1   At that time Antiochus returned out of Persis dishonourably.

2   For he had entered into the citie which is called ^notePersipolis, and he attempted to spoile the temple, and to oppresse the citie: but the multitude running together to armes, they were pnt to flight: and so it chanced that Antiochus after his flight returned with dishonour.

3   And when he was come about Ecbatana, he vnderstood the thinges that were done to Nicanor and Timothee.

4   And swelling in anger, he thought that he might wreake the iniurie of them, that had put him to flight, vpon the Iewes. And therfore he commanded his chariotte to be driuen, iorneing without intermission, the heauenlie iudgement vrging him forward, because he spoke so proudly, that he would come to Ierusalem, & make it an heape of the sepulcher of the Iewes.

5   But he that seeth al thinges our Lord the God of Israel, stroke him with an vncurable and inuisible plague. For as he ended this verie speach, a cruel plague of the bowels tooke him, and bitter torments of the inner parts:

6   and in dede very iustly, as who had tormented the bowels of others with manie and new torments, albeit he by no meanes ceased from his malice.

7   And beside this replenished with pride, breathing fire in his minde against the Iewes, and commanding the matter to be hastened, it chanced him going with violence to fal from the chariot, and his limmes to be vexed with a greeuous bruising of the bodie.

8   And he that seemed to himself to rule euen ouer the waues of the sea, replenished with pride aboue the measure of man, and to weye the heights of mountaines in a balance, now being humbled to the ground was caried in a portatiue seate, testifying the manifest power of God in himself:

9   so that out of the bodie of the impious

man, wormes crawled abundantly, and his liue flesh fel of for paynes, with his smel also & stinke the armie was anoyed.

10   And he that a litle before thought to touch the starres of heauen, him no man could carie for the intolerable stinke.

11   Hereby therfore he begane, being brought from his great pride, to come to the knowlege of him self, admonished by the plague of God, his paines increasing euerie moment.

12   And when neither himself now could abide his owne stinke, thus he sayd: It is reason to be subiect to God, & a mortal man not to thinke of himself equally with God.

13   And this wicked man prayed to our Lord, ^note of whom he was not to obteyne mercie.

14   And the citie to the which he came in hast to haue brought it to the ground, & to haue made it a sepulchre of bodies heaped together, now wisheth to make it free:

15   And the Iewes whom he sayd he would not vouchsafe worthie, no not of burial, but would geue them to birds & wilde beastes to be spoiled, & destroy them with the litle ones, now he promiseth to make them equal with the Athenians.

16   The holie temple also, which before he had spoiled, he would adorne with goodlie donaries, and would multiplie the holie vessels, and of his reuenewes would allow the charges perteyning to the sacrifices.

17   Besides these thinges, that he would be a Iew also, & would walke through euerie place of the earth, and would declare the power of God.

18   But the paines ceasing not (for the iust iudgement of God was come vpon him) despayring he wrote to the Iewes by the maner of a supplication an epistle conteyning these words:

19   To his very good svbiectes the Iewes the king & prince Antiochus, much health, & welfare, and to be happie.

20   If you and your children farewel, & if thinges be with you to your mind, we geue very great thankes.

21   And I being in infirmitie, and mindeful of you benignely, being returned out of the places of Persis, & taken with a grieuous infirmitie, haue thought it necessarie to haue a care for the common profite:

22   not despayring of myself, but hauing great hope to escape the sicknes.

23   But considering that my father also, at what times he led his armie in the higher places, he shewed who should take the princedome after him:

24   that if any mishappe should chance, or hard tydings be told, they that were in the countries, knowing to whom the whole gouernement was committed, might not be trubled.

25   Besides this, considering that al the potestates, and bordering neighboures

wayte for times, and expect the euent, I haue appointed my sonne Antiochus king, whom, I hauing recourse oftentimes to the higher kingdoms did commend to manie of you: & I haue writen to him that which is set downe here beneath.

26   I pray you therfore, and desire you mindful of the benefits both publike and priuate, that euerie one keepe his fidelitie to me, and to my sonne.

27   For I trust that he wil deale modestly & gently, and folowing my purpose, and that he wil be common vnto you.

28   Therfore ^note the murderer, and blasphemer being very sore strooken, and as himself had handled others, in a strange countrie among the mountaynes, with a miserable death departed this life.

29   But Philip his foster brother remoued his bodie: who fearing the sonne of Antiochus, went to Ptolomee Philometor into Ægypt. ^note

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