1 Maccabees 4

1Then Gorgias took five thousand men, and a thousand of the best horsemen: and they removed out of the camp by night.

2That they might come upon the camp of the Jews, and strike them suddenly: and the men that were of the castle were their guides.

3And Judas heard of it, and rose up, he and the valiant men, to attack the king’s forces that were in Emmaus.

4For as yet the army was dispersed from the camp.

5And 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.

6And when it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men only, who neither had armour nor swords.

7And 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.

8And Judas said to the men that were with him: Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.

9Remember in what manner our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharao pursued them with a great army.

10And 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:

11And all nations shall know that there is one that redeemeth and delivereth Israel.

12And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them.

13And they went out of the camp to battle, and they that were with Judas sounded the trumpet.

14And they joined battle: and the Gentiles were routed, and fled into the plain.

15But 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.

16And Judas returned again with his army that followed him,

17And he said to the people: Be not greedy of the spoils: for there is war before us:

18And 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.

19And as Judas was speaking these words, behold part of them appeared looking forth from the mountain.

20And 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.

21And 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.

22So they all fled away into the land of the strangers.

23And 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.

24And returning home they sung a hymn, and blessed God in heaven, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.

25So Israel had a great deliverance that day.

26And such of the strangers as escaped, went and told Lysias all that had happened.

27And 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.

28So the year following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand chosen men, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.

29And they came into Judea, and pitched their tents in Bethoron, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

30And 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 armourbearer.

31Shut up this army in the hands of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their host and their horsemen.

32Strike them with fear, and cause the boldness of their strength to languish, and let them quake at their own destruction.

33Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee: and let all that know thy name, praise thee with hymns.

34And they joined battle: and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men.

35And 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.

36Then Judas, and his brethren said: Behold our enemies are discomfited: let us go up now to cleanse the holy places and to repair them.

37And all the army assembled together, and they went up into mount Sion.

38And 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.

39And they rent their garments, and made great lamentation, and put ashes on their heads:

40And they fell face down to the ground on their faces, and they sounded with the trumpets of alarm, and they cried towards heaven.

41Then Judas appointed men to fight against them that were in the castle, till they had cleansed the holy places.

42And he chose priests without blemish, whose will was set upon the law of God:

43And they cleansed the holy places, and took away the stones that had been defiled into an unclean place.

44And he considered about the altar of holocausts that had been profaned, what he should do with it.

45And 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.

46And 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.

47Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former:

48And they built up the holy places, and the things that were within the temple: and they sanctified the temple, and the courts.

49And they made new holy vessels, and brought in the candlestick, and the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.

50And they put incense upon the altar, and lighted up the lamps that were upon the candlestick, and they gave light in the temple.

51And they set the loaves upon the table, and hung up the veils, and finished all the works that they had begun to make.

52And 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.

53And they offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of holocausts which they had made.

54According 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.

55And all the people fell upon their faces, and adored, and blessed up to heaven, him that had prospered them.

56And they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and they offered holocausts with joy, and sacrifices of salvation, and of praise.

57And 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.

58And there was exceeding great joy among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.

59And 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.

60They 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.

61And he placed a garrison there to keep it, and he fortified it to secure Bethsura, that the people might have a defence against Idumea.

1Et assumpsit Gorgias quinque millia virorum, et mille equites electos: et moverunt castra nocte,

2ut applicarent ad castra Judæorum, et percuterent eos subito: et filii, qui erant ex arce, erant illis duces.

3Et audivit Judas, et surrexit ipse et potentes percutere virtutem exercituum regis, qui erant in Emmaum:

4adhuc enim dispersus erat exercitus a castris.

5Et venit Gorgias in castra Judæ noctu, et neminem invenit: et quærebat eos in montibus, quoniam dixit: Fugiunt hi a nobis.

6Et cum dies factus esset, apparuit Judas in campo cum tribus millibus virorum tantum, qui tegumenta et gladios non habebant:

7et viderunt castra gentium valida, et loricatos et equitatus in circuitu eorum, et hi docti ad prælium.

8Et ait Judas viris, qui secum erant: Ne timueritis multitudinem eorum, et impetum eorum ne formidetis.

9Mementote qualiter salvi facti sunt patres nostri in mari Rubro, cum sequeretur eos Pharao cum exercitu multo.

