16
It was heartbreaking to see the High Priest. His face turned pale, revealing the agony of his soul,
17
and his body was trembling with fear, reflecting the pain in his heart.
18
People ran from their houses to join together in prayer that the Temple might not be defiled.
19
Women, wearing nothing but skirts of sackcloth, crowded the streets. Young girls whose parents had never allowed them to be seen in public ran to the gates or to the walls of the city, or just stared out of their windows.
20
But wherever they went, they lifted their hands to God in prayer.
21
What a pitiful sight it was to see the High Priest in such great agony and frustration and to see everyone in the city confused and lying face down on the ground.
22
While everyone was begging the Lord Almighty to protect the money that had been entrusted to his care,
23
Heliodorus went on with his plan.
24
But at the very moment that he and his bodyguards arrived at the treasury, the Lord of all supernatural powers caused such a vision to appear that everyone who had dared to enter with Heliodorus was panic-stricken and weak with fear at this display of the Lord's power.
25
In the vision they saw a horse and a rider. The horse had a richly decorated bridle, and its rider, dressed in gold armor, was frightening. Suddenly the horse rushed at Heliodorus, then reared up and struck at him with its hoofs.
26
Heliodorus also saw two unusually strong and handsome young men, wearing very fine clothes. They stood on either side of him and beat him unmercifully.