2 Maccabees 9

New Catholic Bible

Chapter 9

Antiochus Epiphanes Meets a Wretched End.^{[a] 1} About that time it so happened that Antiochus was leading an ignominious retreat from the region of Persia. ² He had entered the city called Persepolis and attempted to plunder the temple and gain control of the city. However, the people immediately rose up in armed defense and repulsed Antiochus and his men, with the result that Antiochus was put to flight by the inhabitants and forced into a humiliating retreat. ³ On his arrival in Ecbatana, he learned what had happened to Nicanor and to the forces of Timothy. ⁴ Bursting with anger, he devised a plan to make the Jews suffer for the injury inflicted by those who had put him to flight. Therefore, he ordered his charioteer to drive without stopping until he completed his journey.

However, the judgment of Heaven rode with him, since in his arrogance he declared, “Once I arrive in Jerusalem, I will turn it into a mass graveyard for Jews.” ⁵ And so the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him with an unseen but incurable blow. Hardly had he spoken those words when he was seized with excruciating pains in his bowels and acute internal torment— ⁶ an entirely suitable punishment for one who had inflicted many barbarous torments on the bowels of others. ⁷ Nevertheless, he did not in the least diminish his insolent behavior. More arrogant than ever and breathing fire in his rage against the Jews, he gave orders to drive even faster. As a result, he was hurled from the lurching chariot, and the fall was so violent that every part of his body was racked with pain.

⁸ Thus he who only a short time before had in his superhuman arrogance believed that he could command the waves of the sea, and who imagined that he could weigh high mountains on a scale, was thrown down to the ground and had to be carried in a litter, clearly manifesting to all the power of God. ⁹ The body of this ungodly man swarmed with worms, and while he was still alive suffering agonizing torments, his flesh rotted away, so that the entire army was sickened by the stench of his decay. ¹⁰ Only a short time before, he had thought that he could touch the stars of heaven. Now no one could even bring himself to transport the man because of his intolerable stench.

¹¹ Ultimately, broken in spirit, he began to lose his excessive arrogance and to come to his senses under the scourge of God, for he was racked with incessant pain. ¹² When he no longer could endure his own stench, he exclaimed: “It is right to be subject to God. Mere mortals should never believe that they are equal to God.” ¹³ Then this vile wretch made a vow to the Lord, who would no longer have mercy on him, ¹⁴ that he would publicly declare to be free the holy city toward which he had been hurrying to level it to the ground and transform it into a mass graveyard; ¹⁵ that the Jews, whom he had not deemed to be worthy of burial but fit only to be thrown out with their children and eaten by wild animals and birds, would all be granted equality with the citizens of Athens;^{[b] 16} that the holy temple that he had previously plundered, he would now adorn with the finest offerings, replace all the sacred vessels many times over, and provide from his own revenues the expenses incurred for the sacrifices. ¹⁷ In addition to all this, he would become a Jew himself and would visit every inhabited place to proclaim the glory of God.

¹⁸ However, when his sufferings did not abate in any way, inasmuch as the judgment of God had already justly befallen him, he lost all hope for himself and wrote to the Jews the following letter, in the form of a supplication. This was its content:

^19 [c]“To his worthy Jewish citizens Antiochus, their king and general, sends warm greetings and good wishes for their health and prosperity. ²⁰ If you and your children are well and your affairs are prospering as you wish, I am delighted. As my hopes are directed toward heaven, ²¹ I cherish affectionate memories of your esteem and goodwill toward me. On my way back from the region of Persia I was afflicted with a distressing illness, and therefore I have thought it necessary to make provisions for the general welfare of all. ²² Actually I do not despair about my health, for I am confident that I will completely recover from my illness. ²³ However, I recall that whenever my father made expeditions into the upper provinces, he would designate his successor, ²⁴ so that if anything unforeseen should happen or some troublesome rumor should begin to circulate, the people throughout the realm would not be troubled, for they would know to whom the government had been entrusted. ²⁵ Moreover, I am fully aware that the neighboring rulers, particularly those situated on the frontiers of our kingdom, are ever on the watch for opportunities and waiting to see what will develop.

“Therefore, I have designated as king my son Antiochus, whom I have often before entrusted and commended to most of you when I made hurried trips to the upper provinces. I have sent to him a letter in regard to this and enclose a transcript for you. ²⁶ I therefore urge and entreat each of you to remember the public and private services I have rendered to you and to continue to manifest goodwill toward me and my son. ²⁷ I am confident that my son will follow my policy of benevolence and kindness in his relations with you.”

²⁸ And so this murderer and blasphemer, after enduring agonizing sufferings to match those he had inflicted on others, died a wretched death in the mountains of a foreign land. ²⁹ His close friend Philip^[d] brought back the body. Then, fearing the son of Antiochus, he withdrew into Egypt, to the court of Ptolemy Philometor.