1 maccabees 3-5

 Chapter 3

1	Then his son Judas, called Machabeus, rose up in his stead.
2	And all his brethren helped him, and all they that had joined themselves to his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel.
3	And he got his people great honour, and put on a breastplate as a giant, and girt his warlike armour about him in battles, and protected the camp with his sword.
4	In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey.
5	And he pursued the wicked and sought them out, and them that troubled his people he burnt with fire:
6	And his enemies were driven away for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled: and salvation prospered in his hand.
7	And he grieved many kings, and made Jacob glad with his works, and his memory is blessed for ever.
8	And he went through the cities of Juda, and destroyed the wicked out of them, and turned away wrath from Israel.
9	And he was renowned even to the utmost part of the earth, and he gathered them that were perishing.
10	And Apollonius gathered together the Gentiles, and a numerous and great army from Samaria, to make war against Israel.
11	And Judas understood it, and went forth to meet him: and he overthrew him, and killed him: and many fell down slain, the rest fled away.
12	And he took their spoils, and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and fought with it all his lifetime.
13	And Seron captain of the army of Syria heard that Judas had assembled a company of the faithful, and a congregation with him,
14	And he said: I will get me a name, and will be glorified in the kingdom, and will overthrow Judas, and those that are with him, that have despised the edict of the king.
15	And he made himself ready: and the host of the wicked went up with him, strong succours, to be revenged of the children of Israel.
16	And they approached even as far as Bethoron: and Judas went forth to meet him, with a small company.
17	But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas: How shall we, being few, be able to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, and we are ready to faint with fasting today?
18	And Judas said: It is an easy matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few: and there is no difference in the sight of the God of heaven to deliver with a great multitude, or with a small company:
19	For the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from heaven.
20	They come against us with an insolent multitude, and with pride, to destroy us, and our wives, and our children, and to take our spoils.
21	But we will fight for our lives and our laws:
22	And the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: but as for you, fear them not.
23	And as soon as he had made an end of speaking, he rushed suddenly upon them: and Seron and his host were overthrown before him:
24	And he pursued him by the descent of Bethoron even to the plain, and there fell of them eight hundred men, and the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.
25	And the fear of Judas and of his brethren, and the dread of them fell upon all the nations round about them.
26	And his fame came to the king, and all nations told of the battles of Judas.
27	Now when king Antiochus heard these words, he was angry in his mind: and he sent and gathered the forces of all his kingdom, an exceeding strong army.
28	And he opened his treasury, and gave out pay to the army for a year: and he commanded them, that they should be ready for all things.
29	And he perceived that the money of his treasures failed, and that the tributes of the country were small because of the dissension, and the evil that he had brought upon the land, that he might take away the laws of old times:
30	And he feared that he should not have as formerly enough, for charges and gifts, which he had given before with a liberal hand: for he had abounded more than the kings that had been before him.
31	And he was greatly perplexed in mind, and purposed to go into Persia, and to take tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.
32	And he left Lysias, a nobleman of the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the kingdom, from the river Euphrates even to the river of Egypt:
33	And to bring up his son Antiochus, till he came again.
34	And he delivered to him half the army, and the elephants: and he gave him charge concerning all that he would have done, and concerning the inhabitants of Judea, and Jerusalem:
35	And that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away the memory of them from that place:
36	And that he should settle strangers to dwell in all their coasts, and divide their land by lot.
37	So the king took the half of the army that remained, and went forth from Antioch the chief city of his kingdom, in the hundred and forty-seventh year: and he passed over the river Euphrates, and went through the higher countries.
38	Then Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenus, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends.
39	And he sent with them forty thousand men, and seven thousand horsemen: to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it according to the king's orders.
40	So they went forth with all their power, and came, and pitched near Emmaus in the plain country.
41	And the merchants of the countries heard the fame of them: and they took silver and gold in abundance, and servants: and they came into the camp, to buy the children of Israel for slaves: and there were joined to them the forces of Syria, and of the land of the strangers.
42	And Judas and his brethren saw that evils were multiplied, and that the armies approached to their borders: and they knew the orders the king had given to destroy the people and utterly abolish them.
43	And they said every man to his neighbour: Let us raise up the low condition of our people, and let us fight for our people, and our sanctuary.
44	And the assembly was gathered that they might be ready for battle: and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion.
45	Now Jerusalem was not inhabited, but was like a desert: there was none of her children that went in or out: and the sanctuary was trodden down: and the children of strangers were in the castle, there was the habitation of the Gentiles: and joy was taken away from Jacob, and the pipe and harp ceased there.
46	And they assembled together, and came to Maspha over against Jerusalem: for in Maspha was a place of prayer heretofore in Israel.
