2 Maccabees 4

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 The Simon mentioned above as the informer against the funds and against his country beganslandering Onias, insinuating that the latter had been responsible for the assault on Heliodorus and himself hadcontrived this misfortune.	1 But Simon, of whom we spoke before, and of his country, spoke ill of Onias, as though he had incited Heliodorus to do these things, and had been the promoter of evils:
2 Simon now had the effrontery to name this benefactor of the city, this protector of his compatriots, thiszealot for the laws, as an enemy of the public good.	2 And he presumed to call him a traitor to the kingdom, who provided for the city, and defended his nation, and wed zealous for the law of God.
3 This hostility reached such proportions that murders were actual y committed by some of Simon'sagents,	3 But when the enmities proceeded so far, that murders also were committed by some of Simon's friends:
4 and at this point Onias, recognising how mischievous this rivalry was, and aware that Apol onius son ofMenestheus, the general commanding Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, was encouraging Simon in his malice,	4 Onias considering the danger of this contention, and that Apollonius, who was the governor of Celesyria and Phenicia, was outrageous, which increased the malice of Simon, went to the king,
5 went to see the king, not to play the accuser of his fel ow-citizens, but having the public and privatewelfare of the entire people at heart.	5 Not to be an accuser of his countrymen, but with a view to the common good of all the people.
6 He saw that, without some intervention by the king, an orderly administration would no longer bepossible, nor would Simon put a stop to his fol y.	6 For he saw that, except the king took care, it was impossible that matters should be settled in peace, or that Simon would cease from his folly.
7 When Seleucus had departed this life and Antiochus styled Epiphanes had succeeded to the kingdom,Jason, brother of Onias, usurped the high priesthood:	7 But after the death of Seleucus, when Antiochus, who was called the Illustrious, had taken possession of the kingdom, Jason the brother of Onias ambitiously sought the high priesthood:
8 he approached the king with a promise of three hundred and sixty talents of silver, with eighty talents tocome from some other source of revenue.	8 And went to the king, promising him three hundred and sixty talents of silver, and out of other revenues fourscore talents.
9 He further committed himself to paying another hundred and fifty, if the king would empower him to setup a gymnasium and youth centre, and to register the Antiochists of Jerusalem.	9 Besides this he promised also a hundred and fifty more, if he might have license to set him up a place for exercise, and a place for youth, and to entitle them, that were at Jerusalem, Antiochians.
10 When the king gave his assent, Jason, as soon as he had seized power, imposed the Greek way oflife on his fel ow-countrymen.	10 Which when the king had granted, and he had gotten the rule into his hands, forthwith he began to bring over his countrymen to the fashion of the heathens.
11 He suppressed the liberties which the kings had graciously granted to the Jews at the instance ofJohn, father of that Eupolemus who was later to be sent on an embassy to negotiate a treaty of friendship andal iance with the Romans and, overthrowing the lawful institutions, introduced new usages contrary to the Law.	11 And abolishing those things, which had been decreed of special favour by the kings in behalf of the Jews, by the means of John the father of that Eupolemus, who went ambassador to Rome to make amity and alliance, he disannulled the lawful ordinances of the citizens, and brought in fashions that were perverse.
12 He went so far as to found a gymnasium at the very foot of the Citadel, and to fit out the noblest of hisyoung men in the petasos.	12 For he had the boldness to set up, U under the very castle, a place of exercise, and to put all the choicest youths in brothel houses.
13 Godless wretch that he was and no true high priest, Jason set no bounds to his impiety; indeed thehellenising process reached such a pitch	13 Now this was not the beginning, but an increase, and progress of heathenish and foreign manners, through the abominable and unheard of wickedness of Jason, that impious wretch and no priest.
14 that the priests ceased to show any interest in serving the altar; but, scorning the Temple andneglecting the sacrifices, they would hurry, on the stroke of the gong, to take part in the distribution, forbidden bythe Law, of the oil on the exercise ground;	14 Insomuch that the priests were not now occupied about the offices of the altar, but despising the temple and neglecting the sacrifices, hastened to be partakers of the games, and of the unlawful allowance thereof, and of the exercise of the discus.
15 setting no store by the honours of their fatherland, they esteemed hel enic glories best of al .	15 And setting nought by the honours of their fathers, they esteemed the Grecian glories for the best:
16 But al this brought its own retribution; the very people whose way of life they envied, whom theysought to resemble in everything, proved to be their enemies and executioners.	16 For the sake of which they incurred a dangerous contention, and followed earnestly their ordinances, and in all things they coveted to be like them, who were their enemies and murderers.
17 It is no smal thing to violate the divine laws, as the period that fol owed wil demonstrate.	17 For acting wickedly against the laws of God doth not pass unpunished: but this the time following will declare.
