1 Maccabees, 3

1. Then his son Judas, called Maccabeus, rose up in his stead.

1. Mattathias' son, Judas Maccabeus, succeeded him.

2. And all his brethren helped him, and so did all they that held with his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel.

2. His brothers and all who had followed his father gave him their support and they continued the war with determination.

3. So he gat his people great honour, and put on a breastplate as a giant, and girt his warlike harness about him, and he made battles, protecting the host with his sword.

3. Judas made the name of his people more famous. He put on his breastplate and girded himself with the armor of war like a giant; he fought many battles and protected his camp with his sword.

4. In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey.

4. He was like a lion when he attacked, like a lion's whelp roaring over its prey.

5. For He pursued the wicked, and sought them out, and burnt up those that vexed his people.

5. He pursued the renegades in their secret places and consigned to the flames those who troubled his people.

6. Wherefore the wicked shrunk for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled, because salvation prospered in his hand.

6. All the renegades feared him, all evildoers were confounded, and liberation was accomplished through him.

7. He grieved also many kings, and made Jacob glad with his acts, and his memorial is blessed for ever.

7. Many kings feared him, while the people of Israel rejoiced in his deeds. His memory shall be blessed forever.

8. Moreover he went through the cities of Juda, destroying the ungodly out of them, and turning away wrath from Israel:

8. He went through the cities of Judah utterly destroying the impious and saved Israel in their trial.

9. So that he was renowned unto the utmost part of the earth, and he received unto him such as were ready to perish.

9. His fame resounded to the ends of the earth for having gathered those about to perish.

10. Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles together, and a great host out of Samaria, to fight against Israel.

10. Apollonius also gathered together men from the pagans and a good number of Samaritans to fight Israel.

11. Which thing when Judas perceived, he went forth to meet him, and so he smote him, and slew him: many also fell down slain, but the rest fled.

11. When Judas learned of this, he went out to meet him in battle; he defeated and killed him. Many of the enemy fell and the rest fled.

12. Wherefore Judas took their spoils, and Apollonius' sword also, and therewith he fought all his life long.

12. They seized the plunder and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and from then on he always used it in battle.

13. Now when Seron, a prince of the army of Syria, heard say that Judas had gathered unto him a multitude and company of the faithful to go out with him to war;

13. Seron, the commander of the Syrian army, learned that Judas had gathered many men and that the whole community of believers was at his side.

14. He said, I will get me a name and honour in the kingdom; for I will go fight with Judas and them that are with him, who despise the king's commandment.

14. He thought: "This is now the opportunity for me to make myself famous and become an important man in the kingdom. I will go to fight Judas and his men who do not obey the king's order."

15. So he made him ready to go up, and there went with him a mighty host of the ungodly to help him, and to be avenged of the children of Israel.

15. So he did, and a strong army of pagans went up with him to help him take vengeance on the children of Israel.

16. And when he came near to the going up of Bethhoron, Judas went forth to meet him with a small company:

16. As Seron approached the slope of Beth-horon, Judas went out to confront him with a small company of warriors.

17. Who, when they saw the host coming to meet them, said unto Judas, How shall we be able, being so few, to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, seeing we are ready to faint with fasting all this day?

17. But on seeing the enemy advancing against them, Judas' men said to him, "How can we, few as we are, fight against so many? And besides, we feel weak for we have not eaten anything today."

18. Unto whom Judas answered, It is no hard matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few; and with the God of heaven it is all one, to deliver with a great multitude, or a small company:

18. But Judas declared: "A multitude shall easily fall into the hands of a few, for Heaven can win over equally well with the help of many or of few.

19. For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host; but strength cometh from heaven.

19. Victory does not depend on the number of those who fight, but on Heaven which gives us strength.

20. They come against us in much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and our wives and children, and to spoil us:

20. They come against us, moved by their pride and lawlessness, to seize us and take possession of our wives and children and to take everything away from us.

21. But we fight for our lives and our laws.

21. But we are fighting for our lives and our laws.

22. Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: and as for you, be ye not afraid of them.

