The Argument between Onias and Simon
1 When Onias was High Priest in Jerusalem, the holy city enjoyed peace and prosperity, and its laws were strictly obeyed, because he was devout and hated evil. 2 The kings of Syria and Egypt honored the Temple and presented it with expensive gifts, 3 and King Seleucus, ruler of all Asia, even used to pay the costs of the Temple sacrifices from the revenues he collected.
4 But a man by the name of Simon, of the tribe of Bilgah, the chief administrative official of the Temple, lost an argument he had with Onias over the regulations governing the city market. 5 At this time Apollonius son of Thraseus was the governor of Greater Syria. Simon went to him 6 and said that there was so much money in the Temple treasury that it could not be counted, and since the money was not needed for sacrifices, it might as well be placed under the king's control.
Heliodorus Is Sent to Jerusalem
7 When Apollonius met with the king, he told him about the money, and the king ordered Heliodorus, his chief minister, to get it for him. 8 Heliodorus set out at once on his mission, but he claimed that he was only making a tour of inspection of the cities of Greater Syria. 9 After he had arrived in Jerusalem and had been warmly received by the High Priest, he explained the real reason for his visit and asked if what he had been told was true. 10-11 The High Priest then stated that Simon, that devil of a man, had not been telling the truth. There was indeed some money in the Temple treasury, but part of it was set aside for widows and orphans and part of it belonged to Hyrcanus son of Tobias, a very important man. He also pointed out that the total amount was only 30,000 pounds of silver and 15,000 pounds of gold. 12 He added that it was absolutely impossible that anyone should be permitted to take the money of those people who had placed their trust in the sanctity and safety of this world-famous Temple.
Heliodorus Plans to Enter the Temple
13 But Heliodorus insisted that the money should be taken for the royal treasury, as the king had ordered. 14 So he set a day and went into the Temple to supervise the counting of the money. This caused an uproar throughout the entire city. 15 Priests, wearing their priestly robes, threw themselves face downward before the altar and begged God to keep the money safe, since he had given the laws designed to protect the money that people deposited in the Temple. 16 It was heartbreaking to see the High Priest. His face turned pale, revealing the agony of his soul, 17 and his body was trembling with fear, reflecting the pain in his heart. 18 People ran from their houses to join together in prayer that the Temple might not be defiled. 19 Women, wearing nothing but skirts of sackcloth, crowded the streets. Young girls whose parents had never allowed them to be seen in public ran to the gates or to the walls of the city, or just stared out of their windows. 20 But wherever they went, they lifted their hands to God in prayer. 21 What a pitiful sight it was to see the High Priest in such great agony and frustration and to see everyone in the city confused and lying face down on the ground.
The Lord Protects His Temple
22 While everyone was begging the Lord Almighty to protect the money that had been entrusted to his care, 23 Heliodorus went on with his plan. 24 But at the very moment that he and his bodyguards 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 armor, 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 bodyguards, but now he was being carried away helpless. So they all openly acknowledged the mighty power of God.
Onias Prays for Heliodorus' Recovery
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. 33 While Onias was offering the sacrifice, the two young men, wearing the same clothes as before, again appeared to Heliodorus and said, “Be grateful to the High Priest; the Lord has spared your life because of him. 34 Remember that it was the Lord of heaven who punished you. Now go and tell everyone of his great power.” When they had said this, they disappeared.
Heliodorus Praises God
35 So Heliodorus offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made many promises, because the Lord had spared his life. Then he said good-bye to Onias and returned with his army to the king. 36 There he told everyone what the Lord, the most powerful of all gods, had done.
37 When the king asked Heliodorus who would be the best man to send on the next mission to Jerusalem, Heliodorus replied, 38 “If you have an enemy or know of someone plotting against your government, send him. He will come back badly beaten, if he comes back at all, for some strange power from God is at work there. 39 The God of heaven watches over the Temple; he strikes down and destroys anyone who comes to harm it.” 40 That is the story of how the Temple treasury was protected from Heliodorus.
