2 Maccabees 4:23-35

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

²³ Three years afterwards Jason sent Menelaus, brother of the aforesaid Simon, to carry money to the king, and to bring answers from him concerning certain necessary affairs.

²⁴ But he being recommended to the king, when he had magnified the appearance of his power, got the high priesthood for himself, by offering more than Jason by three hundred talents of silver.

²⁵ So having received the king's mandate, he returned bringing nothing worthy of the high priesthood: but having the mind of a cruel tyrant, and the rage of a savage beast.

²⁶ Then Jason, who had undermined his own brother, being himself undermined, was driven out a fugitive into the country of the Ammonites.

²⁷ So Menelaus got the principality: but as for the money he had promised to the king he took no care, when Sostratus the governor of the castle called for it.

²⁸ For to him appertained the gathering of the taxes: wherefore they were both called before the king.

²⁹ And Menelaus was removed from the priesthood, Lysimachus his brother succeeding: and Sostratus was made governor of the Cyprians.

³⁰ When these things were in doing, it fell out that they of Tharsus and Mallos raised a sedition, because they were given for a gift to Antiochis, the king's concubine.

³¹ The king therefore went in all haste to appease them, leaving Andronicus, one of his nobles, for his deputy.

³² Then Menelaus supposing that he had found a convenient time, having stolen certain vessels of gold out of the temple, gave them to Andronicus, and others he had sold at Tyre, and in the neighbouring cities.

³³ Which when Onias understood most certainly, he reproved him, keeping himself in a safe place at Antioch beside Daphne.

³⁴ Whereupon Menelaus coming to Andronicus, desired him to kill Onias. And he went to Onias, and gave him his right hand with an oath, and (though he were suspected by him) persuaded him to come forth out of the sanctuary, and immediately slew him, without any regard to justice.

³⁵ For which cause not only the Jews, but also the other nations, conceived indignation, and were much grieved for the unjust murder of so great a man.