3 Maccabees 2 — ASVBT
2Verse 1Now was it that the high priest Simon bowed his knees over against the holy place, and spread out his hands in reverent form, and uttered the following supplication:Verse 2O Lord, Lord, King of the heavens, and Ruler of the whole creation, Holy among the holy, sole Governor, Almighty, give ear to us who are oppressed by a wicked and profane one, who exulteth in his confidence and strength.Verse 3It is thou, the Creator of all, the Lord of the universe, who art a righteous Governor, and judgest all who act with pride and insolence.Verse 4It was thou who didst destroy the former workers of unrighteousness, among whom were the giants, who trusted in their strength and boldness, by covering them with a measureless flood.Verse 5It was thou who didst make the Sodomites, those workers of exceeding iniquity, men notorious for their vices, an example to after generations, when thou didst consume them with fire and brimstone.Verse 6Thou didst make known thy power when thou causedst the bold Pharaoh, the enslaver of thy people, to pass through the ordeal of many and diverse inflictions.Verse 7And thou rolledst the depths of the sea over him, when he made pursuit with chariots, and with a multitude of followers, and gavest a safe passage to those who put their trust in thee, the Lord of the whole creation.Verse 8These saw and felt the works of thy hands, and praised thee the Almighty.Verse 9Thou, O King, when thou createdst the illimitable and measureless earth, didst choose out this city: thou didst make this place sacred to thy name, albeit thou needest nothing: thou didst glorify it with thine illustrious presence, after constructing it to the glory of thy great and honorable name.Verse 10And thou didst promise, out of love to the house of Israel, that should we fall away from thee, and become afflicted, and then come to this house and pray, thou wouldest hear our prayer.Verse 11Verily thou art faithful and true.Verse 12And whereas thou didst often aid our fathers when hard pressed, and in low estate, and deliveredst them out of great dangers,Verse 13see now, holy King, how through our many and great sins we are borne down, and made subject to our enemies, and are become weak and powerless.Verse 14We being in this low condition, this bold and profane man seeketh to dishonor this thy holy place, consecrated out of the earth to the name of thy Majesty.Verse 15Thy dwelling place, the heaven of heavens, is indeed unapproachable to men.Verse 16But since it seemed good to thee to exhibit thy glory among thy people Israel, thou didst sanctify this place.Verse 17Punish us not by means of the uncleanness of their men, nor chastise us by means of their profanity; lest the lawless ones should boast in their rage, and exult in exuberant pride of speech, and say,Verse 18We have trampled upon the holy house, as idolatrous houses are trampled upon.Verse 19Blot out our iniquities, and do away with our errors, and show forth thy compassion in this hour.Verse 20Let thy mercies quickly go before us. Grant us peace, that the cast down and brokenhearted may praise thee with their mouth.Verse 21At that time God, who seeth all things, who is beyond all Holy among the holy, heard that prayer, so suitable; and scourged the man greatly uplifted with scorn and insolence.Verse 22Shaking him to and fro as a reed is shaken with the wind, he cast him upon the pavement, powerless, with limbs paralyzed; by a righteous judgment deprived of the faculty of speech.Verse 23His friends and bodyguards, beholding the swift recompense which had suddenly overtaken him, struck with exceeding terror, and fearing that he would die, speedily removed him.Verse 24When in course of time he had come to himself, this severe check caused no repentance within him, but he departed with bitter threatenings.Verse 25He proceeded to Egypt, grew worse in wickedness through his before mentioned companions in wine, who were lost to all goodness;Verse 26and not satisfied with countless acts of impiety, his audacity so increased that he raised evil reports there, and many of his friends, watching his purpose attentively, joined in furthering his will.Verse 27His purpose was to inflict a public stigma upon our race; wherefore he erected a pillar at the tower porch, and caused the following inscription to be engraven upon it:Verse 28That entrance to their own temple was to be refused to all those who would not sacrifice; that all the Jews were to be registered among the common people; that those who resisted were to be forcibly seized and put to death;Verse 29that those who were thus registered, were to be marked on their persons by the ivy-leaf symbol of Bacchus, and to be set apart with these limited rights.Verse 30To do away with the appearance of hating them all, he had it written underneath, that if any of them should elect to enter the community of those initiated in the rites, these should have equal rights with the Alexandrians.Verse 31Some of those who were over the city, therefore, abhorring any approach to the city of piety, unhesitatingly gave in to the king, and expected to derive some great honor from a future connection with him.Verse 32A nobler spirit, however, prompted the majority to cling to their religious observances, and by paying money that they might live unmolested, these sought to escape the registration:Verse 33cheerfully looking forward to future aid, they abhorred their own apostates, considering them to be national foes, and debarring them from the common usages of social intercourse.