Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible Part 50

2 Mac 4:23 Three years afterward Jason sent Menelaus, the aforesaid Simon's brother, to bear the money unto the king, and to put him in mind of certain necessary matters.

2 Mac 4:24 But he being brought to the presence of the king, when he had magnified him for the glorious appearance of his power, got the priesthood to himself, offering more than Jason by three hundred talents of silver.

2 Mac 4:25 So he came with the king's mandate, bringing nothing worthy the high priesthood, but having the fury of a cruel tyrant, and the rage of a savage beast.

2 Mac 4:26 Then Jason, who had undermined his own brother, being undermined by another, was compelled to flee into the country of the Ammonites.

2 Mac 4:27 So Menelaus got the princ.i.p.ality: but as for the money that he had promised unto the king, he took no good order for it, albeit Sostratis the ruler of the castle required it:

2 Mac 4:28 For unto him appertained the gathering of the customs.

Wherefore they were both called before the king.

2 Mac 4:29 Now Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus in his stead in the priesthood; and Sostratus left Crates, who was governor of the Cyprians.

2 Mac 4:30 While those things were in doing, they of Tarsus and Mallos made insurrection, because they were given to the king's concubine, called Antiochus.

2 Mac 4:31 Then came the king in all haste to appease matters, leaving Andronicus, a man in authority, for his deputy.

2 Mac 4:32 Now Menelaus, supposing that he had gotten a convenient time, stole certain vessels of gold out of the temple, and gave some of them to Andronicus, and some he sold into Tyrus and the cities round about.

2 Mac 4:33 Which when Onias knew of a surety, he reproved him, and withdrew himself into a sanctuary at Daphne, that lieth by Antiochia.

2 Mac 4:34 Wherefore Menelaus, taking Andronicus apart, prayed, him to get Onias into his hands; who being persuaded thereunto, and coming to Onias in deceit, gave him his right hand with oaths; and though he were suspected by him, yet persuaded he him to come forth of the sanctuary: whom forthwith he shut up without regard of justice.

2 Mac 4:35 For the which cause not only the Jews, but many also of other nations, took great indignation, and were much grieved for the unjust murder of the man.

2 Mac 4:36 And when the king was come again from the places about Cilicia, the Jews that were in the city, and certain of the Greeks that abhorred the fact also, complained because Onias was slain without cause.

2 Mac 4:37 Therefore Antiochus was heartily sorry, and moved to pity, and wept, because of the sober and modest behaviour of him that was dead.

2 Mac 4:38 And being kindled with anger, forthwith he took away Andronicus his purple, and rent off his clothes, and leading him through the whole city unto that very place, where he had committed impiety against Onias, there slew he the cursed murderer. Thus the Lord rewarded him his punishment, as he had deserved.

2 Mac 4:39 Now when many sacrileges had been committed in the city by Lysimachus with the consent of Menelaus, and the fruit thereof was spread abroad, the mult.i.tude gathered themselves together against Lysimachus, many vessels of gold being already carried away.

2 Mac 4:40 Whereupon the common people rising, and being filled with rage, Lysimachus armed about three thousand men, and began first to offer violence; one Aura.n.u.s being the leader, a man far gone in years, and no less in folly.

2 Mac 4:41 They then seeing the attempt of Lysimachus, some of them caught stones, some clubs, others taking handfuls of dust, that was next at hand, cast them all together upon Lysimachus, and those that set upon them.

2 Mac 4:42 Thus many of them they wounded, and some they struck to the ground, and all of them they forced to flee: but as for the churchrobber himself, him they killed beside the treasury.

2 Mac 4:43 Of these matters therefore there was an accusation laid against Menelaus.

2 Mac 4:44 Now when the king came to Tyrus, three men that were sent from the senate pleaded the cause before him:

2 Mac 4:45 But Menelaus, being now convicted, promised Ptolemee the son of Dorymenes to give him much money, if he would pacify the king toward him.

2 Mac 4:46 Whereupon Ptolemee taking the king aside into a certain gallery, as it were to take the air, brought him to be of another mind:

2 Mac 4:47 Insomuch that he discharged Menelaus from the accusations, who notwithstanding was cause of all the mischief: and those poor men, who, if they had told their cause, yea, before the Scythians, should have been judged innocent, them he condemned to death.

