3 If anyone refused to eat the forbidden meat, they were supposed to be tortured to death by being stretched on a wheel.
4 When they rounded up many people, the guards dragged Eleazar forward as the first from the herd to stand in front of the king. He was a man from a priestly family, a legal expert, and quite old. He was known to many in the tyrant’s court because he had been around for so long.
5 Antiochus looked at him and said,
6 "Old man, before I begin to have you tortured, I would advise you to eat the pork and save yourself.
7 I respect your old age. Even though you have had gray hair for a long time, you don’t seem to have a mature understanding of things, since you observe the Jewish religion.
8 Why are you disgusted by eating this animal’s delicious meat? It’s a gift that nature has given to us.
9 It’s stupid not to enjoy pleasant things that aren’t shameful, and it’s wrong to refuse nature’s gifts.