1 Maccabees, 4

1. Now Gorgias took five thousand infantry and a thousand picked cavalry, and this detachment set out at night

1. Gorgias took with him five thousand foot and a thousand picked cavalry, and the force moved off by night

2. in order to attack the camp of the Jews and take them by surprise. Some men from the citadel were their guides.

2. with the object of attacking the Jewish position and dealing them an unexpected blow; the men from the Citadel were there to guide him.

3. Judas heard of it, and himself set out with his soldiers to attack the king's army at Emmaus,

3. Judas got wind of it and himself moved off with his fighters to strike at the royal army at Emmaus,

4. while the latter's forces were still scattered away from the camp.

4. while its fighting troops were still dispersed outside the camp.

5. During the night Gorgias came into the camp of Judas, and found no one there; so he began to hunt for them in the mountains, saying, "They are fleeing from us."

5. Hence, when Gorgias reached Judas' camp, he found no one and began looking for the Jews in the mountains. 'For', he said, 'we have got them on the run.'

6. But at daybreak Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men, who lacked such armor and swords as they would have wished.

6. First light found Judas in the plain with three thousand men, although these lacked the armour and swords they would have wished.

7. They saw the army of the Gentiles, strong and breastplated, flanked with cavalry, and made up of expert soldiers.

7. They could now see the gentile encampment with its strong fortifications and cavalry surrounding it, clearly people who understood warfare.

8. Judas said to the men with him: "Do not be afraid of their numbers or dread their attack.

8. Judas said to his men, 'Do not be afraid of their numbers, and do not flinch at their attack.

9. Remember how our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with an army.

9. Remember how our ancestors were delivered at the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing them in force.

10. So now let us cry to Heaven in the hope that he will favor us, remember his covenant with our fathers, and destroy this army before us today.

10. And now let us call on Heaven: if he cares for us, he will remember his covenant with our ancestors and will destroy this army confronting us today;

11. All the Gentiles shall know that there is One who redeems and delivers Israel."

11. then all the nations will know for certain that there is One who ransoms and saves Israel.'

12. When the foreigners looked up and saw them marching toward them,

12. The foreigners looked up and, seeing the Jews advancing against them,

13. they came out of their camp for battle, and the men with Judas blew the trumpet.

13. came out of the camp to join battle. Judas' men sounded the trumpet

14. The battle was joined and the Gentiles were defeated and fled toward the plain.

14. and engaged them. The gentiles were defeated and fled towards the plain

15. Their whole rearguard fell by the sword, and they were pursued as far as Gazara and the plains of Judea, to Azotus and Jamnia. About three thousand of their men fell.

15. and all the stragglers fell by the sword. The pursuit continued as far as Gezer and the plains of Idumaea, Azotus and Jamnia, and the enemy lost about three thousand men.

16. When Judas and the army returned from the pursuit,

16. Breaking off the pursuit, Judas returned with his men

17. he said to the people: "Do not be greedy for the plunder, for there is a fight ahead of us,

17. and said to the people, 'Never mind the booty, for we have another battle ahead of us.

18. and Gorgias and his army are near us on the mountain. But now stand firm against our enemies and overthrow them. Afterward you can freely take the plunder."

18. Gorgias and his troops are still near us in the mountains. First stand up to our enemies and fight them, and then you can safely collect the booty.'

19. As Judas was finishing this speech, a detachment appeared, looking down from the mountain.

19. The words were hardly out of Judas' mouth, when a detachment came into view, peering down from the mountain.

20. They saw that their army had been put to flight and their camp was being burned. The smoke that could be seen indicated what had happened.

20. Observing that their own troops had been routed and that the camp had been fired -- since the smoke, which they could see, attested the fact-

21. When they realized this, they were terrified; and when they also saw the army of Judas in the plain ready to attack,

21. they were panic-stricken at the sight; and when, furthermore, they saw Judas' troops drawn up for battle on the plain,

22. they all fled to Philistine territory.