2 Mac 4:48 Thus they that followed the matter for the city, and for the people, and for the holy vessels, did soon suffer unjust punishment.

2 Mac 4:49 Wherefore even they of Tyrus, moved with hatred of that wicked deed, caused them to be honourably buried.

2 Mac 4:50 And so through the covetousness of them that were of power Menelaus remained still in authority, increasing in malice, and being a great traitor to the citizens.

2 Mac 5:1 About the same time Antiochus prepared his second voyage into Egypt:

2 Mac 5:2 And then it happened, that through all the city, for the s.p.a.ce almost of forty days, there were seen hors.e.m.e.n running in the air, in cloth of gold, and armed with lances, like a band of soldiers,

2 Mac 5:3 And troops of hors.e.m.e.n in array, encountering and running one against another, with shaking of s.h.i.+elds, and mult.i.tude of pikes, and drawing of swords, and casting of darts, and glittering of golden ornaments, and harness of all sorts.

2 Mac 5:4 Wherefore every man prayed that that apparition might turn to good.

2 Mac 5:5 Now when there was gone forth a false rumour, as though Antiochus had been dead, Jason took at the least a thousand men, and suddenly made an a.s.sault upon the city; and they that were upon the walls being put back, and the city at length taken, Menelaus fled into the castle:

2 Mac 5:6 But Jason slew his own citizens without mercy, not considering that to get the day of them of his own nation would be a most unhappy day for him; but thinking they had been his enemies, and not his countrymen, whom he conquered.

2 Mac 5:7 Howbeit for all this he obtained not the princ.i.p.ality, but at the last received shame for the reward of his treason, and fled again into the country of the Ammonites.

2 Mac 5:8 In the end therefore he had an unhappy return, being accused before Aretas the king of the Arabians, fleeing from city to city, pursued of all men, hated as a forsaker of the laws, and being had in abomination as an open enemy of his country and countrymen, he was cast out into Egypt.

2 Mac 5:9 Thus he that had driven many out of their country perished in a strange land, retiring to the Lacedemonians, and thinking there to find succour by reason of his kindred:

2 Mac 5:10 And he that had cast out many unburied had none to mourn for him, nor any solemn funerals at all, nor sepulchre with his fathers.

2 Mac 5:11 Now when this that was done came to the king's car, he thought that Judea had revolted: whereupon removing out of Egypt in a furious mind, he took the city by force of arms,

2 Mac 5:12 And commanded his men of war not to spare such as they met, and to slay such as went up upon the houses.

2 Mac 5:13 Thus there was killing of young and old, making away of men, women, and children, slaying of virgins and infants.

2 Mac 5:14 And there were destroyed within the s.p.a.ce of three whole days fourscore thousand, whereof forty thousand were slain in the conflict; and no fewer sold than slain.

2 Mac 5:15 Yet was he not content with this, but presumed to go into the most holy temple of all the world; Menelaus, that traitor to the laws, and to his own country, being his guide:

2 Mac 5:16 And taking the holy vessels with polluted hands, and with profane hands pulling down the things that were dedicated by other kings to the augmentation and glory and honour of the place, he gave them away.

2 Mac 5:17 And so haughty was Antiochus in mind, that he considered not that the Lord was angry for a while for the sins of them that dwelt in the city, and therefore his eye was not upon the place.

2 Mac 5:18 For had they not been formerly wrapped in many sins, this man, as soon as he had come, had forthwith been scourged, and put back from his presumption, as Heliodorus was, whom Seleucus the king sent to view the treasury.

2 Mac 5:19 Nevertheless G.o.d did not choose the people for the place's sake, but the place far the people's sake.

2 Mac 5:20 And therefore the place itself, that was partaker with them of the adversity that happened to the nation, did afterward communicate in the benefits sent from the Lord: and as it was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty, so again, the great Lord being reconciled, it was set up with all glory.

2 Mac 5:21 So when Antiochus had carried out of the temple a thousand and eight hundred talents, he departed in all haste unto Antiochia, weening in his pride to make the land navigable, and the sea pa.s.sable by foot: such was the haughtiness of his mind.