1 Maccabees, 3

1. His son, Judas, known as Maccabaeus, then took his place.

1. Then Judas his son, who was called Maccabeus, took command in his place.

2. All his brothers, and all who had attached themselves to his father, supported him, and they fought for Israel with a will.

2. All his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him; they gladly fought for Israel.

3. He extended the fame of his people. Like a giant, he put on the breastplate and buckled on his war harness; he engaged in battle after battle, protecting the ranks with his sword.

3. He extended the glory of his people. Like a giant he put on his breastplate; he girded on his armor of war and waged battles, protecting the host by his sword.

4. He was like a lion in his exploits, like a young lion roaring over its prey.

4. He was like a lion in his deeds, like a lion's cub roaring for prey.

5. He pursued and tracked down the renegades, he consigned those who troubled his people to the flames.

5. He searched out and pursued the lawless; he burned those who troubled his people.

6. The renegades quailed with the terror he inspired, all evil-doers were utterly confounded, and deliverance went forward under his leadership.

6. Lawless men shrank back for fear of him; all the evildoers were confounded; and deliverance prospered by his hand.

7. He brought bitterness to many a king and rejoicing to Jacob by his deeds, his memory is blessed for ever and ever.

7. He embittered many kings, but he made Jacob glad by his deeds, and his memory is blessed for ever.

8. He went through the towns of Judah eliminating the irreligious from them, and diverted the Retribution from Israel.

8. He went through the cities of Judah; he destroyed the ungodly out of the land; thus he turned away wrath from Israel.

9. His name resounded to the ends of the earth, he rallied those who were on the point of perishing.

9. He was renowned to the ends of the earth; he gathered in those who were perishing.

10. Next, Apollonius mustered the gentiles and a large force from Samaria to make war on Israel.

10. But Apollonius gathered together Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel.

11. When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him and routed and killed him. Many fell wounded, and the survivors took to flight.

11. When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell, and the rest fled.

12. Their spoils were seized and the sword of Apollonius was taken by Judas, who used it to fight with throughout his life.

12. Then they seized their spoils; and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and used it in battle the rest of his life.

13. On hearing that Judas had raised a mixed force of believers and seasoned fighters,

13. Now when Seron, the commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a body of faithful men who stayed with him and went out to battle,

14. Seron, commander of the Syrian troops, said, 'I shall make a name for myself and gain honour in the kingdom if I fight Judas and those supporters of his who are so contemptuous of the king's orders.'

14. he said, "I will make a name for myself and win honor in the kingdom. I will make war on Judas and his companions, who scorn the king's command."

15. He therefore launched another expedition, with a strong army of unbelievers to support him in taking revenge on the Israelites.

15. And again a strong army of ungodly men went up with him to help him, to take vengeance on the sons of Israel.

16. He had nearly reached the descent of Beth-Horon when Judas went out to confront him with a handful of men.

16. When he approached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a small company.

17. But as soon as these saw the force advancing to meet them, they said to Judas, 'How can we, few as we are, engage such overwhelming numbers? We are exhausted as it is, not having had anything to eat today.'

17. But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, "How can we, few as we are, fight against so great and strong a multitude? And we are faint, for we have eaten nothing today."

18. 'It is easy', Judas answered, 'for a great number to be defeated by a few; indeed, in the sight of Heaven, deliverance, whether by many or by few, is all one;

18. Judas replied, "It is easy for many to be hemmed in by few, for in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few.

19. for victory in war does not depend on the size of the fighting force: Heaven accords the strength.

19. It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from Heaven.

20. They are coming against us in full-blown insolence and lawlessness to destroy us, our wives and our children, and to plunder us;

20. They come against us in great pride and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to despoil us;

21. but we are fighting for our lives and our laws,

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

22. and he will crush them before our eyes; do not be afraid of them.'

