The First Book of Maccabees

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Judas Machabeus succeeds his father, and overthrows Apollonius and Seron. A great army is sent against him out of Syria. He prepares his people for battle by fasting and prayer.

Then his son Judas, called Machabeus, rose up in his stead.

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.

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.

In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion’s whelp roaring for his prey.

And he pursued the wicked and sought them out, and them that troubled his people he burnt with fire:

And his enemies were driven away for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled: and salvation prospered in his hand.

And he grieved many kings, and made Jacob glad with his works, and his memory is blessed for ever.

And he went through the cities of Juda, and destroyed the wicked out of them, and turned away wrath from Israel.

And he was renowned even to the utmost part of the earth, and he gathered them that were perishing.

And Apollonius gathered together the Gentiles, and a numerous and great army from Samaria, to make war against Israel.

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.

And he took their spoils, and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and fought with it all his lifetime.

And Seron captain of the army of Syria heard that Judas had assembled a company of the faithful, and a congregation with him,

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.

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.

And they approached even as far as Bethoron: and Judas went forth to meet him, with a small company.

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?

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:

For the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from heaven.

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.

But we will fight for our lives and our laws:

And the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: but as for you, fear them not.

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:

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.

And the fear of Judas and of his brethren, and the dread of them fell upon all the nations round about them.

And his fame came to the king, and all nations told of the battles of Judas.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

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:

And to bring up his son Antiochus, till he came again.

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:

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:

And that he should settle strangers to dwell in all their coasts, and divide their land by lot.

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.

Then Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenus, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king’s friends.

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.

So they went forth with all their power, and came, and pitched near Emmaus in the plain country.

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.

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.

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.

And the assembly was gathered that they might be ready for battle: and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion.

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.

And they assembled together, and came to Maspha over against Jerusalem: for in Maspha was a place of prayer heretofore in Israel.

And they fasted that day, and put on haircloth, and put ashes upon their heads: and they rent their garments:

And they laid open the books of the law, in which the Gentiles searched for the likeness of their idols:

And they brought the priestly ornaments, and the firstfruits and tithes, and stirred up the Nazarites that had fulfilled their days:

And they cried with a loud voice toward heaven, saying: What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them?

For thy holies are trodden down, and are profaned, and thy priests are in mourning, and are brought low.

And behold the nations are come together against us to destroy us: thou knowest what they intend against us.

How shall we be able to stand before their face, unless thou, O God, help us?

Then they sounded with trumpets, and cried out with a loud voice.

And after this Judas appointed captains over the people, over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.

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.

So they removed the camp, and pitched on the south side of Emmaus.

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.

For it is better for us to die in battle, than to see the evils of our nation, and of the holies:

Nevertheless as it shall be the will of God in heaven so be it done.

Judas Machabeus succeeds his father, and overthrows Apollonius and Seron. A great army is sent against him out of Syria. He prepares his people for battle by fasting and prayer.

His son Judas, who was called Maccabaeus, rose up in his place.

All his kindred helped him, and so did all those who joined with his father, and they fought with gladness the battle of Israel.

He got his people great glory, and put on a breastplate like a giant, and bound his warlike harness around him, and set battles in array, protecting the army with his sword.

He was like a lion in his deeds, and like a lion’s cub roaring for prey.

He hunted and pursued the lawless, and he burned up those who troubled his people.

The lawless shrunk back for fear of him, and all the workers of lawlessness were very troubled, and deliverance prospered in his hand.

He angered many kings and made Jacob glad with his acts. His memory is blessed forever.

He went through the cities of Judah, destroyed the ungodly(a) out of the land, and turned away wrath from Israel.

He was renowned to the utmost part of the earth. He gathered together those who were ready to perish.

Apollonius gathered the Gentiles together with a great army from Samaria to fight against Israel.

Judas learned of it, and he went out to meet him, struck him, and killed him. Many fell wounded to death, and the rest fled.

They took their spoils, and Judas took Apollonius’ sword, and he fought with it all his days.

Seron, the commander of the army of Syria, heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a body of faithful men who stayed with him, went out to war.

He said, “I will make myself a name and get myself glory in the kingdom. I will fight against Judas and those who are with him, who despise the king’s command.

A mighty army of the ungodly went up with him to help him, to take vengeance on the children of Israel.

He came near to the ascent of Bethhoron, and Judas went out to meet him with a small company.

But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, “What? Shall we be able, being a small company, to fight against so great and strong a multitude? We for our part are faint, having tasted no food this day.”

