2 Maccabees 4

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 The Simon mentioned above as the informer about the funds against his own country, made false accusation that it was Onias who threatened Heliodorus and instigated the whole miserable affair.
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 He dared to brand as a plotter against the government the man who was a benefactor of the city, a protector of his compatriots, and a zealous defender of the laws.
3 This hostility reached such proportions that murders were actual y committed by some of Simon'sagents,	3 When Simon's hostility reached such a point that murders were being committed by one of his henchmen,
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 saw that the opposition was serious and that Apollonius, son of Menestheus, the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, was abetting Simon's wickedness.
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 So he had recourse to the king, not as an accuser of his countrymen, but as a man looking to the general and particular 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 He saw that, unless the king intervened, it would be impossible to have a peaceful government, and that Simon would not desist 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 Seleucus died, and when Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes succeeded him on the throne, Onias' brother Jason obtained the high priesthood by corrupt means:
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 in an interview, he promised the king three hundred and sixty talents of silver, as well as eighty talents from another source of income.
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 agreed to pay a hundred and fifty more, if he were given authority to establish a gymnasium and a youth club for it and to enroll men in Jerusalem as 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 When Jason received the king's approval and came into office, he immediately initiated his countrymen into the Greek way of life.
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 He set aside the royal concessions granted to the Jews through the mediation of John, father of Eupolemus (that Eupolemus who would later go on an embassy to the Romans to establish a treaty of friendship with them); he abrogated the lawful institutions and introduced customs contrary to the law.
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 He quickly established a gymnasium at the very foot of the acropolis, where he induced the noblest young men to wear the Greek hat.
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 The craze for Hellenism and foreign customs reached such a pitch, through the outrageous wickedness of the ungodly pseudo-high-priest Jason,
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 that the priests no longer cared about the service of the altar. Disdaining the temple and neglecting the sacrifices, they hastened, at the signal for the discus-throwing, to take part in the unlawful exercises on the athletic field.
15 setting no store by the honours of their fatherland, they esteemed hel enic glories best of al .	15 They despised what their ancestors had regarded as honors, while they highly prized what the Greeks esteemed as glory.
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 Precisely because of this, they found themselves in serious trouble: the very people whose manner of life they emulated, and whom they desired to imitate in everything, became their enemies and oppressors.
17 It is no smal thing to violate the divine laws, as the period that fol owed wil demonstrate.	17 It is no light matter to flout the laws of God, as the following period will show.
18 On the occasion of the quadrennial games at Tyre in the presence of the king,	18 When the quinquennial games were held at Tyre in the presence of the king,
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 vile Jason sent envoys as representatives of the Antiochians of Jerusalem, to bring there three hundred silver drachmas for the sacrifice to Hercules. But the bearers themselves decided that the money should not be spent on a sacrifice, as that was not right, but should be used for some other purpose.
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 contribution destined by the sender for the sacrifice to Hercules was in fact applied, by those who brought it, to the construction of triremes.
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 When Apollonius, son of Menestheus, was sent to Egypt for the coronation of King Philometor, Antiochus learned that the king was opposed to his policies; so he took measures for his own security.
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 After going to Joppa, he proceeded to Jerusalem. There he was received with great pomp by Jason and the people of the city, who escorted him with torchlights and acclamations; following this, he led his army into Phoenicia.
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 later Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the aforementioned Simon, to deliver the money to the king, and to obtain decisions on some important matters.
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 When he had been introduced to the king, he flattered him with such an air of authority that he secured the high priesthood for himself, outbidding 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 He returned with the royal commission, but with nothing that made him worthy of the high priesthood; he had the temper of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a wild 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 cheated his own brother and now saw himself cheated by another man, was driven out as a fugitive to the country of the Ammonites.
27 As for Menelaus, he secured the office, but defaulted altogether on the sums promised to the king,	27 Although Menelaus had obtained the office, he did not make any payments of the money he had promised to the king,
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 in spite of the demand of Sostratus, the commandant of the citadel, whose duty it was to collect the taxes. For this reason, both were summoned 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 Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus as his substitute in the high priesthood, while Sostratus left Crates, commander of the Cypriots, as his substitute.
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 While these things were taking place, the people of Tarsus and Mallus rose in revolt, because their cities had been given as a gift to Antiochis, the king's mistress.
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 off in haste to settle the affair, leaving Andronicus, one of his nobles, as 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, thinking this a good opportunity, stole some gold vessels from the temple and presented them to Andronicus; he had already sold some other vessels in Tyre and in the neighboring 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 When Onias had clear evidence of the facts, he made a public protest, after withdrawing to the inviolable sanctuary at Daphne, near Antioch.
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 Thereupon Menelaus approached Andronicus privately and asked him to lay hands on Onias. So Andronicus went to Onias, and by treacherously reassuring him through sworn pledges with right hands joined, persuaded him, in spite of his suspicions, to leave the sanctuary. Then, without any regard for justice, he immediately put him to death.
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 As a result, not only the Jews, but many people of other nations as well, were indignant and angry over the unjust murder of the 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 When the king returned from the region of Cilicia, the Jews of the city, together with the Greeks who detested the crime, went to see him about the 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 was deeply grieved and full of pity; he wept as he recalled the prudence and noble conduct 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 Inflamed with anger, he immediately stripped Andronicus of his purple robe, tore off his other garments, and had him led through the whole city to the very place where he had committed the outrage against Onias; and there he put the murderer to death. Thus the Lord rendered him the punishment he deserved.
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 Many sacrilegious thefts had been committed by Lysimachus in the city with the connivance of Menelaus. When word was spread that a large number of gold vessels had been stolen, the people assembled in protest against Lysimachus.
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 As the crowds, now thoroughly enraged, began to riot, Lysimachus launched an unjustified attack against them with about three thousand armed men under the leadership of Auranus, a man as advanced in folly as he was in years.
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 Reacting against Lysimachus' attack, the people picked up stones or pieces of wood or handfuls of the ashes lying there and threw them in wild confusion at Lysimachus and his men.
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 As a result, they wounded many of them and even killed a few, while they put all the rest to flight. The sacrilegious thief himself they slew near the treasury.
43 As a result of this, legal proceedings were taken against Menelaus.	43 Charges about this affair were brought against Menelaus.
44 When the king came down to Tyre, three men deputed by the Senate pleaded their case before him.	44 When the king came to Tyre, three men sent by the senate presented to him the justice of their cause.
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, seeing himself on the losing side, promised Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes, a substantial sum of money if he would win the king over.
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 Ptolemy retired with the king under a colonnade, as if to get some fresh air, and persuaded him to change his 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 Menelaus, who was the cause of all the trouble, the king acquitted of the charges, while he condemned to death those poor men who would have been declared innocent even if they had pleaded their case before Scythians.
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, those who had prosecuted the case for the city, for the people, and for the sacred vessels, quickly suffered unjust punishment.
49 Some Tyrians even were so outraged by the crime that they provided sumptuously for their funeral,	49 For this reason, even some Tyrians were indignant over the crime and provided sumptuously for 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 But Menelaus, thanks to the covetousness of the men in power, remained in office, where he grew in wickedness and became the chief plotter against his fellow citizens.