I Maccabees 7

¹In the one hundred and fifty-first year, Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, departed from the city of Rome, and he went up with a few men to a maritime city, and he reigned there.

²And it happened that, as he entered into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, the army captured Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him.

³And the matter became known to him, and he said, “Do not show me their face.”

⁴And so the army killed them. And Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom.

⁵And there came to him iniquitous and impious men from Israel. And Alcimus was their leader, who wanted to be made a priest.

⁶And they accused the people to the king, saying: “Judas and his brothers have destroyed all your friends, and he has scattered us from our land.

⁷Now, therefore, send a man, whom you trust, and let him go and see all the destruction he has done to us and to the regions of the king. And let him punish all his friends and their helpers.”

⁸And so the king chose, from among his friends, Bacchides, who ruled across the great river in the kingdom, and who was faithful to the king. And he sent him

⁹to see the destruction that Judas had done. Moreover, he appointed the wicked Alcimus to the priesthood, and he commanded him to take revenge on the sons of Israel.

¹⁰And they rose up and came forth with a great army into the land of Judah. And they sent messengers, who spoke to Judas and his brothers with words of peace, in deceitfulness.

¹¹But they did not heed their words, for they saw that they arrived with a great army.

¹²Then there assembled to Alcimus and Bacchides, a congregation of scribes, to seek just terms.

¹³And first, the Hasideans, who were among the sons of Israel, also sought peace from them.

¹⁴For they said, “A man who is a priest from the offspring of Aaron has arrived; he will not deceive us.”

¹⁵And he spoke to them peaceful words, and he swore to them, saying, “We will not carry out any evil against you or your friends.”

¹⁶And they believed him. And he captured sixty of their men and killed them in one day, according to the word that is written:

¹⁷The flesh of your saints, and their blood, they have poured out all around Jerusalem, and there was no one who would bury them.

¹⁸Then fear and trembling hovered over all the people. For they said: “There is no truth or judgment among them. For they have transgressed the agreement and the oath that they swore.”

¹⁹And Bacchides moved the camp from Jerusalem, and he took up a position at Bethzaith. And he sent and captured many of those who had fled from him, and some of the people he killed in sacrifice, and he threw them into a great pit.

²⁰Then he committed the country to Alcimus, and he left behind troops with him to assist him. And so Bacchides went away to the king.

²¹And Alcimus did what he pleased by means of his leadership of the priesthood.

²²And all those who disturbed the people assembled before him, and they obtained the land of Judah, and they caused a great scourging in Israel.

²³And Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus, and those who were with him, did to the sons of Israel, even more than the Gentiles did.

²⁴And he went out into all the parts surrounding Judea, and he took vengeance on the men who had rebelled, and they ceased to go forth into the region any longer.

²⁵But Alcimus saw that Judas, and those who were with him, prevailed. And he knew that he was not able to withstand them. And so he returned to the king, and he accused them of many crimes.

²⁶And the king sent Nicanor, one of his principal noblemen, who was a cultivator of hostility against Israel. And he commanded him to overthrow the people.

²⁷And Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army, and he sent to Judas and his brothers words of peace, with deceitfulness,

²⁸saying: “Let there be no fighting between me and you. I will come with a few men, to see your faces with peace.”

²⁹And he came to Judas, and they greeted one another in turns, peaceably. And the enemies were prepared to abduct Judas.

³⁰And the plan became known to Judas, that he came to him with deceit. And so he became very afraid of him, and he was no longer willing to see his face.

³¹And Nicanor knew that his plan had been exposed, and he went out to meet Judas in battle near Capharsalama.

³²And there fell of the army of Nicanor nearly five thousand men, and they fled into the city of David.

³³And after these events, Nicanor ascended to mount Zion. And some of the priests of the people went out to greet him in peace, and to show him the holocausts that were offered for the king.

³⁴But he mocked and despised them, and he defiled them. And he spoke arrogantly,

³⁵and he swore with anger, saying, “Unless Judas and his army have been delivered into my hands, when I return in peace, I will burn this house.” And he went out with great anger.

³⁶And the priests went in and stood before the face of the altar and the temple. And weeping, they said:

³⁷“You, O Lord, have chosen this house so that your name may be invoked in it, so that it may be a house of prayer and supplication for your people.

³⁸Accomplish vindication with this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and do not allow them to continue.”

³⁹Then Nicanor departed from Jerusalem, and he positioned his camp near Bethhoron, and an army of Syria met him there.

⁴⁰And Judas took a position in Adasa with three thousand men. And Judas prayed, and he said:

⁴¹“O Lord, when those who were sent by king Sennacherib blasphemed against you, an angel went out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand of them.

⁴²Just so, crush this army in our sight today, and so let the others know that he has spoken evil against your sanctuary. And judge him according to his wickedness.”

⁴³And the armies were sent into battle together on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And the camp of Nicanor was crushed, and he himself was among the first slain in the battle.

⁴⁴So then, when his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw away their weapons and fled.

⁴⁵And they pursued them for one day’s journey from Adasa, even until one comes into Gazara, and they sounded the trumpets after them with signals.

⁴⁶And they went forth from all of the towns all around Judea. And they herded them with the horns, and they turned back again to them, and they were all felled with the sword, and there was not so much as one of them left behind.

⁴⁷And they took their spoils like a prey, and they cut off the head of Nicanor, and his right hand, which he had extended arrogantly, and they brought it, and hung it up opposite Jerusalem.

