2 Maccabees 9
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1AT the same time, came Antiochus againe with dishonour out of the countrey of Persia. 2For when he came to Persepolis, & went about to robbe the Temple, and to subdue the citie, the people ranne in a rage to defende them selues with their weapons, and put them to flight, and Antiochus was put to flight by the inhabitants, and returned with shame. 3Now when he came to Ecbatana, he vnderstode the things that had come vnto Nicanor, and Timotheus. 4And then being chafed in his fume, he thoght to impute to the Iewes their faute, which had put him to flight, and therefore commanded his charet man to driue continually, and to dispatche the iourney: for Gods iudgement compelled him: for he had said thus in his pride, I wil make Ierusalem a commune burying place of the Iewes, when I come thether. 5But the Lord almightie & God of Israel smote him with an incurable and inuisible plague: for assone as he had spoken these wordes, a paine of the bowels, that was remediles, came vpon him, & sore torments of the inner partes, 6And that moste iustely: for he had tormented other mens bowels with diuerse, and strange torments. 7Howbeit he wolde in no wise cease from his arrogancie, but swelled the more with pride, breathing out fyre in his rage against the Iewes, and commanded to haste the iornay: but it came to passe that he fel downe from the charet that ranne swiftely, so that all the membres of his bodie were bruised with the great fall. 8And thus he that a litle afore thoght he might commande the floods of the sea (so proude was he beyonde the condicion of man ) & to weigh the hie mountaines in the balance, was now cast on the ground, and caried in an horselitter, declaring vnto all the manifest power of God, 9*So that the wormes came out of the bodie of this wicked man in abundance: and whiles he was aliue, his flesh fel of for paine and torment, and all his armie was grieued at his" smel. 10Thus no man colde beare because of his stinke, him that a litle afore thoght he might reach to the starres of heauen. 11Then he began to leaue of his great pride,& self wil, when he was plagued & came to the knowledge of him self by the scourge of God, & by his paine which increased euerie moment. 12And when he him self might not abide his owne stinke, he said these wordes, It is mete to be subiect vnto God,& that a man which is mortal, shulde not thinke him self equal vnto God through pride. 13This wicked persone prayed also vnto the Lord, who wolde now haue no mercie on him, 14And said thus that he wolde set at libertie the holie citie vnto the which he made haste to destroy it,& to make it a burying place. 15And as touching the Iewes, whome he had iudged not worthie to be buryed, but wolde haue cast them out with their children to be deuoured of the foules & wilde beastes, he wolde make them all like the citizens of Athenes. 16And whereas he had spoiled the holie Temple afore, he wolde garnish it with great giftes, and encrease the holie vessels, and of his owne rentes beare the charges belonging to the sacrifices. 17Yea,& that he wolde also become a Iewe him self,& go through all the worlde that was inhabited,& preache the power of God. 18But for all this his paines wolde not cease: for the iust iudgement of God was come vpon him: therefore despairing of his helth, he wrote vnto the Iewes this letter vnder writen, conteining the forme of a supplication. 19¶ THE KING & prince Antiochus vnto the Iewes his louing citizens wisheth muche ioye and helth and prosperitie. 20If ye and your children fare wel,& if all things go after your minde, I giue great thankes vnto God hauing hope in the heauen, 21Thogh I lie sicke, yet I am mindeful of your honour,& good wil for the loue I beare you: therefore when I returned from the countrey of Persia, and fel into a sore disease, I thoght it necessarie to care for the commune safetie of all, 22Not distrusting mine helth, but hauing great hope to escape this sickenes. 23Therefore considering that when my father led an hoste against the high countreys, he appointed who shulde succede him: 24That if anie controuersie happened contrary to his expectation, or if that anie tidings were broght that were grieuous, they in the land might knowe to whome the affaires were committed, that they shulde not be troubled. 25Againe, when I ponder how that the gouernours, that are borderers, and neighbours vnto my kingdome, waite for all occasions, & loke but for opportunitie, I haue ordeined that my sonne Antiochus shal be King whomeI oft commended&committed to many of you, when I went into the hie prouinces,& haue writen vnto him as followeth hereafter. 26Therefore, I pray you & require you, to remember the benefites that I haue done vnto you generally,& particularly, and that euerie man wil be faithful to me and to my sonne. 27For I trust that he wil be gentle,& louing vnto you according to my minde. 28¶ Thus the murtherer & blasphemer suffered moste grieuously,&as he had intreated other men, so he dyed a miserable death in a strange countrey among the mountaines. 29And Philippe that was broght vp with him, carryed away his bodie, who fearing the sonne of Antiochus, went into Egypt to Ptolemeus Philometor.