When this was done, and they had made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord to be
reconciled with his servants for ever.
[30] Moreover of those that were with Timotheus and Bacchides,
who fought against them, they slew above twenty thousand, and very easily got high and strong holds,
and divided among themselves many spoils more, and made the maimed, orphans, widows, yea, and
the aged also, equal in spoils with themselves.
[31] And when they had gathered their armour together,
they laid them up all carefully in convenient places, and the remnant of the spoils they brought to Jerusalem.
[32]
They slew also Philarches, that wicked person, who was with Timotheus, and had annoyed the Jews
many ways.
[33] Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the victory in their country they burnt
Callisthenes, that had set fire upon the holy gates, who had fled into a little house; and so he received a
reward meet for his wickedness.
[34] As for that most ungracious Nicanor, who had brought a thousand
merchants to buy the Jews,
[35] He was through the help of the Lord brought down by them, of whom
he made least account; and putting off his glorious apparel, and discharging his company, he came like
a fugitive servant through the midland unto Antioch having very great dishonour, for that his host was
destroyed.
[36] Thus he, that took upon him to make good to the Romans their tribute by means of captives
in Jerusalem, told abroad, that the Jews had God to fight for them, and therefore they could not be hurt,
because they followed the laws that he gave them.
2Mac.9
[1] About that time came Antiochus with dishonour out of the country of Persia
[2] For he had entered
the city called Persepolis, and went about to rob the temple, and to hold the city; whereupon the multitude
running to defend themselves with their weapons put them to flight; and so it happened, that Antiochus
being put to flight of the inhabitants returned with shame.
[3] Now when he came to Ecbatane, news was
brought him what had happened unto Nicanor and Timotheus.
[4] Then swelling with anger. he thought
to avenge upon the Jews the disgrace done unto him by those that made him flee. Therefore commanded
he his chariotman to drive without ceasing, and to dispatch the journey, the judgment of GOd now following
him. For he had spoken proudly in this sort, That he would come to Jerusalem and make it a common
burying place of the Jews.
[5] But the Lord Almighty, the God of Isreal, smote him with an incurable and
invisible plague: or as soon as he had spoken these words, a pain of the bowels that was remediless
came upon him, and sore torments of the inner parts;
[6] And that most justly: for he had tormented other
men's bowels with many and strange torments.
[7] Howbeit he nothing at all ceased from his bragging,
but still was filled with pride, breathing out fire in his rage against the Jews, and commanding to haste
the journey: but it came to pass that he fell down from his chariot, carried violently; so that having a sore
fall, all the members of his body were much pained.
[8] And thus he that a little afore thought he might
command the waves of the sea, (so proud was he beyond the condition of man) and weigh the high
mountains in a balance, was now cast on the ground, and carried in an horselitter, shewing forth unto all
the manifest power of God.
[9] So that the worms rose up out of the body of this wicked man, and whiles
he lived in sorrow and pain, his flesh fell away, and the filthiness of his smell was noisome to all his
army.
[10] And the man, that thought a little afore he could reach to the stars of heaven, no man could
endure to carry for his intolerable stink.
[11] Here therefore, being plagued, he began to leave off his
great pride, and to come to the knowledge of himself by the scourge of God, his pain increasing every
moment.
[12] And when he himself could not abide his own smell, he said these words, It is meet to be
subject unto God, and that a man that is mortal should not proudly think of himself if he were God.
[13]
This wicked person vowed also unto the Lord, who now no more would have mercy upon him, saying
thus,
[14] That the holy city (to the which he was going in haste to lay it even with the ground, and to
make it a common buryingplace,) he would set at liberty:
[15] And as touching the Jews, whom he had
judged not worthy so much as to be buried, but to be cast out with their children to be devoured of the
fowls and wild beasts, he would make them all equals to the citizens of Athens:
[16] And the holy temple,
which before he had spoiled, he would garnish with goodly gifts, and restore all the holy vessels with
many more, and out of his own revenue defray the charges belonging to the sacrifices:
[17] Yea, and that
also he would become a Jew himself, and go through all the world that was inhabited, and declare the
power of God.
[18] But for all this his pains would not cease: for the just judgment of God was come upon
him: therefore despairing of his health, he wrote unto the Jews the letter underwritten, containing the
form of a supplication, after this manner:
[19] Antiochus, king and governor, to the good Jews his citizens