6
Having vanquished this attempt, the king then decided to proceed to the neighbouring cities, and encourage them.
7
By doing this, and by making donations to their temples, he inspired his subjects with confidence.
8
The Jews sent some of their council and of their elders to him. The greetings, guest-gifts, and congratulations of the past, bestowed by them, filled him with the greater eagerness to visit their city.
9
Having arrived at Jerusalem, sacrificed, and offered thank-offerings to the Greatest God, and done whatever else was suitable to the sanctity of the place, and entered the inner court,
10
he was so struck with the magnificence of the place, and so wondered at the orderly arrangements of the temple, that he considered entering the sanctuary itself.
11
And when they told him that this was not permissible, none of the nation, no, nor even the priests in general, but only the supreme high priest of all, and he only once in a year, being allowed to go in, he would by no means give way.
12
Then they read the law to him; but he persisted in obtruding himself, exclaiming, that he ought to be allowed: and saying Be it that they were deprived of this honour, I ought not to be.
13
And he put the question, Why, when he entered all the temples, none of the priests who were present forbad him?
14
He was thoroughly answered by some one, That he did wrong to boast of this.
15
Well; since I have done this, said he, be the cause what it may, shall I not enter with or without your consent?
16
And when the priests fell down in their sacred vestments imploring the Greatest God to come and help in time of need, and to avert the violence of the fierce aggressor, and when they filled the temple with lamentations and tears,