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;

1. Gorgias took with him five thousand infantry and a thousand picked cavalry, and moved out by night

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.

2. to fall upon the Jews and take them by surprise. He had asked men from the Citadel to guide his troops.

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,

3. But Judas learned of this, so he went out with his men to attack the king's army in Emmaus

4. While as yet the forces were dispersed from the camp.

4. while the enemy troops were still dispersed outside the camp.

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

5. Gorgias arrived at the camp of the Jews by night but found no one there. He then began to search for them in the mountains, for he thought: "They are running away from us."

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.

6. But at daybreak, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men who had not the armor or swords they would have liked.

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.

7. They saw the camp of the pagans with its strong fortifications and the calvary surrounding it - all trained men in war.

8. Then said Judas to the men that were with him, Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.

8. Judas said to his men: "Do not fear the number of the enemy or be afraid of their attack.

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

9. Remember how our ancestors were saved at the Red Sea when Pharaoh's army pursued them.

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:

10. Cry out to God, for if he so wishes he will remember his Covenant and destroy that army before us this very day.

11. That so all the heathen may know that there is one who delivereth and saveth Israel.

11. And all the nations will know that Someone saves and liberates Israel."

12. Then the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming over against them.

12. The pagans looked up and saw the Jews coming down against them,

13. Wherefore they went out of the camp to battle; but they that were with Judas sounded their trumpets.

13. so they came out of their camp to face them in battle. Judas had the trumpets sounded

14. So they joined battle, and the heathen being discomfited fled into the plain.

14. and his men attacked. The pagans were defeated and fled to the plain,

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.

15. but all the rear guard fell by the sword. They pursued them to Gazara, to the plains of Idumea, of Azot and Jamnia and killed about three thousand of the enemy.

16. This done, Judas returned again with his host from pursuing them,

16. When Judas and his army stopped chasing them,

17. And said to the people, Be not greedy of the spoil inasmuch as there is a battle before us,

17. he said to the men with him: "Do not think of the booty now, for another battle awaits us.

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.

18. Gorgias with his army is in the hills close by. Remain ready to fight them, and afterwards you can gather the plunder with nothing to worry about."

19. As Judas was yet speaking these words, there appeared a part of them looking out of the mountain:

19. He had barely finished speaking when an army detachment appeared on the hillside.

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:

20. These men saw that their own troops had fled and their camp had been destroyed, for the smoke that rose up from the camp was enough to tell them this.

21. When therefore they perceived these things, they were sore afraid, and seeing also the host of Judas in the plain ready to fight,

21. So they were terrified. And when they saw the army of Judas drawn up on the plain ready for battle,

22. They fled every one into the land of strangers.

22. they fled to the land of the Philistines.

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.

23. So Judas and his men returned to plunder the camp. They carried off valuable booty.

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.

24. And on their return, they sang and praised heaven: For he is good, and his mercy is eternal.

25. Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.

25. That day was a great victory for Israel.

26. Now all the strangers that had escaped came and told Lysias what had happened:

26. The pagans who had escaped went to Lysias and told him what had happened.

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.

27. When he heard this, he was dismayed and depressed because things in Israel had not gone as expected, and he had not carried out the king's command.

28. The next year therefore following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand choice men of foot, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.

28. The following year, he organized an army of sixty thousand men and five thousand cavalry to confront the Jews.

29. So they came into Idumea, and pitched their tents at Bethsura, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

29. They advanced into Idumea and encamped at Bethzur. Judas came out with ten thousand men to meet them in battle.

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;

30. When he saw their military strength, he prayed, "Blessed are you, Savior of Israel, who broke the warrior's strength by the hand of your servant David, and handed over the camp of the Philistines to the power of Jonathan, son of Saul, and to his armor-bearer.

31. Shut up this army in the hand of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their power and horsemen:

31. In the same way, give this army into the hands of your people Israel, and let the confidence they place in their power and in their horses be destroyed.

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:

32. Fill them with fear; shatter their confidence in their own strength. May they be defeated and recover no more.

33. Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee, and let all those that know thy name praise thee with thanksgiving.

33. Deliver them to the sword of your faithful people so that all who know you may praise your name."

34. So they joined battle; and there were slain of the host of Lysias about five thousand men, even before them were they slain.

34. Both sides attacked, and five thousand men from the army of Lysias fell dead.

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.

35. Lysias saw that his army was disheartened, while Judas and his men grew bolder and were ready to live or to die nobly. So he retreated to Antioch, where he recruited mercenaries to strengthen his army, for he planned to return to Judea.

36. Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary.

36. Then Judas and his brothers said: "Our enemies are defeated, so let us go up and purify the Holy Place and consecrate it again."

37. Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion.

37. And all the army assembled and went up to Mount Zion.

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;

38. There they found the sanctuary abandoned, the altar profaned, the gates burned, bushes growing in the courtyard as in a forest or on a mountain, and the rooms destroyed.

39. They rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads,

39. They tore their garments and wept bitterly. Some sprinkled ashes on their heads,

40. And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven.

40. while others prostrated themselves on the ground. They sounded the trumpets and cried aloud to Heaven.

41. Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary.

41. Then Judas chose men to fight against the defenders of the Citadel until he had purified the temple.

42. So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law:

42. He chose blameless priests who showed great zeal for the Law

43. Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place.

43. and had them purify the temple and bring the stones of the abominable altar of the pagans to an unclean place.

44. And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned;

44. They held a council to decide on what should be done with the altar of the holocausts which had been defiled.

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,

45. And they decided to destroy it, so that shame brought about by the pagans might not remain with it.

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.

46. They deposited the stones of the said altar in a convenient place on the temple hill until a prophet should appear to settle the matter.

47. Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former;

47. Then they took uncut stones as the Law prescribed, and built a new altar like the former one.

48. And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts.

48. They repaired the sanctuary, and the interior of the house, and consecrated the courts.

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.

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

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.

50. They burned incense on the altar, and lit the lamps on the lampstand, and these began to shine in the temple.

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.

51. They placed the bread on the table and hung up the curtains - bringing to completion all that had been decided.

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,

52. On the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-eight (164 B.C.)

53. And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.

53. they arose at dawn and offered the sacrifice prescribed by the Law on the new altar of holocausts which they had built.

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.

54. It was precisely at that same time and date that the pagans had profaned it before; but now they consecrated it with songs accompanied by zithers, harps and cymbals.

55. Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success.

55. All the people fell prostrate and blessed Heaven that had given them happiness and success.

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.

56. They celebrated the consecration of the altar for eight days, joyfully offering holocausts and celebrating sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise.

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.

57. The front of the temple was adorned with crowns of gold and shields; the gates and the rooms had been restored and fitted with doors.

58. Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away.

58. There was no end to the celebration among the people, and so the profanation of the temple by the pagans was forgotten.

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.

59. Finally, Judas, his brothers and the whole assembly of Israel agreed to celebrate the anniversary of the consecration of the altar annually for eight days, from the twenty-fifth of the month of Chislev, in high festivity.

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.

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

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.

61. Judas stationed a garrison there to defend it. He also fortified Bethzur so that the people might have a fortress against Idumea.