1. Then he called Hermon, who had charge of the elephants. Full of rage, altogether fixed in his furious design,
2. he commanded him, with a quantity of unmixed wine and handfuls of incense infused to drug the elephants early on the following day. These five hundred elephants were, when infuriated by the copious draughts of frankincense, to be led up to the execution of death upon the Jews.
3. The king, after issuing these orders, went to his feasting, and gathered together all those of his friends and of the army who hated the Jews the most.
4. The master of the elephants, Hermon, fulfilled his commission punctually.
5. The underlings appointed for the purpose went out about eventide and bound the hands of the miserable victims, and took other precautions for their security at night, thinking that the whole race would perish together.
6. The heathen believed the Jews to be destitute of all protection; for chains fettered them about.
7. they invoked the Almighty Lord, and ceaselessly implored with tears their merciful God and Father, Ruler of all, Lord of every power,
8. to overthrow the evil purpose which was gone out against them, and to deliver them by extraordinary manifestation from that death which was in store for them.
9. Their litany so earnest went up to heaven.
10. Then Hermon, who had filled his merciless elephants with copious draughts of mingled wine and frankincense, came early to the palace to certify the kind thereof.
11. He, however, who has sent his good creature sleep from all time by night or by day thus gratifying whom he wills, diffused a portion thereof now upon the king.
12. By this sweet and profound influence of the Lord he was held fast, and thus his unjust purpose was quite frustrated, and his unflinching resolve greatly falsified.
13. But the Jews, having escaped the hour which had been fixed, praised their holy God, and again prayed him who is easily reconciled to display the power of his powerful hand to the overweening Gentiles.
14. The middle of the tenth hour had well near arrived, when the master-bidder, seeing the guests who were bidden collected, came and shook the king.
15. He gained his attention with difficulty, and hinting that the mealtime was getting past, talked the matter over with him.
16. The king listened to this, and then turning aside to his potations, commanded the guests to sit down before him.