2Mac 8:1 Then Judas Maccabeus, and they that were with him, went privily
into the towns, and called their kinsfolks together, and took unto them all
such as continued in the Jews' religion, and assembled about six thousand
men.
2Mac 8:2 And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon the people
that was trodden down of all; and also pity the temple profaned of ungodly
men;
2Mac 8:3 And that he would have compassion upon the city, sore defaced, and
ready to be made even with the ground; and hear the blood that cried unto
him,
2Mac 8:4 And remember the wicked slaughter of harmless infants, and the
blasphemies committed against his name; and that he would shew his hatred
against the wicked.
2Mac 8:5 Now when Maccabeus had his company about him, he could not be
withstood by the heathen: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.
2Mac 8:6 Therefore he came at unawares, and burnt up towns and cities, and
got into his hands the most commodious places, and overcame and put to
flight no small number of his enemies.
2Mac 8:7 But specially took he advantage of the night for such privy
attempts, insomuch that the fruit of his holiness was spread every where.
2Mac 8:8 So when Philip saw that this man increased by little and little,
and that things prospered with him still more and more, he wrote unto
Ptolemeus, the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, to yield more aid to the
king's affairs.
2Mac 8:9 Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his
special friends, he sent him with no fewer than twenty thousand of all
nations under him, to root out the whole generation of the Jews; and with
him he joined also Gorgias a captain, who in matters of war had great
experience.
2Mac 8:10 So Nicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive Jews, as
should defray the tribute of two thousand talents, which the king was to pay
to the Romans.
2Mac 8:11 Wherefore immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast,
proclaiming a sale of the captive Jews, and promising that they should have
fourscore and ten bodies for one talent, not expecting the vengeance that
was to follow upon him from the Almighty God.
2Mac 8:12 Now when word was brought unto Judas of Nicanor's coming, and he
had imparted unto those that were with him that the army was at hand,
2Mac 8:13 They that were fearful, and distrusted the justice of God, fled,
and conveyed themselves away.
2Mac 8:14 Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord
to deliver them, sold by the wicked Nicanor before they met together:
2Mac 8:15 And if not for their own sakes, yet for the covenants he had made
with their fathers, and for his holy and glorious name's sake, by which they
were called.
2Mac 8:16 So Maccabeus called his men together unto the number of six
thousand, and exhorted them not to be stricken with terror of the enemy, nor
to fear the great multitude of the heathen, who came wrongly against them;
but to fight manfully,
2Mac 8:17 And to set before their eyes the injury that they had unjustly
done to the holy place, and the cruel handling of the city, whereof they
made a mockery, and also the taking away of the government of their
forefathers:
2Mac 8:18 For they, said he, trust in their weapons and boldness; but our
confidence is in the Almighty who at a beck can cast down both them that
come against us, and also all the world.
2Mac 8:19 Moreover, he recounted unto them what helps their forefathers had
found, and how they were delivered, when under Sennacherib an hundred
fourscore and five thousand perished.
2Mac 8:20 And he told them of the battle that they had in Babylon with the
Galatians, how they came but eight thousand in all to the business, with
four thousand Macedonians, and that the Macedonians being perplexed, the
eight thousand destroyed an hundred and twenty thousand because of the help
that they had from heaven, and so received a great booty.
2Mac 8:21 Thus when he had made them bold with these words, and ready to die
for the law and the country, he divided his army into four parts;
2Mac 8:22 And joined with himself his own brethren, leaders of each band, to
wit Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving each one fifteen hundred men.
2Mac 8:23 Also he appointed Eleazar to read the holy book: and when he had
given them this watchword, The help of God; himself leading the first band,
2Mac 8:24 And by the help of the Almighty they slew above nine thousand of
their enemies, and wounded and maimed the most part of Nicanor's host, and
so put all to flight;
2Mac 8:25 And took their money that came to buy them, and pursued them far:
but lacking time they returned:
2Mac 8:26 For it was the day before the sabbath, and therefore they would no
longer pursue them.
2Mac 8:27 So when they had gathered their armour together, and spoiled their
enemies, they occupied themselves about the sabbath, yielding exceeding
praise and thanks to the Lord, who had preserved them unto that day, which
was the beginning of mercy distilling upon them.
2Mac 8:28 And after the sabbath, when they had given part of the spoils to
the maimed, and the widows, and orphans, the residue they divided among
themselves and their servants.
2Mac 8:29 When this was done, and they had made a common supplication, they
besought the merciful Lord to be reconciled with his servants for ever.
2Mac 8:30 Moreover of those that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who
fought against them, they slew above twenty thousand, and very easily got
high and strong holds, and divided among themselves many spoils more, and
made the maimed, orphans, widows, yea, and the aged also, equal in spoils
with themselves.
2Mac 8:31 And when they had gathered their armour together, they laid them
up all carefully in convenient places, and the remnant of the spoils they
brought to Jerusalem.
2Mac 8:32 They slew also Philarches, that wicked person, who was with
Timotheus, and had annoyed the Jews many ways.
2Mac 8:33 Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the victory in
their country they burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire upon the holy
gates, who had fled into a little house; and so he received a reward meet
for his wickedness.
2Mac 8:34 As for that most ungracious Nicanor, who had brought a thousand
merchants to buy the Jews,
2Mac 8:35 He was through the help of the Lord brought down by them, of whom
he made least account; and putting off his glorious apparel, and discharging
his company, he came like a fugitive servant through the midland unto
Antioch having very great dishonour, for that his host was destroyed.
2Mac 8:36 Thus he, that took upon him to make good to the Romans their
tribute by means of captives in Jerusalem, told abroad, that the Jews had
God to fight for them, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they
followed the laws that he gave them.