3 Maccabees 6:16-21

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised

Two Angels Rescue the Jews

¹⁶ Just as Eleazar was ending his prayer, the king arrived at the hippodrome with the animals and all the arrogance of his forces. ¹⁷ And when the Jews observed this they raised great cries to heaven so that even the nearby valleys resounded with them and brought an uncontrollable terror upon the army. ¹⁸ Then the most glorious, almighty, and true God revealed his holy face and opened the heavenly gates, from which two glorious angels of fearful aspect descended, visible to all but the Jews. ¹⁹ They opposed the forces of the enemy and filled them with confusion and terror, binding them with immovable shackles. ²⁰ Even the king began to shudder bodily, and he forgot his sullen insolence. ²¹ The animals turned back upon the armed forces following them and began trampling and destroying them.