7
Now when Apollonius came to the king and had informed him of the money whereof he had been told, the king chose out Heliodorus his treasurer, and sent him with a commandment to bring him the aforesaid money.
8
So forthwith Heliodorus took his journey, under the guise of visiting the cities of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, but indeed to fulfill the king's purpose.
9
And when he had come to Jerusalem, and had been courteously received by the high priest of the city, he told him what intelligence was given concerning the money, and declared why he came, and asked if these things were indeed so.
10
Then the high priest told him that there was such money laid up for the relief of widows and fatherless children;
11
and that some of it belonged to Hyrcanus, son of Tobias, a man of great dignity, and was not as that wicked Simon had misinformed, the sum of which in all was four hundred talents of silver and two hundred of gold;
12
and that it was altogether impossible that such wrongs should be done unto those who had committed it to the holiness of the place, and to the majesty and inviolable sanctity of the temple, honored over all the world.
13
But Heliodorus, because of the king's commandment given him, said that in any wise it must be brought into the king's treasury.
14
So on the day which he appointed, he entered in to deal with this matter, for which there was no small agony throughout the whole city.
15
But the priests, prostrating themselves before the altar in their priests' vestments, called unto heaven upon Him that made a law concerning things given to be kept, that they should safely be preserved for such as had committed them to be kept.
16
Then whoso had looked the high priest in the face, it would have wounded his heart; for his countenance and the changing of his color declared the inward agony of his mind.
17
For the man was so encompassed with fear and horror of body, that it was manifest to those who looked upon him what sorrow he had now in his heart.