47	And they fasted that day, and put on haircloth, and put ashes upon their heads: and they rent their garments:
48	And they laid open the books of the law, in which the Gentiles searched for the likeness of their idols:
49	And they brought the priestly ornaments, and the firstfruits and tithes, and stirred up the Nazarites that had fulfilled their days:
50	And they cried with a loud voice toward heaven, saying: What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them?
51	For thy holies are trodden down, and are profaned, and thy priests are in mourning, and are brought low.
52	And behold the nations are come together against us to destroy us: thou knowest what they intend against us.
53	How shall we be able to stand before their face, unless thou, O God, help us?
54	Then they sounded with trumpets, and cried out with a loud voice.
55	And after this Judas appointed captains over the people, over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.
56	And he said to them that were building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or were fearful, that they should return every man to his house, according to the law.
57	So they removed the camp, and pitched on the south side of Emmaus.
58	And Judas said: Gird yourselves, and be valiant men, and be ready against the morning, that you may fight with these nations that are assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.
59	For it is better for us to die in battle, than to see the evils of our nation, and of the holies:
60	Nevertheless as it shall be the will of God in heaven so be it done.

Chapter 4

1	Then Gorgias took five thousand men, and a thousand of the best horsemen: and they removed out of the camp by night.
2	That they might come upon the camp of the Jews, and strike them suddenly: and the men that were of the castle were their guides.
3	And Judas heard of it, and rose up, he and the valiant men, to attack the king's forces that were in Emmaus.
4	For as yet the army was dispersed from the camp.
5	And Gorgias came by night into the camp of Judas, and found no man, and he sought them in the mountains: for he said: These men flee from us.
6	And when it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men only, who neither had armour nor swords.
7	And they saw the camp of the Gentiles that it was strong, and the men in breastplates, and the horsemen round about them, and these were trained up to war.
8	And Judas said to the men that were with him: Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.
9	Remember in what manner our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharao pursued them with a great army.
10	And now let us cry to heaven: and the Lord will have mercy on us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and will destroy this army before our face this day:
11	And all nations shall know that there is one that redeemeth and delivereth Israel.
12	And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them.
13	And they went out of the camp to battle, and they that were with Judas sounded the trumpet.
14	And they joined battle: and the Gentiles were routed, and fled into the plain.
15	But all the hindmost of them fell by the sword, and they pursued them as far as Gezeron, and even to the plains of Idumea, and of Azotus, and of Jamnia: and there fell of them to the number of three thousand men.
16	And Judas returned again with his army that followed him,
17	And he said to the people: Be not greedy of the spoils: for there is war before us:
18	And Gorgias and his army are near us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overthrow them, and you shall take the spoils afterwards with safety.
19	And as Judas was speaking these words, behold part of them appeared looking forth from the mountain.
20	And Gorgias saw that his men were put to flight, ad that they had set fire to the camp: for the smoke that was seen declared what was done.
21	And when they had seen this, they were seized with great fear, seeing at the same time Judas and his army in the plain ready to fight.
22	So they all fled away into the land of the strangers.
23	And Judas returned to take the spoils of the camp, and they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.
24	And returning home they sung a hymn, and blessed God in heaven, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
25	So Israel had a great deliverance that day.
26	And such of the strangers as escaped, went and told Lysias all that had happened.
27	And when he heard these things, he was amazed and discouraged: because things had not succeeded in Israel according to his mind, and as the king had commanded.
28	So the year following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand chosen men, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.
29	And they came into Judea, and pitched their tents in Bethoron, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.
30	And they saw that the army was strong, and he prayed, and said: Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst break the violence of the mighty by the hand of thy servant David, and didst deliver up the camp of the strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul and of his armourbearer.
31	Shut up this army in the hands of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their host and their horsemen.
32	Strike them with fear, and cause the boldness of their strength to languish, and let them quake at their own destruction.
33	Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee: and let all that know thy name, praise thee with hymns.
34	And they joined battle: and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men.
35	And when Lysias saw that his men were put to flight, and how bold the Jews were, and that they were ready either to live, or to die manfully, he went to Antioch, and chose soldiers, that they might come again into Judea with greater numbers.
36	Then Judas, and his brethren said: Behold our enemies are discomfited: let us go up now to cleanse the holy places and to repair them.
37	And all the army assembled together, and they went up into mount Sion.
38	And they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burnt, and shrubs growing up in the courts as in a forest, or on the mountains, and the chambers joining to the temple thrown down.
39	And they rent their garments, and made great lamentation, and put ashes on their heads:
40	And they fell face down to the ground on their faces, and they sounded with the trumpets of alarm, and they cried towards heaven.
