3 Maccabees 7:11-13

Common English Bible

¹¹ They insisted that those who had broken divine laws for the sake of the belly would never be reliable subjects under the king’s government either. ¹² The king recognized and agreed that they were speaking the truth. So he gave them a free hand to utterly destroy those who had violated God’s Law in every place within his kingdom, and to do so with confidence and without needing royal approval or supervision. ¹³ Then they applauded him, as was fitting, and their priests and all the crowd shouted the Hallelujah joyously and departed.