2 Maccabees 9

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 At about the same time, Antiochus was beating a disorderly retreat from Persia.
2 He had entered the city cal ed Persepolis, planning to rob the temple and occupy the city; but thepopulation at once sprang to arms to defend themselves, with the result that Antiochus was routed by theinhabitants and forced to beat a humiliating retreat.
3 On his arrival in Ecbatana he learned what had happened to Nicanor and to Timotheus' forces.
4 Flying into a passion, he resolved to make the Jews pay for the disgrace inflicted by those who hadrouted him, and with this in mind he ordered his charioteer to drive without stopping and get the journey over.But the sentence of Heaven was already hanging over him. In his pride, he had said, 'When I reach Jerusalem, Ishall turn it into a mass grave for the Jews.'
5 But the al -seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him with an incurable and unseen complaint. Thewords were hardly out of his mouth when he was seized with an incurable pain in his bowels and withexcruciating internal torture;
6 and this was only right, since he had inflicted many barbaric tortures on the bowels of others.
7 Even so, he in no way diminished his arrogance; stil bursting with pride, breathing fire in his wrathagainst the Jews, he was in the act of ordering an even keener pace when the chariot gave a sudden lurch andout he fel and, in this serious fal , was dragged along, every joint of his body wrenched out of place.
8 He who only a little while before had thought in his superhuman boastfulness he could command thewaves of the sea, he who had imagined he could weigh mountain peaks in a balance, found himself flat on theground and then being carried in a litter, a visible demonstration to al of the power of God,
9 in that the very eyes of this godless man teemed with worms and his flesh rotted away while helingered on in agonising pain, and the stench of his decay sickened the whole army.
10 A short while before, he had thought to grasp the stars of heaven; now no one could bring himself toact as his bearer, for the stench was intolerable.
11 Then and there, as a consequence, in his shattered state, he began to shed his excessive pride andcome to his senses under the divine lash, spasms of pain overtaking him.
12 His stench being unbearable even to himself, he exclaimed, 'It is right to submit to God; no mortalshould aspire to equality with the Godhead.'
13 The wretch began to pray to the Master, who would never take pity on him now, declaring
14 that the holy city, towards which he had been speeding to rase it to the ground and turn it into a massgrave, should be declared free;
15 as for the Jews, whom he had considered as not even worth burying, so much carrion to be thrownout with their children for birds and beasts to prey on, he would give them al equal rights with the Athenians;
16 the holy Temple which he had once plundered he would now adorn with the finest offerings; he wouldrestore al the sacred vessels many times over; he would defray from his personal revenue the expensesincurred for the sacrifices;
17 and, to crown al , he would himself turn Jew and visit every inhabited place, proclaiming the power ofGod.
18 Finding no respite at al from his suffering, God's just sentence having overtaken him, he abandonedal hope for himself and wrote the Jews the letter transcribed below, which takes the form of an appeal in theseterms:
19 'To the excel ent Jews, to the citizens, Antiochus, king and commander-in-chief, sends heartygreetings, wishing them al health and prosperity.
20 'If you and your children are wel and your affairs as you would wish, we are profoundly thankful.
21 For my part, I cherish affectionate memories of you. 'On my return from the country of Persia I felseriously il , and thought it necessary to make provision for the common security of al .
22 Not that I despair of my condition, for I have great hope of shaking off the malady,
23 but considering how my father, whenever he was making an expedition into the uplands, woulddesignate his successor
24 so that, in case of any unforeseen event or disquieting rumour, the people of the provinces mightknow to whom he had left the conduct of affairs, and thus remain undisturbed;
25 furthermore, being wel aware that the sovereigns on our frontiers and the neighbours of our realm arewatching for opportunities and waiting to see what wil happen, I have designated as king my son Antiochus,whom I have more than once entrusted and commended to most of you when I was setting out for the uplandsatrapies; a transcript of my letter to him is appended hereto.
26 I therefore urge and require you, being mindful of the benefits both public and personal received fromme, that you each persist in those sentiments of goodwil that you harbour towards me.
27 I am confident that he wil pursue my own policy with benevolence and humanity, and wil proveaccommodating to your interests.'
28 And so this murderer and blasphemer, having endured sufferings as terrible as those which he hadmade others endure, met his pitiable fate, and ended his life in the mountains far from his home.
29 His comrade Philip brought back his body, and then, fearing Antiochus' son, withdrew to Egypt, to thecourt of Ptolemy Philometor.