41	Then Judas appointed men to fight against them that were in the castle, till they had cleansed the holy places.
42	And he chose priests without blemish, whose will was set upon the law of God:
43	And they cleansed the holy places, and took away the stones that had been defiled into an unclean place.
44	And he considered about the altar of holocausts that had been profaned, what he should do with it.
45	And a good counsel came into their minds, to pull it down: lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it; so they threw it down.
46	And they laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, till there should come a prophet, and give answer concerning them.
47	Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former:
48	And they built up the holy places, and the things that were within the temple: and they sanctified the temple, and the courts.
49	And they made new holy vessels, and brought in the candlestick, and the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.
50	And they put incense upon the altar, and lighted up the lamps that were upon the candlestick, and they gave light in the temple.
51	And they set the loaves upon the table, and hung up the veils, and finished all the works that they had begun to make.
52	And they arose before the morning on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month (which is the month of Casleu) in the hundred and forty-eighth year.
53	And they offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of holocausts which they had made.
54	According to the time, and according to the day wherein the heathens had defiled it, in the same was it dedicated anew with canticles, and harps, and lutes, and cymbals.
55	And all the people fell upon their faces, and adored, and blessed up to heaven, him that had prospered them.
56	And they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and they offered holocausts with joy, and sacrifices of salvation, and of praise.
57	And they adorned the front of the temple with crowns of gold, and escutcheons, and they renewed the gates, and the chambers, and hanged doors upon them.
58	And there was exceeding great joy among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.
59	And Judas, and his brethren, and all the church of Israel decreed, that the day of the dedication of the altar should be kept in its season from year to year for eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, with joy and gladness.
60	They built up also at that time mount Sion, with high walls, and strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should at any time come, and tread it down as they did before.
61	And he placed a garrison there to keep it, and he fortified it to secure Bethsura, that the people might have a defence against Idumea.

Chapter 5

1	Now it came to pass, when the nations round about heard that the altar and the sanctuary were built up as before, that they were exceeding angry.
2	And they thought to destroy the generation of Jacob that were among them, and they began to kill some of the people, and to persecute them.
3	Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea, and them that were in Acrabathane: because they beset the Israelites around about, and he made a great slaughter of them.
4	And he remembered the malice of the children of Bean: who were a snare and a stumblingblock to the people, by lying in wait for them in the way.
5	And they were shut up by him in towers, and he set upon them, and devoted them to utter destruction, and burnt their towers with fire, and all that were in them.
6	Then he passed over to the children of Ammon, where he found a mighty power, and much people, and Timotheus was their captain:
7	And he fought many battles with them, and they were discomfited in their sight, and he smote them:
8	And he took the city of Gazer and her towns, and returned into Judea.
9	And the Gentiles that were in Galaad, assembled themselves together against the Israelites that were in their quarters to destroy them: and they fled into the fortress of Datheman.
10	And they sent letters to Judas and his brethren, saying, The heathens that are round about are gathered together against us, to destroy us:
11	And they are preparing to come, and to take the fortress into which we are fled: and Timotheus is the captain of their host.
12	Now therefore come, and deliver us out of their hands, for many of us are slain.
13	And all our brethren that were in the places of Tubin, are killed: and they have carried away their wives, and their children, captives, and taken their spoils, and they have slain there almost a thousand men.
14	And while they were yet reading these letters, behold there came other messengers out Galilee with their garments rent, who related according to these words:
15	Saying, that they of Ptolemais, and of Tyre, and of Sidon, were assembled against them, and all Galilee is filled with strangers, in order to consume us.
16	Now when Judas and all the people heard these words, a great assembly met together to consider what they should do for their brethren that were in trouble, and were assaulted by them.
17	And Judas said to Simon his brother: Choose thee men, and go, and deliver they brethren in Galilee: and I, and my brother Jonathan will go into the country of Galaad.
18	And he left Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias captains of the people with the remnant of the army in Judea to keep it:
19	And he commanded them, saying: Take ye the charge of this people: but make no war against the heathens, till we return.
20	Now three thousand men were alloted to Simon, to go into Gallilee: and eight thousand to Judas to go into the land of Galaad.
21	And Simon went into Galilee, and fought many battles with the heathens: and the heathens were discomfited before his face, and he pursued them even to the gate of Ptolemais.
22	And there fell of the heathens almost three thousand men, and he took the spoils of them,
23	And he took with him those that were in Galilee and in Arbatis with their wives, and children, and all that they had, and he brought them into Judea with great joy.
24	And Judas Machabeus, and Jonathan his brother passed over the Jordan, and went three days' journey through the desert.
25	And the Nabutheans met them, and received them in a peaceable manner, and told them all that happened to their brethren in the land of Galaad,
26	And that many of them were shut up in Barasa, and in Bosor, and in Alima, and in Casphor, and in Mageth, and in Carnaim: all these strong and great cities.
