1 Maccabees, 4

1. Gorgias took with him five thousand foot and a thousand picked cavalry, and the force moved off by night

1. Now Gorgias took five thousand infantry and a thousand picked cavalry, and this division moved out by night

2. with the object of attacking the Jewish position and dealing them an unexpected blow; the men from the Citadel were there to guide him.

2. to fall upon the camp of the Jews and attack them suddenly. Men from the citadel were his guides.

3. Judas got wind of it and himself moved off with his fighters to strike at the royal army at Emmaus,

3. But Judas heard of it, and he and his mighty men moved out to attack the king's force in Emmaus

4. while its fighting troops were still dispersed outside the camp.

4. while the division was still absent from the camp.

5. Hence, when Gorgias reached Judas' camp, he found no one and began looking for the Jews in the mountains. 'For', he said, 'we have got them on the run.'

5. When Gorgias entered the camp of Judas by night, he found no one there, so he looked for them in the hills, because he said, "These men are fleeing from us."

6. First light found Judas in the plain with three thousand men, although these lacked the armour and swords they would have wished.

6. At daybreak Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men, but they did not have armor and swords such as they desired.

7. They could now see the gentile encampment with its strong fortifications and cavalry surrounding it, clearly people who understood warfare.

7. And they saw the camp of the Gentiles, strong and fortified, with cavalry round about it; and these men were trained in war.

8. Judas said to his men, 'Do not be afraid of their numbers, and do not flinch at their attack.

8. But Judas said to the men who were with him, "Do not fear their numbers or be afraid when they charge.

9. Remember how our ancestors were delivered at the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing them in force.

9. Remember how our fathers were saved at the Red Sea, when Pharaoh with his forces pursued them.

10. And now let us call on Heaven: if he cares for us, he will remember his covenant with our ancestors and will destroy this army confronting us today;

10. And now let us cry to Heaven, to see whether he will favor us and remember his covenant with our fathers and crush this army before us today.

11. then all the nations will know for certain that there is One who ransoms and saves Israel.'

11. Then all the Gentiles will know that there is one who redeems and saves Israel."

12. The foreigners looked up and, seeing the Jews advancing against them,

12. When the foreigners looked up and saw them coming against them,

13. came out of the camp to join battle. Judas' men sounded the trumpet

13. they went forth from their camp to battle. Then the men with Judas blew their trumpets

14. and engaged them. The gentiles were defeated and fled towards the plain

14. and engaged in battle. The Gentiles were crushed and fled into the plain,

15. and all the stragglers fell by the sword. The pursuit continued as far as Gezer and the plains of Idumaea, Azotus and Jamnia, and the enemy lost about three thousand men.

15. and all those in the rear fell by the sword. They pursued them to Gazara, and to the plains of Idumea, and to Azotus and Jamnia; and three thousand of them fell.

16. Breaking off the pursuit, Judas returned with his men

16. Then Judas and his force turned back from pursuing them,

17. and said to the people, 'Never mind the booty, for we have another battle ahead of us.

17. and he said to the people, "Do not be greedy for plunder, for there is a battle before us;

18. Gorgias and his troops are still near us in the mountains. First stand up to our enemies and fight them, and then you can safely collect the booty.'

18. Gorgias and his force are near us in the hills. But stand now against our enemies and fight them, and afterward seize the plunder boldly."

19. The words were hardly out of Judas' mouth, when a detachment came into view, peering down from the mountain.

19. Just as Judas was finishing this speech, a detachment appeared, coming out of the hills.

20. Observing that their own troops had been routed and that the camp had been fired -- since the smoke, which they could see, attested the fact-

20. They saw that their army had been put to flight, and that the Jews were burning the camp, for the smoke that was seen showed what had happened.

21. they were panic-stricken at the sight; and when, furthermore, they saw Judas' troops drawn up for battle on the plain,

21. When they perceived this they were greatly frightened, and when they also saw the army of Judas drawn up in the plain for battle,

22. they all fled into Philistine territory.

22. they all fled into the land of the Philistines.

23. Judas then turned back to plunder the camp, and a large sum in gold and silver, with violet and sea-purple stuffs, and many other valuables were carried off.

23. Then Judas returned to plunder the camp, and they seized much gold and silver, and cloth dyed blue and sea purple, and great riches.

24. On their return, the Jews chanted praises to Heaven, singing, 'He is kind and his love is everlasting!'

24. On their return they sang hymns and praises to Heaven, for he is good, for his mercy endures for ever.

25. That day had seen a remarkable deliverance in Israel.

25. Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.

26. Those of the foreigners who had escaped came and gave Lysias an account of all that had happened.

26. Those of the foreigners who escaped went and reported to Lysias all that had happened.

27. The news shocked and dismayed him, for affairs in Israel had not gone as he intended, and the result was quite the opposite to what the king had ordered.

27. When he heard it, he was perplexed and discouraged, for things had not happened to Israel as he had intended, nor had they turned out as the king had commanded him.

28. The next year he mobilised sixty thousand picked troops and five thousand cavalry with the intention of finishing off the Jews.

28. But the next year he mustered sixty thousand picked infantrymen and five thousand cavalry to subdue them.

29. They advanced into Idumaea and made their base at Beth-Zur, where Judas met them with ten thousand men.

29. They came into Idumea and encamped at Beth-zur, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

30. When he saw their military strength he offered this prayer, 'Blessed are you, Saviour of Israel, who shattered the mighty warrior's attack at the hand of your servant David, and delivered the Philistine camp into the hands of Jonathan son of Saul, and his armourbearer.

