THE FIRST BOOK OF MACCABEES 3

1 Maccabees 3

2 Judas is made ruler over the Jews. 11 He kills Apollonious and Seron the princes of Syria. 44 The confidence of Iudas toward God. 35 Iuda determines to fight against Lysias, whom Antiochus had made captain over his house.

THEN Iudas his son, called Maccabeus, rose up in his place.

And all his brethren helped him, and all they that held with his father, and sought with courage the battle of Israel.

So he got his people great honor: he put on a breastplate as a giant, and armed himself, and set the battle in array, and defended the camp with the sword.

In his acts he was like a lion, and as a lion’s whelp roaring after the pray.

For he pursued the wicked, and sought them out, and burnt up those that vexed his people,

So that the wicked fled for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were put to trouble: and salvation prospered in his hand.

And he grieved diverse Kings, but Iacob rejoiced by his acts, and his memorial is blessed for ever.

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

So was he renowned unto the ends of the earth, and he assembled together those that were ready to perish.

But Apollonious gathered the Gentiles, and a great host out of Samaria, to fight against Israel.

Which when Judas perceived, he went forth to meet him, and smote him, and slew him, so that many fell down slain, and the rest fled.

So Judas took their spoils, and took also Apollonius sword, and fought with it all his life long.

Now when Seron a prince of the army of Syria, heard that Judas had gathered unto him the congregation, and Church of the faithful, and went forth to the war,

He said, I will get me a name, and will be glorious in the realm: for I will go fight with Judas, and them that are with him, which have despised the King’s commandment..

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.

And when he came near to the going up of Bethoron, Judas went forth to meet him with a small company.

But when they saw the army coming against them, they said to Judas, How are we able, being so few, to fight against so great a multitude, and so strong, seeing we be so weary, and have fasted all this day?

Then said Judas, It is an easy thing for many to be shut up in the hands of few, and there is no difference before the God of heaven, to deliver by a great multitude, or by a small company.

For the victory of the battle stands not in the multitude, to destroy us, and our wives, and our children, and to rob us.

But we do fight for our lives, and for our Laws,

And God himself will destroy them before our face: therefore be not ye afraid of them.

And when he had left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon them: so was Seron and his host destroyed before him.

And they pursued them from the going down of Bethoron unto the plain: where there were slain eight hundred men of them, and the residue fled into the land of the Philistims.

Then the fear and terror of Judas and his brethren fell upon the nations round about,

So that his fame came unto the King: for all the Gentiles could tell of the war of Judas.

But when King Antiochus heard these tidings, he was angry in his mind: wherefore he sent forth, and gathered all the power of his realm a very strong army,

And opened his treasury, and gave his host a years wages in hand, commanding them to be ready for a year for all occasions.

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 plagues that he had brought upon the land, in taking away the laws which had been of old time,

He feared lest he should not have now at the second time, as at the first, for the charges and gifts that he had given them a liberal hand afore: for in liberality he far passed the other Kings and were before him.

Wherefore he was heavy in his mind, and thought to go into Persia, for to take tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.

So he left Lysias a noble man and of the King’s blood to over see the King’s business, from the river of Euphrates unto the borders of Egypt,

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

Moreover, he gave him half of his host and elephants, and gave him the charge of all things that he would have done,

And concerning those which dwelt in Juda and Jerusalem, that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the power of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to put out their memorial from that place,

And to set strangers for to inhabit all their quarters, and part their land among them.

And the King took the half of the host that remained, and departed from Antiochia his royal city, in the year an hundred forty and seven, and passed the river Euphrates, and went through the high countries.

Then Lysias chose Ptolemeus the son of Doriminus, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men, and the King’s friends,

And sent with them forty thousand footmen, and seven thousand horsemen, to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it, as the King commanded.

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

Now when the merchants of the country heard the rumor of them, they took very much silver and gold, and servants, and came into the camp to buy the children of Israel for slaves, and the strength of Syria and of strange nations joined with them.

Now when Judas and his brethren saw that trouble increased, and that the host drew near unto their borders, considering the King’s words, whereby he had commanded to destroy the people, and utterly abolish them,

They said one to another, Let us redress the decay of our people, and let us fight for our people, and for our Sanctuary.

Then the congregation were soon ready gathered to fight, and to pray, and to desire mercy and compassion.

As for Jerusalem, it was not inhabited, but was as a wilderness. There went none that was born in it, in or out at it, and the Sanctuary was trodden down, and the strangers kept the fortress, and it was the habitation of the heathen: and the mirth of Iacob was taken away: the pipe and the harp ceased.

So they gathered themselves together, and came to Maspha before Jerusalem: for in Maspha was the place where they prayed afore time in Israel.

And they fasted that day, and put sackcloth upon them, and cast ashes upon their heads, and rent their clothes,

And opened the book of the Law, wherein the heathen fought to paint the likeness of their idols,

And brought the Priest’s garments, and the first fruits, and the tithes, and set there the Nazarites, which accomplished their days.

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

For thy Sanctuary is a trodden down and defiled, and thy Priests are in heaviness, and brought down.

And behold, the heathen are come against us to destroy us: thou knowest what things they imagine against us.

How can we stand before them, except thou help us?

Then they blew the trumpets, and cried with a loud voice.

And after this Judas ordained captains over the people, even captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties, and captains over ten.

And they commanded them that built houses, or married wives, or planted vineyards, or were fearful, that they should return every one to his own house, according to the Law.

So the host removed, and pitched upon the Southside of Emmaus.

And Judas said, Arm yourselves, and be valiant men, and be ready against the morning to fight with these nations, which are gathered together against us, to destroy us and our Sanctuary.

For it is better for us to die in battle, then to see the calamities of our people and of our Sanctuary.

Nevertheless as the will of God is in heaven, so be it.