10Et nunc clamemus in cælum: et miserebitur nostri Dominus, et memor erit testamenti patrum nostrorum, et conteret exercitum istum ante faciem nostram hodie:

11et scient omnes gentes quia est qui redimat et liberet Israël.

12Et elevaverunt alienigenæ oculos suos, et viderunt eos venientes ex adverso.

13Et exierunt de castris in prælium, et tuba cecinerunt hi qui erant cum Juda.

14Et congressi sunt: et contritæ sunt gentes, et fugerunt in campum.

15Novissimi autem omnes ceciderunt in gladio, et persecuti sunt eos usque Gezeron, et usque in campos Idumææ, et Azoti, et Jamniæ: et ceciderunt ex illis usque ad tria millia virorum.

16Et reversus est Judas, et exercitus ejus sequens eum.

17Dixitque ad populum: Non concupiscatis spolia: quia bellum contra nos est,

18et Gorgias et exercitus ejus prope nos in monte: sed state nunc contra inimicos nostros, et expugnate eos, et sumetis postea spolia securi.

19Et adhuc loquente Juda hæc, ecce apparuit pars quædam prospiciens de monte.

20Et vidit Gorgias quod in fugam conversi sunt sui, et succenderunt castra: fumus enim, qui videbatur, declarabat quod factum est.

21Quibus illi conspectis timuerunt valde, aspicientes simul et Judam, et exercitum in campo paratum ad prælium.

22Et fugerunt omnes in campum alienigenarum:

23et Judas reversus est ad spolia castrorum, et acceperunt aurum multum, et argentum, et hyacinthinum, et purpuram marinam, et opes magnas.

24Et conversi, hymnum canebant, et benedicebant Deum in cælum, quoniam bonus est, quoniam in sæculum misericordia ejus.

25Et facta est salus magna in Israël in die illa.

26Quicumque autem alienigenarum evaserunt, venerunt, et nuntiaverunt Lysiæ universa quæ acciderant.

27Quibus ille auditis, consternatus animo deficiebat: quod non qualia voluit, talia contigerunt in Israël, et qualia mandavit rex.

28Et sequenti anno, congregavit Lysias virorum electorum sexaginta millia, et equitum quinque millia, ut debellaret eos.

29Et venerunt in Judæam, et castra posuerunt in Bethoron, et occurrit illis Judas cum decem millibus viris.

30Et viderunt exercitum fortem, et oravit, et dixit: Benedictus es, salvator Israël, qui contrivisti impetum potentis in manu servi tui David, et tradidisti castra alienigenarum in manu Jonathæ filii Saul, et armigeri ejus.

31Conclude exercitum istum in manu populi tui Israël, et confundantur in exercitu suo et equitibus.

32Da illis formidinem, et tabefac audaciam virtutis eorum, et commoveantur contritione sua.

33Dejice illos gladio diligentium te: et collaudent te omnes, qui noverunt nomen tuum, in hymnis.

34Et commiserunt prælium: et ceciderunt de exercitu Lysiæ quinque millia virorum.

35Videns autem Lysias fugam suorum, et Judæorum audaciam, et quod parati sunt aut vivere, aut mori fortiter, abiit Antiochiam, et elegit milites, ut multiplicati rursus venirent in Judæam.

36Dixit autem Judas, et fratres ejus: Ecce contriti sunt inimici nostri: ascendamus nunc mundare sancta, et renovare.

37Et congregatus est omnis exercitus, et ascenderunt in montem Sion.

38Et viderunt sanctificationem desertam, et altare profanatum, et portas exustas, et in atriis virgulta nata sicut in saltu vel in montibus, et pastophoria diruta.

39Et sciderunt vestimenta sua, et planxerunt planctu magno, et imposuerunt cinerem super caput suum,

40et ceciderunt in faciem super terram, et exclamaverunt tubis signorum, et clamaverunt in cælum.

41Tunc ordinavit Judas viros ut pugnarent adversus eos qui erant in arce, donec emundarent sancta.

42Et elegit sacerdotes sine macula, voluntatem habentes in lege Dei:

43et mundaverunt sancta, et tulerunt lapides contaminationis in locum immundum.

44Et cogitavit de altari holocaustorum, quod profanatum erat, quid de eo faceret.

