²⁹ Then at the predestined time he will once again turn his armies southward, as he had threatened, but now it will be a very different story from those first two occasions. ^30-31 For Roman warships^[a] will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. Angered by having to retreat, the Syrian king will again pillage Jerusalem and pollute the sanctuary, putting a stop to the daily sacrifices, and worshiping idols inside the Temple. He will leave godless Jews in power when he leaves—men who have abandoned their fathers’ faith.