3 Maccabees 5:36-51

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

³⁶ The king, however, reconvened the banquet in the same manner and urged the guests to return to their celebrating.^{(A) 37} After summoning Hermon he said in a threatening tone, “How many times, you wretched man, must I give you orders about these things? ³⁸ Equip^[a] the elephants now once more for the destruction of the Jews tomorrow!” ³⁹ But the Kinsmen who were at table with him, wondering at his instability of mind, remonstrated as follows: ⁴⁰ “O king, how long will you put us to the test, as though we are idiots, ordering now for a third time that they be destroyed and again revoking your decree in the matter?^{[b] 41} As a result the city is in a tumult because of its expectation; it is crowded with mobs of people and also in constant danger of being plundered.”^(B)

⁴² At this the king, a Phalaris in everything and filled with madness, took no account of the changes of mind that had come about within him for the protection of the Jews, and he firmly swore an irrevocable oath that he would send them to Hades without delay, mangled by the knees and feet of the animals, ⁴³ and would also march against Judea and rapidly level it to the ground with fire and spear, and by burning to the ground the temple inaccessible to him^[c] would quickly render it forever empty of those who offered sacrifices there.^{(C) 44} Then the Friends and Kinsmen departed with great joy, and they confidently posted the armed forces at the places in the city most favorable for keeping guard.

⁴⁵ Now when the animals had been brought virtually to a state of madness, so to speak, by the very fragrant draughts of wine mixed with frankincense and had been equipped with frightful devices, the elephant keeper^{(D) 46} entered the court around dawn—the city now being filled with countless masses of people crowding their way into the hippodrome—and urged the king on to the matter at hand. ⁴⁷ So he, when he had filled his impious mind with a deep rage, rushed out in full force along with the animals, wishing to witness, with invulnerable heart and with his own eyes, the grievous and pitiful destruction of the aforementioned people.

⁴⁸ When the Jews saw the dust raised by the elephants going out at the gate and by the following armed forces, as well as by the trampling of the crowd, and heard the loud and tumultuous noise, ⁴⁹ they thought that this was their last moment of life, the end of their most miserable suspense, and giving way to lamentation and groans they kissed each other, embracing relatives and falling into one another’s arms^[d]—parents and children, mothers and daughters, and others with babies at their breasts who were drawing their last milk. ⁵⁰ Nevertheless, when they considered the help that they had received before from heaven, they prostrated themselves with one accord on the ground, removing the babies from their breasts, ⁵¹ and cried out in a very loud voice, imploring the Ruler over every power to manifest himself and be merciful to them, as they stood now at the gates of Hades.