1Then Eleazar, a famous elder, native of the interior regions, whose character was adorned with all divine gifts, quieted those around him.
2He begged them to stop crying out to the holy God in prayer.
3He prayed thus: Almighty King, Most High God Almighty, who governs all creation with mercy!
4Look upon the descendants of Abraham, upon the children of Jacob, whom you sanctified, the people of your inheritance, unjustly destroyed in a foreign land.
5You, O Father, destroyed Pharaoh with his chariots and numerous army, illuminating this same people when they wandered.
6When Sennacherib with his innumerable host boasted cruelly, you broke his power.
7The three companions in Babylon who exposed their lives to the flames were saved by you.
8Daniel, slandered and thrown to the hungry lions, was rescued safe and sound.
9Jonah, consumed in the entrails of the fish, you showed unharmed to all his family.
10Now, O Father who abhors arrogance, have mercy on us who are outraged by lawless impious ones.
11Let the pagans see today that you have not abandoned us, O God of Israel.
12Even oppressed in a foreign land, we did not yield to the temptation to abandon you.
13Have mercy on us, Lord creator of all things, and manifest your mercy now!
14While Eleazar was finishing his prayer, the king arrived at the hippodrome with the beasts and all his military pomp.
15The Jews, seeing him, cried out to heaven, so that the neighboring valleys echoed the cry.
16The king halted the elephants, undecided about what he should do.
17Two glorious angels appeared visibly from heaven, terrifying the hosts surrounding the Jews.
18His courage failed him and his limbs trembled.
19The elephants turned against the armed troops that followed them, crushing and destroying them.
20The king's wrath was transformed into compassion and he wept because of what he had plotted.
21Upon hearing the cry of the Jews and seeing them prostrate, he was filled with anger against his counselors.
22He ordered that the Jews be immediately freed and receive all necessary favors.
23He publicly acknowledged that the God of Israel had protected them.
24The king wrote a letter to the governors of the provinces in favor of the Jews.
25Queen Berenice also intervened in their favor, and the evils were averted.
26The saved Jews praised God, their holy Savior.