1 Maccabees 6:1–63

¹ King Antiochus was traveling through the upper countries; and he heard that in Elymais in Persia there was a city renowned for riches, for silver and gold, (WEB) ² and that the temple which was in it was exceedingly rich, and that in it were golden shields, breastplates, and weapons which Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian king, who reigned first among the Greeks, left behind there. (WEB) ³ So he came and tried to take the city and to pillage it; and he was not able, because his plan was known to them of the city, (WEB) ⁴ and they rose up against him in battle. He fled and returned to Babylon with great disappointment. (WEB) ⁵ Then someone came into Persia bringing him news that the armies which went against the land of Judah had been put to flight, (WEB) ⁶ and that Lysias went first with a strong army and was put to shame before them, and that they had grown strong because of weapons, power, and a supply of plunder which they took from the armies that they had cut off, (WEB) ⁷ and that they had pulled down the abomination which he had built upon the altar that was in Jerusalem, and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls, as before, and also Bethsura, his city. (WEB) ⁸ It came to pass, when the king heard these words, he was astonished and moved exceedingly. He laid himself down on his bed, and fell sick for grief, because it had not turned out for him as he had planned. (WEB) ⁹ He was there many days, because great grief continually gripped him, and he realized that he would die. (WEB) ¹⁰ He called for all his friends, and said to them, “Sleep departs from my eyes, and my heart fails because of worry. (WEB) ¹¹ I said in my heart, ‘To what suffering I have come! How great a flood it is that I’m in, now! For I was gracious and loved in my power.’ (WEB) ¹² But now I remember the evils which I did at Jerusalem, and that I took all the vessels of silver and gold that were in it, and sent out to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without a cause. (WEB) ¹³ I perceive that it is because of this that these evils have come upon me. Behold, I am perishing through great grief in a strange land.” (WEB) ¹⁴ Then he called for Philip, one of his friends, and set him over all his kingdom. (WEB) ¹⁵ He gave him his crown, his robe, and his signet ring, so that he could guide Antiochus his son, and nourish him up that he might be king. (WEB) ¹⁶ Then King Antiochus died there in the one hundred forty-ninth year. (WEB) ¹⁷ When Lysias learned that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus his son to reign, whom he had nourished up being young, and he called his name Eupator. (WEB) ¹⁸ Those who were in the citadel kept hemming Israel in around the sanctuary, and always sought to harm them and to strengthen the Gentile… (WEB)