14 Even our priests gave up worshiping at the altar. They cared nothing about the temple, and they neglected offering sacrifices. And when the signal was given, they hurried off to take part in games that were against our teachings.
15 They sneered at the values our ancestors had prized, and their only goal in life was to receive Greek honors.
16 This love of the Greek way of life caused the downfall of our country, when these foreign rulers became our enemies and punished our nation. They did this, even though many Jews liked and tried to follow their way of life.
17 When people disobey God's Law, they are taking a big risk, as the following events will show.
18 King Antiochus attended a sports festival that was held once every four years in the city of Tyre. While he was there,
19 that evil Jason sent some messengers from Jerusalem to Tyre with 300 silver coins for a sacrifice to the god Hercules.Although these messengers were honorary citizens of Antioch, they knew it was wrong to pay for a sacrifice to Hercules with the silver. So they decided instead
20 to give the money for building warships.