22. He himself will crush them before us; as for you, do not be afraid of them."

23. When he had finished speaking, he made a sudden sally against Seron and his force and overwhelmed them.

23. When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Seron and his army, and they were crushed before him.

24. Judas pursued them down from Beth-Horon as far as the plain. About eight hundred of their men fell, and the rest took refuge in the country of the Philistines.

24. They pursued them down the descent of Beth-horon to the plain; eight hundred of them fell, and the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.

25. Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and alarm seized the surrounding peoples.

25. Then Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and terror fell upon the Gentiles round about them.

26. His name even reached the king's ears, and among the nations there was talk of Judas and his battles.

26. His fame reached the king, and the Gentiles talked of the battles of Judas.

27. The news of these events infuriated Antiochus, and he ordered mobilisation of all the forces in his kingdom, a very powerful army.

27. When king Antiochus heard these reports, he was greatly angered; and he sent and gathered all the forces of his kingdom, a very strong army.

28. Opening his treasury, he distributed a year's pay to his troops, telling them to be prepared for any eventuality.

28. And he opened his coffers and gave a year's pay to his forces, and ordered them to be ready for any need.

29. He then found that the money in his coffers had run short and that the tribute of the province had decreased, as a result of the dissension and disaster brought on the country by his own abrogation of laws that had been in force from antiquity.

29. Then he saw that the money in the treasury was exhausted, and that the revenues from the country were small because of the dissension and disaster which he had caused in the land by abolishing the laws that had existed from the earliest days.

30. He began to fear that, as had happened more than once, he would not have enough to cover the expenses and the lavish bounties he had previously been accustomed to make on a larger scale than his predecessors on the throne.

30. He feared that he might not have such funds as he had before for his expenses and for the gifts which he used to give more lavishly than preceding kings.

31. In this grave quandary he resolved to invade Persia, there to levy tribute on the provinces and so accumulate substantial funds.

31. He was greatly perplexed in mind, and determined to go to Persia and collect the revenues from those regions and raise a large fund.

32. He therefore left Lysias, a nobleman and member of the royal family, to manage the royal affairs between the River Euphrates and the Egyptian frontier,

32. He left Lysias, a distinguished man of royal lineage, in charge of the king's affairs from the river Euphrates to the borders of Egypt.

33. making him responsible for the education of his son Antiochus, until he should come back.

33. Lysias was also to take care of Antiochus his son until he returned.

34. To him Antiochus made over half his forces, with the elephants, giving him instructions about what he wanted done, particularly with regard to the inhabitants of Judaea and Jerusalem,

34. And he turned over to Lysias half of his troops and the elephants, and gave him orders about all that he wanted done. As for the residents of Judea and Jerusalem,

35. against whom he was to send a force, to crush and destroy the power of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, to wipe out their very memory from the place,

35. Lysias was to send a force against them to wipe out and destroy the strength of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem; he was to banish the memory of them from the place,

36. to settle foreigners in all parts of their territory and to distribute their land into lots.

36. settle aliens in all their territory, and distribute their land.

37. The king took the remaining half of his troops with him and set out from Antioch, the capital of his kingdom, in the year 147; he crossed the River Euphrates and made his way through the Upper Provinces.

37. Then the king took the remaining half of his troops and departed from Antioch his capital in the one hundred and forty-seventh year. He crossed the Euphrates river and went through the upper provinces.

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

38. Lysias chose Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, mighty men among the friends of the king,

39. and, under their command, despatched forty thousand foot and seven thousand horse to invade the land of Judah and devastate it, as the king had ordered.

39. and sent with them forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of Judah and destroy it, as the king had commanded.

40. The entire force set out and reached the neighbourhood of Emmaus in the lowlands, where they pitched camp.

40. so they departed with their entire force, and when they arrived they encamped near Emmaus in the plain.

41. The local merchants, hearing the news of this, arrived at the camp, bringing with them a large amount of gold and silver, and fetters as well, proposing to buy the Israelites as slaves; they were accompanied by a company from Idumaea and the Philistine country.

