4 Maccabees 14:13-2034%
World English Bible · Judaism and Christianity
Consider how comprehensive is the love of offspring, which draws every one to sympathy of affection, where irrational animals possess a similar sympathy and love for their offspring with men. The tame birds frequenting the roofs of our houses defend their fledglings. Others build their nests and hatch their young on the tops of mountains, in the precipices of valleys, and the holes and tops of trees, and keep intruders away. If not able to do this, they fly circling round them in agony of affection, calling out in their own note, and save their offspring in whatever manner they are able. But why should we point attention to the sympathy toward children shown by irrational animals? Even bees, at the season of honey-making, attack all who approach, and pierce with their sting, as with a sword, those who draw near their hive, and repel them even to death. But sympathy with her children didn’t turn away the mother of the young men, who had a spirit kindred with that of Abraham.
Tr. World English Bible, 2000Open ›