Oniab tsî Simonni hâkha ǁaegu hâ ǂnoagus
1 Oniab ǃNonaǁîb ge Jerusalems di ǀgapiprister i, ob ge ǂkhîb tsî ǃgâiǃgâb tsîna ǃanu ǃās ǃnâ ge hâ i, tsî ǁîb ge eloǃaoǃgâxa i tsî ǂkhababa ǃhuisa i xui-ao gu ge ǁîs di ǂhanuga ǁkhōse gere ǁnâuǀnamhe. 2 Siriab tsî Egipteb tsîkha di gao-aokha ge Tempela ge ǃgôa hâ i tsî ǁîba ǃgomǀgausa ǀkhaexūna ge ǀkhae 3 tsî gao-aob Seleukub Hakaǁîb, Filopator tis tsîna ge ǂansa ib, hoaraga Asiab di ǂgaeǂgui-ao ge ib ge Tempelǁguibade ǁgui-aimaris hîab ra hōǂgās ǀkha gere matare.
4 Xawe Simonni, Benjaminni ǃhaosa xu ge hâ ib, Tempeli di ǃkhōdana-aob ge ǂnoagu-i, ǃās di ǁamaguǃkhaib di ǂgaeǂuis xa gere ǃgû-e Oniab ǃoagu ge ǂoaǃnâ. 5 ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâb ge Apoloniub Tarsus diba ge Kai Siriab di ǂgaeǂgui-ao i tsîb ge Simonna ǁîb ǃoa ǃgû 6 tsî ǃgôaheǁoasa kai ǃgôab di mari-i ge Tempeli di ǁuiǂgaes ǃnâ hâ i tsî mari-i ge ǁguibadi ǃaroma ǂhâbasa tama hâ i, amaga i nē mari-e gao-aob di mûǂams ǃnaka māhe, ti ge mî.
Heliodorub ge Jerusalems ǃoa ra sîhe
7 Apoloniub ge gao-aob ǀkhab ge ǀhao, o nē mari-i xa ǁîba ge mîba, tsîb ge gao-aoba ǁîb di xūn di mûǂamaob Heliodoruba nē mari-eb nî sī ū ǃkhaisa ge mîmā. 8 Heliodorub ge ǁnātimîsi sîheb ge ǃaromas ai ge ǃgû, xaweb ge Kai Siriab ǃādeb nî kōǃgâ ga ǀguib garu ti khoena gere mîba. 9 Jerusalems ǃnâb ge sī, ob ge ǀgapipristeri xa ǁkhorexase ge ǃkhōǃoahe, tsîb ge ǁîba ǀgapipristera saris âb xa mîǃāba tsî mîbaheb gen a ama ǃkhaisa ge dî. 10-11 ǀGapipristeri ge Simonni amaba ǃhoa tama hâ ǃkhaisa ge mîǃā. Tempeli di ǁuiǂgaes ǃnâ i ge mari-e ge hâ i, xawe i ge ǀnî ǃâ-e ǃoataradi tsî ǃguniǀgôan tsîn ǃaroma ge ǂnûiǂuihe hâ i tsî nau ǃâ-i ge Tobiab ôab Hirkanub hîa ǀgapi ǃharosa ūhâb di. ǁKhātib ge ǀoasa ǃgôab ge disiǃnonaǀaǀoadisi kiloxramgu ǀhaiǀuri tsî ǃnaniǀoadisi tsî korokaidisi kiloxramgu ǃhuniǀuri i ǃkhais tsîna ge mîǃā. 12 Hoaragase īǁoa ǃkhais ge khoe-i nî nē khoen, hîa ge ǃanusib tsî ǃnorasasib ǃhūbaib hoaragab ǃnâ ǃgôahesa Tempeli ǃnâ ǂgomǃgâsa ūhâna xu nē mari-e ū ǃkhaisa nî mā-amsa.
