Then Gorgias took five thousand men, and a thousand of the best horsemen; and they removed out of the camp by night.

That they might come upon the camp of the Jews and strike them suddenly: and the men that were of the castle were their guides.

And Judas heard of it, and rose up, he and the valiant men, to attack the king’s forces that were in Emmaus.

For as yet the army was dispersed from the camp

And Gorgias came by night into the camp of Judas, and found no man; and he sought them in the mountains: for he said: These men flee from us.

And when it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men only, who neither had armour nor swords:

And they saw the camp of the Gentiles that it was strong, and the men in breastplates, and the horsemen round about them, and these were trained up to war.

And Judas said to the men that were with him: Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.

Remember in what manner our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with a great army.

And now let us cry to heaven, and the Lord will have mercy on us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and will destroy this army before our face this day:

And all nations shall know that there is one that redeemeth and delivereth Israel.

And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them.

And they went out of the camp to battle, and they that were with Judas sounded the trumpet.

And they joined battle: and the Gentiles were routed, and fled into the plain.

But all the hindmost of them fell by the sword and they pursued them as far as Gezeron, and even to the plains of Idumea, and of Azotus, and of Jamnia: and there fell of them to the number of three thousand men.

And Judas returned again with his army that followed him.

And he said to the people: Be not greedy of the spoils; for there is war before us:

And Gorgias and his army are near us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overthrow them, and you shall take the spoils afterwards with safety.

And as Judas was speaking these words, behold part of them appeared, looking forth from the mountain.

And Gorgias saw that his men were put to flight, and that they had set fire to the camp: for the smoke that was seen declared what was done.

And when they had seen this, they were seized with great fear, seeing at the same time Judas and his army in the plain ready to fight.

So they all fled away into the land of the strangers.

And Judas returned to take the spoils of the camp, and they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.

And returning home, they sung a hymn, and blessed God in heaven, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.

So Israel had a great deliverance that day.

And such of the strangers as escaped, went and told Lysias all that had happened.

And when he heard these things, he was amazed and discouraged: because things had not succeeded in Israel according to his mind, and as the king had commanded.

So the year following, Lysias gathered together threescore thousand chosen men, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.

And they came into Judea, and pitched their tents in Bethoron, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

And they saw that the army was strong, and he prayed and said: Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst break the violence of the mighty by the hand of thy servant David, and didst deliver up the camp of the strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul, and of his armour bearer.

Shut up this army in the hands of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their host and their horsemen.

Strike them with fear, and cause the boldness of their strength to languish, and let them quake at their own destruction.

Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee: and let all that know thy name praise thee with hymns.

And they joined battle: and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men.

And when Lysias saw that his men were put to flight, and how bold the Jews were, and that they were ready either to live, or to die manfully, he went to Antioch, and chose soldiers, that they might come again into Judea with greater numbers.

Then Judas, and his brethren said: Behold our enemies are discomfited: let us go up now to cleanse the holy places, and to repair them.

And all the army assembled together, and they went up into Mount Sion.

And they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burnt, and shrubs growing up in the courts as in a forest, or on the mountains, and the chambers joining to the temple thrown down.

And they rent their garments, and made great lamentation, and put ashes on their heads:

And they fell down to the ground on their faces, and they sounded with the trumpets of alarm, and they cried towards heaven.

Then Judas appointed men to fight against them that were in the castle, till they had cleansed the holy places,

And he chose priests without blemish, whose will was set upon the law of God.

And they cleansed the holy places, and took away the stones that had been defiled into an unclean place.

And he considered about the altar of holocausts that had been profaned, what he should do with it.

And a good counsel came into their minds, to pull it down: lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it; so they threw it down.

And they laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple, in a convenient place, till there should come a prophet, and give answer concerning them.

Then they took whole stones, according to the law and built a new altar, according to the former:

And they built up the holy places, and the things that were within the temple: and they sanctified the temple and the courts.

