1 Maccabees, 6

1. King Antiochus, meanwhile, was making his way through the Upper Provinces; he had heard that in Persia there was a city called Elymais, renowned for its riches, its silver and gold,

1. King Antiochus was going through the upper provinces when he heard that Elymais in Persia was a city famed for its wealth in silver and gold.

2. and its very wealthy temple containing golden armour, breastplates and weapons, left there by Alexander son of Philip, the king of Macedon, the first to reign over the Greeks.

2. Its temple was very rich, containing golden shields, breastplates, and weapons left there by Alexander, the son of Philip, the Macedonian king who first reigned over the Greeks.

3. He therefore went and attempted to take the city and pillage it, but without success, the citizens having been forewarned.

3. So he came and tried to take the city and plunder it, but he could not, because his plan became known to the men of the city

4. They resisted him by force of arms. He was routed, and began retreating, very gloomily, towards Babylon.

4. and they withstood him in battle. So he fled and in great grief departed from there to return to Babylon.

5. But, while he was still in Persia, news reached him that the armies which had invaded Judaea had been routed,

5. Then some one came to him in Persia and reported that the armies which had gone into the land of Judah had been routed;

6. and that Lysias in particular had advanced in massive strength, only to be forced to turn and flee before the Jews; that the latter were now stronger than ever, thanks to the arms, supplies and abundant spoils acquired from the armies they had cut to pieces,

6. that Lysias had gone first with a strong force, but had turned and fled before the Jews; that the Jews had grown strong from the arms, supplies, and abundant spoils which they had taken from the armies they had cut down;

7. and that they had pulled down the abomination which he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem, had encircled the sanctuary with high walls as in the past, and had fortified Beth-Zur, one of his cities.

7. that they had torn down the abomination which he had erected upon the altar in Jerusalem; and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls as before, and also Beth-zur, his city.

8. When the king heard this news he was amazed and profoundly shaken; he threw himself on his bed and fell sick with grief, since things had not turned out for him as he had planned.

8. When the king heard this news, he was astounded and badly shaken. He took to his bed and became sick from grief, because things had not turned out for him as he had planned.

9. And there he remained for many days, subject to deep and recurrent fits of melancholy, until he realised that he was dying.

9. He lay there for many days, because deep grief continually gripped him, and he concluded that he was dying.

10. Then, summoning all his Friends, he said to them, 'Sleep evades my eyes, and my heart is cowed by anxiety.

10. So he called all his friends and said to them, "Sleep departs from my eyes and I am downhearted with worry.

11. I have been wondering how I could have come to such a pitch of distress, so great a flood as that which now engulfs me -- I who was so generous and well-loved in my heyday.

11. I said to myself, `To what distress I have come! And into what a great flood I now am plunged! For I was kind and beloved in my power.'

12. But now I recall how wrongly I acted in Jerusalem when I seized all the vessels of silver and gold there and ordered the extermination of the inhabitants of Judah for no reason at all.

12. But now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem. I seized all her vessels of silver and gold; and I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without good reason.

13. This, I am convinced, is why these misfortunes have overtaken me, and why I am dying of melancholy in a foreign land.'

13. I know that it is because of this that these evils have come upon me; and behold, I am perishing of deep grief in a strange land."

14. He summoned Philip, one of his Friends, and made him regent of the whole kingdom.

14. Then he called for Philip, one of his friends, and made him ruler over all his kingdom.

15. He entrusted him with his diadem, his robe and his signet, on the understanding that he was to educate his son Antiochus and train him for the throne.

15. He gave him the crown and his robe and the signet, that he might guide Antiochus his son and bring him up to be king.

16. King Antiochus then died, in the year 149.

16. Thus Antiochus the king died there in the one hundred and forty-ninth year.

17. Lysias, learning that the king was dead, established on the throne in succession to him his son Antiochus, whom he had brought up from childhood -- and styled him Eupator.

17. And when Lysias learned that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus the king's son to reign. Lysias had brought him up as a boy, and he named him Eupator.

18. The people in the Citadel at the time were blockading Israel round the sanctuary and were taking every opportunity to harm them and to support the gentiles.

18. Now the men in the citadel kept hemming Israel in around the sanctuary. They were trying in every way to harm them and strengthen the Gentiles.

19. Judas decided that they must be destroyed, and he mobilised the whole people to besiege them.

19. So Judas decided to destroy them, and assembled all the people to besiege them.

20. They assembled and laid siege to the Citadel in the year 150, building batteries and siege-engines.

20. They gathered together and besieged the citadel in the one hundred and fiftieth year; and he built siege towers and other engines of war.

21. But some of the besieged broke through the blockade, and to these a number of renegades from Israel attached themselves.

