I Maccabees 3

¹And his son Judas, who was called Maccabeus, rose up in his place.

²And all his brothers assisted him, along with all those who had joined themselves to his father. And they fought the battle of Israel with rejoicing.

³And he expanded the glory of his people, and he clothed himself with a breastplate like a giant, and he surrounded himself his weapons of war in battles, and he protected the camp with his sword.

⁴In his actions, he became like a lion, and like a young lion roaring in the hunt.

⁵And he pursued the wicked and tracked them down. And those who disturbed his people, he burned with fire.

⁶And his enemies were repelled by the fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled. And salvation was well-directed in his hand.

⁷And he provoked many kings, and he gave joy to Jacob by his works, and his memory will be a blessing for all generations.

⁸And he traveled through the cities of Judah, and he destroyed the impious out of them, and he turned wrath away from Israel.

⁹And he was renowned, even to the utmost part of the earth, and he gathered together those who were perishing.

¹⁰And so Apollonius gathered together the Gentiles, with a numerous and great army from Samaria, to make war against Israel.

¹¹And Judas knew about it, and he went forth to meet him. And he struck him and killed him. And many fell down wounded, and the rest fled away.

¹²And he took away their spoils. And Judas took possession of the sword of Apollonius, and he fought with it during all his days.

¹³And Seron, the leader of the army of Syria, heard that Judas had gathered together a company of the faithful and an assembly with him.

¹⁴And he said, “I will make a name for myself, and I will be glorified in the kingdom, and I will defeat Judas in warfare, and those who are with him, who have spurned the word of the king.”

¹⁵And he prepared himself. And the camp of the impious went up with him, with strong auxiliaries, so as to act with vengeance upon the sons of Israel.

¹⁶And they approached even as far as Bethhoron. And Judas went forth to meet him, with a few men.

¹⁷But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, “How will we few be able to fight against so great and so strong a multitude, even though we are weakened by fasting today?”

¹⁸And Judas said: “It is easy for many to be enclosed in the hands of a few, for there is no difference in the sight of the God of heaven to liberate by means of many, or by means of few.

¹⁹For victory in warfare is not in the multitude of the army, but in the strength from heaven.

²⁰They come to us with a contemptuous multitude and with arrogance, in order to destroy us, with our wives and our sons, and to despoil us.

²¹In truth, we will fight on behalf of our souls and our laws.

²²And the Lord himself will crush them before our face. But as for you, do not fear them.”

²³And as soon as he had ceased speaking, he attacked them suddenly. And Seron and his army were crushed in his sight.

²⁴And he pursued him from the descent of Bethhoron, even to the plains. And eight hundred of their men were cut down, but the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.

²⁵And the fear and dread of Judas, as well as his brothers, fell upon all the nations around them.

²⁶And his name reached even to the king, and all the nations told stories of the battles of Judas.

²⁷But when king Antiochus heard these accounts, he was angry to his very soul. And he sent and gathered together forces from his entire kingdom, a very strong army.

²⁸And he opened his treasury, and he gave out stipends to the army for a year. And he commanded them to make ready for all things.

²⁹And he saw that the money from his treasures had failed, and that the tributes of the country were small, because of the dissension and the scourging that he had caused on earth in order to take away the legitimate laws, which had been since the first days.

³⁰And he feared, lest he not have enough the second time as the first, for expenses and gifts, which he had given before with a liberal hand. For his excesses were more than the kings who had been before him.

³¹And he was alarmed to his very soul, and he intended to go into Persia, and to take tributes from the regions, and to gather together much money.

³²And he left behind Lysias, a nobleman of royal family, to preside over the kingdom from the river Euphrates, even to the river of Egypt,

³³and to raise his son, Antiochus, until he would return.

³⁴And he handed over to him half of the army, and the elephants. And he commanded him concerning all that he wanted, and concerning the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem:

³⁵so that he would send an army against them to crush and to root out the virtue of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away the memory of them from that place,

³⁶and so that he would establish dwelling places for the sons of foreigners in all their parts, and would distribute their land by lot.

³⁷And so, the king took the remaining part of the army, and he went forth from Antioch, the city of his kingdom, in the one hundred and forty-seventh year. And he crossed over the river Euphrates, and he traveled through the upper regions.

³⁸Then Lysias chose Ptolemy, the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, powerful men from among the king’s friends.

³⁹And he sent them with forty thousand men, and seven thousand horsemen, to enter into the land of Judah, and to destroy it, according to the word of the king.

⁴⁰And so, they proceeded with all their power, and they arrived and took a position near Emmaus, in the land of the plains.

⁴¹And the merchants of the regions heard of their name. And they took very much silver, and gold, and servants, and they came into the camp to take the sons of Israel into servitude. And armies from Syria and from the lands of foreigners were added to them.

⁴²And Judas and his brothers saw that evils were being multiplied, and that armies had been positioned near their borders. And they knew the words of the king, which ordered the people to be put to death and to be utterly consumed.

⁴³And they said, each one to his neighbor, “Let us relieve the dejection of our people, and let us fight on behalf of our people and our sacred places.”

⁴⁴And an assembly was gathered together, so that they would be prepared for battle, and so that they could pray and ask for mercy and compassion.

⁴⁵Now Jerusalem was not inhabited, but was like a desert. There was no one who entered or exited from among her children. And the sanctuary was trampled upon, and the sons of foreigners were in the stronghold. This place was the habitation of the Gentiles. And delight was taken away from Jacob, and the music of flute and harp ceased in that place.

