23. Heliodorus went on with his plan.
24. But at the very moment that he and his bodyguard arrived at the treasury, the Lord of all supernatural powers caused such a vision to appear that everyone who had dared to enter with Heliodorus was panic-stricken and weak with fear at this display of the Lord's power.
25. In the vision they saw a horse and a rider. The horse had a richly decorated bridle, and its rider, dressed in gold armour, was frightening. Suddenly the horse rushed at Heliodorus, then reared up and struck at him with its hoofs.
26. Heliodorus also saw two unusually strong and handsome young men, wearing very fine clothes. They stood on either side of him and beat him unmercifully.
27. He immediately fell to the ground unconscious, and his men put him on a stretcher
28. and carried him out. Only a moment earlier this man had entered the treasury with a large group of men, including all his bodyguard, but now he was being carried away helpless. So they all openly acknowledged the mighty power of God.
29. Heliodorus lay there unable to speak and without hope of recovery from this demonstration of God's power.
30. But the Jews praised Almighty God because he had miraculously protected his Temple and had brought great happiness where only minutes before there had been fear and confusion.
31. Some of Heliodorus' friends quickly asked Onias the High Priest to pray that the Most High would spare the life of this man who was at the point of death.
32. So the High Priest offered a sacrifice in the hope that God would save Heliodorus, for he did not want the king to think that the Jews had done this to the man he had sent.