2 Maccabees 10
1 Judas Maccabeus takes the city and the Temple. 10 The acts of Eupater. 16 The Jews fight against the Idumeans. 24 Timotheus invaded Judea, with whom Judas joined battle. 29 Five men appear in the air to the help of the Jews. 3 Timotheus is slain.
MACCABEUS now and his company, through the help of the Lord, won the Temple and the city again,
And destroyed the altars, and chapels that the heathen had built in the open places,
And cleansed the Temple, and made another altar, and burned stones, and took fire of them, and offered sacrifices, and incense two years, and six months after, and set forth the lamps, and the show bread.
When that was done, they fell down flat upon the ground, and besought the Lord, that they might come no more into such troubles: but if they sinned any more against him, that he himself would chasten them with mercy, and that they might not be delivered to the blasphemous, and barbarous nations.
Now upon the same day, that the strangers polluted the Temple, on the very same day it was cleansed again even the five and twentieth day of the same month, which is Chasleu.
They kept eight days with gladness as in the feast of the Tabernacles, remembering, that not long afore they held the feast of the Tabernacles when they lived in the mountains and dens like beasts.
And for the same cause they have green bows, and fair branches and palms, and sang psalms, unto him that had given them good success in cleansing his place.
They ordained also by a common statute, and decree that every year those days should be kept off the whole nation of Jews.
And this was the end of Antiochus called Epiphanes.
Now will we declare the acts of Antiochus Eupator, which was the son of this wicked man gathering briefly the calamities of the wars, that followed.
For when he had taken the kingdom, he made one Lysias, which had been captain of the host in Phenice, and Coelosyria, ruler over the affairs in the realm.
For Ptolemeus that was called Macron, purposed to do justice unto the Jews for the wrong, that had been done unto them, and went about to behave himself peaceably with them.
For the which cause he was accused of his friends before Eupator, and was called often times traitor, because he had left Cyprus that Philometor had committed unto him, and came to Antiochus Epiphanes: therefore seeing that he was no more in estimation, he was discouraged, and poisoned himself, and died.
But when Gorgias was governor of the same places, he entertained strangers, and made war oft times against the Jews.
Moreover the Idumeans that held the strongholds, which were meet for their purpose, troubled the Jews, and by receiving them that were driven from Jerusalem, took in hand to continue war.
Then they that were with Maccabeus made prayers, and besought God that he would be their helper, and so they fell upon the strongholds of the Idumeans,
And assaulted them sore, that they won the places, and slew all that fought against them on the wall, and killed all them that met with, and slew not less than twenty thousand.
And because certain (which were no less than nine thousand) were fled into two strong castles, having all manner of things convenient to sustain the siege,
Maccabeus left Simon, and Joseph, and Zaccheus also, and those that were with them, which were ynowe [enough, sufficient]* to besiege them, and departed to those places which were more necessary.
Now they that were with Simon, being led with covetousness, were increased for money, (through certain of those that were in the castle,) and took seventy thousand drachmes, and let some of them escape.
But when it was told Maccabeus what was done, he called the governors of the people together, and accused those men, that they had sold their brethren for money, and let their enemies go.
So he slew them when they were convicted of treason, and immediately won the two castles:
And having good success, as in all the wars that he took in hand, he slew in the two castles more than twenty thousand.
Now Timotheus whom the Jews had overcome afore, gathered an army of strangers of all sorts, and brought a great troop of horsemen out of Asia to win Jewry by strength.
But when he drew near, Maccabeus, and they that were with him, turned to pray unto God, and sprinkled earth upon their heads, and girded their reins with sackcloth,
And fell down at the foot of the altar, and besought the Lord to be merciful to them, and to be an enemy to their enemies, and to be an adversary to their adversaries, as the Law declares.
So after the prayer, they took their weapons, and went on further from the city, and when they came near to the enemies, they took heed to themselves.
And when the morning appeared, they both joined together: and one part had the Lord for their refuge, and pledge of prosperity, and noble victory, and the other took courage as a guide of the war.
But when the battle waxed strong, there appeared unto the enemies from heaven five comely men upon horses with bridles of gold, and two of them led the Jews,
And took Maccabeus betwixt them, and covered him on every side with their weapons, and kept him safe, but shot darts, and lightnings against the enemies, so that they were confounded with blindness, and beaten down and full of trouble.
There were slain of footmen twenty thousand and five hundredth and six hundred horsemen.
As for Timotheus himself, he fled unto Gazara, which was called a very stronghold, wherein Chereas was captain.
But Maccabeus and his company laid siege against the fortresses with courage for four days.
And they that were within, trusting to the height of the place, blasphemed exceedingly, and spoke horrible words.
Nevertheless upon the fifth day in the morning twenty young men of Maccabeus’s company, whose hearts were inflamed, because of the blasphemies, came unto the wall, and with bold stomachs smote down those that they met.
Others also that climbed up upon the engines of war against them that were within, set fire upon the towers, and burnt those blasphemers quick with the fires that they had made, and others broke up the gates, and received the rest of the army, and took the city.
And having found Timotheus, that was crept into a cave, they killed him, and Chereas his brother with Apollophanes.
When this was done, they praised the Lord with psalms, and thanksgiving, which had done so great things for Israel, and given them the victory.
*WP4Y
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