And they made new holy vessels, and brought in the candlestick, and the altar of incense, and the table, into the temple.

And they put incense upon the altar, and lighted up the lamps that were upon the candlestick, and they gave light in the temple.

And they set the loaves upon the table, and hung up the veils, and finished all the works that they had begun to make.

And they arose before the morning on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, (which is the month of Casleu) in the hundred and forty-eighth year.

And they offered sacrifice, according to the law, upon the new altar of holocausts which they had made.

According to the time, and according to the day wherein the heathens had defiled it, in the same was it dedicated anew with canticles, and harps, and lutes, and cymbals.

And all the people fell upon their faces, and adored, and blessed up to heaven, him that had prospered them.

And they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and they offered holocausts with joy, and sacrifices of salvation, and of praise.

And they adorned the front of the temple with crowns of gold, and escutcheons, and they renewed the gates, and the chambers, and hanged doors upon them.

And there was exceeding great joy among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.

And Judas, and his brethren, and all the church of Israel decreed, that the day of the dedication of the altar should be kept in its season from year to year for eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, with joy and gladness.

They built up also at that time Mount Sion, with high walls, and strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should at any time come, and tread it down, as they did before.

And he placed a garrison there, to keep it, and he fortified it, to secure Bethsura, that the people might have a defence against Idumea.

Now it came to pass, when the nations round about heard that the altar and the sanctuary were built up, as before, that they were exceeding angry.

And they thought to destroy the generation of Jacob that were among them, and they began to kill some of the people, and to persecute them.

Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea, and them that were in Acrabathane: because they beset the Israelites round about, and he made a great slaughter of them.

And he remembered the malice of the children of Bean: who were a snare and a stumblingblock to the people, by lying in wait for them in the way.

And they were shut up by him in towers, and he set upon them, and devoted them to utter destruction, and burnt their towers with fire, and all that were in them.

Then he passed over to the children of Ammon, where he found a mighty power, and much people, and Timotheus was their captain:

And he fought many battles with them, and they were discomfited in their sight, and he smote them:

And he took the city of Gazer and her towns, and returned into Judea.

And the Gentiles that were in Galaad, assembled themselves together against the Israelites that were in their quarters, to destroy them: and they fled into the fortress of Datheman.

And they sent letters to Judas, and his brethren, saying: The heathens that are round about are gathered together against us to destroy us:

And they are preparing to come, and to take the fortress into which we are fled: and Timotheus is the captain of their host.

Now therefore come, and deliver us out of their hands, for many of us are slain.

And all our brethren that were in the places of Tubin, are killed: and they have carried away their wives, and their children, captives, and taken their spoils, and they have slain there almost a thousand men.

And while they were yet reading these letters, behold there came other messengers out of Galilee with their garments rent, who related according to these words:

Saying, that they of Ptolemais, and of Tyre, and of Sidon, were assembled against them, and all Galilee is filled with strangers, in order to consume us.

Now when Judas and the people heard these words, a great assembly met together to consider what they should do for their brethren that were in trouble, and were assaulted by them.

And Judas said to Simon, his brother: Choose thee men, and go, and deliver thy brethren in Galilee: and I, and my brother Jonathan, will go into the country of Galaad:

And he left Joseph, the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the people, with the remnant of the army in Judea, to keep it:

And he commanded them, saying: Take ye the charge of this people; but make no war against the heathens, till we return.

Now three thousand men were allotted to Simon, to go into Galilee: and eight thousand to Judas, to go into the land of Galaad.

And Simon went into Galilee, and fought many battles with the heathens: and the heathens were discomfited before his face, and he pursued them even to the gate of Ptolemais.

And there fell of the heathens almost three thousand men, and he took the spoils of them.

And he took with him those that were in Galilee and in Arbatis, with their wives, and children, and all that they had, and he brought them into Judea with great joy.

And Judas Machabeus, and Jonathan, his brother, passed over the Jordan, and went three days’ journey through the desert.

