1 Maccabees, 7

1. In the hundred and one and fiftieth year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came up with a few men unto a city of the sea coast, and reigned there.

1. In the year one hundred and fifty-one, Demetrius the son of Seleucus escaped from Rome. He sailed with a few men to a port of the kingdom where he arrived and proclaimed himself king.

2. And as he entered into the palace of his ancestors, so it was, that his forces had taken Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them unto him.

2. As soon as he entered the kingdom of his fathers, the army arrested Antiochus and Lysias to hand them over to him.

3. Wherefore, when he knew it, he said, Let me not see their faces.

3. When Demetrius heard this, he said: "I do not want to see their faces."

4. So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom,

4. So the army executed them and Demetrius took the throne.

5. There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain:

5. At once all the Israelites without law or religion came to him. They were led by Alcimus, a man who sought the office of chief priest for himself.

6. And they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and his brethren have slain all thy friends, and driven us out of our own land.

6. And they began accusing their own people before the king, "Judas and his brothers have murdered all your friends and have driven us away from our land.

7. Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go and see what havock he hath made among us, and in the king's land, and let him punish them with all them that aid them.

7. Send one of your trustworthy Friends, to see the havoc they have caused us and our province which belongs to the king. Let him punish all who support them."

8. Then the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who ruled beyond the flood, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king,

8. The king chose Bacchides, one of his Friends and a distinguished man of the kingdom, the governor of the western province of the Euphrates.

9. And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel.

9. He also sent with him Alcimus whom he had appointed chief priest, and ordered them to punish the Israelites.

10. So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Judea, where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.

10. They set out with a large army. On reaching Judea, they sent messengers to Judas and his brothers with treacherous proposals of peace.

11. But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great power.

11. But the Jews who knew that they came with a powerful army, did not trust them.

12. Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to require justice.

12. However, a commission of teachers of the Law met with Alcimus and Bacchides to seek a satisfactory solution.

13. Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them:

13. These men from the group of the Hasideans, the first to seek peace in Israel,

14. For said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army, and he will do us no wrong.

14. reasoned like this: "A man in the line of Aaron has come with the army, he will surely deal with us in fairness."

15. So he spake unto them, peaceably, and sware unto them, saying, we will procure the harm neither of you nor your friends.

15. Bacchides, moreover, sent them a friendly message and assured them under oath: "We do not wish any harm to you and your friends."

16. Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them threescore men, and slew them in one day, according to the words which he wrote,

16. They believed him. But he arrested sixty of them and executed them the same day, according to the word of the Scripture:

17. The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

17. Around Jerusalem, they have scattered the dead bodies of your saints; they have shed their blood, and there was no one to bury them.

18. Wherefore the fear and dread of them fell upon all the people, who said, There is neither truth nor righteousness in them; for they have broken the covenant and oath that they made.

18. All the people were terrified and feared them. They said, "There is no justice or truth in these people who have violated the agreement they made with an oath."

19. After this, removed Bacchides from Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bezeth, where he sent and took many of the men that had forsaken him, and certain of the people also, and when he had slain them, he cast them into the great pit.

19. Bacchides left Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-zur. From there, he ordered the arrest of many prominent men who had deserted to him as well as some of the people. And he had them thrown into a deep pit.

20. Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a power to aid him: so Bacchides went to the king.

20. Then he placed the province in the hands of Alcimus, leaving him with an army to help him and he returned to the king.

21. But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.

21. Alcimus struggled to have the Israelites recognize him as chief priest,

22. And unto him resorted all such as troubled the people, who, after they had gotten the land of Juda into their power, did much hurt in Israel.

22. and all who disturbed the peace of the people joined him. They became masters of the land of Judea and did great harm to the Israelites.

23. Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites, even above the heathen,

23. Judas saw that Alcimus and his men were an even greater menace to Israel than the pagans had been.

24. He went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance of them that had revolted from him, so that they durst no more go forth into the country.

24. So he went throughout the territory of Judea to do justice to those traitors and to prevent them from going about the country.

25. On the other side, when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had gotten the upper hand, and knew that he was not able to abide their force, he went again to the king, and said all the worst of them that he could.

25. Alcimus realized that Judas and his men were of greater strength and that he could not resist them, so he returned to the king and accused them of serious crimes.

26. Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man that bare deadly hate unto Israel, with commandment to destroy the people.