21. But some of the garrison escaped from the siege and some of the ungodly Israelites joined them.

22. They made their way to the king and said, 'How much longer are you going to wait before you see justice done and avenge our fellows?

22. They went to the king and said, "How long will you fail to do justice and to avenge our brethren?

23. We were content to serve your father, to comply with his orders, and to obey his edicts.

23. We were happy to serve your father, to live by what he said and to follow his commands.

24. As a result our own people will have nothing to do with us; what is more, they have killed all those of us they could catch, and looted our family property.

24. For this reason the sons of our people besieged the citadel and became hostile to us; moreover, they have put to death as many of us as they have caught, and they have seized our inheritances.

25. Nor is it on us alone that their blows have fallen, but on all your territories.

25. And not against us alone have they stretched out their hands, but also against all the lands on their borders.

26. At this moment, they are laying siege to the Citadel of Jerusalem, to capture it, and they have fortified the sanctuary and Beth-Zur.

26. And behold, today they have encamped against the citadel in Jerusalem to take it; they have fortified both the sanctuary and Beth-zur;

27. Unless you forestall them at once, they will go on to even bigger things, and then you will never be able to control them.'

27. and unless you quickly prevent them, they will do still greater things, and you will not be able to stop them."

28. The king was furious when he heard this and summoned all his Friends, the generals of his forces and the marshals of horse.

28. The king was enraged when he heard this. He assembled all his friends, the commanders of his forces and those in authority.

29. He recruited mercenaries from other kingdoms and the Mediterranean islands.

29. And mercenary forces came to him from other kingdoms and from islands of the seas.

30. His forces numbered a hundred thousand foot soldiers, twenty thousand cavalry and thirty-two elephants with experience of battle conditions.

30. The number of his forces was a hundred thousand foot soldiers, twenty thousand horsemen, and thirty-two elephants accustomed to war.

31. They advanced through Idumaea and besieged Beth-Zur, pressing the attack for days on end; they also constructed siege-engines, but the defenders made a sortie and set these on fire, putting up a brave resistance.

31. They came through Idumea and encamped against Beth-zur, and for many days they fought and built engines of war; but the Jews sallied out and burned these with fire, and fought manfully.

32. At this, Judas left the Citadel and pitched camp at Beth-Zechariah opposite the royal encampment.

32. Then Judas marched away from the citadel and encamped at Beth-zechariah, opposite the camp of the king.

33. The king rose at daybreak and marched his army at top speed down the road to Beth-Zechariah, where his forces took up their battle formations and sounded the trumpets.

33. Early in the morning the king rose and took his army by a forced march along the road to Beth-zechariah, and his troops made ready for battle and sounded their trumpets.

34. The elephants were given a syrup of grapes and mulberries to prepare them for the battle.

34. They showed the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries, to arouse them for battle.

35. These animals were distributed among the phalanxes, to each elephant being allocated a thousand men dressed in coats of mail with bronze helmets on their heads; five hundred picked horsemen were also assigned to each beast.

35. And they distributed the beasts among the phalanxes; with each elephant they stationed a thousand men armed with coats of mail, and with brass helmets on their heads; and five hundred picked horsemen were assigned to each beast.

36. The horsemen anticipated every move their elephant made; wherever it went they went with it, never quitting it.

36. These took their position beforehand wherever the beast was; wherever it went they went with it, and they never left it.

37. On each elephant, to protect it, was a stout wooden tower, kept in position by girths, each with its three combatants, as well as its mahout.

37. And upon the elephants were wooden towers, strong and covered; they were fastened upon each beast by special harness, and upon each were four armed men who fought from there, and also its Indian driver.

38. The remainder of the cavalry was stationed on one or other of the two flanks of the army, to harass the enemy and cover the phalanxes.

38. The rest of the horsemen were stationed on either side, on the two flanks of the army, to harass the enemy while being themselves protected by the phalanxes.

39. When the sun glinted on the bronze and golden shields, the mountains caught the glint and gleamed like fiery torches.

39. When the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the hills were ablaze with them and gleamed like flaming torches.

40. One part of the royal army was deployed on the upper slopes of the mountain and the other in the valley below; they advanced in solid, well-disciplined formation.

40. Now a part of the king's army was spread out on the high hills, and some troops were on the plain, and they advanced steadily and in good order.

41. Everyone trembled at the noise made by this vast multitude, the thunder of the troops on the march and the clanking of their armour, for it was an immense and mighty army.

41. All who heard the noise made by their multitude, by the marching of the multitude and the clanking of their arms, trembled, for the army was very large and strong.

