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1Previously we told the story about Simon, who betrayed his country by informing about the money in the sanctuary. Then he blamed Onias for what had happened to Heliodorus, as if he had caused all the trouble.
2Simon even dared to accuse Onias of being a conspirator against the government, despite the fact that he was the benefactor of Jerusalem, the defender of his people, and a man zealous for the laws of Moses.
3When Simon’s hatred got to such a point that his followers even committed murders,
4Onias realized the danger of this rivalry. He also could see that Apollonius son of Menestheus, governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, was encouraging Simon in his hatred.
5So Onias appealed to the king, not to accuse any of his own people, but with their good in mind, both as individuals and as a nation.
6He saw that unless the king intervened, conditions would go from bad to worse because Simon would not stop his foolish actions.
7When Seleucus died and Antiochus Epiphanes became king, Onias’s brother Jason became the high priest by corrupt means.
8He went to the king, promising him thirteen and a half tons of silver immediately and another three tons from future revenue.[#4:8 Greek 360 talents [12.2 metric tons] of silver and other revenues of 80 talents [2.7 metric tons].]
9Besides this, he promised another five and a half tons of silver if the king would grant him a license to set up a school to promote Greek culture and a youth center and allow him to enroll people from Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch.[#4:9a Greek another 150 talents [5.1 metric tons].; #4:9b Greek a gymnasium; also in 4:12.]
10When the king approved this and Jason took office, he immediately began to force the Greek lifestyle on his people.
11Jason rescinded the freedoms that the kings had granted the Jews through the mediation of John, the father of Eupolemus. (Eupolemus later went to Rome as ambassador to make a treaty of peace and alliance.) Jason also prohibited the people from keeping the law of Moses and introduced customs that were contrary to God’s law.
12He went so far as to build a Greek school near the citadel, and he made the most outstanding young men wear hats that were usually worn by Greek students.
13Jason was extremely successful in his efforts to introduce foreign and pagan customs, for he was a man of incredible evil who lacked every virtue to be a true high priest.
14The priests were no longer concerned with the duties of the altar. Despising the Temple and neglecting the sacrifices, they hurried off to take part in the sinful athletic events whenever there was a call for the games to begin.[#4:14 Greek a call for discus-throwing.]
15Looking down on the values of their ancestors, they held Greek customs in the highest regard.
16But disaster overtook them in the end, and the very ones whose values they desired and whose lifestyles they imitated were to become their enemies and tormentors.
17For contempt for the laws of God does not go unpunished, a fact that time would prove.
18Now when the games that were held every four years took place at Tyre in the king’s presence,[#4:18 Or every five years.]
19the evil Jason sent Hellenized citizens from Jerusalem to carry three hundred silver coins for the sacrifice to Hercules. But even the envoys considered it inappropriate to use the money for the sacrifice and decided it should be used for something else.[#4:19a Greek Antiochian.; #4:19b Greek 300 silver drachmas.]
20So the money intended by Jason for the sacrifice to Hercules was contributed by the envoys for the construction of some ships.
21Apollonius son of Menestheus went to Egypt as an ambassador to attend the coronation of Ptolemy Philometor. Antiochus Epiphanes heard from Apollonius that Ptolemy was hostile toward him, so he took measures for the king’s security, going first to Joppa and then on to Jerusalem.
22In Jerusalem, Jason and the people received him in magnificent style, welcoming him with torchlights and shouts of praise. From there, Antiochus returned with his army to Phoenicia.
23Three years later Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the previously mentioned Simon, to carry money to the king and bring back the king’s decisions regarding certain important affairs.
24But when Menelaus met with the king, he exaggerated his own authority and obtained the high priesthood for himself by offering eleven and a half tons of silver more than Jason paid.[#4:24 Greek 300 talents [10.2 metric tons].]
25Having received the king’s authorization, Menelaus returned home, but he was not worthy to be high priest. He had the hot temper of a cruel tyrant and the rage of a savage beast.
26So Jason, who had undermined his own brother Onias, was undermined himself. He fled as a fugitive into the land of Ammon.
27Menelaus continued to hold the position of high priest, but he did not send the king any of the payments he had promised.
28He repeatedly ignored the requests for payment made by Sostratus, the commander of the citadel and the one in charge of collecting the king’s revenues. So both men were summoned by the king.
29Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus as deputy high priest, and Sostratus left Crates as commander of the troops from Cyprus.
30Meanwhile, a revolt broke out in Tarsus and Mallus because those areas had been given as a gift to Antiochis, the king’s concubine.
31The king went immediately to settle the problem, leaving Andronicus, one of his nobles, to act in his place.
32Menelaus saw an opportunity to strengthen his position, so he presented Andronicus with some gold vessels he had stolen from the Temple. He also sold some other vessels in Tyre and the surrounding towns.
33When Onias became aware of what Menelaus was doing, he publicly exposed him, but he did it from the safety of the temple of Daphne near Antioch.
34So Menelaus took Andronicus aside and urged him to kill Onias. Andronicus went to Onias and deceitfully offered him his right hand as a pledge that he would not kill him. Onias had some suspicions, but Andronicus persuaded him to leave the sanctuary. Then he immediately killed Onias without any regard to justice.
35Both the Jews and the other nations were angry and very saddened by the unjust murder.
36When King Antiochus Epiphanes returned from Cilicia, the Jews at Antioch went to him and complained about the unjust murder of Onias. The Greeks shared the Jews’ anger over this crime,
37and Antiochus was deeply saddened by the news of Onias’s death. He even shed tears, remembering the wisdom and noble character of the dead man.
38Inflamed with anger at the injustice, Antiochus commanded that Andronicus be stripped of his purple robe and be led naked through the city to the very place he had so shamelessly murdered Onias. There the wicked murderer was put to death. In this way the Lord repaid him with the punishment he deserved.
39In Jerusalem, Lysimachus, the deputy high priest, committed many sacrilegious acts, which were planned by Menelaus. Reports of his actions spread abroad, and the people turned against Lysimachus, who had already stolen many gold items from the Temple.
40Because the people were angry and ready to riot, Lysimachus armed about three thousand men and launched an unjust attack under the command of Auranus, a man as advanced in foolishness as he was in age.
41When the Jews saw what was happening, they attacked Lysimachus and his men with stones and blocks of wood. In wild confusion they threw ashes at the men to blind them.
42As a result, many of Lysimachus’s men were wounded, some were killed, and the rest fled for their lives. As for the Temple robber himself, he was killed outside the treasury.
43Charges about this affair were filed against Menelaus, the high priest.
44When the king came to Tyre, the Jewish high council sent three men to plead their cause.[#4:44 Greek the senate.]
45Menelaus, knowing he would be defeated, promised Ptolemy Macron son of Dorymenes a large bribe if he would persuade the king to favor him.
46So Ptolemy, as though to get a breath of fresh air, took the king aside in a colonnade and persuaded him to change his mind.
47Because of this, Menelaus, who was guilty of all this evil, was acquitted by the king, and those poor souls who had brought the charges were condemned to death. It was so obvious that the three men were right, however, that even barbarian Scythians would have acquitted them.
48So those who argued the cause for Jerusalem, for the Jewish people, and for the sacred vessels suffered unjust punishment.
49Even some people from Tyre were indignant over the deed and buried the three men with great ceremony.
50But Menelaus, through the greed of those in power, remained the high priest and grew even more wicked. He became the chief conspirator against his own people.