45Et incidit illis consilium bonum ut destruerent illud: ne forte illis esset in opprobrium, quia contaminaverunt illud gentes, et demoliti sunt illud.

46Et reposuerunt lapides in monte domus in loco apto, quoadusque veniret propheta, et responderet de eis.

47Et acceperunt lapides integros secundum legem, et ædificaverunt altare novum secundum illud quod fuit prius:

48et ædificaverunt sancta, et quæ intra domum erant intrinsecus: et ædem, et atria sanctificaverunt.

49Et fecerunt vasa sancta nova, et intulerunt candelabrum, et altare incensorum, et mensam, in templum.

50Et incensum posuerunt super altare, et accenderunt lucernas quæ super candelabrum erant, et lucebant in templo.

51Et posuerunt super mensam panes, et appenderunt vela, et consummaverunt omnia opera quæ fecerant.

52Et ante matutinum surrexerunt quinta et vigesima die mensis noni (hic est mensis Casleu) centesimi quadragesimi octavi anni:

53et obtulerunt sacrificium secundum legem super altare holocaustorum novum, quod fecerunt.

54Secundum tempus et secundum diem in qua contaminaverunt illud gentes, in ipsa renovatum est in canticis, et citharis, et cinyris, et in cymbalis.

55Et cecidit omnis populus in faciem, et adoraverunt, et benedixerunt in cælum eum, qui prosperavit eis.

56Et fecerunt dedicationem altaris diebus octo, et obtulerunt holocausta cum lætitia, et sacrificium salutaris et laudis.

57Et ornaverunt faciem templi coronis aureis et scutulis, et dedicaverunt portas et pastophoria, et imposuerunt eis januas.

58Et facta est lætitia in populo magna valde, et aversum est opprobrium gentium.

59Et statuit Judas, et fratres ejus, et universa ecclesia Israël, ut agatur dies dedicationis altaris in temporibus suis ab anno in annum per dies octo a quinta et vigesima die mensis Casleu, cum lætitia et gaudio.

60Et ædificaverunt in tempore illo montem Sion, et per circuitum muros altos et turres firmas, nequando venirent gentes, et conculcarent eum sicut antea fecerunt.

61Et collocavit illic exercitum, ut servarent eum, et munivit eum ad custodiendum Bethsuram, ut haberet populus munitionem contra faciem Idumææ.

1Then Gorgias took five thousand men and a thousand chosen horsemen, and they moved out of the camp by night,

2so that they might set upon the camp of the Jews and strike them suddenly. And the sons who were from the stronghold were their guides.

3And Judas heard of it, and he rose up, with his powerful men, to strike the force from the king’s army that was in Emmaus.

4For the army was still dispersed from the camp.

5And Gorgias came by night, into the camp of Judas, and found no one, and he sought them in the mountains. For he said, “These men flee from us.”

6And when it had become day, Judas appeared in the plain with only three thousand men, who had neither armor nor swords.

7And they saw the strength of the camp of the Gentiles, and the men in armor, and the horsemen surrounding them, and that these were trained to fight.

8And Judas said to the men who were with him: “Do not be afraid of their multitude, and do not dread their attack.

9Remember in what way salvation came to our fathers in the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with a great army.

10And now, let us cry out to heaven, and the Lord will have mercy on us, and he will remember the covenant of our fathers, and he will crush this army before our face this day.

11And all nations shall know that there is One who redeems and frees Israel.”

12And the foreigners lifted up their eyes, and they saw them coming against them.

13And they went out of the camp into battle, and those who were with Judas sounded the trumpet.

14And they came together. And the Gentiles were crushed, and they fled into the plains.

15But the last of them all fell by the sword, and they pursued them even to Gazara, and even to the plains of Idumea, and Azotus, and Jamnia. And there fell from them as many as three thousand men.

16And Judas returned, with his army following him.

17And he said to the people: “Do not desire the spoils; for there is war before us.

18And Gorgias and his army are near us on the mountain. But stand firm now against our enemies, and fight against them, and you shall take the spoils afterwards, securely.”

19And while Judas was speaking these words, behold, a certain part of them appeared, looking out from the mountain.

20And Gorgias saw that his men were put to flight, and that they had set fire to the camp. For the smoke that he saw declared what had happened.