18 On the occasion of the quadrennial games at Tyre in the presence of the king,	18 Now when the game that was used every fifth year was kept at Tyre, the king being present,
19 the vile Jason sent an embassy of Antiochists from Jerusalem, taking with them three hundred silverdrachmas for the sacrifice to Hercules. But even those who brought the money did not think it would be right tospend it on the sacrifice and decided to reserve it for some other item of expenditure;	19 The wicked Jason sent from Jerusalem sinful men to carry three hundred didrachmas of silver for the sacrifice of Hercules; but the bearers thereof desired it might not be bestowed on the sacrifices, because it was not necessary, but might be deputed for other charges.
20 and so what the sender had intended for the sacrifice to Hercules was in fact applied, at thesuggestion of those who brought it, to the construction of triremes.	20 So the money was appointed by him that sent it to the sacrifice of Hercules: but because of them that carried it was employed for the making of galleys.
21 Apollonius son of Menestheus had been sent to Egypt to attend the wedding of King Philometor.Antiochus, having learnt that the latter had become hostile to his affairs, began thinking about his own safety:that was why he had come to Joppa. He then moved to Jerusalem,	21 Now when Apollonius the son of Mnestheus was sent into Egypt to treat with the nobles of king Philometor, and Antiochus understood that he was wholly excluded from the affairs of the kingdom, consulting his own interest, he departed thence and came to Joppe, and from thence to Jerusalem:
22 where he was given a magnificent welcome by Jason and the city, and escorted in by torchlight withacclamation. After which, he marched his army into Phoenicia.	22 Where he was received in a, magnificent manner by Jason, and the city, and came in with torch lights, and with praises, end from thence he returned with his army into Phenicia.
23 When three years had passed, Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the Simon mentioned above, toconvey the money to the king and to complete negotiations on various essential matters.	23 Three years afterwards Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the aforesaid Simon, to carry money to the king, and to bring answers from him concerning certain necessary affairs.
24 But Menelaus, on being presented to the king, flattered him by his own appearance of authority, andso secured the high priesthood for himself, outbidding Jason by three hundred talents of silver.	24 But he being recommended to the king, when he had magnified the appearance of his power, got the high priesthood for himself, by offering more than Jason by three hundred talents of silver.
25 He returned with the royal mandate, bringing nothing worthy of the high priesthood and supportedonly by the fury of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a savage beast.	25 So having received the king's mandate, he returned bringing nothing worthy of the high priesthood: but having the mind of a cruel tyrant, and the rage of a savage beast.
26 Thus Jason, who had supplanted his own brother, was in turn supplanted by a third, and obliged totake refuge in Ammanitis.	26 Then Jason, who had undermined his own brother, being himself undermined, was driven out a fugitive into the country of the Ammonites
27 As for Menelaus, he secured the office, but defaulted altogether on the sums promised to the king,	27 So Menelaus got the principality: but as for the money he had promised to the king he took no care, when Sostratus the governor of the castle called for
28 although Sostratus, the commandant of the Citadel, whose business it was to collect the revenue,kept demanding payment. The pair of them in consequence were summoned before the king,	28 For to him appertained the gathering of the taxes: wherefore they were both called before the king.
29 Menelaus leaving his brother Lysimachus as deputy high priest, while Sostratus left Crates, thecommander of the Cypriots, to act for him.	29 And Menelaus was removed from the priesthood, Lysimachus his brother succeeding: and Sostratus was made governor of the Cyprians.
30 While al this was going on, it happened that the people of Tarsus and Mal us revolted, because theirtowns had been given as a present to Antiochis, the king's concubine.	30 When these things were in doing, it fell out that they of Tharsus and Mallos raised a sedition, because they were given for a gift to Antiochis, the king's concubine.
31 The king therefore hurried off to settle the affair, leaving Andronicus, one of his dignitaries, to act ashis deputy.	31 The king therefore went in all haste to appease them, leaving Andronicus, one of his nobles, for his deputy.
32 Thinking he had found a favourable opportunity, Menelaus abstracted a number of golden vesselsfrom the Temple and presented them to Andronicus, and managed to sel others to Tyre and the surroundingcities.	32 Then Menelaus supposing that he had found a convenient time, having stolen certain vessels of gold out of the temple, gave them to Andronicus, and others he had sold at Tyre, and in the neighbouring cities.
33 On receiving clear evidence to this effect, Onias retired to a place of sanctuary at Daphne nearAntioch and then taxed him with it.	33 Which when Onias understood most certainly, he reproved him, keeping himself in a safe place at Antioch beside Daphne.