22. they all fled into Philistine territory.

23. Then Judas went back to plunder the camp, and his men collected much gold and silver, violet and crimson cloth, and great treasure.

23. Judas then turned back to plunder the camp, and a large sum in gold and silver, with violet and sea-purple stuffs, and many other valuables were carried off.

24. As they returned, they were singing hymns and glorifying Heaven, "for he is good, for his mercy endures forever."

24. On their return, the Jews chanted praises to Heaven, singing, 'He is kind and his love is everlasting!'

25. Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.

25. That day had seen a remarkable deliverance in Israel.

26. But those of the foreigners who had escaped went and told Lysias all that had occurred.

26. Those of the foreigners who had escaped came and gave Lysias an account of all that had happened.

27. When he heard it he was disturbed and discouraged, because things in Israel had not turned out as he intended and as the king had ordered.

27. The news shocked and dismayed him, for affairs in Israel had not gone as he intended, and the result was quite the opposite to what the king had ordered.

28. So the following year he gathered together sixty thousand picked men and five thousand cavalry, to subdue them.

28. The next year he mobilised sixty thousand picked troops and five thousand cavalry with the intention of finishing off the Jews.

29. They came into Idumea and camped at Beth-zur, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

29. They advanced into Idumaea and made their base at Beth-Zur, where Judas met them with ten thousand men.

30. Seeing that the army was strong, he prayed thus: "Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, who broke the rush of the mighty one by the hand of your servant David and delivered the camp of the Philistines into the hand of Jonathan, the son of Saul, and his armor-bearer.

30. When he saw their military strength he offered this prayer, 'Blessed are you, Saviour of Israel, who shattered the mighty warrior's attack at the hand of your servant David, and delivered the Philistine camp into the hands of Jonathan son of Saul, and his armourbearer.

31. Give this army into the hands of your people Israel; make them ashamed of their troops and their cavalry.

31. Crush this expedition in the same way at the hands of your people Israel; let their troops and cavalry bring them nothing but shame.

32. Strike them with fear, weaken the boldness of their strength, and let them tremble at their own destruction.

32. Sow panic in their ranks, confound the confidence they put in their numbers and send them reeling in defeat.

33. Strike them down by the sword of those who love you, that all who know your name may hymn your praise."

33. Overthrow them by the sword of those who love you, and all who acknowledge your name will sing your praises.'

34. Then they engaged in battle, and about five thousand of Lysias' men fell in hand-to-hand fighting.

34. The two forces engaged, and five thousand men of Lysias' troops fell in hand-to-hand fighting.

35. When Lysias saw his ranks beginning to give way, and the increased boldness of Judas, whose men were ready either to live or to die bravely, he withdrew to Antioch and began to recruit mercenaries so as to return to Judea with greater numbers.

35. Seeing the rout of his army and the courage of Judas' troops and their readiness to live or die nobly, Lysias withdrew to Antioch, where he recruited mercenaries for a further invasion of Judaea in even greater strength.

36. Then Judas and his brothers said, "Now that our enemies have been crushed, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it."

36. Judas and his brothers then said, 'Now that our enemies have been defeated, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and dedicate it.'

37. So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion.

37. So they marshalled the whole army, and went up to Mount Zion.

38. They found the sanctuary desolate, the altar desecrated, the gates burnt, weeds growing in the courts as in a forest or on some mountain, and the priests' chambers demolished.

38. There they found the sanctuary deserted, the altar desecrated, the gates burnt down, and vegetation growing in the courts as it might in a wood or on some mountain, while the storerooms were in ruins.

39. Then they tore their clothes and made great lamentation; they sprinkled their heads with ashes

39. They tore their garments and mourned bitterly, putting dust on their heads.

40. and fell with their faces to the ground. And when the signal was given with trumpets, they cried out to Heaven.