13 Xaweb ge Heliodoruba gao-aob ge mîmā khami i nî nē mari-e gaosi ǁuiǂgaes ǃoa ūhe ǃkhaisa ge ǂgaoǀkhā. 14 ǁNā-amagab ge tsē-e ǂnûiǂui tsî nē mariǃgôasa nî mûǂamse Tempeli ǃnâ ge ǂgâ. Nē ǃkhais ge khâikhâisensa hoaraga ǃās ǃnâ ge ǃaroma. 15 Pristergu, pristersi ǂamsaraga ana hâgu ge ais ǂama altars ais ai ǁnāǁgoe tsî ǁîb ge khoen ge Tempeli ǃnâ ǁguiǂgā mari-i nî ǁkhaubahe ǃkhais di ǂhanuga mā xui-ao, Eloba ge ǀkhoma îb mari-e sâu. 16 Tita ge ǀgapipristera ta ge mû, o kaise ge tsûaǂgao. ǁÎb di ais di ǀhaib ge ǁîb ǀoms di tsâba gere ǁgauǂui 17 tsî ǁîb soros ge ǃaob xa ǀkhū, ǂgaob tsûba ra ǁgauǂuise. 18 Khoen ge omdi âna xu ǀgoren nîse ge ǃkhoeǁare, îb Tempela tā ǃanuoǃnâ kaihe. 19 Tarekhoedi ge ǀnî saran ose, ǀhaon ǀkha kuruhe hâ kamanarokhoede ana hâse ǃgāngu ǃnâ ge ǀhao. ǂKhamkhoedi tātsēs tsîna ǃauga di nî hâ ǃkhaisa ǁgûn xa ge mā-amhe tama hâ idi ge dao-amdi tamas ka io ǂnubiǂgoagu ǃoa gere ǃkhoe, tamas ka io mûǂuidaodi ǃnâ-u ǀgui gere ǂui. 20 ǁÎn ge ǃomgu âna ǀhōǂui tsî Elob ǃoa gere ǀgore. 21 Tarekōse i ge ǀkhomǀkhomsa i ǀgapipristera ǁnāti ī tsâb tsî ǁaib ǃnâ mûs tsî ǃās ǃnâ hâ-i hoa-e ǀgomaǂâi tsî ais ǂama ǃhūb ai ǁgoese mûsa.
ǃKhūb ge ǁîb di Tempela ra ǁkhauba
22 Khoen hoan ge mari-i ǁîb sâub ǃnân ge ǂgomǃgâ-i nî ǁkhaubahe ǃkhaisa ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab ai ǀkhoma, 23 xaweb ge Heliodoruba ǁîb ǀapes ǀkha ge aiǃgû. 24 Xawe ǁîb tsî ǁîb ǃûi-aob hâkha ge ǁuib tawa hā, ob ge ǃKhūb hoa ǀgaiba ūhâba ai-īsi-e ge ǂhai kai, tsî i ge ǁnāpa gere Heliodorub ǀkha ǂgâ ǂgao-i hoa-e, Elob di ǀgaib xa burugâ tsî ǃaob xa ge ǂkhabu. 25 Nē īsib ǃnân ge hā-i tsî ǃgapi-aob tsîna ge mû. Hātoms ge kaise îsase ge anisa i tsî ǃhuniǀuri torosaraba ge ana hâ i ǃgapi-aob ge khoena gere ǃao kai. ǀAses timîsib ge hāba Heliodorub ǃoa ǃkhoe, khaoǃūgu ai mâ tsî aiǁkhoradi ǀkha ǁîba ge ǁhā. 26 Heliodorub ge ǁkhāti ǀgam ǀgaisa tsî anusa ǂkham khoekha, îsase ge ana hâ ikha ge mû. ǁÎkha ge Heliodorub di hoaǀkhākha ai mâ tsî ǁîba ǀkhomoǃnâse ge ǂnau. 27 ǁÎb ge ǃnapetamase ǂnora rase ǃhūb ai ge ǁnā tsî gu ge ǁîb khoega tani-ūxūb ai ǁgui 28 tsî ge taniǂui bi. Nēs nî īs aiǃâb ge nē khoeba, ǂgui khoegu tsî ǁîb di ǃûi-aogu ǀkha ǁuib ommi ǃnâ ge ǂgâ hâ i, xaweb ge nēsi aitsama ge huisen ǁoa i. ǁÎgu hoagu ge Elob di ǀgaiba ge mûǂan.