30. When he saw that the army was strong, he prayed, saying, "Blessed art thou, O Savior of Israel, who didst crush the attack of the mighty warrior by the hand of thy servant David, and didst give the camp of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan, the son of Saul, and of the man who carried his armor.

31. Crush this expedition in the same way at the hands of your people Israel; let their troops and cavalry bring them nothing but shame.

31. So do thou hem in this army by the hand of thy people Israel, and let them be ashamed of their troops and their cavalry.

32. Sow panic in their ranks, confound the confidence they put in their numbers and send them reeling in defeat.

32. Fill them with cowardice; melt the boldness of their strength; let them tremble in their destruction.

33. Overthrow them by the sword of those who love you, and all who acknowledge your name will sing your praises.'

33. Strike them down with the sword of those who love thee, and let all who know thy name praise thee with hymns."

34. The two forces engaged, and five thousand men of Lysias' troops fell in hand-to-hand fighting.

34. Then both sides attacked, and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men; they fell in action.

35. Seeing the rout of his army and the courage of Judas' troops and their readiness to live or die nobly, Lysias withdrew to Antioch, where he recruited mercenaries for a further invasion of Judaea in even greater strength.

35. And when Lysias saw the rout of his troops and observed the boldness which inspired those of Judas, and how ready they were either to live or to die nobly, he departed to Antioch and enlisted mercenaries, to invade Judea again with an even larger army.

36. Judas and his brothers then said, 'Now that our enemies have been defeated, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and dedicate it.'

36. Then said Judas and his brothers, "Behold, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the sanctuary and dedicate it."

37. So they marshalled the whole army, and went up to Mount Zion.

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

38. There they found the sanctuary deserted, the altar desecrated, the gates burnt down, and vegetation growing in the courts as it might in a wood or on some mountain, while the storerooms were in ruins.

38. And they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins.

39. They tore their garments and mourned bitterly, putting dust on their heads.

39. Then they rent their clothes, and mourned with great lamentation, and sprinkled themselves with ashes.

40. They prostrated themselves on the ground, and when the trumpets gave the signal they cried aloud to Heaven.

40. They fell face down on the ground, and sounded the signal on the trumpets, and cried out to Heaven.

41. Judas then ordered his men to keep the Citadel garrison engaged until he had purified the sanctuary.

41. Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary.

42. Next, he selected priests who were blameless and zealous for the Law

42. He chose blameless priests devoted to the law,

43. to purify the sanctuary and remove the stones of the 'Pollution' to some unclean place.

43. and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place.

44. They discussed what should be done about the altar of burnt offering which had been profaned,

44. They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned.

45. and very properly decided to pull it down, rather than later be embarrassed about it since it had been defiled by the gentiles. They therefore demolished it

45. And they thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar,

46. and deposited the stones in a suitable place on the hill of the Dwelling to await the appearance of a prophet who should give a ruling about them.

46. and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them.

47. They took unhewn stones, as the Law prescribed, and built a new altar on the lines of the old one.

47. Then they took unhewn stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one.

48. They restored the Holy Place and the interior of the Dwelling, and purified the courts.

48. They also rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple, and consecrated the courts.

49. They made new sacred vessels, and brought the lamp-stand, the altar of incense, and the table into the Temple.

49. They made new holy vessels, and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.

50. They burned incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lamp-stand, and these shone inside the Temple.

50. Then they burned incense on the altar and lighted the lamps on the lampstand, and these gave light in the temple.

51. They placed the loaves on the table and hung the curtains and completed all the tasks they had undertaken.

51. They placed the bread on the table and hung up the curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken.

52. On the twenty-fifth of the ninth month, Chislev, in the year 148 they rose at dawn

52. Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-eighth year,

53. and offered a lawful sacrifice on the new altar of burnt offering which they had made.

53. they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering which they had built.

54. The altar was dedicated, to the sound of hymns, zithers, lyres and cymbals, at the same time of year and on the same day on which the gentiles had originally profaned it.

54. At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals.

55. The whole people fell prostrate in adoration and then praised Heaven who had granted them success.

55. All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them.

56. For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar, joyfully offering burnt offerings, communion and thanksgiving sacrifices.

56. So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness; they offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise.

57. They ornamented the front of the Temple with crowns and bosses of gold, renovated the gates and storerooms, providing the latter with doors.

57. They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and furnished them with doors.

58. There was no end to the rejoicing among the people, since the disgrace inflicted by the gentiles had been effaced.

58. There was very great gladness among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was removed.

59. Judas, with his brothers and the whole assembly of Israel, made it a law that the days of the dedication of the altar should be celebrated yearly at the proper season, for eight days beginning on the twenty-fifth of the month of Chislev, with rejoicing and gladness.

59. Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with gladness and joy for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev.

60. They then proceeded to build high walls with strong towers round Mount Zion, to prevent the gentiles from coming and riding roughshod over it as in the past.

60. At that time they fortified Mount Zion with high walls and strong towers round about, to keep the Gentiles from coming and trampling them down as they had done before.

61. Judas stationed a garrison there to guard it; he also fortified Beth-Zur, so that the people would have a fortress confronting Idumaea.

61. And he stationed a garrison there to hold it. He also fortified Beth-zur, so that the people might have a stronghold that faced Idumea.