1Mac 3:1 Then his son Judas, called
Maccabeus, rose up in his stead.
1Mac 3:2 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.
1Mac 3:3 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.
1Mac 3:4 In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for
his prey.
1Mac 3:5 For He pursued the wicked, and sought them out, and burnt up those
that vexed his people.
1Mac 3:6 Wherefore the wicked shrunk for fear of him, and all the workers of
iniquity were troubled, because salvation prospered in his hand.
1Mac 3:7 He grieved also many kings, and made Jacob glad with his acts, and
his memorial is blessed for ever.
1Mac 3:8 Moreover he went through the cities of Juda, destroying the ungodly
out of them, and turning away wrath from Israel:
1Mac 3:9 So that he was renowned unto the utmost part of the earth, and he
received unto him such as were ready to perish.
1Mac 3:10 Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles together, and a great host
out of Samaria, to fight against Israel.
1Mac 3:11 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.
1Mac 3:12 Wherefore Judas took their spoils, and Apollonius' sword also, and
therewith he fought all his life long.
1Mac 3:13 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;
1Mac 3:14 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.
1Mac 3:15 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.
1Mac 3:16 And when he came near to the going up of Bethhoron, Judas went
forth to meet him with a small company:
1Mac 3:17 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?
1Mac 3:18 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:
1Mac 3:19 For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an
host; but strength cometh from heaven.
1Mac 3:20 They come against us in much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and
our wives and children, and to spoil us:
1Mac 3:21 But we fight for our lives and our laws.
1Mac 3:22 Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face:
and as for you, be ye not afraid of them.
1Mac 3:23 Now as soon as he had left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon
them, and so Seron and his host was overthrown before him.
1Mac 3:24 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.
1Mac 3:25 Then began the fear of Judas and his brethren, and an exceeding
great dread, to fall upon the nations round about them:
1Mac 3:26 Insomuch as his fame came unto the king, and all nations talked of
the battles of Judas.
1Mac 3:27 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.
1Mac 3:28 He opened also his treasure, and gave his soldiers pay for a year,
commanding them to be ready whensoever he should need them.
1Mac 3:29 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;
1Mac 3:30 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.
1Mac 3:31 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.
1Mac 3:32 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:
1Mac 3:33 And to bring up his son Antiochus, until he came again.
1Mac 3:34 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:
1Mac 3:35 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;
1Mac 3:36 And that he should place strangers in all their quarters, and
divide their land by lot.
1Mac 3:37 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.
1Mac 3:38 Then Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenes, Nicanor, and
Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends:
1Mac 3:39 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.
1Mac 3:40 So they went forth with all their power, and came and pitched by
Emmaus in the plain country.
1Mac 3:41 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.
1Mac 3:42 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;
1Mac 3:43 They said one to another, Let us restore the decayed fortune of
our people, and let us fight for our people and the sanctuary.
1Mac 3:44 Then was the congregation gathered together, that they might be
ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion.
1Mac 3:45 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.
1Mac 3:46 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.
1Mac 3:47 Then they fasted that day, and put on sackcloth, and cast ashes
upon their heads, and rent their clothes,
1Mac 3:48 And laid open the book of the law, wherein the heathen had sought
to paint the likeness of their images.
1Mac 3:49 They brought also the priests' garments, and the firstfruits, and
the tithes: and the Nazarites they stirred up, who had accomplished their
days.
1Mac 3:50 Then cried they with a loud voice toward heaven, saying, What
shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them away?
1Mac 3:51 For thy sanctuary is trodden down and profaned, and thy priests
are in heaviness, and brought low.
1Mac 3:52 And lo, the heathen are assembled together against us to destroy
us: what things they imagine against us, thou knowest.
1Mac 3:53 How shall we be able to stand against them, except thou, O God, be
our help?
1Mac 3:54 Then sounded they with trumpets, and cried with a loud voice.
1Mac 3:55 And after this Judas ordained captains over the people, even
captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.
1Mac 3:56 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.
1Mac 3:57 So the camp removed, and pitched upon the south side of Emmaus.
1Mac 3:58 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:
1Mac 3:59 For it is better for us to die in battle, than to behold the
calamities of our people and our sanctuary.
1Mac 3:60 Nevertheless, as the will of God is in heaven, so let him do.