And the Nabutheans met them, and received them in a peaceable manner, and told them all that happened to their brethren in the land of Galaad,

And that many of them were shut up in Barasa, and in Bosor, and in Alima, and in Casphor, and in Mageth, and in Carnaim; all these strong and great cities.

Yea, and that they were kept shut up in the rest of the cities of Galaad, and that they had appointed to bring their army on the morrow near to these cities, and to take them, and to destroy them all in one day.

Then Judas and his army suddenly turned their march into the desert, to Bosor, and took the city: and he slew every male by the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burnt it with fire.

And they removed from thence by night, and went till they came to the fortress.

And it came to pass that early in the morning, when they lifted up their eyes, behold there were people without number, carrying ladders and engines to take the fortress, and assault them.

And Judas saw that the fight was begun, and the cry of the battle went up to heaven like a trumpet, and a great cry out of the city:

And he said to his host: Fight ye today for your brethren.

And he came with three companies behind them, and they sounded their trumpets, and cried out in prayer.

And the host of Timotheus understood that it was Machabeus, and they fled away before his face and they made a great slaughter of them, and there fell of them in that day almost eight thousand men.

And Judas turned aside to Maspha, and assaulted, and took it, and he slew every male thereof, and took the spoils thereof, and burnt it with fire.

From thence he marched, and took Casbon, and Mageth, and Bosor, and the rest of the cities of Galaad.

But after this Timotheus gathered another army, and camped over against Raphon, beyond the torrent.

And Judas sent men to view the army: and they brought him word, saying: All the nations, that are round about us, are assembled unto him an army exceeding great:

And they have hired the Arabians to help them, and they have pitched their tents beyond the torrent, ready to come to fight against thee. And Judas went to meet them.

And Timotheus said to the captains of his army: When Judas and his army come near the torrent of water, if he pass over unto us first, we shall not be able to withstand him: for he will certainly prevail over us.

But if he be afraid to pass over, and camp on the other side of the river, we will pass over to them, and shall prevail against him.

Now when Judas came near the torrent of water, he set the scribes of the people by the torrent, and commanded them, saying: Suffer no man to stay behind: but let all come to the battle.

And he passed over to them first, and all the people after him, and all the heathens were discomfited before them, and they threw away their weapons, and fled to the temple that was in Carnaim.

And he took that city, and the temple he burnt with fire, with all things that were therein: and Carnaim was subdued, and could not stand against the face of Judas.

And Judas gathered together all the Israelites that were in the land of Galaad, from the least even to the greatest, and their wives and children, and an army exceeding great, to come into the land of Juda.

And they came as far as Ephron: now this was a great city, situate in the way, strongly fortified, and there was no means to turn from it on the right hand or on the left, but the way was through the midst of it.

And they that were in the city shut themselves in, and stopped up the gates with stones: and Judas sent to them with peaceable words,

Saying: Let us pass through your land, to go into our own country, and no man shall hurt you; we will only pass through on foot. But they would not open to them.

Then Judas commanded proclamation to be made in the camp, that they should make an assault, every man in the place where he was.

And the men of the army drew near, and he assaulted that city all the day, and all the night; and the city was delivered into his hands:

And they slew every male with the edge of the sword, and he razed the city, and took the spoils thereof, and passed through all the city over them that were slain.

Then they passed over the Jordan to the great plain that is over against Bethsan.

And Judas gathered together the hindmost, and he exhorted the people, all the way through, till they came into the land of Juda.

And they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, and offered holocausts, because not one of them was slain, till they had returned in peace.

Now in the days that Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brother in Galilee, before Ptolemais,

Joseph, the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captain of the soldiers, heard of the good success, and the battles that were fought,

And he said: Let us also get us a name, and let us go fight against the Gentiles that are round about us.

And he gave charge to them that were in his army, and they went towards Jamnia.

And Gorgias and his men went out of the city, to give them battle.

