According to their ages they were brought before the tyrant conqueror,
and commanded to pay homage to him and his gods.

"God forbid," exclaimed the eldest lad, "that I should bow to thy image.
Our commandments say to us, 'I am the Lord thy God;' to no other will I
bow."

He was immediately led out to execution, and the same demand made of his
brother, the second son.

"My brother bowed not," he answered, "and no more will I."

"Wherefore not?" asked the tyrant.

"Because," replied the lad, "the second commandment of the Decalogue
tells us, 'Thou shalt have no other God but me.'"

His death followed immediately his brave words.

"My religion teaches me, 'Thou shalt worship no other God,'" said the
third son, "and I welcome the fate accorded to my brothers rather than
bow to thee or thy images."

The same homage was demanded of the fourth son, but brave and faithful
as his brethren, he replied, "'He that sacrificeth unto any God save
unto the Lord only,'" and was slain pitilessly.

"'Hear, O Israel! the Lord our God, the Lord is One,'" exclaimed the
fifth lad, yielding up his young life with the watchword of Israel's
hosts.

"Why art thou so obstinate?" was asked of the sixth brother, when he,
too, was brought before the tyrant and scorned the propositions made
him.

"'The Lord thy God is in the midst of thee, a mighty and terrible God,'"
he said; and died for the principles he proclaimed.

Then the seventh and youngest boy was brought before the murderer of his
relatives, who addressed him kindly, saying:--

"My son, come bow before my gods."

And the child answered:--

"God forbid! Our holy religion teaches us 'Know therefore this day, and
reflect in thy heart that the Lord he is God, in the heavens above and
on the earth beneath there is none else.' Never will we exchange our God
for any other, neither will He exchange us for any other nation, for as
it is written, 'Thou hast this day acknowledged the Lord,' so is it also
written, 'And the Lord hath acknowledged thee this day, that thou art
unto him a peculiar people!'"

Still the tyrant spoke smoothly, and with kind words.

"Thou art young," he said; "thou hast seen but little of the pleasures
and joys of life, not as much as has fallen to the portion of thy
brethren. Do as I wish thee and thy future shall be bright and happy."

"The Lord will reign forever and ever," said the lad; "thy nation and
thy kingdom will be destroyed; thou art here to