41. When the traders of the region heard what was said to them, they took silver and gold in immense amounts, and fetters, and went to the camp to get the sons of Israel for slaves. And forces from Syria and the land of the Philistines joined with them.

42. Judas and his brothers saw that the situation was going from bad to worse and that armies were camping in their territory; they were also well aware that the king had ordered the people's total destruction.

42. Now Judas and his brothers saw that misfortunes had increased and that the forces were encamped in their territory. They also learned what the king had commanded to do to the people to cause their final destruction.

43. So they said to each other, 'Let us restore the ruins of our people and fight for our people and our sanctuary.'

43. But they said to one another, "Let us repair the destruction of our people, and fight for our people and the sanctuary."

44. The Assembly was summoned, to prepare for war, to offer prayer and to implore compassion and mercy.

44. And the congregation assembled to be ready for battle, and to pray and ask for mercy and compassion.

45. Jerusalem was as empty as a desert, none of her children to go in and out. The sanctuary was trodden underfoot, men of an alien race held the Citadel, which had become a lodging for gentiles. There was no more rejoicing for Jacob, the flute and lyre were mute.

45. Jerusalem was uninhabited like a wilderness; not one of her children went in or out. The sanctuary was trampled down, and the sons of aliens held the citadel; it was a lodging place for the Gentiles. Joy was taken from Jacob; the flute and the harp ceased to play.

46. After mustering, they made their way to Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, since Mizpah was traditionally a place of prayer for Israel.

46. So they assembled and went to Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, because Israel formerly had a place of prayer in Mizpah.

47. That day they fasted and put on sackcloth, covering their heads with ashes and tearing their garments.

47. They fasted that day, put on sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on their heads, and rent their clothes.

48. For the guidance that the gentiles would have sought from the images of their false gods, they opened the Book of the Law.

48. And they opened the book of the law to inquire into those matters about which the Gentiles were consulting the images of their idols.

49. They also brought out the priestly vestments, with first-fruits and tithes, and marshalled the Nazirites who had completed the period of their vow.

49. They also brought the garments of the priesthood and the first fruits and the tithes, and they stirred up the Nazirites who had completed their days;

50. Then, raising their voices to Heaven, they cried, 'What shall we do with these people, and where are we to take them?

50. and they cried aloud to Heaven, saying, "What shall we do with these? Where shall we take them?

51. Your holy place has been trampled underfoot and defiled, your priests mourn in their humiliation,

51. Thy sanctuary is trampled down and profaned, and thy priests mourn in humiliation.

52. and now the gentiles are in alliance to destroy us: you know what they have in mind for us.

52. And behold, the Gentiles are assembled against us to destroy us; thou knowest what they plot against us.

53. How can we stand up and face them if you do not come to our aid?'

53. How will we be able to withstand them, if thou dost not help us?"

54. Then they sounded the trumpets and raised a great shout.

54. Then they sounded the trumpets and gave a loud shout.

55. Next, Judas appointed leaders for the people, to command a thousand, a hundred, fifty or ten men.

55. After this Judas appointed leaders of the people, in charge of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens.

56. Those who were in the middle of building a house, or were about to be married, or were planting a vineyard, or were afraid, he told to go home again, as the Law allowed.

56. And he said to those who were building houses, or were betrothed, or were planting vineyards, or were fainthearted, that each should return to his home, according to the law.

57. The column then marched off and took up a position south of Emmaus.

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

58. 'Stand to your arms,' Judas told them, 'acquit yourselves bravely, in the morning be ready to fight these gentiles massed against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.

58. And Judas said, "Gird yourselves and be valiant. Be ready early in the morning to fight with these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.

59. Better for us to die in battle than to watch the ruin of our nation and our Holy Place.

59. It is better for us to die in battle than to see the misfortunes of our nation and of the sanctuary.

60. Whatever be the will of Heaven, he will perform it.'

60. But as his will in heaven may be, so he will do."