2 Maccabees 9

¹ {cf2 At the same time, came Antiochus againe with dishonour out of the countrey of Persia.}

² {cf2 For when he came to Persepolis, and went about to robbe the Temple, and to subdue the citie, the people ranne in a rage to defende them selues with their weapons, and put them to flight, and Antiochus was put to flight by the inhabitants, and returned with shame.}

³ {cf2 Nowe when he came to Ecbatane, he vnderstoode the things that had come to Nicanor, and Timotheus.}

⁴ {cf2 And the being chased in his fume, he thought to impute to the Iewes their faute, which had put him to flight, and therefore commanded his charet man to driue continually, and to dispatch the iourney: for Gods iudgement compelled him: for hee had sayde thus in his pride, I will make Ierusalem a common burying place of the Iewes, when I come thither.}

⁵ {cf2 But the Lorde almightie and God of Israel smote him with an incurable and inuisible plague: for assoone as he had spoken these wordes, a payne of the bowels, that was remediles, came vpon him, and sore torments of the inner parts,}

⁶ {cf2 And that most iustly: for hee had tormented other mens bowels with diuers, and strange tormentes.}

⁷ {cf2 Howbeit he woulde in no wise cease from his arrogancie, but swelled the more with pride, breathing our fire in his rage against the Iewes, & commaunded to hast the iourney: but it came to passe that he fell downe from the charet that ran swiftely, so that al the members of his body were bruised with the great fall.}

⁸ {cf2 And thus hee that a litle afore thought hee might commande the floods of the sea (so proude was he beyond the condition of man) & to weigh the hie mountaines in the balance, was nowe caste on the grounde, and caried in an horselitter, declaring vnto all the manifest power of God,}

⁹ {cf2 So that the wormes came out of the bodie of this wicked man in aboundance: and whiles hee was aliue, his flesh fell off for payne and torment, and all his armie was grieued at his smell.}

¹⁰ {cf2 Thus no man coulde beare because of his stinke, him that a litle afore thought hee might reach to the starres of heauen.}

¹¹ {cf2 Then hee began to leaue off his great pride, and selfewill, when hee was plagued and came to the knowledge of himselfe by the scourge of God, and by his paine which increased euery moment.}

¹² {cf2 And when hee him selfe might not abide his owne stinke, hee saide these wordes, It is meete to be subiect vnto God, and that a man which is mortall, shoulde not thinke him selfe equall vnto God through pride.}

¹³ {cf2 This wicked person praied also vnto ye Lord, who would nowe haue no mercy on him,}

¹⁴ {cf2 And saide thus that he woulde set at libertie the holy citie vnto the which he made haste to destroy it, and to make it a burying place.}

¹⁵ {cf2 And as touching the Iewes whome hee had iudged not worthie to be buried, but woulde haue cast them out with their children to bee deuoured of the foules and wilde beastes, he would make the all like the citizens of Athenes.}

¹⁶ {cf2 And whereas he had spoyled the holy Temple afore, he would garnish it with great giftes, and increase the holy vessels, and of his owne rentes beare the charges belonging to the sacrifices.}

¹⁷ {cf2 Yea, and that he would also become a Iewe himselfe, and goe thorowe all the worlde that was inhabited, and preach the power of God.}

¹⁸ {cf2 But for all this his paines woulde not cease: for the iust iudgement of God was come vpon him: therfore despairing of his health, he wrote vnto the Iewes this letter vnder written, conteining the forme of a supplication.}

¹⁹ {cf2 The King and Prince Antiochus vnto the Iewes his louing citizens wisheth much ioy and health and prosperitie.}

²⁰ {cf2 If ye and your children fare well, and if all thinges goe after your minde, I giue great thankes vnto God hauing hope in the heauen.}

²¹ {cf2 Though I lie sicke, yet I am mindful of your honour, and good will for the loue I beare you: therefore when I returned from the countrey of Persia, and fell into a sore disease, I thought it necessarie to care for the common safetie of all,}

²² {cf2 Not distrusting mine health, but hauing great hope to escape this sicknesse.}

²³ {cf2 Therefore considering that when my father led an hoste against the high countreis, he appoynted who should succeede him:}

²⁴ {cf2 That if any controuersie happened contrary to his expectation, or if that any tidings were brought that were grieuous, they in the land might know to whom the affaires were committed, that they shoulde not be troubled:}

²⁵ {cf2 Againe, when I ponder howe that the gouernours, that are borderers, and neighbours vnto my kingdome, waite for all occasions, and looke but for opportunitie, I haue ordeined that my sonne Antiochus shalbe king, whome I oft commended and committed to many of you, when I went into the hie prouinces, and haue written vnto him as followeth hereafter.}

²⁶ {cf2 Therefore, I pray you, and require you to remember the benefites that I haue done vnto you generally, and particularly, and that euery man will be faithfull vnto me and my sonne.}

²⁷ {cf2 For I trust that he will be gentle, and louing vnto you according to my minde.}

²⁸ {cf2 Thus the murtherer and blasphemer suffered most grieuously, and as he had intreated other men, so he died a miserable death in a strange coutrey among the mountaines.}

²⁹ {cf2 And Philippe that was brought vp with him, caried away his body, who fearing the sonne of Antiochus, went into Egypt to Ptolemeus Philometor.}