2 Maccabees 14:27-29

New Catholic Bible

²⁷ Enraged by the slanderous charges of that villain, the king wrote to Nicanor, expressing his displeasure with the terms of the treaty and commanding him to send Maccabeus as a prisoner to Antioch at once.

²⁸ When this message reached Nicanor, he was greatly upset, for he did not wish to break his agreement with a man who had done nothing wrong. ²⁹ However, since there was no possible way to flaunt the king’s wishes, he waited for an opportunity to carry out the order by means of some stratagem.