Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
To look up a word in a dictionary, select the word with your mouse and press 'd' on your keyboard.
The Lord Punishes Antiochus
(1 Maccabees 6.1–7; 2 Maccabees 1.11–17)
1 About this time Antiochus was
retreating in disorder from Persia,
2 where he had entered the city
of Persepolis and had attempted to
rob a temple and take control of the
city. The people took up arms and
attacked Antiochus, forcing his
army to retreat in disgrace.
3 When
he reached Ecbatana, he was told
what had happened to the forces of
Nicanor and Timothy.
4 He became
furious and decided to make the
Jews pay for the defeat he had suffered.
So he ordered his chariot
driver not to stop until they reached
Jerusalem. With great arrogance he
said, “I will turn Jerusalem into a
graveyard full of Jews.”
4 But he did not know that he was
heading straight for God's judgment.
5 In fact, as soon as he had
said these words, the all-seeing
Lord, the God of Israel, struck him
down with an invisible but fatal
blow. He was seized with sharp intestinal
pains for which there was no
relief—
6 a fitting punishment for the
man who had tortured others in so
many terrible ways!
7 But this in no
way caused him to give up his pride.
Instead he became more arrogant
than ever, and breathing out fiery
threats against the Jews, he gave orders
to drive even faster. As a result
he fell out of his chariot with such a
thud that it made every bone in his
body ache.
8 His arrogant pride
made him think he had the superhuman
strength to make ocean
waves obey him and to weigh high
mountains on a pair of scales. But
suddenly he fell flat on the ground
and had to be carried off on a
stretcher, a clear sign to everyone of
God's power.
9 Even the eyes of this
godless man were crawling with
worms and he lived in terrible pain
and agony. The stink was so bad
that his entire army was sickened,
10 and no one was able to come close
enough to carry him around. Yet
only a short while before, he thought
he could take hold of the stars.
Antiochus Makes a Promise to God
(1 Maccabees 6.8–17)
11 Antiochus was deeply depressed
and suffered constant pain because
of the punishment that God had
brought on him, so he finally came
to his senses and gave up his arrogant
pride.
12 Then, when he could
no longer endure his own stink, he
said, “It is right that all mortals
should be subject to God and not
think that they are his equal.”
13 The
time of the Lord's mercy had come
to an end for Antiochus, but this
worthless man made the Lord a
promise:
14 “I once intended to level
Jerusalem to the ground and make
that holy city a graveyard full of
Jews,” he said, “but now I declare it
a free city.
15 I had planned to throw
out the dead bodies of the Jews and
their children for the wild animals
and the birds to eat, for I did not
-- --
consider them worth burying. But
now I intend to grant them the same
privileges as the citizens of Athens
enjoy.
16 I once looted the Temple
and took its sacred utensils, but I
will fill it with splendid gifts and
with better utensils than before, and
I will pay the cost of the sacrifices
from my own resources.
17 Besides
all this, I will become a Jew myself
and go wherever people live, telling
them of God's power.”
Antiochus' Letter to the Jews
18 Antiochus was in despair and
could find no relief from his pain, because
God was punishing him as he
deserved, so he wrote the following
letter to the Jews:
19 “King Antiochus to the
Jews, my most distinguished
subjects. Warm greetings and
best wishes for your health and
prosperity.
20 “I hope that you and your
families are in good health and
that all goes well with you. My
hope is in God,
21 and I remember
with a deep sense of joy the
respect and kindness that you
have shown me.
21 “On my way home from Persia
I fell violently ill, and so I
thought it best to begin making
plans for the general welfare of
the people.
22 I have not given up
hopes of getting well; in fact I
am fully confident that I will recover.
23 But I recall that my father
used to appoint a successor
whenever he went on a military
campaign east of the Euphrates.
24 He did this so that if something
unexpected happened, or
if some bad news came back,
then his subjects would not be
afraid, for they knew who had
been left in command.
25 Also, I
know how the rulers along the
frontiers of my kingdom are
constantly on the lookout for
any opportunity that may come
along. That is why I have appointed
my son Antiochus to
succeed me as king. I have frequently
entrusted him to your
care and recommended him to
you when I went on my regular
visits to the provinces east of
the Euphrates. (He is receiving a
copy of the letter which follows.)
26 Now I strongly urge
each of you to keep in mind the
good things that I have done for
you, both individually and as a
nation, and to continue in your
good will toward me and my
son.
27 I am confident that he will
treat you with fairness and kindness,
just as I have always
done.”
28 And so, this murderer, who had
cursed God, suffered the same terrible
agonies he had brought on others,
and then died a miserable death
in the mountains of a foreign land.
29 One of his close friends, Philip,
took his body home; but, because he
was afraid of Antiochus' son, he
went on to King Ptolemy Philometor
of Egypt.
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
|