And Joseph and Azarias were put to flight, and were pursued unto the borders of Judea: and there fell on that day, of the people of Israel, about two thousand men, and there was a great overthrow of the people:

Because they did not hearken to Judas and his brethren, thinking that they should do manfully.

But they were not of the seed of those men by whom salvation was brought to Israel.

And the men of Juda were magnified exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and of all the nations where their name was heard.

And the people assembled to them with joyful acclamations.

Then Judas and his brethren went forth and attacked the children of Esau, in the land towards the south, and he took Chebron and her towns: and he burnt the walls thereof, and the towers all round it.

And he removed his camp to go into the land of the aliens, and he went through Samaria.

In that day some priests fell in battle, while desiring to do manfully they went out unadvisedly to fight.

And Judas turned to Azotus, into the land of the strangers, and he threw down their altars, and he burnt the statues of their gods with fire: and he took the spoils of the cities, and returned into the land of Juda.

Now king Antiochus was going through the higher countries, and he heard that the city of Elymais in Persia, was greatly renowned, and abounding in silver and gold,

And that there was in it a temple exceeding rich; and coverings of gold, and breastplates, and shields, which king Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian, that reigned first in Greece, had left there.

So he came, and sought to take the city and to pillage it; but he was not able, because the design was known to them that were in the city.

And they rose up against him in battle, and he fled away from thence, and departed with great sadness, and returned towards Babylonia.

And whilst he was in Persia there came one that told him how the armies that were in the land of Juda were put to flight:

And that Lysias went with a very great power, and was put to flight before the face of the Jews, and that they were grown strong by the armour, and power, and store of spoils which they had gotten out of the camps which they had destroyed:

And that they had thrown down the abomination which he had set up upon the altar in Jerusalem, and that they had compassed about the sanctuary with high walls as before, and Bethsura also, his city.

And it came to pass, when the king heard these words, that he was struck with fear, and exceedingly moved: and he laid himself down upon his bed, and fell sick for grief, because it had not fallen out to him as he imagined.

And he remained there many days: for great grief came more and more upon him, and he made account that he should die.

And he called for all his friends, and said to them: Sleep is gone from my eyes, and I am fallen away, and my heart is cast down for anxiety:

And I said in my heart: Into how much tribulation am I come, and into what floods of sorrow wherein now I am: I that was pleasant and beloved in my power!

But now I remember the evils that I have done in Jerusalem, from whence also I took away all the spoils of gold, and of silver, that were in it, and I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Juda without cause.

I know, therefore, that for this cause these evils have found me: and behold I perish with great grief in a strange land.

Then he called Philip, one of his friends, and he made him regent over all his kingdom.

And he gave him the crown, and his robe, and his ring, that he should go to Antiochus, his son, and should bring him up for the kingdom.

So king Antiochus died there in the year one hundred and forty-nine.

And Lysias understood that the king was dead, and he set up Antiochus, his son, to reign, whom he had brought up young: and he called his name Eupator.

Now they that were in the castle, had shut up the Israelites round about the holy places: and they were continually seeking their hurt, and to strengthen the Gentiles.

And Judas purposed to destroy them: and he called together all the people, to besiege them.

And they came together, and besieged them in the year one hundred and fifty, and they made battering slings and engines.

And some of the besieged got out: and some wicked men of Israel joined themselves unto them.

And they went to the king, and said: How long dost thou delay to execute judgment, and to revenge our brethren?

We determined to serve thy father, and to do according to his orders, and obey his edicts:

And for this they of our nation are alienated from us, and have slain as many of us as they could find, and have spoiled our inheritances.

Neither have they put forth their hand against us only, but also against all our borders.

And behold they have approached this day to the castle of Jerusalem to take it, and they have fortified the strong hold of Bethsura:

And unless thou speedily prevent them, they will do greater things than these, and thou shalt not be able to subdue them.

Now when the king heard this, he was angry: and he called together all his friends, and the captains of his army, and them that were over the horsemen.

There came also to him from other realms, and from the islands of the sea, hired troops.

