2 Maccabees
10:1 Now Maccabeus and his company, the Lord guiding them, recovered the
temple and the city:
10:2 But the altars which the heathen had built in the open street, and also
the chapels, they pulled down.
10:3 And having cleansed the temple they made another altar, and striking
stones they took fire out of them, and offered a sacrifice after two
years, and set forth incense, and lights, and shewbread.
10:4 When that was done, they fell flat down, and besought the Lord that they
might come no more into such troubles; but if they sinned any more
against him, that he himself would chasten them with mercy, and that
they might not be delivered unto the blasphemous and barbarous nations.
10:5 Now upon the same day that the strangers profaned the temple, on the
very same day it was cleansed again, even the five and twentieth day of
the same month, which is Casleu.
10:6 And they kept the eight days with gladness, as in the feast of the
tabernacles, remembering that not long afore they had held the feast of
the tabernacles, when as they wandered in the mountains and dens like
beasts.
10:7 Therefore they bare branches, and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang
psalms unto him that had given them good success in cleansing his place.
10:8 They ordained also by a common statute and decree, That every year those
days should be kept of the whole nation of the Jews.
10:9 And this was the end of Antiochus, called Epiphanes.
10:10 Now will we declare the acts of Antiochus Eupator, who was the son of
this wicked man, gathering briefly the calamities of the wars.
10:11 So when he was come to the crown, he set one Lysias over the affairs of
his realm, and appointed him his chief governor of Celosyria and
Phenice.
10:12 For Ptolemeus, that was called Macron, choosing rather to do justice
unto the Jews for the wrong that had been done unto them, endeavoured to
continue peace with them.
10:13 Whereupon being accused of the king's friends before Eupator, and called
traitor at every word because he had left Cyprus, that Philometor had
committed unto him, and departed to Antiochus Epiphanes, and seeing that
he was in no honourable place, he was so discouraged, that he poisoned
himself and died.
10:14 But when Gorgias was governor of the holds, he hired soldiers, and
nourished war continually with the Jews:
10:15 And therewithall the Idumeans, having gotten into their hands the most
commodious holds, kept the Jews occupied, and receiving those that were
banished from Jerusalem, they went about to nourish war.
10:16 Then they that were with Maccabeus made supplication, and besought God
that he would be their helper; and so they ran with violence upon the
strong holds of the Idumeans,
10:17 And assaulting them strongly, they won the holds, and kept off all that
fought upon the wall, and slew all that fell into their hands, and
killed no fewer than twenty thousand.
10:18 And because certain, who were no less than nine thousand, were fled
together into two very strong castles, having all manner of things
convenient to sustain the siege,
10:19 Maccabeus left Simon and Joseph, and Zaccheus also, and them that were
with him, who were enough to besiege them, and departed himself unto
those places which more needed his help.
10:20 Now they that were with Simon, being led with covetousness, were
persuaded for money through certain of those that were in the castle,
and took seventy thousand drachms, and let some of them escape.
10:21 But when it was told Maccabeus what was done, he called the governors of
the people together, and accused those men, that they had sold their
brethren for money, and set their enemies free to fight against them.
10:22 So he slew those that were found traitors, and immediately took the two
castles.
10:23 And having good success with his weapons in all things he took in hand,
he slew in the two holds more than twenty thousand.
10:24 Now Timotheus, whom the Jews had overcome before, when he had gathered a
great multitude of foreign forces, and horses out of Asia not a few,
came as though he would take Jewry by force of arms.
10:25 But when he drew near, they that were with Maccabeus turned themselves
to pray unto God, and sprinkled earth upon their heads, and girded their
loins with sackcloth,
10:26 And fell down at the foot of the altar, and besought him to be merciful
to them, and to be an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their
adversaries, as the law declareth.
10:27 So after the prayer they took their weapons, and went on further from
the city: and when they drew near to their enemies, they kept by
themselves.
10:28 Now the sun being newly risen, they joined both together; the one part
having together with their virtue their refuge also unto the Lord for a
pledge of their success and victory: the other side making their rage
leader of their battle
10:29 But when the battle waxed strong, there appeared unto the enemies from
heaven five comely men upon horses, with bridles of gold, and two of
them led the Jews,
10:30 And took Maccabeus betwixt them, and covered him on every side weapons,
and kept him safe, but shot arrows and lightnings against the enemies:
so that being confounded with blindness, and full of trouble, they were
killed.
10:31 And there were slain of footmen twenty thousand and five hundred, and
six hundred horsemen.
10:32 As for Timotheus himself, he fled into a very strong hold, called Gawra,
where Chereas was governor.
10:33 But they that were with Maccabeus laid siege against the fortress
courageously four days.
10:34 And they that were within, trusting to the strength of the place,
blasphemed exceedingly, and uttered wicked words.
10:35 Nevertheless upon the fifth day early twenty young men of Maccabeus'
company, inflamed with anger because of the blasphemies, assaulted the
wall manly, and with a fierce courage killed all that they met withal.
10:36 Others likewise ascending after them, whiles they were busied with them
that were within, burnt the towers, and kindling fires burnt the
blasphemers alive; and others broke open the gates, and, having received
in the rest of the army, took the city,
10:37 And killed Timotheus, that was hid in a certain pit, and Chereas his
brother, with Apollophanes.
10:38 When this was done, they praised the Lord with psalms and thanksgiving,
who had done so great things for Israel, and given them the victory.
