16
Now, at the time that Eleazar had ended his prayer, the king came along to the hippodrome, with the wild beasts, and with his tumultuous power.
17
When the Jews saw this, they uttered a loud cry to heaven, so that the adjacent valleys resounded, and caused an irrepressible lamentation throughout the army.
18
Then the all-glorious, all-powerful, and true God, displayed his holy countenance, and opened the gates of heaven, from which two angels, dreadful of form, came down and were visible to all but the Jews.
19
And they stood opposite, and filled the enemies' host with confusion and cowardice; and bound them with immoveable fetters.
20
And a cold shudder came over the person of the king, and oblivion paralysed the vehemence of his spirit.
21
They turned back the animals upon the armed forces which followed them; and the animals trod them down, and destroyed them.
22
The king's wrath was converted into compassion; and he wept at his own machinations.
23
For when he heard the cry, and saw them all on the verge of destruction, with tears he angrily threatened his friends, saying,
24
Ye have governed badly; and have exceeded tyrants in cruelty; and me your benefactor ye have laboured to deprive at once of my dominion and my life, by secretly devising measures injurious to the kingdom.
25
Who has gathered here, unreasonably removing each from his home, those who, in fidelity to us, had held the fortresses of the country?
26
Who has thus consigned to unmerited punishments those who in good will towards us from the beginning have in all things surpassed all nations, and who often have engaged in the most dangerous undertakings?