16 Now, at the time that Eleazar had ended his prayer, the king came along to the hippodrome with the wild animals, and with his tumultuous power. 17 When the Yehudim saw this, they uttered a loud cry to heaven so that the adjacent valleys resounded and caused an irrepressible lamentation throughout the army. 18 Then the all-glorious, all-powerful, and true God, displayed his holy face, and opened the gates of heaven, from which two angels, dreadful of form, came down and were visible to all but the Yehudim. 19 They stood opposite, and filled the enemies’ army with confusion and cowardice, and bound them with immoveable shackles. 20 A cold shudder came over the person of the king, and oblivion paralysed the vehemence of his spirit. 21 They turned back the animals on the armed forces who followed them; and the animals trampled them and destroyed them. 22 The king’s anger was converted into compassion; and he wept at the things he’d devised. 23 Because when he heard the cry, and saw them all on the verge of destruction, with tears he angrily threatened his friends, saying, 24 “You’ve governed badly, and have exceeded tyrants in cruelty. You’ve laboured to deprive me, your benefactor, at once of my dominion and my life, by secretly devising measures injurious to the kingdom. 25 Who’s gathered here, unreasonably removing each from his home, those who, in fidelity to us, had held the fortresses of the country? 26 Who’s consigned to unmerited punishments those who in good will towards us from the beginning have in all things surpassed all nations, and who often have engaged in the most dangerous undertakings? 27 Loose, loose the unjust bonds! Send them to their homes in peace, begging pardon for what’s been done. 28 Release the sons of the almighty living god of heaven, who from our ancestors’ times until now has granted a glorious and uninterrupted prosperity to our affairs.” 29 He said these things, and they, released the same moment, having now escaped death, praised God their holy Saviour.