1 Maccabees 1
1
Alexander the Great
1Alexander the Great#1.1 Alexander the Great: Greek “Alexander the son of Philip of Macedonia”; he ruled 336–323 b.c. led his army from Macedonia to attack Darius, the king of Persia and Media. He conquered Darius and became the first Greek to rule that part of the world.#1.1 and became … that part of the world: One possible meaning for the difficult Greek text. 2Alexander fought a lot of wars; he captured strong fortresses and put kings to death. 3In fact, he went across the whole earth and took the treasures of many countries.
Every nation on earth surrendered to Alexander, and he became very famous, but also very arrogant. 4He gathered a powerful army and conquered lands, nations, and rulers, forcing them all to pay taxes to him.
5-7Alexander had ruled for twelve years, when he became sick and knew he was going to die. So he called together some of the men who had grown up with him. They were now his most famous generals, and he gave each one a part of his kingdom.
8The generals each took control of their countries. 9Then after Alexander's death, they crowned themselves kings. Their descendants also ruled as kings#1.9 Their descendants also ruled as kings: 1 Maccabees speaks of many “kings” and “rulers,” especially of Syria. Quite often one of them ruled only part of the Syrian Kingdom, while another ruled a different part, yet each would still call himself a “king” or “ruler.” for many years and caused trouble all over the world.
Antiochus Epiphanes and the Jewish Nation
(2 Maccabees 4.7-17)
10 #
2 Macc 4.7. Antiochus Epiphanes,#1.10 Antiochus Epiphanes: Also known as Antiochus IV (ruled 175–164 b.c.). The name Epiphanes means “god in person.” Antiochus chose it to impress others and force them to obey him. the evil son of King Antiochus the Third#1.10 Antiochus the Third: Ruled 223–187 b.c. of Syria, was a descendant of one of these generals and had been a hostage in Rome.#1.10 hostage in Rome: In 190 or 189 b.c. the Roman army soundly defeated Antiochus III at the battle of Magnesia (northeast of Smyrna), and Antiochus the Fourth was taken as a hostage to Rome, where he stayed for twelve or thirteen years. Then in the year 137#1.10 year 137: That is, 175 b.c. In 1 Maccabees the dates are based on the beginning of the Syrian Kingdom in 312 b.c. of the Syrian Kingdom, he became its ruler.
11About this time, some worthless Jews rejected God's Law and talked many others into following them by saying, “Let's make an agreement with the Gentiles around here. We've had nothing but trouble ever since we stopped cooperating with them.”
12Many of the people thought this was a good idea, 13and with great enthusiasm they went to King Antiochus, who gave them permission to live like Gentiles.
14So these Jews built a place in Jerusalem just like those in Gentile cities where young men exercise in the nude. 15#1 Co 7.18. Some of them even had surgery to keep anyone from knowing they had ever been circumcised. And so, they broke their agreement with God by cooperating with Gentiles and doing other evil things.
Antiochus Attacks Egypt
16 #
4 Macc 4.22. When Antiochus had everything under control, he decided to attack Egypt and make it part of his kingdom. 17So he got together a powerful army, including chariots and elephants, and he also gathered a large navy. Then he invaded Egypt 18and attacked the army of King Ptolemy the Sixth,#1.18 Ptolemy the Sixth: Ruled Egypt 180–145 b.c. who turned and ran, losing many of his troops. 19Antiochus captured the Egyptian towns and fortresses and took everything of value.
Antiochus Robs the Temple in Jerusalem
20 #
4 Macc 4.15. In the year 143#1.20 year 143: That is, 169 b.c. of the Syrian Kingdom, as Antiochus was leading his powerful army home, he attacked Jerusalem. 21He walked arrogantly right into the Jerusalem temple and took the gold altar, the lampstand, and everything that went with it. 22He took the table for the sacred loaves of bread as well as the special bowls, the cups for wine offerings, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold pots for burning incense. Antiochus even stripped off every piece of the gold decoration from the front of the temple. 23He also took the silver, the gold, the fine dishes, and the other treasures that he found hidden in the temple. 24Then he returned to his own country with the things he had stolen.
Antiochus had murdered many people and boasted about what he had done.
* 25And so, all of Israel's leaders
and everyone else
cried and moaned.
26 #
3 Macc 4.6. Young people became sick,
and women
lost their beauty.
27Newlyweds sang about death
and mourned
on their wedding day.
28The land itself felt sorrow,
and everyone in Israel
was terribly ashamed.
Antiochus Punishes the Jews
29Two years later, Antiochus sent an officer to collect taxes from the towns in Judea. The officer led a strong army to Jerusalem, 30and he lied to the people by promising peace. They believed him, but suddenly he attacked Jerusalem, damaging the city and killing many of its people. 31After taking everything he wanted, he set fire to the city, destroying its houses and walls. 32His soldiers even dragged away women, children, and livestock.
33Antiochus ordered his army to build a fortress in Jerusalem#1.33 Jerusalem: The Greek text has “City of David,” which covered the large western hill of Jerusalem. The fortress would have been a threat to the temple, which was on a lower hill to the east. and put up high, thick walls and strong towers. 34There they stationed some Jewish troops who had rejected God's Law. 35They stored in the fortress the weapons, the food, and everything they had stolen from Jerusalem. And they became a great threat.
