1 Maccabees
4:1 Then took Gorgias five thousand footmen, and a thousand of the best
horsemen, and removed out of the camp by night;
4:2 To the end he might rush in upon the camp of the Jews, and smite them
suddenly. And the men of the fortress were his guides.
4:3 Now when Judas heard thereof he himself removed, and the valiant men
with him, that he might smite the king's army which was at Emmaus,
4:4 While as yet the forces were dispersed from the camp.
4:5 In the mean season came Gorgias by night into the camp of Judas: and
when he found no man there, he sought them in the mountains: for said
he, These fellows flee from us
4:6 But as soon as it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three
thousand men, who nevertheless had neither armour nor swords to their
minds.
4:7 And they saw the camp of the heathen, that it was strong and well
harnessed, and compassed round about with horsemen; and these were
expert of war.
4:8 Then said Judas to the men that were with him, Fear ye not their
multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.
4:9 Remember how our fathers were delivered in the Red sea, when Pharaoh
pursued them with an army.
4:10 Now therefore let us cry unto heaven, if peradventure the Lord will have
mercy upon us, and remember the covenant of our fathers, and destroy
this host before our face this day:
4:11 That so all the heathen may know that there is one who delivereth and
saveth Israel.
4:12 Then the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming over
against them.
4:13 Wherefore they went out of the camp to battle; but they that were with
Judas sounded their trumpets.
4:14 So they joined battle, and the heathen being discomfited fled into the
plain.
4:15 Howbeit all the hindmost of them were slain with the sword: for they
pursued them unto Gazera, and unto the plains of Idumea, and Azotus, and
Jamnia, so that there were slain of them upon a three thousand men.
4:16 This done, Judas returned again with his host from pursuing them,
4:17 And said to the people, Be not greedy of the spoil inasmuch as there is
a battle before us,
4:18 And Gorgias and his host are here by us in the mountain: but stand ye
now against our enemies, and overcome them, and after this ye may boldly
take the spoils.
4:19 As Judas was yet speaking these words, there appeared a part of them
looking out of the mountain:
4:20 Who when they perceived that the Jews had put their host to flight and
were burning the tents; for the smoke that was seen declared what was
done:
4:21 When therefore they perceived these things, they were sore afraid, and
seeing also the host of Judas in the plain ready to fight,
4:22 They fled every one into the land of strangers.
4:23 Then Judas returned to spoil the tents, where they got much gold, and
silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.
4:24 After this they went home, and sung a song of thanksgiving, and praised
the Lord in heaven: because it is good, because his mercy endureth
forever.
4:25 Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.
4:26 Now all the strangers that had escaped came and told Lysias what had
happened:
4:27 Who, when he heard thereof, was confounded and discouraged, because
neither such things as he would were done unto Israel, nor such things
as the king commanded him were come to pass.
4:28 The next year therefore following Lysias gathered together threescore
thousand choice men of foot, and five thousand horsemen, that he might
subdue them.
4:29 So they came into Idumea, and pitched their tents at Bethsura, and Judas
met them with ten thousand men.
4:30 And when he saw that mighty army, he prayed and said, Blessed art thou,
O Saviour of Israel, who didst quell the violence of the mighty man by
the hand of thy servant David, and gavest the host of strangers into the
hands of Jonathan the son of Saul, and his armourbearer;
4:31 Shut up this army in the hand of thy people Israel, and let them be
confounded in their power and horsemen:
4:32 Make them to be of no courage, and cause the boldness of their strength
to fall away, and let them quake at their destruction:
4:33 Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee, and let all those
that know thy name praise thee with thanksgiving.
4:34 So they joined battle; and there were slain of the host of Lysias about
five thousand men, even before them were they slain.
4:35 Now when Lysias saw his army put to flight, and the manliness of Judas'
soldiers, and how they were ready either to live or die valiantly, he
went into Antiochia, and gathered together a company of strangers, and
having made his army greater than it was, he purposed to come again into
Judea.
4:36 Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited:
let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary.
4:37 Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into
mount Sion.
4:38 And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and
the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or
in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests' chambers pulled down;
4:39 They rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon
their heads,
4:40 And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm
with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven.
4:41 Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the
fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary.
4:42 So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in
the law:
4:43 Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an
unclean place.
4:44 And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings,
which was profaned;
4:45 They thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to
them, because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down,
4:46 And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient
place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done
with them.
4:47 Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar
according to the former;
4:48 And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple,
and hallowed the courts.
4:49 They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the
candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the
table.
4:50 And upon the altar they burned incense, and the lamps that were upon the
candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple.
4:51 Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the
veils, and finished all the works which they had begun to make.
4:52 Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called
the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up
betimes in the morning,
4:53 And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt
offerings, which they had made.
4:54 Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in
that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals.
4:55 Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the
God of heaven, who had given them good success.
4:56 And so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days and offered
burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of
deliverance and praise.
4:57 They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and
with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged
doors upon them.
4:58 Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the
reproach of the heathen was put away.
4:59 Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel
ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in
their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five
and twentieth day of the month Casleu, with mirth and gladness.
4:60 At that time also they builded up the mount Sion with high walls and
strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should come and tread it
down as they had done before.
4:61 And they set there a garrison to keep it, and fortified Bethsura to
preserve it; that the people might have a defence against Idumea.
