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-day, to-morrow in the grave; to-day elevated, to-morrow lowly; but the most Holy One endures forever.”

“See,” continued the other, “thy brothers lie slain before thee; their fate will be thine if thou refusest to do as I desire.  See, I will cast my ring to the ground, stoop thou and pick it up; that I will consider allegiance to my gods.”

“Thinkest thou that I fear thy threats?” returned the unterrified lad; “why should I fear a human being more than the great God, the King of kings?”

“Where and what is thy God?” asked the oppressor.  “Is there a God in the world?”