1 Maccabees [Hammers] 7

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¹In the hundred and one and fifties year Demetrius the son of Seleucus came forth from Rome Town of flowing waters, and went up with a few men to a city by the sea, and reigned there.

²And it came to pass, when he would go into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army laid hands on Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him.

³And the thing was known to him, and he said, show me not their faces.

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

⁵And there came to him all the lawless and ungodly men of Israel God prevails; and Alcimus was their leader, desiring to be high priest;

⁶and they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas Praised and his brethren have destroyed all your friends, and have scattered us from our own land.

⁷Now therefore send a man whom you trust, and let him go and see all the havoc which he has made of us, and of the king’s country, and how he has punished them and all that helped them.

⁸And the king chose Bacchides, one of the king’s Friends, who was ruler in the country beyond the river, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king.

⁹And he sent him, and that ungodly Alcimus, and made sure to him the high priesthood, and he commanded him to take vengeance upon the children of Israel God prevails.

¹⁰And they removed, and came with a great host into the land of Judah Praised, and he sent messengers to Judas Praised and his brethren with words of peace deceitfully.

¹¹And they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great host.

¹²And there were gathered together to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of Torah-Teachers, to seek for justice.

¹³And the Hasidaeans were the first among the children of Israel God prevails that sought peace of them;

¹⁴for they said, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron Light-bringer is come with the forces, and he will do us no wrong.

¹⁵And he spoke with them words of peace, and swore to them, saying, We will seek the hurt neither of you nor your friends.

¹⁶And they gave him credence: and he laid hands on threescore men of them, and killed them in one day, according to the word which the psalmist wrote,

¹⁷The flesh of your saints did they cast out, And their blood did they shed round about Jerusalem City of peace; And there was no man to bury them.

¹⁸And the fear and the dread of them fell upon all the people, for they said, There is neither truth nor judgement in them; for they have broken the covenant and the oath which they swore.

¹⁹And Bacchides removed from Jerusalem City of peace, and encamped in Bezeth; and he sent and took away many of the deserters that were with him, and certain of the people, and he killed them, and cast them into the great pit.

²⁰And he made sure the country to Alcimus, and left with him a force to aid him; and Bacchides went away to the king.

²¹And Alcimus strove for his high priesthood.

²²And there were gathered to him all they that troubled their people, and they got the mastery of the land of Judah Praised, and did great hurt in Israel God prevails.

²³And Judas Praised saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the children of Israel God prevails, even above the Gentiles,

²⁴and he went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance on the men that had deserted from him, and they were restrained from going forth into the country.

²⁵But when Alcimus saw that Judas Praised and his company waxed strong, and knew that he was not able to withstand them, he returned to the king, and brought evil accusations against them.

²⁶And the king sent Nicanor, one of his honorable princes, a man that hated Israel God prevails and was their enemy, and commanded him to destroy the people.

²⁷And Nicanor came to Jerusalem City of peace with a great host; and he sent to Judas Praised and his brethren deceitfully with words of peace, saying,

²⁸Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see your faces in peace.

²⁹And he came to Judas Praised, and they saluted one another peaceably. And the enemies were ready to take away Judas Praised by violence.

³⁰And the thing was known to Judas Praised, to wit, that he came to him with deceit, and he was sore afraid of him, and would see his face no more.

³¹And Nicanor knew that his counsel was discovered; and he went out to meet Judas Praised in battle beside Capharsalama;

³²and there fell of Nicanor’s side about five hundred men, and they fled into the city of David Beloved.

³³And after these things Nicanor went up to mount Sion: and there came some of the priests out of the sanctuary, and some of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to show him the whole burned sacrifice that was being offered for the king.

³⁴And he mocked them, and laughed at them, and entreated them shamefully, and spoke haughtily,

³⁵and swore in a rage, saying, Unless Judas Praised and his army be now delivered into my hands, it shall be that, if I come again in peace, I will burn up this house: and he went out in a great rage.

³⁶And the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple; and they wept, and said,

³⁷You did choose this house to be called by your name, to be a house of prayer and supplication for your people:

³⁸take vengeance on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to live any longer.

³⁹And Nicanor went forth from Jerusalem City of peace, and encamped in Bethhoron, and there met him the host of Syria Elevated.

⁴⁰And Judas Praised encamped in Adasa with three thousand men: and Judas Praised prayed and said,

⁴¹When they that came from the king blasphemed, your angel went out, and struck among them a hundred and fourscore and five thousand.

⁴²Even so discomfit you this army before us today, and let all the rest know that he has spoken wickedly against your sanctuary, and judge you him according to his wickedness.

⁴³And on the thirteenth day of the month Adar the armies joined battle: and Nicanor’s army was discomfited, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle.

⁴⁴Now when his army saw that Nicanor was fallen, they cast away their arms, and fled.

⁴⁵And they pursued after them a day’s journey from Adasa until you come to Gazara, and they sounded an alarm after them with the solemn trumpets.

⁴⁶And they came forth out of all the villages of Judea round about, and closed them in; and these turned them back on those, and they all fell by the sword, and there was not one of them left.

⁴⁷And they took the spoils, and the booty, and they struck off Nicanor’s head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so haughtily, and brought them, and stretched them out beside Jerusalem City of peace.

⁴⁸And the people were exceeding glad, and they kept that day as a day of great gladness.

⁴⁹And they ordained to keep this day year by year, to wit, the thirteenth day of Adar.

⁵⁰And the land of Judah Praised had rest a little while.