⁴⁶And they gathered together and came to Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem. For a place of prayer was in Mizpah, in the former Israel.

⁴⁷And they fasted on that day, and they clothed themselves with haircloth, and they placed ashes on their heads, and they tore their garments.

⁴⁸And they laid open the books of the law, in which the Gentiles searched for the likeness of their idols.

⁴⁹And they brought the priestly ornaments, and the first fruits and tithes, and they roused the Nazirites, who had fulfilled their days.

⁵⁰And they cried out with a loud voice toward heaven, saying: “What shall we do with these, and where shall we take them?

⁵¹For your holy things have been trampled and defiled, and your priests have been in mourning and in humiliation.

⁵²And behold, the Nations gather together against us, to destroy us. You know what they intend against us.

⁵³How shall we be able to stand before their face, unless you, O God, assist us?”

⁵⁴Then they sounded the trumpets with a loud call.

⁵⁵And after this, Judas appointed commanders over the people: over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.

⁵⁶And he said to those who were building houses, or who had betrothed wives, who were planting vineyards, or who were terribly afraid, that they should return, each one to his own house, according to the law.

⁵⁷So they moved the camp, and relocated to the south of Emmaus.

⁵⁸And Judas said: “Gird yourselves, and be sons of power, and be ready in the morning, so that you may fight against these nations that have assembled against us, so as to destroy us and our sacred things.

⁵⁹For it is better for us to die in battle, than to see evils come to our nation and to the sacred places.

⁶⁰Nevertheless, as it shall be willed in heaven, so let it be.”

I Maccabees 3

¹Then his son Judas, called Machabeus, rose up in his stead.

²And all his brethren helped him, and all they that had joined themselves to his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel.

³And 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.

⁴In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey.

⁵And he pursued the wicked and sought them out, and them that troubled his people he burnt with fire:

⁶And his enemies were driven away for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled: and salvation prospered in his hand.

⁷And he grieved many kings, and made Jacob glad with his works, and his memory is blessed for ever.

⁸And he went through the cities of Juda, and destroyed the wicked out of them, and turned away wrath from Israel.

⁹And he was renowned even to the utmost part of the earth, and he gathered them that were perishing.

¹⁰And Apollonius gathered together the Gentiles, and a numerous and great army from Samaria, to make war against Israel.

¹¹And Judas understood it, and went forth to meet him: and he overthrew him, and killed him: and many fell down slain, and the rest fled away.

¹²And he took their spoils, and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and fought with it all his lifetime.

¹³And Seron, captain of the army of Syria, heard that Judas had assembled a company of the faithful, and a congregation with him,

¹⁴And 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.

¹⁵And he made himself ready; and the host of the wicked went up with him, strong succours, to be revenged of the children of Israel.

¹⁶And they approached even as far as Bethoron: and Judas went forth to meet him, with a small company.

¹⁷But 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?

¹⁸And 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:

¹⁹For the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from heaven.

²⁰They come against us with an insolent multitude, and with pride, to destroy us, and our wives, and our children, and to take our spoils.

²¹But we will fight for our lives, and our laws:

²²And the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face, but as for you, fear them not

²³And as soon as he had made an end of speaking, he rushed suddenly upon them: and Seron, and his host were overthrown before him:

²⁴And 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.

²⁵And the fear of Judas, and of his brethren, and the dread of them, fell upon all the nations round about them.

²⁶And his fame came to the king, and all nations told of the battles of Judas.

²⁷Now 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.

²⁸And 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.

²⁹And 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:

³⁰And 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.

³¹And he was greatly perplexed in mind, and purposed to go into Persia, and to take tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.

³²And 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:

³³And to bring up his son, Antiochus, till he came again.

³⁴And 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.

³⁵And 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.

³⁶And that he should settle strangers, to dwell in all their coasts, and divide their land by lot.

³⁷So 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.

³⁸Then Lysias chose Ptolemee, the son of Dorymenus, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends.

³⁹And 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.

⁴⁰So they went forth with all their power, and came, and pitched near Emmaus, in the plain country.

⁴¹And 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.

⁴²And 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.

⁴³And 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.

⁴⁴And the assembly was gathered, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion.

⁴⁵Now 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.

⁴⁶And they assembled together, and came to Maspha, over against Jerusalem: for in Maspha was a place of prayer heretofore in Israel.

⁴⁷And they fasted that day, and put on haircloth, and put ashes upon their heads: and they rent their garments:

⁴⁸And they laid open the books of the law, in which the Gentiles searched for the likeness of their idols:

⁴⁹And they brought the priestly ornaments, and the first fruits and tithes, and stirred up the Nazarites that had fulfilled their days:

⁵⁰And they cried with a loud voice toward heaven, saying: What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them?

⁵¹For thy holies are trodden down, and are profaned, and thy priests are in mourning, and are brought low.

⁵²And behold the nations are come together against us, to destroy us: thou knowest what they intend against us.

⁵³How shall we be able to stand before their face, unless thou, O God, help us?

⁵⁴Then they sounded with trumpets, and cried out with a loud voice.

⁵⁵And after this, Judas appointed captains over the people, over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.

⁵⁶And 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.

⁵⁷So they removed the camp, and pitched on the south side of Emmaus.

⁵⁸And 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.

⁵⁹For it is better for us to die in battle, than to see the evils of our nation, and of the holies:

⁶⁰Nevertheless, as it shall be the will of God in heaven, so be it done.