26. The king then sent Nicanor, one of his more illustrious generals and a known enemy of Israel, with the mission to utterly destroy this people.

27. So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with friendly words, saying,

27. Nicanor reached Jerusalem with a large army; he sent Judas and his brothers false messages of friendship saying to them,

28. Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see you in peace.

28. "Let us not begin as enemies once more; I will come with a few men to meet you face to face in friendship."

29. He came therefore to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by violence.

29. He inded came to Judas and they greeted each other peaceably, but the enemy was prepared to seize him.

30. Which thing after it was known to Judas, to wit, that he came unto him with deceit, he was sore afraid of him, and would see his face no more.

30. Judas was told that Nicanor had come to him treacherously, so he withdrew from Nicanor, and would not see him again.

31. Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:

31. When Nicanor saw that his plans had been discovered, he went out to look for Judas, and this time to fight him. He found him near Capharsalama.

32. Where there were slain of Nicanor's side about five thousand men, and the rest fled into the city of David.

32. About five hundred of Nicanor's men fell and the rest fled to the city of David.

33. After this went Nicanor up to mount Sion, and there came out of the sanctuary certain of the priests and certain of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the burnt sacrifice that was offered for the king.

33. After these events, Nicanor went up to Mount Zion and some of the priests and elders came out of the temple to greet him peacefully and show him the sacrifice they offered for the king.

34. But he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused them shamefully, and spake proudly,

34. But he mocked them, he scorned and insulted them

35. And sware in his wrath, saying, Unless Judas and his host be now delivered into my hands, if ever I come again in safety, I will burn up this house: and with that he went out in a great rage.

35. and angrily swore this oath: "If you do not deliver Judas into my hands immediately, as soon as I have destroyed him, I will return and burn this temple." And he went away furious.

36. Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple, weeping, and saying,

36. The priests entered the temple, and they stood weeping before the altar and the sanctuary. They said,

37. Thou, O Lord, didst choose this house to be called by thy name, and to be a house of prayer and petition for thy people:

37. "You, Lord, chose this House that your name may be invoked in it, that it may be a house of prayer and petition for your people.

38. Be avenged of this man and his host, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continue any longer.

38. Take vengeance on this man and on his army; let them die by the sword. Remember their insults and do not delay in punishing them."

39. So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met him.

39. Nicanor left Jerusalem and encamped in Beth-horon where the Syrian army joined him.

40. But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying,

40. Meanwhile, Judas encamped in Adasa with three thousand men and prayed:

41. O Lord, when they that were sent from the king of the Assyrians blasphemed, thine angel went out, and smote an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them.

41. "Lord, when the messengers of the king of Assyria insulted you, your angel came and killed one hundred and eighty-five thousand of his men.

42. Even so destroy thou this host before us this day, that the rest may know that he hath spoken blasphemously against thy sanctuary, and judge thou him according to his wickedness.

42. So now, crush this army before us, so that all the rest may know that this Nicanor has blasphemed against your temple. Judge him according to his wickedness."

43. So the thirteenth day of the month Adar the hosts joined battle: but Nicanor's host was discomfited, and he himself was first slain in the battle.

43. The two armies met in battle on the thirteenth of the month Adar. Nicanor's army was defeated and he himself was one of the first to fall in the battle.

44. Now when Nicanor's host saw that he was slain, they cast away their weapons, and fled.

44. When his troops saw that he was dead, they threw down their weapons and fled.

45. Then they pursued after them a day's journey, from Adasa unto Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.

45. The Jews pursued them a day's journey from Adasa to the entrance of Gazara, sounding the trumpets as they followed them.

46. Whereupon they came forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and closed them in; so that they, turning back upon them that pursued them, were all slain with the sword, and not one of them was left.

46. The people came out from all the neighboring villages of Judea and surrounded the fugitives, forcing them to return to defend their lives. So all fell by the sword, not even one of them was left.

47. Afterwards they took the spoils, and the prey, and smote off Nicanors head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so proudly, and brought them away, and hanged them up toward Jerusalem.

47. Then the Jews seized the plunder and booty; they cut off Nicanor's head and the right hand he had so arrogantly stretched out, and they displayed them at the entrance to Jerusalem within sight of all.

48. For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day of great gladness.

48. The people were elated and

49. Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of Adar.

49. celebrated their victory annually on the thirteenth of the month Adar.

50. Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while.

50. The land of Judah enjoyed peace for a short time.