1 Maccabees
7:1 In the hundred and one and fiftieth year Demetrius the son of Seleucus
departed from Rome, and came up with a few men unto a city of the sea
coast, and reigned there.
7:2 And as he entered into the palace of his ancestors, so it was, that his
forces had taken Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them unto him.
7:3 Wherefore, when he knew it, he said, Let me not see their faces.
7:4 So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his
kingdom,
7:5 There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having
Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain:
7:6 And they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and his brethren
have slain all thy friends, and driven us out of our own land.
7:7 Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go and see
what havock he hath made among us, and in the king's land, and let him
punish them with all them that aid them.
7:8 Then the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who ruled beyond
the flood, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king,
7:9 And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and
commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel.
7:10 So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Judea,
where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable
words deceitfully.
7:11 But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come
with a great power.
7:12 Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes,
to require justice.
7:13 Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that
sought peace of them:
7:14 For said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with
this army, and he will do us no wrong.
7:15 So he spake unto them, peaceably, and sware unto them, saying, we will
procure the harm neither of you nor your friends.
7:16 Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them threescore men, and
slew them in one day, according to the words which he wrote,
7:17 The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood have they
shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.
7:18 Wherefore the fear and dread of them fell upon all the people, who said,
There is neither truth nor righteousness in them; for they have broken
the covenant and oath that they made.
7:19 After this, removed Bacchides from Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in
Bezeth, where he sent and took many of the men that had forsaken him,
and certain of the people also, and when he had slain them, he cast them
into the great pit.
7:20 Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a power to
aid him: so Bacchides went to the king.
7:21 But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.
7:22 And unto him resorted all such as troubled the people, who, after they
had gotten the land of Juda into their power, did much hurt in Israel.
7:23 Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had
done among the Israelites, even above the heathen,
7:24 He went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance
of them that had revolted from him, so that they durst no more go forth
into the country.
7:25 On the other side, when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had
gotten the upper hand, and knew that he was not able to abide their
force, he went again to the king, and said all the worst of them that he
could.
7:26 Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man that
bare deadly hate unto Israel, with commandment to destroy the people.
7:27 So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent unto Judas and
his brethren deceitfully with friendly words, saying,
7:28 Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men,
that I may see you in peace.
7:29 He came therefore to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably.
Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by violence.
7:30 Which thing after it was known to Judas, to wit, that he came unto him
with deceit, he was sore afraid of him, and would see his face no more.
7:31 Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to
fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:
7:32 Where there were slain of Nicanor's side about five thousand men, and
the rest fled into the city of David.
7:33 After this went Nicanor up to mount Sion, and there came out of the
sanctuary certain of the priests and certain of the elders of the
people, to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the burnt sacrifice
that was offered for the king.
7:34 But he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused them shamefully, and
spake proudly,
7:35 And sware in his wrath, saying, Unless Judas and his host be now
delivered into my hands, if ever I come again in safety, I will burn up
this house: and with that he went out in a great rage.
7:36 Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple,
weeping, and saying,
7:37 Thou, O Lord, didst choose this house to be called by thy name, and to
be a house of prayer and petition for thy people:
7:38 Be avenged of this man and his host, and let them fall by the sword:
remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continue any longer.
7:39 So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron,
where an host out of Syria met him.
7:40 But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed,
saying,
7:41 O Lord, when they that were sent from the king of the Assyrians
blasphemed, thine angel went out, and smote an hundred fourscore and
five thousand of them.
7:42 Even so destroy thou this host before us this day, that the rest may
know that he hath spoken blasphemously against thy sanctuary, and judge
thou him according to his wickedness.
7:43 So the thirteenth day of the month Adar the hosts joined battle: but
Nicanor's host was discomfited, and he himself was first slain in the
battle.
7:44 Now when Nicanor's host saw that he was slain, they cast away their
weapons, and fled.
7:45 Then they pursued after them a day's journey, from Adasa unto Gazera,
sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.
7:46 Whereupon they came forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and
closed them in; so that they, turning back upon them that pursued them,
were all slain with the sword, and not one of them was left.
7:47 Afterwards they took the spoils, and the prey, and smote off Nicanors
head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so proudly, and brought
them away, and hanged them up toward Jerusalem.
7:48 For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day
of great gladness.
7:49 Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of
Adar.
7:50 Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while.
