2 Maccabees 4
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1THis Simon now, of whome we spake afore, being a bewraier of the money and of his owne natural countrey, reported euil of Onias, as thogh he had moued Heliodorus vnto this, and had bene the inuenter of the euil. 2Thus was he bolde to call him a traitour that was so beneficial to the citie, and a defender of his nacion, and so zealous of the Lawes. 3But when his malice increased so farre, that thorow one that belonged to Simon, murthers were committed, 4Onias considering the danger of this contention, & that Apollonius as he that was the gouernour of Coelosyria and Phenice, did rage, and increased Simons malice, 5He went to the King not as an accuser of the citizens, but as one that intended the commune welth bothe priuatly and publikely. 6For he sawe it was not possible except the King toke order to quiet the matters, and that Simon wolde not leaue of his folie. 7But after the death of Seleucus, when Antiochus, called Epiphanes, toke the kingdome, Iason the brother of Onias labored by vnlawful meanes to be hie Priest. 8For he came vnto the King, and promised him thre hundreth and thre score talents of siluer, and of another rente, fourescore talents. 9Besides this he promised him an hundreth and fiftie, if he might haue licence to set vp a place for exercise, and a place for the youth, and that they wolde ″name them of Ierusalem Antiochians. 10The which thing when the King had granted, & he had gotten the superioritie, he began immediatly to drawe his kinsmen to the customes of the Gentiles, 11And abolished the friendlie priuiledges of the Kings, that the Iewes had set vp by Iohn, the father of Eupolemus, which was sent ambassadour vnto Rome, to become friends and confederates: he put downe their lawes & policies, & broght vp newe statutes, and contrarie to the Lawe. 12For he presumed to buylde a place of exercise vnder the castel, & broght the chief yong men vnder his subiection, and made them weare ″hattes. 13So there began a great desire to follow the maners of the Gentiles, and they toke vp the facions of strange nacions by the exceading wickednes of Iason, not the hie Priest, but the vngodlie persone, 14So that the Priestes were now no more diligent about the seruice of the altar, but despised the Temple, and regarded not the sacrifices, but made haste to be partakers of the wicked expenses at the playe after the casting of the stone. 15For they did not set by the honour of their fathers, but liked the glorie of the Gentiles best of all. 16By reason whereof great calamitie came vpon them: for they had them to be their enemies and punishers, whose custome they followed so earnestly, and desired to be like them in all things. 17For it is not a light thing to transgresse against the Lawes of God, but the time following shal declare these things. 18¶Now when the games that were vsed euerie fiue yere, were plaide at Tyrus, the King being present, 19This wicked Iason sent from Ierusalem men to loke vpon them, as thogh they had bene Antiochians, which broght thre hundreth drachmes of siluer for a sacrifice to Hercules: albeit they that caryed them, desired they might not be bestowed on the sacrifice (because it was not comelie) but to be bestowed for other expenses. 20So he that sent them, sent them for the sacrifice of Hercules: but because of those that broght them, they were giuen to the making of galleis. 21¶Now Apollonius the sonne of Menestheus was sent into Egypt because of the coronation of King Ptolemeus Philometor: but when Antiochus perceiued that he was euil affectioned towarde his affaires, he soght his owne assurance, and departed from thence to Ioppe, and so came to Ierusalem, 22Where he was honorably receiued of Iason, and of the citie, & was broght in with torche light, & with great showtings, and so he went with his hoste vnto Phenice. 23Thre yere afterwarde Iason sent Menelaus, the foresaid Simons brother, to beare the money vnto the King, and to bring to passe certeine necessarie affaires, whereof he had giuen him a memorial. 24But he, being commended to the King, magnified him for the appearance of his power, & turned the priesthode vnto him self: for he gaue thre hundreth talents of siluer more then Iason. 25So he gate the Kings ″letters patentes, albeit he had nothing in him self worthie of the hie priesthode, but bare the stomacke of a cruel tyrant, and the wrath of a wilde beast. 26Then Iason, which had disceiued his owne brother, being deceiued by another, was compelled to flee into the countrey of the Ammonites. 27So Menelaus gate the dominion: but as for the money that he had promised vnto the King, he toke none order for it, albeit Sostratus the ruler of the castel required it. 28For vnto him apperteined the gathering of the customes: wherefore they were bothe called before the King. 29Now Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus in his stead in the priesthode, and Sostratus left Crates which was gouernour of the Cyprians. 30¶Whiles these things were in doing, the Tharsians and they of Mallot made insurrection, because they were giuen to the Kings concubine called Antiochis. 31Then came the King in all haste, to appease the busines, leauing Andronicus a man of autoritie to be his lieutenant. 32Now Menelaus, supposing that he had gotten a conuenient time, stole certeine vessels of golde out of the Temple, and gaue certeine of them to Andronicus: and some he solde at Tyrus & in the cities thereby. 33Which when Onias knewe of a suretie, he reproued him, and withdrewe him self into a Sanctuarie at Daphne by Antiochia. 34Wherefore Menelaus, taking Andronicus a parte, prayed him to slay Onias: so when he came to Onias, he counseled him craftely, giuing him his right hand with an othe: (howbeit he suspect him, & persuaded him to come out of the Sanctuarie) so he slewe him incontinently without any regarde of righteousnes. 35For the which cause not onely the Iewes, but many other nacions also were grieued, and toke it heauily for the vnrighteous death of this man. 36¶ And when the King was come againe from the places about Cilicia, the Iewes that were in the citie, and certeine of the Grekes that abhorred the fact also, complained because Onias was slaine without cause. 37Therefore Antiochus was sorie in his minde, and he had compassion, and wept because of the modestie and great discretion of him that was dead. 38Wherefore being kindled with angre, he toke away Andronicus garment of purple, and rent his clothes, and commanded him to be led through out the citie, and in the same place where he had committed the wickednes against Onias, he was slaine as a murtherer. Thus the Lord rewarded him his punishment, as he had deserued. 39¶ Now when Lysimachus had done many wicked dedes in the citie through the counsel of Menelaus, and the brute was spred abroad, the multitude gathered them together against Lysimachus: for he had caryed out now muche vessel of golde. 40And when the people arose, & were ful of angre, Lysimachus armed about thre thousand, & began to vse vnlauful power, a certeine tyrant being their captaine, who was no lesse decayed in wit then in age. 41But when they vnderstode the purpose of Lysimachus, some gate stones, some great clubbes, and some cast handfuls of dust, which lay by, vpon Lysimachus men, and those that inuaded them. 42Whereby manie of them were wounded, some were slaine, and all the other chased away: but the wicked Churchrobber him self they killed besides the treasurie. 43For these causes an accusation was laide against Menelaus. 44And when the King came to Tyrus, thre men sent from the Senat pleaded the cause before him. 45But Menelaus, being now conuinced, promised to Ptolemeus the sonne of Dorimenes muche money, if he wolde persuade the King. 46So Ptolemeus went to the King into a courte, where as he was to coule him self, & turned the Kings minde. 47In so muche that he discharged Menelaus from the accusacions (notwithstanding he was the cause of all mischief) and condemned those poore men to death, which if they had tolde their cause, yea, before the Scythians, thei shulde haue bene heard as innocent. 48Thus were they sone punished vniustly, which followed vpon the matter for the citie, and for the people, and for the holie vessels. 49Wherefore they of Tyrus hated that wickednes, and ministred all things liberally for their buryal. 50And so through the couetousnes of them that were in power, Menelaus remained in authoritie, increasing in malice, and declared him selfe a great traitor to the citizens.