2 Maccabees 3:7-13

New Catholic Bible

Mission of Heliodorus. ⁷ When Apollonius conferred with the king, he told him about the riches that had been reported to him. The king appointed Heliodorus, his chief minister, and sent him forth with orders to effect the confiscation of the reported wealth. ⁸ Heliodorus immediately set forth, ostensibly to make a tour of inspection of the cities of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, but in actuality to carry out the king’s command. ⁹ When he arrived in Jerusalem and had been cordially received by the high priest of the city, he told him about the information that had been reported, disclosed the true purpose of his visit, and asked if the allegations were accurate.

¹⁰ The high priest explained that some of the money was set aside for the care of widows and orphans, ¹¹ and that the rest belonged to Hyrcanus, the son of Tobias,^[a] a man who held a very prominent position. In contrast to what the impious Simon had alleged, the total sum amounted to four hundred talents of silver and two hundred talents of gold.

¹² He further added that it would be completely out of the question to inflict injustice upon those who had placed their trust in the sanctity of the place and in the holiness and inviolability of a temple venerated throughout the entire world. ¹³ However, because of the orders he had received from the king, Heliodorus stated that he had no other choice but to confiscate the money for the royal treasury.