2 Maccabees
12:1 When these covenants were made, Lysias went unto the king, and the Jews
were about their husbandry.
12:2 But of the governours of several places, Timotheus, and Apollonius the
son of Genneus, also Hieronymus, and Demophon, and beside them Nicanor
the governor of Cyprus, would not suffer them to be quiet and live in
peace.
12:3 The men of Joppa also did such an ungodly deed: they prayed the Jews
that dwelt among them to go with their wives and children into the boats
which they had prepared, as though they had meant them no hurt.
12:4 Who accepted of it according to the common decree of the city, as being
desirous to live in peace, and suspecting nothing: but when they were
gone forth into the deep, they drowned no less than two hundred of them.
12:5 When Judas heard of this cruelty done unto his countrymen, he commanded
those that were with him to make them ready.
12:6 And calling upon God the righteous Judge, he came against those
murderers of his brethren, and burnt the haven by night, and set the
boats on fire, and those that fled thither he slew.
12:7 And when the town was shut up, he went backward, as if he would return
to root out all them of the city of Joppa.
12:8 But when he heard that the Jamnites were minded to do in like manner
unto the Jews that dwelt among them,
12:9 He came upon the Jamnites also by night, and set fire on the haven and
the navy, so that the light of the fire was seen at Jerusalem two
hundred and forty furlongs off.
12:10 Now when they were gone from thence nine furlongs in their journey
toward Timotheus, no fewer than five thousand men on foot and five
hundred horsemen of the Arabians set upon him.
12:11 Whereupon there was a very sore battle; but Judas' side by the help of
God got the victory; so that the Nomades of Arabia, being overcome,
besought Judas for peace, promising both to give him cattle, and to
pleasure him otherwise.
12:12 Then Judas, thinking indeed that they would be profitable in many
things, granted them peace: whereupon they shook hands, and so they
departed to their tents.
12:13 He went also about to make a bridge to a certain strong city, which was
fenced about with walls, and inhabited by people of divers countries;
and the name of it was Caspis.
12:14 But they that were within it put such trust in the strength of the walls
and provision of victuals, that they behaved themselves rudely toward
them that were with Judas, railing and blaspheming, and uttering such
words as were not to be spoken.
12:15 Wherefore Judas with his company, calling upon the great Lord of the
world, who without rams or engines of war did cast down Jericho in the
time of Joshua, gave a fierce assault against the walls,
12:16 And took the city by the will of God, and made unspeakable slaughters,
insomuch that a lake two furlongs broad near adjoining thereunto, being
filled full, was seen running with blood.
12:17 Then departed they from thence seven hundred and fifty furlongs, and
came to Characa unto the Jews that are called Tubieni.
12:18 But as for Timotheus, they found him not in the places: for before he
had dispatched any thing, he departed from thence, having left a very
strong garrison in a certain hold.
12:19 Howbeit Dositheus and Sosipater, who were of Maccabeus' captains, went
forth, and slew those that Timotheus had left in the fortress, above ten
thousand men.
12:20 And Maccabeus ranged his army by bands, and set them over the bands, and
went against Timotheus, who had about him an hundred and twenty thousand
men of foot, and two thousand and five hundred horsemen.
12:21 Now when Timotheus had knowledge of Judas' coming, he sent the women and
children and the other baggage unto a fortress called Carnion: for the
town was hard to besiege, and uneasy to come unto, by reason of the
straitness of all the places.
12:22 But when Judas his first band came in sight, the enemies, being smitten
with fear and terror through the appearing of him who seeth all things,
fled amain, one running into this way, another that way, so as that they
were often hurt of their own men, and wounded with the points of their
own swords.
12:23 Judas also was very earnest in pursuing them, killing those wicked
wretches, of whom he slew about thirty thousand men.
12:24 Moreover Timotheus himself fell into the hands of Dositheus and
Sosipater, whom he besought with much craft to let him go with his life,
because he had many of the Jews' parents, and the brethren of some of
them, who, if they put him to death, should not be regarded.
12:25 So when he had assured them with many words that he would restore them
without hurt, according to the agreement, they let him go for the saving
of their brethren.
12:26 Then Maccabeus marched forth to Carnion, and to the temple of Atargatis,
and there he slew five and twenty thousand persons.
12:27 And after he had put to flight and destroyed them, Judas removed the
host toward Ephron, a strong city, wherein Lysias abode, and a great
multitude of divers nations, and the strong young men kept the walls,
and defended them mightily: wherein also was great provision of engines
and darts.
12:28 But when Judas and his company had called upon Almighty God, who with
his power breaketh the strength of his enemies, they won the city, and
slew twenty and five thousand of them that were within,
12:29 From thence they departed to Scythopolis, which lieth six hundred
furlongs from Jerusalem,
12:30 But when the Jews that dwelt there had testified that the Scythopolitans
dealt lovingly with them, and entreated them kindly in the time of their
adversity;
12:31 They gave them thanks, desiring them to be friendly still unto them: and
so they came to Jerusalem, the feast of the weeks approaching.
12:32 And after the feast, called Pentecost, they went forth against Gorgias
the governor of Idumea,
12:33 Who came out with three thousand men of foot and four hundred horsemen.
12:34 And it happened that in their fighting together a few of the Jews were
slain.
12:35 At which time Dositheus, one of Bacenor's company, who was on horseback,
and a strong man, was still upon Gorgias, and taking hold of his coat
drew him by force; and when he would have taken that cursed man alive, a
horseman of Thracia coming upon him smote off his shoulder, so that
Gorgias fled unto Marisa.
12:36 Now when they that were with Gorgias had fought long, and were weary,
Judas called upon the Lord, that he would shew himself to be their
helper and leader of the battle.
12:37 And with that he began in his own language, and sung psalms with a loud
voice, and rushing unawares upon Gorgias' men, he put them to flight.
12:38 So Judas gathered his host, and came into the city of Odollam, And when
the seventh day came, they purified themselves, as the custom was, and
kept the sabbath in the same place.
12:39 And upon the day following, as the use had been, Judas and his company
came to take up the bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them
with their kinsmen in their fathers' graves.
12:40 Now under the coats of every one that was slain they found things
consecrated to the idols of the Jamnites, which is forbidden the Jews by
the law. Then every man saw that this was the cause wherefore they were
slain.
12:41 All men therefore praising the Lord, the righteous Judge, who had opened
the things that were hid,
12:42 Betook themselves unto prayer, and besought him that the sin committed
might wholly be put out of remembrance. Besides, that noble Judas
exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin, forsomuch as they saw
before their eyes the things that came to pass for the sins of those
that were slain.
12:43 And when he had made a gathering throughout the company to the sum of
two thousand drachms of silver, he sent it to Jerusalem to offer a sin
offering, doing therein very well and honestly, in that he was mindful
of the resurrection:
12:44 For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen
again, it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead.
12:45 And also in that he perceived that there was great favour laid up for
those that died godly, it was an holy and good thought. Whereupon he
made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from
sin.
