8. Thus he that seemed to himself to command even the waves of the sea, being proud above the condition of man, and to weigh the heights of the mountains in a balance, now being cast down to the ground, was carried in a litter, bearing witness to the manifest power of God in himself:
9. So that worms swarmed out of the body of this man, and whilst he lived in sorrow and pain, his flesh fell off, and the filthiness of his smell was noisome to the army.
10. And the man that thought a little to before he could reach the stars of heaven, no man could endure to carry, for the intolerable stench.
11. And by this means, being brought from his great pride, he began to come to the knowledge of himself, being admonished by the scourge of God, his pains increasing every moment
12. And when he himself could not now abide his own stench, he spoke thus: It is just to be subject to God, and that a mortal man should not equal himself to God.
13. Then this wicked man prayed to the Lord, of whom he was not like to obtain mercy.
14. And the city to which he was going in haste to lay it even with the ground, and to make it a, common buryingplace, he now desireth to make free.
15. And the Jews whom he said he would not account worthy to be so much as buried, but would give them up to be devoured by the birds and wild beasts, and would utterly destroy them with their children, he now promiseth to make equal with the Athenians.
16. The holy temple also which before he had spoiled, he promiseth to adorn with goodly gifts, and to multiply the holy vessels, and to allow out of his revenues the charges pertaining to the sacrifices.
17. Yea also, that he would become a Jew himself, and would go through every place of the earth, and declare the power of God.
18. But his pains not ceasing (for the just judgment of God was come upon him) despairing of life he wrote to the Jews in the manner of a supplication, a letter in these words:
19. To his very good subjects the Jews, Antiochus king and ruler wisheth much health and welfare, and happiness.
20. If you and your children are well, and if all matters go with you to your mind, we give very great thanks.
21. As for me, being infirm, but yet kindly remembering you, returning out of the places of Persia, and being taken with a grievous disease, I thought it necessary to take care for the common good:
22. Not distrusting my life, but having great hope to escape the sickness.