Welcome to the twelfth in a series of posts comparing the Jerusalem Bible, the New Jerusalem Bible and the Revised New Jerusalem Bible for one of the readings at each Sunday’s Mass. For today, the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, I’ve chosen the first reading (from 2 Maccabees). I do not have a copy of the English Standard Version which includes the deuterocanonical books, so I have omitted the ESV from this week’s comparison. If any of you have the ESV-CE or an edition of the ESV with Apocrypha, feel free to comment on the ESV’s rendering of this passage as it relates to the JB/NJB/RNJB and the NABRE.
Sunday, November 10th, 2019 — 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
First Reading: 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14
Jerusalem Bible
There were also seven brothers who were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste pig’s flesh, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges. One of them, acting as spokesman for the others, said, ‘What are you trying to find out from us? We are prepared to die rather than break the laws of our ancestors.’
With his last breath he exclaimed, ‘Inhuman fiend, you may discharge us from this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up, since it is for his laws that we die, to live again for ever’.
After him, they amused themselves with the third, who on being asked for his tongue promptly thrust it out and boldly held out his hands, with these honourable words, ‘It was heaven that gave me these limbs; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again’. The king and his attendants were astounded at the young man’s courage and his utter indifference to suffering.
When this one was dead they subjected the fourth to the same savage torture. When he neared his end he cried, ‘Ours is the better choice, to meet death at men’s hands, yet relying on God’s promise that we shall be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection, no new life’.
New Jerusalem Bible
It also happened that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste some pork, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges. One of them, acting as spokesman for the others, said, ‘What are you trying to find out from us? We are prepared to die rather than break the laws of our ancestors.’
With his last breath he exclaimed, ‘Cruel brute, you may discharge us from this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up, since we die for his laws, to live again for ever.’
After him, they tortured the third, who on being asked for his tongue promptly thrust it out and boldly held out his hands, courageously saying, ‘Heaven gave me these limbs; for the sake of his laws I have no concern for them; from him I hope to receive them again.’ The king and his attendants were astounded at the young man’s courage and his utter indifference to suffering.
When this one was dead they subjected the fourth to the same torments and tortures. When he neared his end he cried, ‘Ours is the better choice, to meet death at men’s hands, yet relying on God’s promise that we shall be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection to new life.’
Revised New Jerusalem Bible
It also happened that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste some pork, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges. One of them, acting as spokesman, said, ‘What are you trying to find out and discover from us? We are prepared to die rather than break the laws of our ancestors.’
With his last breath he exclaimed, ‘Cruel brute, you set us free from this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, since we are dying for his laws.’
After him, they made sport with the third, who on being asked for his tongue promptly thrust it out and courageously held out his hands, nobly saying, ‘From Heaven I received these limbs; for the sake of his laws I have no concern for them; from him I hope to receive them again.’ The king and his attendants were astounded at the young man’s spirit and his utter indifference to the sufferings.
When this one was dead they subjected the fourth to the same torments and tortures. When he was nearing his end he cried, ‘It is the better choice, to meet death at men’s hands, yet relying on God’s promise that we shall be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection to new life.’
New American Bible Revised Edition
It also happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested and tortured with whips and scourges by the king to force them to eat pork in violation of God’s law. One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said: “What do you expect to learn by questioning us? We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.”
With his last breath he said: “You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to live again forever, because we are dying for his laws.”
After him the third suffered their cruel sport. He put forth his tongue at once when told to do so, and bravely stretched out his hands, as he spoke these noble words: “It was from Heaven that I received these; for the sake of his laws I disregard them; from him I hope to receive them again.” Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man’s spirit, because he regarded his sufferings as nothing.
After he had died, they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way. When he was near death, he said, “It is my choice to die at the hands of mortals with the hope that God will restore me to life; but for you, there will be no resurrection to life.”