2 Maccabees 6:20-22

New Catholic Bible

²⁰ as should be done by all who have the courage to reject the food that it is not lawful to eat, suppressing the natural desire to save their lives.

²¹ The officials in charge of this sacrilegious meal took the man aside privately because of their long acquaintance with him and urged him to bring meat of his own providing that he was permitted to eat, and to pretend that he was eating the sacrificial meat that had been commanded by the king. ²² In this way he would be saved from death and be treated kindly as a result of their long-standing friendship.