ i. Ob ge gao-aob Antioxuba axab îsa gere gowadan ǂgao, îs ǁîb di ûib nî sâuhega ǀgôab ǀkha ǃhoa, 26 tsîs ge ǂgui ǀkhomadi khaoǃgâ ǁnātis nî dī ǃkhaisa ge mā-amsen. 27 ǁÎs ge ôasab tawa ǀgūǀgūsen tsî nē karosaǂgao ǂgaeǂgui-aoba ge ǂgaeǂhapu, ǁgûsi gowab ǃnâ ra nēti ra mîse: “Ti ôatse ǀkhom te re. Khoese ǁkhâga ta ge ti ǃnāb ǃnâ tani tsî ǃnona kuriga daisi tsi ǃkhaisa ǂâihō re. Tita ge kaikai tsi tsî nētsēs kōse sa ǂhâsin ǃoa gere kō. 28 Ti ôatse, ǀkhoma tsi ta ge ra, ǀhommi tsî ǃhūbaib tsîn ǃoa kō re. ǁNāpats ra mûn hoan xa ǂâi tsî Elob ge ǁîn hoana ǀkhai a xūna xu kuru, khoenab ge kuru khami ǃkhaisa mûǂan re. 29 Tā nē ǃgamaoba ǃao. Māsenxase sa ûiba mā, î sa ǃgâsagu khami ǁōsats anu hâ ǃkhaisa ǁgau, î ta Elob di ǀkhomma xu khâis tawa sago hō-oa ǁkhā.”
30 ǃHoaǀûs nîs aiǃâb ge axaba ge mî: “Gao-ao Antioxutse, tare-ets ǃâu hâ? Tita ge sa mîmāde ǁnâuǀnamsa ra ǂkhā. Tita ge Moseba ge sida aboxaga ge mā ǂhanub ǃnâ mâ mîmādi ǀguide ra ǁnâuǀnam. 31 Sats ge hoa tsûtsû-aina sida khoen ǃaroma ge ǂâiǂui, xawets ge Elob satsa ǂnûibēba hâ ǁkharaba xu ǃnora tide. 32-33 Sida ûitsama ǃKhūb sida ǀkha ǁaixa hâ tsî ǁoren âda ǃaroma ra tsâ kai da, sidab nî ǂhanuǂhanu tsî ǁkhāǁkhāga ǃkhais ge a ama. Nē ǃkhais ge ǃnubu ǁaero-i ǃaroma ǀgui, ǁîb di ǃoaba-aoda a xui-ao hâ tsîb ge nî ǀûba da. 34 Xawe sats ge xūn hoan xa karosaǂgao tsî ui-uisa xūts hîa ûi hâtsa. Tā aitsama Elob di khoenats ra ǃgam hîa ǀgapiǂâixasib xa ǂgaeǂhapuhe. 35 Sats nî hoaǀgaixa tsî hoana ra mû Elob di ǁkharaba xu ǃnora ǁgau-i ge a ǀkhai. 36 ǂKhari ǁaero-e gu ge tsâs khaoǃgâ gu ge ti ǃgâsaga Elob di ǃgaeǀhaos ǃnaka ǀamo ûib ǃnâ ge ǂgâ. Xawets ge satsa Elob di ǀgoraǃgâs ǃnâ sa ǀgapiǂâixasib ǃaroma ǂhanu-ai ǁkharaba nî ǃkhōǃoa. 37 Nēsi ta ge ti soros tsî ti ûib tsîna ti ǃgâsagu ge dī khami ti aboxagu ǂhanub ǃaroma ra māǁnâ. Xawe ta ge ǁkhāti Elob nî ǃhaese ǁîb khoena ǀkhomma ǁgau tsî satsa tsûtsû-ain ǀkha, ǁîb ǀguib a Elo ǃkhaisa ǂanǃgâ kai ǃkhaisa ra ǀkhoma. 38 A ge tita tsî ti ǃgâsagu tsîge ǀuniga, hoaǀgaixa Elob di ǁaib hîab ge ǂhanu-aise hoaraga ǁaes ǂama hā kaib ǃnâ ra tsâge.”
39 Nē ǃhōmîdi ge kaise gao-aob Antioxuba ge ǁaixa kai tsîb ge nē axaba ǁîb ǃgâsagu ǃgâ-ai kaise karosase ge tsûtsû kai. 40 Nētib ge nē axaba, ǀgui ǀgâuro-i tsîna îganǀgē tamase, ǀoasa ǂgomsa ǃKhūb ǃnâ ūhâse ge ǁō.
41 ǀUnis ais ge ǁgûs tsîna ǁîs ôagu khaoǃgâ ge ǃgamhe.
42 Xawe ta ge ǂâu hâse, Jodeǁîn hîa ge tsûtsûhe tsî ǁguibade ǂûsa gere ǁgarihen xa go mî.
A Mother and Her Sons Die for Their Faith
1 On another occasion a Jewish mother and her seven sons were arrested. The king was having them beaten to force them to eat pork. 2 Then one of the young men said, “What do you hope to gain by doing this? We would rather die than abandon the traditions of our ancestors.”