34 Menelaus then had a quiet word with Andronicus, urging him to get rid of Onias. Andronicus soughtout Onias and, resorting to the trick of offering him his right hand on oath, succeeded in persuading him, despitethe latter's lingering suspicions, to leave sanctuary; whereupon, in defiance of al justice, he immediately put himto death.	34 Whereupon Menelaus coming to Andronicus, desired him to kill Onias. And he went to Onias, and gave him his right hand with an oath, and (though he were suspected by him) persuaded him to come forth out of the sanctuary, and immediately slew him, without any regard to justice.
35 The result was that not only Jews but many people of other nationalities were appalled and outragedby the unjust murder of this man.	35 For which cause not only the Jews, but also the other nations, conceived indignation, and were much grieved for the unjust murder of so great a man.
36 On the king's return from the region of Cilicia, the Jews of the capital, and those Greeks who sharedtheir hatred of the crime, appealed to him about the unjustified murder of Onias.	36 And when the king was come back from the places of Cilicia, the Jews that were at Antioch, and also the Creaks went to him: complaining of the unjust murder of Onias.
37 Antiochus was profoundly grieved and fil ed with pity, and he wept for the prudence and moderation ofthe dead man.	37 Antiochus therefore was grieved in his mind for Onias, and being moved to pity, shed tears, remembering the sobriety and modesty of the deceased.
38 Burning with indignation, he immediately stripped Andronicus of the purple, tore his garments off himand, parading him through the length of the city, rid the world of the assassin on the very spot where he had laidimpious hands on Onias, the Lord dealing out to him the punishment he deserved.	38 And being inflamed to anger, he commanded Andronicus to be stripped of his purple, and to be led about through all the city: and that in the same place wherein he had committed the impiety against Onias, the sacrilegious wretch should be put to death, the Lord repaying him his deserved punishment.
39 Now Lysimachus with the connivance of Menelaus had committed many sacrilegious thefts in the city,and when the facts became widely known, the populace rose against Lysimachus, who had already disposed ofmany pieces of gold plate.	39 Now when many sacrileges had been committed by Lysimachus in the temple by the counsel of Menelaus, and the rumour of it was spread abroad, the multitude gathered themselves together against Lysimachus, a great quantity of gold being already carried away.
40 The infuriated mob was becoming menacing, and Lysimachus armed nearly three thousand men andtook aggressive action; the troops were led by a certain Auranus, a man advanced in years and no less in folly.	40 Wherefore the multitude making an insurrection, and their minds being filled with anger, Lysimachus armed about three thousand men, and began to use violence, one Tyrannus being captain, a man far gone both in age, and in madness.
41 Recognising this act of aggression as the work of Lysimachus, some snatched up stones, otherscudgels, while others scooped up handfuls of ashes lying at hand, and al hurled everything indiscriminately atLysimachus' men,	41 But when they perceived the attempt of Lysimachus, some caught up stones, some strong clubs: and some threw ashes upon Lysimachus,
42 to such effect that they wounded many of them, even kil ing a few, and routed them all; thesacrilegious thief himself they kil ed near the Treasury.	42 And many of them were wounded, and some struck down to the ground, but all were put to flight: and as for the sacrilegious fellow himself, they slew him beside the treasury.
43 As a result of this, legal proceedings were taken against Menelaus.	43 Now concerning these matters, an accusation was laid against Menelaus.
44 When the king came down to Tyre, three men deputed by the Senate pleaded their case before him.	44 And when the king was come to Tyre, three men were sent from the ancients to plead the cause before him.
45 Menelaus, seeing the case had gone against him, promised a substantial sum to Ptolemy son ofDorymenes if he would influence the king in his favour.	45 But Menelaus being convicted, promised Ptolemee to give him much money to persuade the king to favour him.
46 Ptolemy then took the king aside into a colonnade, as though for a breath of fresh air, and persuadedhim to change his mind;	46 So Ptolemee went to the king in a certain court where he was, as it were to cool himself, and brought him to be of another mind:
47 the king then dismissed the charges against Menelaus, the cause of al this evil, while he condemnedto death the other poor wretches who, had they pleaded even before Scythians, would have been let off scot-free.	47 So Menelaus who was guilty of all the evil, was acquitted by him of the accusations: and those poor men, who, if they had pleaded their cause even before Scythians, should have been judged innocent, were condemned to death.
48 No time was lost in carrying out this unjust punishment on those who had championed the cause ofthe city, the townships and the sacred vessels.	48 Thus they that prosecuted the cause for the city, and for the people, and the sacred vessels, did soon suffer unjust punishment.
49 Some Tyrians even were so outraged by the crime that they provided sumptuously for their funeral,	49 Wherefore even the Tyrians being moved with indignation, were liberal towards their burial.
50 while, as a result of the greed of the powerful, Menelaus remained in power, growing more wickedthan ever and establishing himself as the chief enemy of his fellow-citizens.	50 And so through the covetousness of them that were in power, Menelaus continued in authority, increasing in malice to the betraying of the citizens.