⁴⁸And the people rejoiced exceedingly, and they spent that day in great joy.

⁴⁹And he established that this day should be kept every year, on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar.

⁵⁰And the land of Judah was quieted for a brief time.

I Maccabees 7

¹In the hundred and fifty-first year, Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, departed from the city of Rome, and came up with few men into a city of the sea coast, and reigned there.

²And it came to pass as he entered into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army seized upon Antiochus, and Lysias, to bring them unto him.

³And when he knew it, he said: Let me not see their face.

⁴So the army slew them. And Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom:

⁵And there came to him the wicked and ungodly men of Israel: and Alcimus was at the head of them, who desired to be made high priest.

⁶And they accused the people to the king, saying: Judas and his brethren have destroyed all thy friends, and he hath driven us out of our land.

⁷Now, therefore, send some men whom thou trustest, and let him go, and see all the havoc he hath made amongst us, and in the king's lands: and let him punish all his friends and their helpers.

⁸Then the king chose Bacchides, one of his friends, that ruled beyond the great river in the kingdom, and was faithful to the king: and he sent him,

⁹To see the havoc that Judas had made: and the wicked Alcimus he made high priest, and commanded him to take revenge upon the children of Israel.

¹⁰And they arose, and came with a great army into the land of Juda: and they sent messengers, and spoke to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words, deceitfully.

¹¹But they gave no heed to their words: for they saw that they were come with a great army.

¹²Then there assembled to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of the scribes, to require things that are just:

¹³And first the Assideans, that were among the children of Israel, and they sought peace of them.

¹⁴For they said: One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come, he will not deceive us.

¹⁵And he spoke to them peaceably: and he swore to them, saying: We will do you no harm, nor your friends.

¹⁶And they believed him. And he took threescore of them, and slew them in one day, according to the word that is written:

¹⁷The flesh of thy saints, and the blood of them they have shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

¹⁸Then fear and trembling fell upon all the people: for they said: There is no truth, nor justice among them: for they have broken the covenant, and the oath which they made.

¹⁹And Bacchides removed the camp from Jerusalem, and pitched in Bethzecha: and he sent, and took many of them that were fled away from him, and some of the people he killed, and threw them into a great pit.

²⁰Then he committed the country to Alcimus, and left with him troops to help him. So Bacchides went away to the king.

²¹But Alcimus did what he could to maintain his chief priesthood.

²²And they that disturbed the people resorted to him, and they got the land of Juda into their power, and did much hurt in Israel.

²³And Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus, and they that were with him, did to the children of Israel, much more than the Gentiles.

²⁴And he went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance upon the men that had revolted, and they ceased to go forth any more into the country.

²⁵And Alcimus saw that Judas and they that were with him, prevailed: and he knew that he could not stand against them, and he went back to the king, and accused them of many crimes.

²⁶And the king sent Nicanor, one of his principal lords, who was a great enemy to Israel: and he commanded him to destroy the people.

²⁷And Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army, and he sent to Judas and to his brethren deceitfully, with friendly words,

²⁸Saying: Let there be no fighting between me and you: I will come with a few men, to see your faces with peace.

²⁹And he came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably: and the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by force.

³⁰And the thing was known to Judas that he was come to him with deceit: and he was much afraid of him, and would not see his face any more.

³¹And Nicanor knew that his counsel was discovered: and he went out to fight against Judas, near Capharsalama.

³²And there fell of Nicanor's army almost five thousand men, and they fled into the city of David.

³³And after this Nicanor went up into mount Sion: and some of the priests and the people came out to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the holocausts that were offered for the king.

³⁴But he mocked and despised them, and abused them: and he spoke proudly,

³⁵And swore in anger, saying: Unless Judas and his army be delivered into my hands, as soon as ever I return in peace, I will burn this house. And he went out in a great rage.

³⁶And the priests went in, and stood before the face of the altar and the temple: and weeping, they said:

³⁷Thou, O Lord, hast chosen this house for thy name to be called upon therein, that it might be a house of prayer and supplication for thy people.

³⁸Be avenged of this man, and his army, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continue any longer.

³⁹Then Nicanor went out from Jerusalem, and encamped near to Bethoron: and an army of Syria joined him.

⁴⁰But Judas pitched in Adarsa with three thousand men: and Judas prayed, and said:

⁴¹O Lord, when they that were sent by king Sennacherib blasphemed thee, an angel went out, and slew of them a hundred and eighty-five thousand:

⁴²Even so destroy this army in our sight today and let the rest know that he hath spoken ill against thy sanctuary: and judge thou him according to his wickedness.

⁴³And the armies joined battle on the thirteenth day of the month, Adar: and the army of Nicanor was defeated, and he himself was first slain in the battle.

⁴⁴And when his army saw that Nicanor was slain they threw away their weapons, and fled:

⁴⁵And they pursued after them one day's journey from Adazer, even till ye come to Gazara, and they sounded the trumpets after them with signals.

⁴⁶And they went forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and they pushed them with the horns, and they turned again to them, and they were all slain with the sword, and there was not left of them so much as one.

⁴⁷And they took the spoils of them for a booty, and they cut off Nicanor's head, and his right hand, which he had proudly stretched out, and they brought it, and hung it up over against Jerusalem.

⁴⁸And the people rejoiced exceedingly, and they spent that day with great joy.

⁴⁹And he ordained that this day should be kept every year, being the thirteenth of the month of Adar

⁵⁰And the land of Juda was quiet for a short time.