3 Maccabees 1:15-17

Common English Bible

¹⁵ “But even if for some reason this were true,” Philopator replied, “why should I, of all people, not enter, whether they are willing or not?”

The Jews’ reaction

¹⁶ But the priests fell to the ground, still in their sacred robes. They filled the temple with crying and tears, praying to the supreme God to help them and to change the mind of the one who was wrongly imposing himself. ¹⁷ Those who were left in the city were troubled and hurried out, thinking something mysterious was happening.