And the number of his army was an hundred thousand footmen, and twenty thousand horsemen, and thirty-two elephants trained to battle.

And they went through Idumea, and approached to Bethsura, and fought many days, and they made engines: but they sallied forth, and burnt them with fire, and fought manfully.

And Judas departed from the castle, and removed the camp to Bethzacharam, over against the king’s camp.

And the king rose before it was light, and made his troops march on fiercely towards the way of Bethzacharam: and the armies made themselves ready for the battle, and they sounded the trumpets:

And they shewed the elephants the blood of grapes, and mulberries, to provoke them to fight.

And they distributed the beasts by the legions: and there stood by every elephant a thousand men in coats of mail, and with helmets of brass on their heads: and five hundred horsemen set in order were chosen for every beast.

These before the time wheresoever the beast was they were there: and whithersoever it went, they went, and they departed not from it.

And upon the beast, there were strong wooden towers which covered every one of them: and engines upon them, and upon every one thirty-two valiant men, who fought from above: and an Indian to rule the beast.

And the rest of the horsemen he placed on this side and on that side, at the two wings, with trumpets to stir up the army, and to hasten them forward that stood thick together in the legions thereof.

Now when the sun shone upon the shields of gold, and of brass, the mountains glittered therewith, and they shone like lamps of fire.

And part of the king’s army was distinguished by the high mountains, and the other part by the low places: and they marched on warily and orderly.

And all the inhabitants of the land were moved at the noise of their multitude, and the marching of the company, and the rattling of the armour, for the army was exceeding great and strong.

And Judas and his army drew near for battle: and there fell of the king’s army six hundred men.

And Eleazar, the son of Saura, saw one of the beasts harnessed with the king’s harness: and it was higher than the other beasts; and it seemed to him that the king was on it:

And he exposed himself to deliver his people, and to get himself an everlasting name.

And he ran up to it boldly in the midst of the legion, killing on the right hand, and on the left, and they fell by him on this side and that side.

And he went between the feet of the elephant, and put himself under it: and slew it, and it fell to the ground upon him, and he died there.

Then they seeing the strength of the king and the fierceness of his army, turned away from them.

But the king’s army went up against them to Jerusalem: and the king’s army pitched their tents against Judea and Mount Sion.

And he made peace with them that were in Bethsura: and they came forth out of the city, because they had no victuals, being shut up there, for it was the year of rest to the land.

And the king took Bethsura: and he placed there a garrison to keep it.

And he turned his army against the sanctuary for many days: and he set up there battering slings, and engines, and instruments to cast fire, and engines to cast stones and javelins, and pieces to shoot arrows, and slings.

And they also made engines against their engines, and they fought for many days.

But there were no victuals in the city, because it was the seventh year: and such as had stayed in Judea of them that came from among the nations, had eaten the residue of all that which had been stored up.

And there remained in the holy places but a few, for the famine had prevailed over them: and they were dispersed every man to his own place.

Now Lysias heard that Philip; whom king Antiochus while he lived had appointed to bring up his son, Antiochus, and to reign,

Was returned from Persia, and Media, with the army that went with him and that he sought to take upon him the affairs of the kingdom:

Wherefore he made haste to go, and say to the king and to the captains of the army: We decay daily, and our provision of victuals is small, and the place that we lay siege to is strong, and it lieth upon us to take order for the affairs of the kingdom.

Now, therefore, let us come to an agreement with these men, and make peace with them and with all their nation.

And let us covenant with them, that they may live according to their own laws, as before. For because of our despising their laws, they have been provoked, and have done all these things.

And the proposal was acceptable in the sight of the king, and of the princes: and he sent to them to make peace: and they accepted of it.

And the king and the princes swore to them: and they came out of the strong hold.

Then the king entered into Mount Sion, and saw the strength of the place: and he quickly broke the oath that he had taken, and gave commandment to throw down the wall round about.

And he departed in haste and returned to Antioch, where he found Philip master of the city: and he fought against him, and took the city.