2 Maccabees 4 — Greek text and reception

Greek–English Saints Priority

The aforesaid Simon, who had informed against the funds and his homeland, spoke evil of Onias, alleging that he himself had instigated the attack on Heliodorus and had become the author of the troubles.

Greek–English Saints Priority

He dared to call the city's benefactor, the guardian of his fellow countrymen and the zealous defender of the laws a conspirator against the government.

Greek–English Saints Priority

The hostility advanced so far that murders were committed through one of Simon's approved supporters.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Onias saw the danger of the rivalry and that Apollonius son of Menestheus, governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia, was increasing Simon's wickedness.

Greek–English Saints Priority

He went to the king, not to accuse his fellow citizens but to seek the common and individual benefit of the entire people.

Greek–English Saints Priority

For he saw that without royal intervention public affairs could no longer find peace and Simon would not cease his folly.

Greek–English Saints Priority

When Seleucus departed this life and Antiochus, called Epiphanes, took over the kingdom, Jason, Onias's brother, obtained the high priesthood by fraud.

Greek–English Saints Priority

In an audience he promised the king three hundred sixty talents of silver, and eighty talents from another source of revenue.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Beyond these he promised to pay a further one hundred fifty if he were permitted by royal authority to establish a gymnasium and a training institution for young men, and to enroll the people in Jerusalem as Antiochenes.

Greek–English Saints Priority

When the king consented and Jason gained office, he immediately turned his fellow countrymen toward the Greek manner of life.

Greek–English Saints Priority

He set aside the benevolent royal concessions established for the Jews through John, the father of Eupolemus, who had undertaken the embassy to the Romans for friendship and alliance. Abolishing the lawful forms of civic life, he introduced unlawful customs.

Greek–English Saints Priority

For he eagerly established a gymnasium immediately beneath the citadel and brought the most distinguished young men under his direction to wear the broad-brimmed hat.

Greek–English Saints Priority

There was such an upsurge of Hellenism and advance of foreign ways because of the surpassing impurity of the impious Jason, who was no high priest,

Greek–English Saints Priority

that the priests were no longer eager for the services of the altar. Despising the temple and neglecting the sacrifices, they hurried to take part in the unlawful provision of exercises in the wrestling ground after the signal for the discus.

Greek–English Saints Priority

They regarded their ancestral honors as nothing and considered Greek distinctions the finest.

Greek–English Saints Priority

For this reason a difficult crisis overtook them: those whose ways they admired and whom they wished to resemble in everything became their enemies and punishers.

Greek–English Saints Priority

For acting impiously against the divine laws is no light matter; the ensuing time will show this.

Greek–English Saints Priority

When the games held every fifth year were being celebrated in Tyre and the king was present,

Greek–English Saints Priority

the defiled Jason sent spectators from Jerusalem, as Antiochenes, carrying three hundred silver drachmas for the sacrifice to Heracles. The bearers themselves asked that these not be used for sacrifice, because it was unfitting, but assigned to another expense.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Thus, although intended by the sender for the sacrifice to Heracles, the money was applied, through the bearers, to the construction of triremes.

Greek–English Saints Priority

When Apollonius son of Menestheus was sent to Egypt for King Philometor's accession celebration, Antiochus learned that Philometor had become hostile to his affairs and took thought for his own security. Therefore he came to Joppa and proceeded to Jerusalem.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Received magnificently by Jason and the city, he was welcomed with torches and shouts. Afterward he departed with his army into Phoenicia.

Greek–English Saints Priority

After a period of three years, Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the previously mentioned Simon, to convey the money to the king and present memoranda on necessary matters.

Greek–English Saints Priority

When introduced to the king, Menelaus impressed him by the appearance of authority and secured the high priesthood for himself by outbidding Jason by three hundred talents of silver.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Having received the royal orders, he returned, bringing nothing worthy of the high priesthood, but possessing the temper of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a savage beast.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Jason, who had fraudulently displaced his own brother, was himself displaced by another and driven as a fugitive into the land of the Ammonites.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Menelaus held the office, but made no regular payment of the funds promised to the king,

Greek–English Saints Priority

although Sostratus, commander of the citadel, demanded them, since collection of the funds belonged to him. For this reason the two men were summoned by the king.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Menelaus left his own brother Lysimachus as his deputy in the high priesthood, while Sostratus left Crates, the commander of the Cypriots.

Greek–English Saints Priority

While these things were taking place, the people of Tarsus and Mallus happened to revolt because they had been given as a gift to Antiochis, the king's concubine.

Greek–English Saints Priority

The king therefore went quickly to settle the matter, leaving Andronicus, one of the men of high rank, as his deputy.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Menelaus, thinking he had found a favorable opportunity, stole some of the temple's gold objects and gave them to Andronicus. He had also sold others in Tyre and the surrounding cities.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Onias, who had learned these things clearly, denounced them, having withdrawn to a place of asylum at Daphne near Antioch.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Therefore Menelaus took Andronicus aside and urged him to do away with Onias. Andronicus came to Onias, having been persuaded to act deceitfully, greeted him and gave his right hand with oaths. Although under suspicion, he persuaded Onias to leave the asylum and immediately killed him, showing no regard for justice.

Greek–English Saints Priority

For this reason not only Jews but also many of the other nations were indignant and distressed at the man's unjust murder.

Greek–English Saints Priority

When the king returned from the regions of Cilicia, the Jews in the city petitioned him about the senseless killing of Onias; the Greeks shared their hatred of the wickedness.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Antiochus was deeply grieved, moved to pity, and wept because of the deceased man's self-restraint and great good order.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Burning with anger, he immediately stripped Andronicus of his purple robe, tore off his tunics, and led him around the whole city to the very place where he had committed the impious act against Onias. There he removed the murderer from life, the Lord rendering him his deserved punishment.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Many sacrilegious thefts were committed in the city by Lysimachus with Menelaus's consent, and the report spread abroad. The multitude gathered against Lysimachus, many gold objects having already been carried off.

Greek–English Saints Priority

As the crowds rose up and were filled with anger, Lysimachus armed about three thousand men and began unjust acts of violence, led by a certain Auranus, advanced in age and no less advanced in folly.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Seeing Lysimachus's attack, some seized stones, others thick pieces of wood, and some handfuls of the ashes lying nearby, and hurled them in confusion at Lysimachus's men.

Greek–English Saints Priority

In this way they wounded many of them, struck down some, and drove them all into flight. They killed the temple-robber himself beside the treasury.

Greek–English Saints Priority

A trial concerning these matters was brought against Menelaus.

Greek–English Saints Priority

When the king arrived in Tyre, three men sent by the council of elders presented their case before him.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Menelaus, already losing, promised a large sum of money to Ptolemy son of Dorymenes to persuade the king.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Ptolemy therefore took the king aside into a colonnade, as though for refreshment, and changed his mind.

Greek–English Saints Priority

The king acquitted Menelaus, the cause of the entire evil, of the charges, but condemned to death the unfortunate men who would have been released uncondemned even if they had pleaded before Scythians.

Greek–English Saints Priority

Those who had spoken for the city, the communities and the sacred vessels quickly suffered the unjust penalty.

Greek–English Saints Priority

For this reason even the Tyrians, hating the wickedness, generously provided for their burial.

Greek–English Saints Priority

But through the greed of those in power, Menelaus remained in office, growing in wickedness and becoming a great conspirator against his fellow citizens.