A   Whattyme as the holy cytie was inhabited in al peace, ∧ wealth and when the lawes were yet verye well kepte. (For so was ordeyned by Onyas the hye prest ∧ other godly men, that were enemyes to wickednesse) It came therto, þt; eu&ebar; the kinges and princes th&ebar; selues did the place great worship, ^note ∧ garnished the temple wyth great gyftes: In so much þt; Selecus kynge of Asia of his owne rentes bare al the costes belonging to the seruyce of the offringes. Th&ebar; Simon of the trybe of Ben Iamin, ^note a ruler of the temple, laboured to worke some myschyefe in the citye: but the hye prest resysted him.

^noteNeuerthelesse when he myghte not ouerc&obar;me Onias, he gat him to Appolonius the sonne of Thersa (whych then was chefe lord in Celosyria and Phenices? ∧ told hym, that the treasury in Ierusalem was ful of in innumerable money, and how that the common goodes (which belonged not vnto the offinges) were exceadynge great also: yea ∧ howe it were possyble, that all these myghte come vnder the kynges power.

B   Now when Appolonyus had shewed the kynge of the moneye, as it was tolde hym: the kinge called for Heliodorius his steward, ∧ sente him with a c&obar;maundement, to bringe him þe; same money. Immediatly Heliodorus toke hys iourneye, but vnder a coloure, as though he wolde go thorow Celosyria ∧ Phenices to visit the cyties, but his purpose was to fulfyll the kynges pleasure. So when he came to Ierusalem, ∧ was louynglye receaued of the hye priest into þe; cytie: he told what was determined concerning the money, and shewed the cause of his c&obar;myng: he asked also, if it were so in dede. Then þe; hie prest told him, that there was such money layed vp for the vpholdyng of weddowes and fatherlesse chyldren, ∧ howe that a certayne of it belonged vnto Hyrcanus Tobias a noble man: ∧ that of all the moneye (whyche that wycked Symon had bewrayed) there were, iiij. hundreth talentes of syluer, and .ij. hundreth of golde: yea ∧ that it were vnpossyble for those mens meanynge to be dysceaued, þt; had layd vp their mony in the place and t&ebar;ple (whych is had in worshipe thorow the whole world) for the maynetenaunce and honoure of the same. C   Wherunto Heliodorvs answered, that the kynge had c&obar;manded hym in anye wyse, to bringe him in the moneye.

So that the daye appoynted, Heliodorus entred into the temple to order thys matter. But there was no smal feare thorowout the whole cytye. The Prestes fell downe before the aulter in their vestymentes, and called vnto heauen vpon hym, whyche had made a lawe concernynge stuffe geuen to kepe, ^note that they shoulde be safely preserued, for suche as commyte them vnto kepynge. Then who so had loked them vnto kepynge. Then who so had loked the hye prest in the face, it woulde haue greued his herte: For his countenance and the chaunginge of his coloure, declared the inwarde sorowe of hys minde. The man was all in heuynesse, and hys body in feare: wherby they that loked vp&obar; him, myght perceaue the griefe of hys herte. The other people also came oute of their houses by heapes vnto the com&obar; praier, because the place was lyke to come into c&obar;fusion. The wem&ebar; came together thorow the stretes, wyth heary clothes about their brestes.

D   The virgins also that were kepte, in r&abar;ne to Onias, some to þe; walles, other some loked out of the wyndowes: yea they all helde vp their handes towarde heau&ebar;, and prayed. A myserable thynge was it, to loke vpon the comen people, ∧ the hye prest, beyng in suche trouble. But they besought almyghtye God that the goodes which were committed vnto them, myghte be kepte whole, for those that had delyuered them vnto their kepynge. Neuertheles the thynge that Helidorus was determyned to do: that perfourmed he in the same place, he hym selfe personallye beynge aboute the treasury wyth his men of warre. But þe; spirit of almighty God shewed hym self op&ebar;ly, so that al they whiche presumed to obeye Heliodorus, fell thorow the power of God into a greate fearfulnesse ∧ drede. For there apeared vnto th&ebar; an horse wyth a terrible man sittinge vpon hym, decke in goodlye araye, ^note and the horsse smote at Heliodorus wyth his fore fete. Now he that sat vpon the horsse, had harnesse of golde vpon him.

Moreouer, there appeared .ij. fayre ∧ beutyfull yong men in goodly aray, which stode by hym, scourged hym of both the sides and gaue hym manye strypes without ceassynge

^noteWith that fell Heliodorus sodenly vnto the grounde. E   So they toke him vp (beynge compassed aboute with greate darcknesse (∧ bare hym out vpon a beare. Thus he that came wyth so many runners and men of warre into the sayde treasury was borne oute, where as no man myght helpe him: ∧ so the power of God was manyfest and knowne. He laye still domme also by the power of God, destitute of all hope and lyfe. And they praysed þe; Lord, that he had shewed his power vp&obar; his place and t&ebar;ple, which a lytle afore was full of feare ∧ trouble: and that thorow the reuelacyon of the almyghtye Lorde it was filled with ioy and gladnesse.

Then certayne of Heliodorus fr&ebar;des praied Onias, that in all hast he woulde cal vp&obar; God, to gr&ubar;te him his lyfe, which was geuynge vp the goost, So the hye preste consydered the matter, and lest the king shulde suspecte that the Iewes had done Helyodorus some euell: he offred an health offerynge for him. Now when the hye Prest had optemed his peticion, the same yonge men in the same clothynge appeared, ∧ stode besyde Heliodorus, saiynge: Thanke Onias the hye prieste, for hys sake hath the Lord graunted the thy lyfe: therfore seinge þt; God hath scourged the geue hym prayse ∧ thanckes, ^note ∧ shewe euery m&abar; his might ∧ power. F   And when they had spoken these wordes they appeared nomore.

So Heliodorus offered vnto God, made greate vowes vnto him, whych had granted him his life, thanked Onias, toke his hooste ∧ wente agayne to the kynge. Then testified he vnto euery man of the greate worckes of god, þt; he had sene wyth his eyes. And when the kynge asked Heliodorus who were mete to be sent yet once agayne to Ierusalem, he sayde: if thou hast any enemye or aduersarye vnto thy realme, sende him thither, and thou shall haue hym punyshed, if he escape wyth his lyfe: for in that place (no doute) there is a specyal power ∧ worcking of God. For he þt; dwelleth in heau&ebar;, vysyteth ∧ defendeth that place: and al that come to do it harme, he punysheth ∧ plageth th&ebar;. This is now the matter concernyng Heliodorus, ∧ the kepynge of the treasury at Ierusalem.

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