27	Yea, and that they were kept shut up in the rest of the cities of Galaad, and that they had appointed to bring their army on the morrow near to these cities, and to take them and to destroy them all in one day.
28	Then Judas and his army suddenly turned their march into the desert, to Bosor, and took the city: and he slew every male by the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burnt it with fire.
29	And they removed from thence by night, and went till they came to the fortress.
30	And it came to pass that early in the morning, when they lifted up their eyes, behold there were people without number, carrying ladders and engines to take the fortress, and assault them.
31	And Judas saw that the fight was begun, and the cry of the battle went up to heaven like a trumpet, and a great cry out of the city:
32	And he said to his host: Fight ye to day for your brethren.
33	And he came with three companies behind them, and they sounded their trumpets, and cried out in prayer.
34	And the host of Timotheus understood that it was Machabeus, and they fled away before his face: and they made a great slaughter of them: and there fell of them in that day almost eight thousand men.
35	And Judas turned aside to Maspha, and assaulted, and took it, and he slew every male thereof, and took the spoils thereof, and burnt it with fire.
36	From thence he marched, and took Casbon, and Mageth, and Bosor, and the rest of the cities of Galaad.
37	But after this Timotheus gathered another army, and camped over against Raphon beyond the torrent.
38	And Judas sent men to view the army: and they brought him word, saying: All the nations, that are round about us, are assembled unto him an army exceeding great:
39	And they have hired the Arabians to help them, and they have pitched their tents beyond the torrent, ready to come to fight against thee. And Judas went to meet them.
40	And Timotheus said to the captains of his army: When Judas and his army come near the torrent of water, if he pass over unto us first, we shall not be able to withstand him: for he will certainly prevail over us.
41	But if he be afraid to pass over, and camp on the other side of the river, we will pass over to them and shall prevail against him.
42	Now when Judas came near the torrent of water, he set the scribes of the people by the torrent, and commanded them, saying: Suffer no man to stay behind: but let all come to the battle.
43	And he passed over to them first, and all the people after him, and all the heathens were discomfited before them, and they threw away their weapons, and fled to the temple that was in Carnaim.
44	And he took that city, and the temple he burnt with fire, with all things that were therein: and Carnaim was subdued, and could not stand against the face of Judas.
45	And Judas gathered together all the Israelites that were in the land of Galaad, from the least even to the greatest, and their wives, and children, and an army exceeding great, to come into the land of Juda.
46	And they came as far as Ephron: now this was a great city situate in the way, strongly fortified, and there was no means to turn from it on the right hand or on the left, but the way was through the midst of it.
47	And they that were in the city, shut themselves in, and stopped up the gates with stones: and Judas sent to them with peaceable words,
48	Saying: Let us pass through your land, to go into our country: and no man shall hurt you: we will only pass through on foot. But they would not open to them.
49	Then Judas commanded proclamation to be made in the camp, that they should make an assault every man in the place where he was.
50	And the men of the army drew near, and he assaulted that city all the day, and all the night, and the city was delivered into his hands:
51	And they slew every male with the edge of the sword, and he razed the city, and took the spoils thereof, and passed through all the city over them that were slain.
52	Then they passed over the Jordan to the great plain that is over against Bethsan.
53	And Judas gathered together the hindmost, and he exhorted the people all the way through, till they came into the land of Juda.
54	And they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, and offered holocausts, because not one of them was slain, till they had returned in peace.
55	Now in the days that Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brother in Galilee before Ptolemais,
56	Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias captain of the soldiers, heard of the good success, and the battles that were fought.
57	And he said: Let us also get us a name, and let us go fight against the Gentiles that are round about us.
58	And he gave charge to them that were in his army, and they went towards Jamnia.
59	And Gorgias and his men went out of the city, to give them battle.
60	And Joseph and Azarias were put to flight, and were pursued unto the borders of Judea: and there fell, on that day, of the people of Israel about two thousand men, and there was a great overthrow of the people:
61	Because they did not hearken to Judas, and his brethren, thinking that they should do manfully.
62	But they were not of the seed of those men by whom salvation was brought to Israel.
63	And the men of Juda were magnified exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and of all the nations where their name was heard.
64	And people assembled to them with joyful acclamations.
65	Then Judas and his brethren went forth and attacked the children of Esau, in the land toward the south, and he took Chebron, and her towns: and he burnt the walls thereof and the towers all round it.
66	And he removed his camp to go into the land of the aliens, and he went through Samaria.
67	In that day some priests fell in battle, while desiring to do manfully they went out unadvisedly to fight.
68	And Judas turned to Azotus into the land of the strangers, and he threw down their altars, and he burnt the statues of their gods with fire: and he took the spoils of the cities, and returned into the land of Juda.