1 Then his son
Judas, called Maccabeus, rose up in his stead.
2 And all his brethren
helped him, and so did all they that held with his father, and they fought with
cheerfulness the battle of Israel.
3 So he gat his people
great honour, and put on a breastplate as a giant, and girt his warlike harness
about him, and he made battles, protecting the host with his sword.
4 In his acts he was like a
lion, and like a lion’s whelp roaring for his prey.
5 For He pursued the
wicked, and sought them out, and burnt up those that vexed his people.
6 Wherefore the wicked
shrunk for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled, because
salvation prospered in his hand.
7 He grieved also many
kings, and made Jacob glad with his acts, and his memorial is blessed for ever.
8 Moreover he went through
the cities of Juda, destroying the ungodly out of them, and turning away wrath
from Israel:
9 So that he was renowned
unto the utmost part of the earth, and he received unto him such as were ready
to perish.
10 Then Apollonius gathered
the Gentiles together, and a great host out of Samaria, to fight against
Israel.
11 Which thing when Judas
perceived, he went forth to meet him, and so he smote him, and slew him: many
also fell down slain, but the rest fled.
12 Wherefore Judas took
their spoils, and Apollonius’ sword also, and therewith he fought all his life
long.
13 Now when Seron, a prince
of the army of Syria, heard say that Judas had gathered unto him a multitude
and company of the faithful to go out with him to war;
14 He said, I will get me a
name and honour in the kingdom; for I will go fight with Judas and them that
are with him, who despise the king’s commandment.
15 So he made him ready to
go up, and there went with him a mighty host of the ungodly to help him, and to
be avenged of the children of Israel.
16 And when he came near to
the going up of Bethhoron, Judas went forth to meet him with a small company:
17 Who, when they saw the
host coming to meet them, said unto Judas, How shall we be able, being so few,
to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, seeing we are ready to
faint with fasting all this day?
18 Unto whom Judas answered,
It is no hard matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few; and with the
God of heaven it is all one, to deliver with a great multitude, or a small
company:
19 For the victory of battle
standeth not in the multitude of an host; but strength cometh from heaven.
20 They come against us in
much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and our wives and children, and to spoil
us:
21 But we fight for our
lives and our laws.
22 Wherefore the Lord
himself will overthrow them before our face: and as for you, be ye not afraid
of them.
23 Now as soon as he had
left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon them, and so Seron and his host was
overthrown before him.
24 And they pursued them from
the going down of Bethhoron unto the plain, where were slain about eight
hundred men of them; and the residue fled into the land of the Philistines.
25 Then began the fear of
Judas and his brethren, and an exceeding great dread, to fall upon the nations
round about them:
26 Insomuch as his fame came
unto the king, and all nations talked of the battles of Judas.
27 Now when king Antiochus
heard these things, he was full of indignation: wherefore he sent and gathered
together all the forces of his realm, even a very strong army.
28 He opened also his
treasure, and gave his soldiers pay for a year, commanding them to be ready
whensoever he should need them.
29 Nevertheless, when he saw
that the money of his treasures failed and that the tributes in the country
were small, because of the dissension and plague, which he had brought upon the
land in taking away the laws which had been of old time;
30 He feared that he should
not be able to bear the charges any longer, nor to have such gifts to give so
liberally as he did before: for he had abounded above the kings that were
before him.
31 Wherefore, being greatly
perplexed in his mind, he determined to go into Persia, there to take the
tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.
32 So he left Lysias, a
nobleman, and one of the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the king from
the river Euphrates unto the borders of Egypt:
33 And to bring up his son
Antiochus, until he came again.
34 Moreover he delivered
unto him the half of his forces, and the elephants, and gave him charge of all
things that he would have done, as also concerning them that dwelt in Juda and
Jerusalem:
35 To wit, 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 their memorial from that place;
36 And that he should place
strangers in all their quarters, and divide their land by lot.
37 So the king took the half
of the forces that remained, and departed from Antioch, his royal city, the
hundred forty and seventh year; and having passed the river Euphrates, he went
through the high countries.
38 Then Lysias chose
Ptolemee the son of Dorymenes, Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king’s
friends:
39 And with them he sent
forty thousand footmen, and seven thousand horsemen, to go into the land of
Juda, and to destroy it, as the king commanded.
40 So they went forth with
all their power, and came and pitched by Emmaus in the plain country.
41 And the merchants of the
country, hearing the fame of them, took silver and gold very much, with
servants, and came into the camp to buy the children of Israel for slaves: a
power also of Syria and of the land of the Philistines joined themselves unto
them.
42 Now when Judas and his
brethren saw that miseries were multiplied, and that the forces did encamp
themselves in their borders: for they knew how the king had given commandment
to destroy the people, and utterly abolish them;
43 They said one to another,
Let us restore the decayed fortune of our people, and let us fight for our
people and the sanctuary.
44 Then was the congregation
gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might
pray, and ask mercy and compassion.
45 Now Jerusalem lay void as
a wilderness, there was none of her children that went in or out: the sanctuary
also was trodden down, and aliens kept the strong hold; the heathen had their
habitation in that place; and joy was taken from Jacob, and the pipe with the
harp ceased.
46 Wherefore the Israelites
assembled themselves together, and came to Maspha, over against Jerusalem; for
in Maspha was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel.
47 Then they fasted that
day, and put on sackcloth, and cast ashes upon their heads, and rent their
clothes,
48 And laid open the book of
the law, wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images.
49 They brought also the
priests’ garments, and the firstfruits, and the tithes: and the Nazarites they
stirred up, who had accomplished their days.
50 Then cried they with a
loud voice toward heaven, saying, What shall we do with these, and whither
shall we carry them away?
51 For thy sanctuary is
trodden down and profaned, and thy priests are in heaviness, and brought low.
52 And lo, the heathen are
assembled together against us to destroy us: what things they imagine against
us, thou knowest.
53 How shall we be able to
stand against them, except thou, O God, be our help?
54 Then sounded they with
trumpets, and cried with a loud voice.
55 And after this Judas
ordained captains over the people, even captains over thousands, and over
hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.
56 But as for such as were
building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or were
fearful, those he commanded that they should return, every man to his own
house, according to the law.
57 So the camp removed, and
pitched upon the south side of Emmaus.
58 And Judas said, arm
yourselves, and be valiant men, and see that ye be in readiness against the
morning, that ye may fight with these nations, that are assembled together
against us to destroy us and our sanctuary:
59 For it is better for us
to die in battle, than to behold the calamities of our people and our
sanctuary.
60 Nevertheless, as the will
of God is in heaven, so let him do.
EVIL
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