2“Lord, Lord, King of the heavens and Master of all creation, Holy One among the holy, sole Ruler, Almighty, pay heed to us who are oppressed by an unholy and profane man, one puffed up with insolence and strength.
3For you are the one who created all things and rules over all; you are a righteous Sovereign, and you judge those who act with hubris and arrogance.
4You destroyed those who committed injustice in former times, among whom were giants confident in their strength and insolence, by bringing upon them immeasurable water.
5You burned down the Sodomites, who practiced arrogance and had become notorious for their vices, with fire and sulfur, making them an example for those who would come after.
6You tested the insolent Pharaoh, who had enslaved your holy people Israel, with various and many punishments, and so you made your power known; and through these you revealed your great might.
7And when he pursued them with chariots and a multitude of troops, you overwhelmed him in the depth of the sea; but those who trusted in you, the ruler of all creation, you brought safely through.
8And when they saw the works of your hand, they praised you, the Almighty.
9You, O King, who created the boundless and immeasurable earth, chose this city and consecrated this place for your name—you who are in need of nothing—and you glorified it with a magnificent manifestation, establishing it for the glory of your great and honored name.
10And because you love the house of Israel, you promised that if we turn away and distress overtakes us, and we come to our place and pray, you will hear our prayer.
11And indeed, you are faithful and true.
12And since you often helped our fathers when they were afflicted in their humiliation and rescued them from great evils—
13see, now, O holy King, because of our many and great sins we are oppressed, subjected to our enemies, and left in weakness.
14And in our downfall, this insolent and profane man is attempting to outrage the holy place on earth that has been designated for the name of your glory.
15For your dwelling place, the heaven of heavens, is inaccessible to mortals.
16But since you were pleased to manifest your glory among your people Israel, you consecrated this place.
17Do not take vengeance on us by means of their uncleanness, nor punish us by means of their profanation, so that the lawless may not boast in their wrath or exult in the arrogance of their tongue, saying,
18‘We have trampled the sanctuary, just as the houses of abominations are trampled.’
19Wipe away our sins, scatter our errors, and make your mercy shine forth at this hour.
20Let your compassions quickly come to us; put praises in the mouths of those who have fallen and are crushed in spirit, and grant us peace.”
21Thereupon the God who oversees all, the Forefather, Holy among the holy, heard the lawful supplication and scourged the one who was greatly puffed up with hubris and insolence,
22shaking him from side to side like a reed in the wind, so that he lay helpless on the ground, paralyzed in his limbs and unable even to speak, having been struck by a righteous judgment.
23And so his friends and bodyguards, seeing the swift punishment that had overtaken him and fearing he might even lose his life, quickly dragged him away, stricken with overwhelming fear.
24But after some time, when he had recovered, though he had been rebuked he in no way came to repentance, but departed, uttering a bitter threat.
25And having been conveyed to Egypt, he increased in his wickedness, through his aforementioned drinking companions and friends who were alienated from all that is right,
26he was not content with countless acts of debauchery, but also went to such a length of insolence that slanders were composed in public places, and many of his friends, paying attention to the king’s purpose, also followed his will.
27He determined to spread public reproach against the nation; and erecting a pillar on the tower in the courtyard, he had an inscription carved:
28“That no one who does not sacrifice is to enter their temples; that all the Jews are to be reduced to the poll-tax registry and the status of slaves; and that those who object are to be taken by force and put to death.
29That those who were registered were also to be branded on their bodies with fire with the emblem of Dionysus, an ivy leaf; and that these were to be registered into their aforementioned limited status.
30But so that he might not appear hateful to everyone, he added in writing: ‘That if any of them choose to associate with those initiated into the rites, these are to have equal citizenship with the Alexandrians.’”
31So some, who loathed the religious requirements of the city only superficially, readily gave themselves up, expecting to share in great honor from their future association with the king.
32But most of them, with a noble spirit, stood firm and did not abandon their piety; and exchanging their property for their lives, they fearlessly attempted to rescue themselves from the registrations.
33And they remained hopeful of obtaining help. They loathed those from among them who were deserting, judged them as enemies of the nation, and deprived them of common association and friendly dealings.
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