Oniab ge Heliodorub di ǂurusiba ra ǀgoreba
29 Heliodorub ge Elob di ǀgaiba mû tsî ge hōǃâ, tsîb ge ǃhoa ǁoase tsî ǂurub nî ǃkhais di ǃâubasen-e ūhâ tamase ǁnāpa ge ǁgoe i. 30 Xawen ge Jodeǁîna, Hoaǀgaixa ǃKhūba buruxa ǀgaub aib ge Tempela ǁkhauba ǃkhais tsî kai ǃgâiaǂgaoba ǃnubu ǁaeb ǃnâ ǃaob tsî ǂâiǂhansens ge hâ i ǃkhaib ai hā-ū ǃkhais ǃaroma ge koa. 31 ǀNî ǀhōsan Heliodorub din ge ǃhaese ǀgapipristeri Oniaba, Hoan xa ǀGapib ǃoab nî ǀgore, îb nē khoeb, hîa ǁōǁga rase ǁgoeb di ûiba sâuhe ga ge ǂgan. 32 ǁNā-amagab ge ǀgapipristera Elob nî Heliodoruba sâu ǃkhais di ǃâubasens ǃnâ ǁguiba-e ge dī. ǁÎb ge gao-aob nî nē khoeb, ǁîb ge sîb ǀkhan ge Jodeǁîna nēti dī ti ǂâi ǃkhaisa ge ǂgao tama hâ i. 33 Oniab ra nē ǁguibasa dī hîa kha ge ǀgam ǂkham khoekha ǀnai kha ge ana hâ i saran ǀguin ǃnâ hā tsî Heliodoruba ge mîba: “ǀGapipristera gangan, ǃKhūb go ǁîb ǃaroma sa ûiba sâu xuige. 34 Elob ǀhommi dib go ǁkhara tsi ǃkhaisa ǂâis ǃnâ ūhâ. Nēsi ǃgû, î mâ-i hoa-e ǁîb di kai ǀgaib xa mîba.” Nēsa kha ge mîtoa, o kha ge ge bē.
Heliodorub ge Eloba ra koa
35 Heliodorub ge ǃKhūb ge ǁîb ûiba sâu xui-ao ǁguiba-e ǁguiba tsî ǂgui mîmâide ge dī. ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Oniaba tawedeǁnāxū tsî ǁîb toroǂnubis ǀkha gao-aob ǃoa ge oa. 36 ǁNāpab ge elon hoan xa ǀgaisa Elob ge tarena dī ǃkhaisa mâ khoe-i hoa-e ge mîba.
37 Gao-aob ge Heliodoruba, mâ khoebab nî ǁkhawa ga Jerusalems ǃoa hâ sîǂuis ǃnâ sî ǃkhaisa dî, ob ge Heliodoruba ge ǃeream: 38 “Khākhoe-ets ga ūhâ tamas ka iots ga sa ǂhanuba ra ǀapeǃgâ khoeba ǂan, o ǁîba sî. ǁÎb ge tsūse ǂnauhe hâse, hanab nî oahās kao, Elob di buruxa ǀgaib ǁnāpa ra sîsen xui-ao nî oahā. 39 ǀHommi di Elob ge Tempela ra ǃûi tsî ǁnā-i ǂkhôa nîse ra hā-e ǂnauǁgui tsî nî hîkākā.” 40 Nēs ge mâtib ge Tempeli di ǁuiba Heliodoruba xu sâuhe ǃkhais di ǂhôasa.