36The soldiers in the fortress
attacked the temple
and never stopped doing
horrible things to Israel.
37They killed innocent people
all around the temple,
and they made it unfit
as a place of worship.
38Everyone ran from Jerusalem.
Their own city became
a foreign country to them,
and strangers moved in.
39The temple was barren
just like a desert,
and its festivals and Sabbaths
became times of sorrow
and of shame.
Jerusalem had lost all respect.
40Shame and sorrow replaced
its former glory and pride.
Antiochus Attacks the Jewish Religion
41-42Antiochus wanted everyone in his kingdom to follow the same customs. So he made a law that said, “You must give up the traditions of your ancestors.”
43The Gentiles obeyed the king, and many Jews gladly accepted his religion. They offered sacrifices to idols and broke the laws of the Sabbath.
44Messengers from Antiochus brought letters, telling everyone in Jerusalem and in all the towns of Judea about this law. They said:
You must obey the king's law and accept these new customs. 45Don't offer sacrifices in the temple or celebrate the Sabbath and your other festivals. 46Make the temple and everything in it unfit for the worship of your God. 47Build altars and other special places for worshiping our gods and for sacrificing pigs and other animals that your laws forbid.
48Don't circumcise your sons. Forget about what your religion teaches is right or wrong. 49Change your laws and forget about those teachings.
50Anyone who doesn't obey the king will be put to death.
51After Antiochus had sent this law to everyone in his kingdom, his officials went to every town of Judea and tried to make sure the Jews offered sacrifices to foreign gods. 52Many of the people obeyed the king and gave up God's Law. They did evil things everywhere 53and forced the faithful Jews to go into hiding.
The Horrible Thing
54 #
Dn 9.27; 11.31; 12.11; 1 Macc 6.7; Mt 24.15; Mk 13.14. On the fifteenth day of the month of Chislev#1.54 Chislev: The ninth month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-November to mid-December. in the year 145#1.54 year 145: That is, 167 b.c. of the Syrian Kingdom, Antiochus set up a “Horrible Thing”#1.54 “Horrible Thing”: Possibly an altar to the Greek god Zeus, though it could have been an image or images of other pagan gods or goddesses, such as the “Queen of Heaven” or Dionysus, the son of Zeus. on the temple altar. His followers built altars in towns all around Judea, 55and they burned incense in front of their houses and in the streets.
56Antiochus' soldiers tore up and burned any copies of the Jewish Scriptures that they found. 57They obeyed Antiochus and murdered everyone they caught obeying God's Law. These troops also killed any Jew who owned a copy of the Scriptures. 58Month after month and in town after town, his soldiers tortured every faithful Jew they captured.
59On the twenty-fifth day of each month, the king's followers offered sacrifices on the altar they had put on top of the temple altar. 60#2 Macc 6.10. They followed orders and murdered any Jewish mother who let her son be circumcised. 61Antiochus even told these troops, “Hang the baby around his mother's neck, and kill the whole family, as well as the man who circumcised the baby.”
Many Jews Stay Faithful to Their Religion
62Many Jews firmly made up their minds never to eat what their religion said was unclean. 63They chose to die rather than to eat forbidden food and break the agreement God had made with them. Many of them died, 64and the nation suffered terribly.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
1 Maccabees 1
1
Alexander the Great
1This history begins when Alexander the Great, son of Philip of Macedonia, marched from Macedonia and attacked Darius, king of Persia and Media. Alexander enlarged the Greek Empire by defeating Darius and seizing his throne. 2He fought many battles, captured fortified cities, and put the kings of the region to death. 3As he advanced to the ends of the earth, he plundered many nations; and when he had conquered the world, he became proud and arrogant. 4By building up a strong army, he dominated whole nations and their rulers, and forced everyone to pay him taxes.
5-7When Alexander had been emperor for twelve years, he fell ill and realized that he was about to die. He called together his generals, noblemen who had been brought up with him since his early childhood, and divided his empire, giving a part to each of them. 8After his death, the generals took control, 9and each had himself crowned king of his own territory. The descendants of these kings ruled for many generations and brought a great deal of misery on the world.
Antiochus Epiphanes and the Renegade Jews
(2 Macc 4.7–17)
10 #
2 Macc 4.7
The wicked ruler Antiochus Epiphanes, son of King Antiochus the Third of Syria, was a descendant of one of Alexander's generals. Antiochus Epiphanes had been a hostage in Rome before he became king of Syria in the year 137.#1.10 the year 137: The dates in this book are counted from the beginning of the Syrian Kingdom in 312 bc. The year 137 corresponds to 175 bc.
11At that time there appeared in the land of Israel a group of traitorous Jews who had no regard for the Law and who had a bad influence on many of our people. They said, “Let's come to terms with the Gentiles, for our refusal to associate with them has brought us nothing but trouble.” 12This proposal appealed to many people, 13and some of them became so enthusiastic about it that they went to the king and received from him permission to follow Gentile customs. 14They built in Jerusalem a stadium like those in the Greek cities. 15#1 Cor 7.18They had an operation performed to hide their circumcision, abandoned the holy covenant, started associating with#1.15 started associating with; or married. Gentiles, and did all sorts of other evil things.