3 This made the king so furious that he gave orders for huge pans and kettles to be heated red hot, 4 and it was done immediately. Then he told his men to cut off the tongue of the one who had spoken and to scalp him and chop off his hands and feet, while his mother and six brothers looked on. 5 After the young man had been reduced to a helpless mass of breathing flesh, the king gave orders for him to be carried over and thrown into one of the pans. As a cloud of smoke streamed up from the pan, the brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die bravely, saying, 6 “The Lord God is looking on and understands our suffering. Moses made this clear when he wrote a song condemning those who had abandoned the Lord. He said, ‘The Lord will have mercy on those who serve him.’”
7 After the first brother had died in this way, the soldiers started amusing themselves with the second one by tearing the hair and skin from his head. Then they asked him, “Now will you eat this pork, or do you want us to chop off your hands and feet one by one?”
8 He replied in his native language, “I will never eat it!” So the soldiers tortured him, just as they had the first one, 9 but with his dying breath he cried out to the king, “You butcher! You may kill us, but the King of the universe will raise us from the dead and give us eternal life, because we have obeyed his laws.”
10 The soldiers began entertaining themselves with the third brother. When he was ordered to stick out his tongue, he quickly did so. Then he bravely held out his hands 11 and courageously said, “God gave these to me. But his laws mean more to me than my hands, and I know God will give them back to me again.” 12 The king and those with him were amazed at his courage and at his willingness to suffer.
13 After he had died, the soldiers tortured the fourth one in the same cruel way, 14 but his final words were, “I am glad to die at your hands, because we have the assurance that God will raise us from death. But there will be no resurrection to life for you, Antiochus!”
15 When the soldiers took the fifth boy and began torturing him, 16 he looked the king squarely in the eye and said, “You have the power to do whatever you want with us, even though you also are mortal. But do not think that God has abandoned our people. 17 Just wait. God will use his great power to torture you and your descendants.”
18 Then the soldiers took the sixth boy, and just before he died he said, “Make no mistake. We are suffering what we deserve, because we have sinned against our God. That's why all these terrible things are happening to us. 19 But don't think for a minute that you will avoid being punished for fighting against God.”
20 The mother was the most amazing one of them all, and she deserves a special place in our memory. Although she saw her seven sons die in a single day, she endured it with great courage because she trusted in the Lord. 21 She combined womanly emotion with manly courage and spoke words of encouragement to each of her sons in their native language. 22 “I do not know how your life began in my womb,” she would say, “I was not the one who gave you life and breath and put together each part of your body. 23 It was God who did it, God who created the universe, the human race, and all that exists. He is merciful and he will give you back life and breath again, because you love his laws more than you love yourself.”
24 Antiochus was sure that the mother was making fun of him, so he did his best to convince her youngest son to abandon the traditions of his ancestors. He promised not only to make the boy rich and famous, but to place him in a position of authority and to give him the title “Friend of the King.” 25 But the boy paid no attention to him, so Antiochus tried to persuade the boy's mother to talk him into saving his life, 26 and after much persuasion she agreed to do so. 27 Leaning over her son, she fooled the cruel tyrant by saying in her native language, “My son, have pity on me. Remember that I carried you in my womb for nine months and nursed you for three years. I have taken care of you and looked after all your needs up to the present day. 28 So I urge you, my child, to look at the sky and the earth. Consider everything you see there, and realize that God made it all from nothing, just as he made the human race. 29 Don't be afraid of this butcher. Give up your life willingly and prove yourself worthy of your brothers, so that by God's mercy I may receive you back with them at the resurrection.”
30 Before she could finish speaking, the boy said, “King Antiochus, what are you waiting for? I refuse to obey your orders. I only obey the commands in the Law which Moses gave to our ancestors. 31 You have thought up all kinds of cruel things to do to our people, but you won't escape the punishment that God has in store for you. 32-33 It is true that our living Lord is angry with us and is making us suffer because of our sins, in order to correct and discipline us. But this will last only a short while, for we are still his servants, and he will forgive us. 34 But you are the cruelest and most disgusting thing that ever lived. So don't fool yourself with illusions of greatness while you punish God's people. 35 There is no way for you to escape punishment at the hands of the almighty and all-seeing God. 36 My brothers suffered briefly because of our faithfulness to God's covenant, but now they have entered eternal life. But you will fall under God's judgment and be punished as you deserve for your arrogance. 37 I now give up my body and my life for the laws of our ancestors, just as my brothers did. But I also beg God to show mercy to his people quickly and to torture you until you are forced to acknowledge that he alone is God. 38 May my brothers and I be the last to suffer the anger of Almighty God, which he has justly brought upon our entire nation.”
39 These words of ridicule made Antiochus so furious that he had the boy tortured even more cruelly than his brothers. 40 And so the boy died, with absolute trust in the Lord, never unfaithful for a minute.
41 Last of all, the mother was put to death.
42 But I have said enough about the Jews being tortured and being forced to eat the intestines of sacrificial animals.