21When they had seen this, they became very afraid, seeing at the same time both Judas and his army in the plains prepared to do battle.

22So they all fled away into the encampment of the foreigners.

23And Judas returned to take the spoils of the camp, and they obtained much gold and silver, and hyacinth, and purple of the sea, and great riches.

24And returning, they sang a canticle, and they blessed God in heaven, because he is good, because his mercy is with every generation.

25And so, a great salvation occurred in Israel in that day.

26But those among the foreigners who escaped went and reported to Lysias all that had happened.

27And when he heard these things, he was discouraged, being alarmed to his very soul. For things had not occurred in Israel according to his wishes, nor as the king had commanded.

28And, in the following year, Lysias gathered together sixty thousand chosen men and five thousand horsemen, so that he might defeat them in warfare.

29And they came into Judea, and they positioned their camp in Bethzur, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

30And they saw the strength of the army, and so he prayed, and he said: “Blessed are you, Savior of Israel, who crushed the assault of the powerful by the hand of your servant David, and who delivered up the camp of the foreigners into the hand of Jonathan, the son of Saul, and his armor bearer.

31Enclose this army in the hand of your people Israel, and let them be confounded in their soldiers and their horsemen.

32Strike them with dread, and melt away the boldness of their strength, and let them shudder in their grief.

33Cast them down with the sword of those who love you, and let all who know your name praise you with hymns.”

34And they went forth to battle, and there fell from the army of Lysias five thousand men.

35But Lysias, seeing their flight and the boldness of the Jews, and that they were prepared either to live or to die with fortitude, went to Antioch and chose soldiers, so that they might come back to Judea with greater numbers.

36Then Judas and his brothers said: “Behold, our enemies have been crushed. Let us go up now to cleanse and renew the holy places.”

37And all the army gathered together, and they ascended to Mount Zion.

38And they saw the sanctuary deserted, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned, and weeds growing up in the courts, as in a forest or as on the mountains, and the adjoining chambers demolished.

39And they rent their garments, and they made a great wailing, and they placed ashes on their heads.

40And they fell to the ground on their faces, and they sounded the trumpets of alarm, and they cried out toward heaven.

41Then Judas numbered men to fight against those who were in the stronghold, until they had cleansed the holy places.

42And he chose priests without blemish, whose will held to the law of God.

43And they cleansed the holy places, and they took away the stones of defilement to an unclean place.

44And he considered the altar of holocausts, which had been profaned, as to what he should do with it.

45And a good counsel fell upon them, to destroy it, lest it might become a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it; so they demolished it.

46And they stored the stones in the mountain house, in a fitting place, until there should come a prophet, who would provide an answer about these.

47Then they took whole stones, according to the law, and they built a new altar, according to that which was before.

48And they rebuilt the holy places and the things that were in the inner parts of the temple, and they sanctified the temple and the courts.

49And they made new holy vessels, and they brought the lampstand, and the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.

50And they placed incense on the altar, and they lit the lamps, which were on the lampstand, and they gave light in the temple.

51And they placed the bread on the table, and they hung up the veils, and they completed all the works which they had begun.

52And they arose before the morning, on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, (which is the month of Kislev) in the one hundred and forty-eighth year.

53And they offered sacrifice, according to the law, on the new altar of holocausts that they made.

54According to the time and according to the day, on which the Gentiles had contaminated it, on the same day, it was renewed with canticles, and lutes, and lyres, and cymbals.

55And all the people fell upon their faces, and they adored, and they blessed, toward heaven, him that had prospered them.

56And they kept the dedication of the altar for eight days, and they offered holocausts with joy, and sacrifices of salvation and praise.

57And they adorned the face of the temple with crowns of gold and small shields. And they dedicated the gates and the adjoining chambers, and they set up doors on them.

58And there was very great rejoicing among the people, and the disgrace of the Gentiles was averted.

59And Judas, and his brothers, and all the assembly of Israel decreed that the day of the dedication of the altar must be kept in its time, from year to year, for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev, with joy and gladness.

60And they built up, at that time, Mount Zion, with high walls and strong towers all around, lest the Gentiles should at any time come and trample upon it, as they did before.

61And he stationed a garrison there, to keep it, and he fortified it, in order to guard Bethzur, so that the people might have a fortification opposite the face of Idumea.