40. They prostrated themselves on the ground, and when the trumpets gave the signal they cried aloud to Heaven.

41. Judas appointed men to attack those in the citadel, while he purified the sanctuary.

41. Judas then ordered his men to keep the Citadel garrison engaged until he had purified the sanctuary.

42. He chose blameless priests, devoted to the law;

42. Next, he selected priests who were blameless and zealous for the Law

43. these purified the sanctuary and carried away the stones of the Abomination to an unclean place.

43. to purify the sanctuary and remove the stones of the 'Pollution' to some unclean place.

44. They deliberated what ought to be done with the altar of holocausts that had been desecrated.

44. They discussed what should be done about the altar of burnt offering which had been profaned,

45. The happy thought came to them to tear it down, lest it be a lasting shame to them that the Gentiles had defiled it; so they tore down the altar.

45. and very properly decided to pull it down, rather than later be embarrassed about it since it had been defiled by the gentiles. They therefore demolished it

46. They stored the stones in a suitable place on the temple hill, until a prophet should come and decide what to do with them.

46. and deposited the stones in a suitable place on the hill of the Dwelling to await the appearance of a prophet who should give a ruling about them.

47. Then they took uncut stones, according to the law, and built a new altar like the former one.

47. They took unhewn stones, as the Law prescribed, and built a new altar on the lines of the old one.

48. They also repaired the sanctuary and the interior of the temple and purified the courts.

48. They restored the Holy Place and the interior of the Dwelling, and purified the courts.

49. They made new sacred vessels and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.

49. They made new sacred vessels, and brought the lamp-stand, the altar of incense, and the table into the Temple.

50. Then they burned incense on the altar and lighted the lamps on the lampstand, and these illuminated the temple.

50. They burned incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lamp-stand, and these shone inside the Temple.

51. They also put loaves on the table and hung up curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken.

51. They placed the loaves on the table and hung the curtains and completed all the tasks they had undertaken.

52. Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, that is, the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-eight,

52. On the twenty-fifth of the ninth month, Chislev, in the year 148 they rose at dawn

53. they arose and offered sacrifice according to the law on the new altar of holocausts that they had made.

53. and offered a lawful sacrifice on the new altar of burnt offering which they had made.

54. On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had defiled it, on that very day it was reconsecrated with songs, harps, flutes, and cymbals.

54. The altar was dedicated, to the sound of hymns, zithers, lyres and cymbals, at the same time of year and on the same day on which the gentiles had originally profaned it.

55. All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised Heaven, who had given them success.

55. The whole people fell prostrate in adoration and then praised Heaven who had granted them success.

56. For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar and joyfully offered holocausts and sacrifices of deliverance and praise.

56. For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar, joyfully offering burnt offerings, communion and thanksgiving sacrifices.

57. They ornamented the facade of the temple with gold crowns and shields; they repaired the gates and the priests' chambers and furnished them with doors.

57. They ornamented the front of the Temple with crowns and bosses of gold, renovated the gates and storerooms, providing the latter with doors.

58. There was great joy among the people now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed.

58. There was no end to the rejoicing among the people, since the disgrace inflicted by the gentiles had been effaced.

59. Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness on the anniversary every year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.

59. Judas, with his brothers and the whole assembly of Israel, made it a law that the days of the dedication of the altar should be celebrated yearly at the proper season, for eight days beginning on the twenty-fifth of the month of Chislev, with rejoicing and gladness.

60. At that time they built high walls and strong towers around Mount Zion, to prevent the Gentiles from coming and trampling over it as they had done before.

60. They then proceeded to build high walls with strong towers round Mount Zion, to prevent the gentiles from coming and riding roughshod over it as in the past.

61. Judas also placed a garrison there to protect it, and likewise fortified Beth-zur, that the people might have a stronghold facing Idumea.

61. Judas stationed a garrison there to guard it; he also fortified Beth-Zur, so that the people would have a fortress confronting Idumaea.