Part 633 (1/2)

8:30. Moreover, they slew above twenty thousand of them that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who fought against them, and they made themselves masters of the high strong holds: and they divided amongst them many spoils, giving equal portions to the feeble, the fatherless, and the widows; yea, and the aged also.

8:31. And when they had carefully gathered together their arms, they laid them all up in convenient places, and the residue of their spoils they carried to Jerusalem:

8:32. They slew also Philarches, who was with Timotheus, a wicked man, who had many ways afflicted the Jews.

8:33. And when they kept the feast of the victory at Jerusalem, they burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire to the holy gates, who had taken refuge in a certain house, rendering to him a worthy reward for his impieties:

8:34. But as for that most wicked man, Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to the sale of the Jews,

8:35. Being, through the help of the Lord, brought down by them, of whom he had made no account, laying aside his garment of glory, fleeing through the midland country, he came alone to Antioch, being rendered very unhappy by the destruction of his army.

Laying aside his garment of glory... That is, his splendid apparel, which he wore through ostentation; he now throws it off, lest he should be known on his flight.

8:36. And he that had promised to levy the tribute for the Romans, by the means of the captives of Jerusalem, now professed that the Jews had G.o.d for their protector, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws appointed by him.

2 Machabees Chapter 9

The wretched end, and fruitless repentance of king Antiochus.

9:1. At that time Antiochus returned with dishonour out of Persia.

9:2. For he had entered into the city called Persepolis, and attempted to rob the temple, and to oppress the city, but the mult.i.tude running together to arms, put them to flight: and so it fell out that Antiochus being put to flight, returned with disgrace.

Persepolis... Otherwise called Elymais.

9:3. Now when he was come about Ecbatana, he received the news of what had happened to Nicanor and Timotheus.

9:4. And swelling with anger, he thought to revenge upon the Jews the injury done by them that had put him to flight. And therefore he commanded his chariot to be driven, without stopping in his journey, the judgment of heaven urging him forward, because he had spoken so proudly, that he would come to Jerusalem, and make it a common burying place of the Jews.

9:5. But the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, that seeth all things, struck him with an incurable and an invisible plague. For as soon as he had ended these words, a dreadful pain in his bowels came upon him, and bitter torments of the inner parts.

9:6. And indeed very justly, seeing he had tormented the bowels of others with many and new torments, albeit he by no means ceased from his malice.

9:7. Moreover, being filled with pride, breathing out fire in his rage against the Jews, and commanding the matter to be hastened, it happened as he was going with violence, that he fell from the chariot, so that his limbs were much pained by a grievous bruising of the body.

9:8. Thus he that seemed to himself to command even the waves of the sea, being proud above the condition of man, and to weigh the heights of the mountains in a balance, now being cast down to the ground, was carried in a litter, bearing witness to the manifest power of G.o.d in himself:

9:9. So that worms swarmed out of the body of this man, and whilst he lived in sorrow and pain, his flesh fell off, and the filthiness of his smell was noisome to the army.

9:10. And the man that thought a little before he could reach to the stars of heaven, no man could endure to carry, for the intolerable stench.

9:11. And by this means, being brought from his great pride, he began to come to the knowledge of himself, being admonished by the scourge of G.o.d, his pains increasing every moment.

9:12. And when he himself could not now abide his own stench, he spoke thus: It is just to be subject to G.o.d, and that a mortal man should not equal himself to G.o.d.

9:13. Then this wicked man prayed to the Lord, of whom he was not like to obtain mercy.

Of whom he was not like to obtain mercy... Because his repentance was not for the offence committed against G.o.d: but barely on account of his present sufferings.

9:14. And the city, to which he was going in haste to lay it even with the ground, and to make it a common burying place, he now desireth to make free: