3 Maccabees 1:23-25

Common English Bible

²³ They rallied each other to attack with weapons and to die courageously for the sake of the law of their ancestors, creating a great uproar in the holy place. The old men and the elders were barely able to restrain them, but turned them at last to the same stance of prayer.

²⁴ Now the crowd in front of the temple was occupied in praying, ²⁵ but the elders standing near the king tried in many ways to turn his arrogant mind from the scheme that he had conceived.