22. God will crush them before us; so do not be afraid."

23. Now as soon as he had left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon them, and so Seron and his host was overthrown before him.

23. As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly rushed against the enemies. Seron and his army were defeated.

24. And they pursued them from the going down of Bethhoron unto the plain, where were slain about eight hundred men of them; and the residue fled into the land of the Philistines.

24. They pursued them down the slope of Beth-horon to the plain. And about eight hundred of Seron's men fell and the rest escaped to the land of the Philistines.

25. Then began the fear of Judas and his brethren, and an exceeding great dread, to fall upon the nations round about them:

25. With this, fright and fear of Judas and his brothers seized the pagans who lived around them.

26. Insomuch as his fame came unto the king, and all nations talked of the battles of Judas.

26. The fame of his name reached the king, and the pagan nations recounted his battles.

27. Now when king Antiochus heard these things, he was full of indignation: wherefore he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm, even a very strong army.

27. When this news reached King Antiochus, he was furious, so he ordered all the forces of his kingdom to assemble, for he had a powerful army.

28. He opened also his treasure, and gave his soldiers pay for a year, commanding them to be ready whensoever he should need them.

28. He opened his treasury and paid the troops a year's salary, ordering them to be prepared for any eventuality.

29. Nevertheless, when he saw that the money of his treasures failed and that the tributes in the country were small, because of the dissension and plague, which he had brought upon the land in taking away the laws which had been of old time;

29. But he found that the money in the treasury had run short, for the taxes of the provinces had decreased due to dissension and disaster, which he himself had caused in the land by changing the laws that were in force from the earliest days.

30. He feared that he should not be able to bear the charges any longer, nor to have such gifts to give so liberally as he did before: for he had abounded above the kings that were before him.

30. He feared that, as before, he would not have enough funds for his expenses and for the gifts he used to give more lavishly than preceding kings.

31. Wherefore, being greatly perplexed in his mind, he determined to go into Persia, there to take the tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.

31. So great was his need that he decided to go to Persia to collect the taxes from those provinces and raise considerable funds.

32. So he left Lysias, a nobleman, and one of the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates unto the borders of Egypt:

32. Then he left Lysias, a nobleman from the royal family, in charge of the affairs of government, from the river Euphrates to the Egyptian frontier,

33. And to bring up his son Antiochus, until he came again.

33. and with the responsibility of educating the king's son, Antiochus, until his return.

34. Moreover he delivered unto him the half of his forces, and the elephants, and gave him charge of all things that he would have done, as also concerning them that dwelt in Juda and Jerusalem:

34. And he turned over to Lysias half of his troops with the elephants and gave him instructions about his policies. On matters dealing with the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem,

35. To wit, that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away their memorial from that place;

35. Lysias was to send an army to destroy and crush the defenders of Israel and all who remained in Jerusalem and to wipe out even the memory of them.

36. And that he should place strangers in all their quarters, and divide their land by lot.

36. Then he was to have foreigners settle throughout the Jewish territory and distribute the land to them by lot.

37. So the king took the half of the forces that remained, and departed from Antioch, his royal city, the hundred forty and seventh year; and having passed the river Euphrates, he went through the high countries.

37. The king took with him the remaining half of the army and set out from Antioch, the capital of the kingdom, in the year one hundred and forty-seven. He crossed the river Euphrates and went through the upper provinces.

38. Then Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenes, Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends:

38. Lysias chose from among the Friends of the King, Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, Nicanor and Gorgias - all influential men.

39. And with them he sent forty thousand footmen, and seven thousand horsemen, to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it, as the king commanded.

39. With them, he dispatched forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to the Judean province to destroy it as the king had ordered.

40. So they went forth with all their power, and came and pitched by Emmaus in the plain country.

40. They marched out with their troops and encamped on the plain near Emmaus.

41. And the merchants of the country, hearing the fame of them, took silver and gold very much, with servants, and came into the camp to buy the children of Israel for slaves: a power also of Syria and of the land of the Philistines joined themselves unto them.

