16 Some time ago, I robbed the holy temple in Jerusalem of its sacred dishes. But now I'm going to fill the temple with expensive gifts and return those sacred dishes, so there will be more of them than ever before. And I'll pay for all the sacrifices with my own money.
17 Finally, I'll become a Jew and travel to every village, town, and city, telling people about the power of God.
18 God was punishing Antiochus just as he deserved, and so none of these promises relieved his suffering. Then Antiochus wrote the following letter to our people:
19 King Antiochus, commander of the army, sends greetings to the Jews. You are some of my most important citizens, and I wish all of you good health and success.
20 I pray that you and your families are healthy and that all is going well for you. I have now placed my hope in God,
21 and I have pleasant memories of how you treated me with kindness and respect.On my way home from the country of Persia, I suddenly became very sick and started making plans to protect everyone in my kingdom.
22 I think I will get well, and so I am not depressed about being sick.