Judas said, “It is an easy thing for many to be hemmed in by the hands of a few. With(b) heaven it is all one, to save by many or by few;

for victory in battle stands not in the multitude of an army, but strength is from heaven.

They come to us in fullness of insolence and lawlessness, to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to plunder us,

but we fight for our lives and our laws.

He himself will crush them before our face; but as for you, don’t be afraid of them.

Now when he had finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Seron and his army, and they were defeated before him.

They pursued them down the descent of Bethhoron to the plain, and about eight hundred men of them fell; but the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.

The fear of Judas and his kindred, and the dread of them, began to fall on the nations around them.

His fame reached the king, and every nation told of the battles of Judas.

But when King Antiochus heard these words, he was full of indignation; and he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm, an exceedingly strong army.

He opened his treasury and gave his forces pay for a year, and commanded them to be ready for every need.

He saw that the money was gone from his treasures, and that the tributes of the country were small, because of the dissension and disaster which he had brought upon the land, to the end that he might take away the laws which had been from the first days.

He was afraid that he wouldn’t have enough as at other times for the charges and the gifts which he used to give with a liberal hand, more abundantly than the kings who were before him.

And he was exceedingly perplexed in his mind, and he determined to go into Persia, and to take the tributes of those countries, and to gather much money.

He left Lysias, an honorable man, and one of royal lineage, to be over the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates to the borders of Egypt,

and to bring up his son Antiochus, until he came again.

He delivered to Lysias half of his forces and the elephants, and gave him charge of all the things that he would have done, and concerning those who lived in Judea and in Jerusalem,

that he should send an army against them to root out and destroy the strength of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away their memory from the place,

and that he should make foreigners live in all their territory, and should divide their land to them by lot.

The king took the half that remained of the forces, and left Antioch, his royal city, in the one hundred forty seventh year;(c) and he passed over the river Euphrates, and went through the upper countries.

Lysias chose Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king’s friends;(d)

and with them, he sent forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of Judah and to destroy it, according to the word of the king.

They set out with all their army, and came and encamped near Emmaus in the plain country.

The merchants of the country heard of their fame, and took silver and gold in large quantities, and fetters,(e) and came into the camp to take the children of Israel for slaves. Forces of Syria and of the land of the Philistines(f) joined with them.

Judas and his kindred saw that evils were multiplied, and that the forces were encamping in their borders. They learned about the king’s words which he had commanded, to destroy the people and make an end of them.

Then they each said to his neighbor, “Let’s repair the ruins of our people. Let’s fight for our people and the holy place.”

The congregation was gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray and ask for mercy and compassion.

Jerusalem was without inhabitant like a wilderness. There was none of her offspring who went in or went out. The sanctuary was trampled down. Children of foreigners were in the citadel. The Gentiles lived there. Joy was taken away from Jacob, and the pipe and the harp ceased.

They gathered themselves together, and came to Mizpeh, near Jerusalem; for in Mizpeh there used to be a place of prayer for Israel.

They fasted that day, put on sackcloth, put ashes on their heads, tore their clothes,

and opened the book of the law, to learn about the things for which the Gentiles consulted the images of their idols.

They brought the priests’ garments, the first fruits, and the tithes. They stirred up the Nazarites, who had accomplished their days.

They cried aloud toward heaven, saying, “What should we do with these men? Where should we carry them away?

Your holy place is trampled down and profaned. Your priests mourn in humiliation.

Behold, the Gentiles are assembled together against us to destroy us. You know what things they imagine against us.

How will we be able to stand against them, unless you help us?”

They sounded with the trumpets, and gave a loud shout.

And after this Judas appointed leaders of the people: captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains of fifties, and captains of tens.

He said to those who were building houses, were betrothing wives, were planting vineyards, and were fearful, that they should return, each man to his own house, according to the law.

The army marched out and encamped upon the south side of Emmaus.

Judas said, “Arm yourselves and be valiant men! Be ready in the morning to fight with these Gentiles who are assembled together against us to destroy us and our holy place.

For it is better for us to die in battle than to see the calamities of our nation and the holy place.

Nevertheless, as may be the will in heaven, so shall he do.

Fußnoten

(a)3:8 Gr. out of it.

(b)3:18 Some ancient authorities read the God of heaven.

(d)3:38 See 1 Maccabees 2:18 .

(e)3:41 Most of the authorities read servants.

(f)3:41 Gr. foreigners.