Antiochus Attacks Egypt
16When Antiochus had firmly established himself as king, he decided to conquer Egypt and rule that country as well as Syria. 17He invaded Egypt with a large fleet of ships and a powerful army, including chariots, elephants, and cavalry. 18When the attack came, King Ptolemy of Egypt turned and fled, and many of his soldiers were killed. 19Antiochus was able to capture the fortified cities of Egypt and plunder the whole land.
Antiochus Persecutes the Jews
20In the year 143,#1.20 the year 143: This corresponds to 169 bc. after the conquest of Egypt, Antiochus marched with a great army against the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. 21In his arrogance, he entered the Temple and took away the gold altar, the lampstand with all its equipment, 22the table for the bread offered to the Lord, the cups and bowls, the gold firepans, the curtain, and the crowns. He also stripped all the gold from the front of the Temple 23and carried off the silver and gold and everything else of value, including all the treasures that he could find stored there. 24Then he took it all to his own country. He also murdered many people and boasted arrogantly about it. 25There was great mourning everywhere in the land of Israel.
26Rulers and leaders groaned in sorrow.
Young men and young women grew weak.
The beauty of our women faded.
27Every bridegroom sang a funeral song,
and every bride sat mourning in her room.
28All our people were clothed with shame,
and our land trembled for them.
29Two years later Antiochus sent a large army from Mysia#1.29 Probable text a large army from Mysia; Greek a tax collector with a large army. against the towns of Judea. When the soldiers entered Jerusalem, 30their commander spoke to the people, offering them terms of peace, and completely deceiving them. Then he suddenly launched a fierce attack on the city, dealing it a major blow and killing many of the people. 31He plundered the city, set it on fire, and tore down its buildings and walls. 32He and his army took the women and children as prisoners and seized the cattle.
33Then Antiochus and his forces built high walls and strong towers in the area north of the Temple, turning it into a fort. 34They brought in a group of traitorous Jews and installed them there. 35They also brought in arms and supplies and stored in the fort all the loot that they had taken in Jerusalem. This fort became a great threat to the city.
36The fort was a threat to the Temple,
a constant, evil menace for Israel.
37Innocent people were murdered round the altar;
the Holy Place was defiled by murderers.
38The people of Jerusalem fled in fear,
and the city became a colony of foreigners.
Jerusalem was foreign to its own people,
who had been forced to abandon the city.
39Her Temple was as empty as a wilderness;
her festivals were turned into days of mourning,
her Sabbath joy into shame.
Her honour became an object of ridicule.
40Her shame was as great as her former glory,
and her pride was turned into deepest mourning.
41-43Antiochus now issued a decree that all nations in his empire should abandon their own customs and become one people. All the Gentiles and even many of the Israelites submitted to this decree. They adopted the official pagan religion, offered sacrifices to idols, and no longer observed the Sabbath.
44The king also sent messengers with a decree to Jerusalem and all the towns of Judea, ordering the people to follow customs that were foreign to the country. 45He ordered them not to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, or wine offerings in the Temple, and commanded them to treat Sabbaths and festivals as ordinary work days. 46They were even ordered to defile the Temple and the holy things in it.#1.46 the holy things in it; or the priests. 47They were commanded to build pagan altars, temples, and shrines, and to sacrifice pigs and other unclean animals there. 48They were forbidden to circumcise their sons and were required to make themselves ritually unclean in every way they could, 49so that they would forget the Law which the Lord had given through Moses and would disobey all its commands. 50The penalty for disobeying the king's decree was death.
51The king not only issued the same decree throughout his whole empire, but he also appointed officials to supervise the people and commanded each town in Judea to offer pagan sacrifices. 52Many of the Jews were ready to forsake the Law and to obey these officials. They defiled the land with their evil, 53and their conduct forced all true Israelites to hide wherever they could.
54 #
Dan 9.27; 11.31; 12.11; 1 Macc 6.7; Mt 24.15; Mk 13.14 On the fifteenth day of the month of Kislev in the year 145,#1.54 the year 145: This corresponds to 167 bc. King Antiochus set up “The Awful Horror” on the altar of the Temple, and pagan altars were built in the towns throughout Judea. 55Pagan sacrifices were offered in front of houses and in the streets. 56Any books of the Law which were found were torn up and burnt, 57and anyone who was caught with a copy of the sacred books or who obeyed the Law was put to death by order of the king. 58Month after month these wicked people used their power against the Israelites caught in the towns.
59On the 25th of the month, these same evil people offered sacrifices on the pagan altar erected on top of the altar in the Temple. 60#2 Macc 6.10Mothers who had allowed their babies to be circumcised were put to death in accordance with the king's decree. 61Their babies were hung round their necks, and their families and those who had circumcised them were put to death. 62But many people in Israel firmly resisted the king's decree and refused to eat food that was ritually unclean. 63They preferred to die rather than break the holy covenant and eat unclean food — and many did die. 64In his anger God made Israel suffer terribly.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.