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chapter 4
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 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 But when the enmities proceeded so far, that murders
also were committed by some of Simon's friends:
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 Not to be an accuser of his countrymen, but with a
view to the common good of all the people.
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 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 And went to the king, promising him three hundred and
sixty talents of silver, and out of other revenues four- score talents.
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 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 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 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 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 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 And setting nought by the honours of their fathers,
they esteemed the Grecian glories for the best:
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 For acting wickedly against the laws of God doth not
pass unpunished: but this the time following will declare.
18 Now when the game that was used every fifth year was
kept at Tyre, the king being present,
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 de- sired it might not be bestowed on the sacrifices, because
it was not necessary, but might be deputed for other charges.
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 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 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 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 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 So having received the king's man- date, 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 Then Jason, who had undermined his own brother,
being himself undermined, was driven out a fugitive into the country of the
Ammonites
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 For to him appertained the gathering of the taxes:
wherefore they were both called before the king.
29 And Menelaus was removed from the priesthood,
Lysimachus his brother succeeding: and Sostratus was made governor of the
Cyprians.
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 went in all haste to appease
them, leaving Andronicus, one of his nobles, for his deputy.
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 Which when Onias understood most certainly, he
reproved him, keeping him- self in a safe place at Antioch beside Daphne.
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 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 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 therefore was grieved in his mind for
Onias, and being moved to pity, shed tears, remembering the sobriety and
modesty of the deceased.
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 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 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 But when they perceived the attempt of Lysimachus,
some caught up stones, some strong clubs: and some threw ashes upon Lysimachus,
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 Now concerning these matters, an accusation was laid
against Menelaus.
44 And when the king was come to Tyre, three men were
sent from the ancients to plead the cause before him.
45 But Menelaus being convicted, promised Ptolemee to
give him much money to persuade the king to favour him.
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 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 Thus they that prosecuted the cause for the city,
and for the people, and the sacred vessels, did soon suffer unjust punishment.
49 Wherefore even the Tyrians being moved with
indignation, were liberal towards their burial.
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.
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