דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה יוֹרֵשׁ אוֹתָם אֶל מְעֹנֲנִים וְאֶל קֹסְמִים יִשְׁמָעוּ. אָמַר יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא, כִּדְנָה תֵּימְרוּן לְהוֹם וְגוֹ' (ירמיה י, יא). אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, כִּדְנָא תֵּימְרוּן, אִם יֹאמְרוּ לָכֶם אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, אִמְרוּ לָהֶם, אִם יְכוֹלָה הִיא לְהַעֲבִיר הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, נַעַבְדֶנָּה. וְאִם לָאו, יֵאבַדוּ מֵאַרְעָא (שם). רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, אִמְרוֹ לָהֶם, אִם יְכוֹלִין לַעֲשׂוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, נַעַבְדֶנָּה. וְאִם לֹא, יֵאבַדוּ מֵאַרְעָא. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, אִמְרוּ לָהֶם, אִם יְכוֹלִים לְהַעֲבִיר אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת אֲחֵרִים מִצֶּבַע אַחֵר, נַעַבְדֶנָּה. וְאִם לָאו, יֵאבַדוּ מֵאַרְעָא. שְׁלֹשָה פִילוֹסוֹפִין הָיוּ לְאַדְרִיָּאנוּס, וְלֹא הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה דָּבָר עַד שֶׁהָיָה נִמְלָךְ עִמָּהֶם. אָמַר לָהֶם: מְבַקֵּשׁ אֲנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת עַצְמִי אֱלוֹהַּ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן, אֶחָד מִדִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, וְאֶחָד מִדִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְאֶחָד מִדִּבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. הָלַךְ לְבֵיתוֹ וְהָיָה מֵצֵר. נִכְנְסָה אִשְׁתּוֹ אֶצְלוֹ, אָמְרָה לוֹ: עַל מָה אַתָּה מֵצֵר. אָמַר לָהּ: שֶׁבִּקַּשְׁתִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת עַצְמִי אֱלוֹהַּ, וְהֵם לֹא הִנִּיחוּ אוֹתִי. אָמְרָה לוֹ: הֵם לֹא אָמְרוּ לְךָ כָּרָאוּי. אֲנִי אֹמַר לְךָ דָּבָר אַחֵר, פִּקָּדוֹן אֶחָד יֵשׁ לוֹ אֶצְלְךָ, תֶּן לוֹ פִּקְדוֹנוֹ וַעֲשֵׂה עַצְמְךָ אֱלוֹהַּ. אָמַר לָהּ: וּמַה פִּקְדוֹנוֹ. אָמְרָה לוֹ: הַנֶּפֶשׁ. אָמַר לָהּ: וְאִם תֵּצֵא נַפְשִׁי מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה. אָמְרָה לוֹ: הַנֶּפֶשׁ שֶׁבְּךָ אֵין אַתָּה שׁוֹלֵט בָּהּ, שֶׁכֵּן כְּתִיב: אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בָּרוּחַ לִכְלוֹא אֶת הָרוּחַ (קהלת ח, ח). וְהֵיאַךְ תּוּכָל לַעֲשׂוֹת עַצְמְךָ אֱלוֹהַּ. אַרְבָּעָה בְּנֵי אָדָם עָשׂוּ עַצְמָן אֱלֹהוּת, וְנִבְעֲלוּ כְּנָשִׁים, פַּרְעֹה וְיוֹאָשׁ וְחִירָם וּנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר (וכו' וארא ט). Another interpretation: "As those nations that you are about to dispossess listen to soothsayers and augurs." Jeremiah the prophet said (Jeremiah 10:11), "Thus shall you say to them, etc." Rabbi Eliezer said, "'Thus shall you say to them': If the nations of the world say to you to worship idolatry, say to them, 'If it is able to remove the heavens and the earth, we will serve it. But if not, "Let it perish from the earth" (Jeremiah 10:11).'" Rabbi Yehoshua said, "Say to them, 'If they are able to make the heavens and the earth, we will serve them, But if not, "Let it perish from the earth".'" Rabbi Akiva said, "Say to them, 'If they are able to remove the heavens and the earth, and to make others from a different host, we will serve them, But if not, "Let it perish from the earth".'" Hadrian had three philosophers and he would not do a thing until he consulted with them. He said to them, "I seek to make myself into a god." The three of them said to him, one [like] the words of Rabbi Eliezer, one [like] the words of Rabbi Yehoshua, and one [like] the words of Rabbi Akiva. He went to his home and was distressed. His wife came to him [and] said, "Why are you distressed?" He said to her, "Because I sought to make myself into a god and they did not let me." She said to them, "They did not say to you what is fitting. [Hence] I will say something else to you. There is a surety with you [from God]. Give Him his surety and [then you can] make yourself into a god." He said to her, "And what is His surety?" She said to him, "The soul." He said to her, "If my soul departs, what shall I do?" She said to him, "You are not able to control the soul that is in you, as so is it written (Ecclesiastes 8:8), 'A man does not control the spirit to imprison the spirit.' So how can you make yourself into a god?" Four men made themselves into gods and were [forced to have] sexual relations like women (were sodomized): Pharaoh, Joash, Hiram and Nebuchadnezzar (etc. as in Midrash Tanchuma, Vaera 9).