42. Judas and his army advanced to give battle, and six hundred of the king's army were killed.

42. But Judas and his army advanced to the battle, and six hundred men of the king's army fell.

43. Eleazar, called Avaran, noticing that one of the elephants was royally caparisoned and was also taller than all the others, and supposing that the king was mounted on it,

43. And Eleazar, called Avaran, saw that one of the beasts was equipped with royal armor. It was taller than all the others, and he supposed that the king was upon it.

44. sacrificed himself to save his people and win an imperishable name.

44. So he gave his life to save his people and to win for himself an everlasting name.

45. Boldly charging towards the creature through the thick of the phalanx, dealing death to right and left, so that the enemy scattered on either side at his onslaught,

45. He courageously ran into the midst of the phalanx to reach it; he killed men right and left, and they parted before him on both sides.

46. he darted in under the elephant, thrust at it from underneath, and killed it. The beast collapsed on top of him, and he died on the spot.

46. He got under the elephant, stabbed it from beneath, and killed it; but it fell to the ground upon him and he died.

47. The Jews however realising how strong the king was and how ferocious his army, retreated ahead of them.

47. And when the Jews saw the royal might and the fierce attack of the forces, they turned away in flight.

48. The royal army moved up to encounter them outside Jerusalem, and the king began to blockade Judaea and Mount Zion.

48. The soldiers of the king's army went up to Jerusalem against them, and the king encamped in Judea and at Mount Zion.

49. He granted peace terms to the people of Beth-Zur, who evacuated the town; it lacked store of provisions to withstand a siege, since the land was enjoying a sabbatical year.

49. He made peace with the men of Beth-zur, and they evacuated the city, because they had no provisions there to withstand a siege, since it was a sabbatical year for the land.

50. Having occupied Beth-Zur, the king stationed a garrison there to hold it.

50. So the king took Beth-zur and stationed a guard there to hold it.

51. He besieged the sanctuary for a long time, erecting batteries and siege-engines, flame-throwers and ballistas, scorpions to discharge arrows, and catapults.

51. Then he encamped before the sanctuary for many days. He set up siege towers, engines of war to throw fire and stones, machines to shoot arrows, and catapults.

52. The defenders countered these by constructing their own engines and were thus able to prolong their resistance.

52. The Jews also made engines of war to match theirs, and fought for many days.

53. But they had no food in their stores since it was the seventh year, and because those who had taken refuge in Judaea from the gentiles had eaten up the last of their reserves.

53. But they had no food in storage, because it was the seventh year; those who found safety in Judea from the Gentiles had consumed the last of the stores.

54. Only a few men were left in the Holy Place, owing to the severity of the famine; the rest had dispersed and gone home.

54. Few men were left in the sanctuary, because famine had prevailed over the rest and they had been scattered, each to his own place.

55. Meanwhile Philip, whom King Antiochus before his death had appointed to train his son Antiochus for the throne,

55. Then Lysias heard that Philip, whom King Antiochus while still living had appointed to bring up Antiochus his son to be king,

56. had returned from Persia and Media with the forces that had accompanied the king, and was planning to seize control of affairs.

56. had returned from Persia and Media with the forces that had gone with the king, and that he was trying to seize control of the government.

57. On hearing this, Lysias at once decided to leave, and said to the king, the generals of the army and the men, 'We are growing weaker every day, we are short of food, and the place we are besieging is well fortified; moreover the affairs of the kingdom demand our attention.

57. So he quickly gave orders to depart, and said to the king, to the commanders of the forces, and to the men, "We daily grow weaker, our food supply is scant, the place against which we are fighting is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom press urgently upon us.

58. Let us offer the hand of friendship to these men and make peace with them and with their whole nation.

58. Now then let us come to terms with these men, and make peace with them and with all their nation,

59. Let us grant them permission to follow their own customs as before, since it is our abolition of these customs that has provoked them into acting like this.'

59. and agree to let them live by their laws as they did before; for it was on account of their laws which we abolished that they became angry and did all these things."

60. The king and his commanders approved this argument, and he offered the Jews peace terms, which they accepted.

60. The speech pleased the king and the commanders, and he sent to the Jews an offer of peace, and they accepted it.

61. The king and the generals ratified the treaty by oath, and the besieged accordingly left the fortress.

61. So the king and the commanders gave them their oath. On these conditions the Jews evacuated the stronghold.

62. The king then entered Mount Zion, but on seeing how impregnable the place was, he broke the oath he had sworn and gave orders for the encircling wall to be demolished.

62. But when the king entered Mount Zion and saw what a strong fortress the place was, he broke the oath he had sworn and gave orders to tear down the wall all around.

63. He then hurriedly withdrew, making off for Antioch, where he found Philip already master of the city. Antiochus gave battle and captured the city by force of arms.

63. Then he departed with haste and returned to Antioch. He found Philip in control of the city, but he fought against him, and took the city by force.