41. The merchants of the region heard of their arrival, so they went to the camp with large amounts of silver, gold and fetters, proposing to buy the Israelites as slaves. The Syrian army and those from the province of the Philistines also joined the troops.

42. Now when Judas and his brethren saw that miseries were multiplied, and that the forces did encamp themselves in their borders: for they knew how the king had given commandment to destroy the people, and utterly abolish them;

42. Judas and his brothers understood that the situation was becoming worse, because the enemy had encamped in their territory. So when they learned of the king's order to destroy and crush the people,

43. They said one to another, Let us restore the decayed fortune of our people, and let us fight for our people and the sanctuary.

43. they said, "Let us uplift our people from their miserable situation and fight for them and for the Holy Place!"

44. Then was the congregation gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion.

44. The whole community assembled to prepare for war, and they prayed and asked God for mercy and compassion.

45. Now Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness, there was none of her children that went in or out: the sanctuary also was trodden down, and aliens kept the strong hold; the heathen had their habitation in that place; and joy was taken from Jacob, and the pipe with the harp ceased.

45. Like a desert, Jerusalem was left without inhabitants. None of her children went in or out. The temple was profaned, and foreigners lived in the city which had become a dwelling place for the pagans. There was no more rejoicing for Jacob, no flute or zither was heard.

46. Wherefore the Israelites assembled themselves together, and came to Maspha, over against Jerusalem; for in Maspha was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel.

46. So they gathered and went to Mizpah opposite Jerusalem because Mizpah had been a place of prayer for Israel.

47. Then they fasted that day, and put on sackcloth, and cast ashes upon their heads, and rent their clothes,

47. They fasted that day, put on sackcloth, sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their garments.

48. And laid open the book of the law, wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images.

48. They opened the Book of the Law to look for an answer to their questions, just as the pagans consulted the images of their idols.

49. They brought also the priests' garments, and the firstfruits, and the tithes: and the Nazarites they stirred up, who had accomplished their days.

49. They brought the vestments of the priests, the first-fruits and the tithes, and they brought in the Nazirites who had completed the days of their consecration;

50. Then cried they with a loud voice toward heaven, saying, What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them away?

50. they cried aloud to Heaven and said: "What shall we do with this people, and where shall we take them?

51. For thy sanctuary is trodden down and profaned, and thy priests are in heaviness, and brought low.

51. For your sanctuary has been trampled on and profaned, your priests are in mourning and are humiliated.

52. And lo, the heathen are assembled together against us to destroy us: what things they imagine against us, thou knowest.

52. And now the pagans have gathered together to destroy us. You know what they are plotting against us.

53. How shall we be able to stand against them, except thou, O God, be our help?

53. How can we resist them, if you do not come to help us?"

54. Then sounded they with trumpets, and cried with a loud voice.

54. Then they sounded the trumpets and made a great outcry.

55. And after this Judas ordained captains over the people, even captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.

55. After this, Judas appointed officials to lead his people: leaders of a thousand men, leaders of a hundred, of fifty, and of ten.

56. But as for such as were building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or were fearful, those he commanded that they should return, every man to his own house, according to the law.

56. Then he told those who were building houses, those about to marry, those who were planting vineyards, and those who were afraid, to return to their homes, as the Law allowed.

57. So the camp removed, and pitched upon the south side of Emmaus.

57. Next the army marched out and encamped to the south of Emmaus.

58. And Judas said, arm yourselves, and be valiant men, and see that ye be in readiness against the morning, that ye may fight with these nations, that are assembled together against us to destroy us and our sanctuary:

58. Judas told them: "Prepare your weapons; be valiant and be ready to fight in the morning against those foreigners who have joined forces to crush us and remove our Holy Place from this land.

59. For it is better for us to die in battle, than to behold the calamities of our people and our sanctuary.

59. It is better to die fighting than to live and see the misery of our nation and of the Holy Place.

60. Nevertheless, as the will of God is in heaven, so let him do.

60. May Heaven's will be done in everything."