5 Then he called Hermon, who had charge of the elephants. Full of rage, altogether fixed in his furious design, 2 he commanded him, with a quantity of unmixed wine with handfuls of incense infused, to drug the elephants early on the following day. These five hundred elephants were, when infuriated by the copious drinks of frankincense, to be led up to the execution of death on the Yehudim. 3 The king, after issuing these orders, went to his feasting, and gathered together all those of his friends and of the army who hated the Yehudim the most. 4 The master of the elephants, Hermon, fulfilled his commission punctually. 5 The servants appointed for the purpose went out about evening and bound the hands of the miserable victims, and took other precautions for their security at night, thinking that the whole race would perish together. 6 The heathen believed the Yehudim to be destitute of all protection, for chains bound them. 7 They invoked the Almighty master, and ceaselessly implored with tears their merciful God and Father, Ruler of all, master of every power, 8 to overthrow the evil purpose which had gone out against them, and to deliver them by extraordinary manifestation from that death which was in store for them. 9 Their earnest entreaty went up to heaven.