1 Maccabees 4
4
Battle at Emmaus
1Gorgias took five thousand infantry and one thousand select cavalry, and this division moved out secretly at night. 2He wanted to come to the Jewish camp and attack without warning. Men from the elevated fortress served as his guides. 3But Judas heard about it, and he and his warriors moved out to attack the king’s forces in Emmaus 4while the division was absent from the camp. 5So when Gorgias entered Judas’ camp during the night, there was no one there. He started looking for them in the hills, because he said, “These men are running away from us.”
6At daybreak, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men. But they didn’t have armor and swords such as they would have liked. 7They saw the Gentile camp, strongly fortified, surrounded by cavalry clearly trained in warfare. 8Judas said to those who were with him: “Don’t fear their numbers or be afraid when they charge. 9Remember how our ancestors were saved at the Red Sea,#4.9 Traditionally Reed Sea in the Hebrew Bible when Pharaoh was pursuing them with his forces. 10So let’s cry to heaven to see if the heavenly one will favor us and remember his covenant with our ancestors and crush this army in front of us today. 11Then all the Gentiles will know that there is someone who redeems and saves Israel.”
12The foreigners looked up and saw the Israelites coming against them. 13They went out from their camp to engage them in battle. The men with Judas blew their trumpets, and the battle began. 14The Gentiles were crushed and fled into the plain. 15All those who were in the rear were killed by the sword. The Israelites pursued them to Gazara, to the plains of Idumea, and to Azotus and Jamnia. Three thousand Gentiles died. 16Judas and his forces stopped pursuing them. 17He said to everyone: “Don’t be greedy to plunder, for there is still a battle ahead of us. 18Gorgias and his force are still near us in the hills. Stand now against our enemies and fight them. Then afterward boldly seize the spoils.”
19Just as Judas said this, a detachment of Gentiles cautiously appeared, coming out of the hills. 20They saw that their army had been put to flight and that the Jews were burning the camp, as evident from the smoke over the area. 21When they saw the devastation and noticed Judas’ army in the plain ready for battle, they were terrified. 22They ran away into the land of the Philistines. 23So Judas went back to plunder the camp. His army took a great amount of gold and silver, cloth that was dyed blue and purple, and great riches. 24As they returned, they sang hymns and songs of praise to heaven: “God is good, because his mercy endures forever.” 25That day Israel had a great deliverance.
First campaign of Lysias
26The foreigners who escaped went and told Lysias about all that had happened. 27When he heard it, he was perplexed and discouraged. Things hadn’t happened to Israel as he had intended, and they hadn’t turned out the way that the king commanded. 28The next year he gathered together sixty thousand select men and five thousand cavalry, intending to subdue the Israelites. 29They came to Idumea and camped at Beth-zur. Judas, on the other hand, went out to meet them with ten thousand men.
30When Judas saw how numerous their army was, he prayed:
Blessed are you, Savior of Israel,
who crushed the attack
of the mighty warrior
through the power
of your servant David.
You handed over the camp
of the Philistines
to Saul’s son Jonathanand
and the man who carried his armor.
31So surround this army
by the power of your people Israel,
and let them be disappointed
by their troops and cavalry.
32Fill them with cowardice.
Melt away the boldness
of their strength.
Let them quake in their destruction.
33Strike them down with the sword
of those who love you,
and let all who know your name
praise you with hymns.
34Then both sides attacked each other. Five thousand men from Lysias’ army died in the fighting. 35Lysias saw his troops being defeated and took note of the boldness that inspired Judas’ troops—how ready they were to live or die bravely. So he withdrew to Antioch and enlisted mercenaries so that he could invade Judea again with an even bigger army.
Cleansing and dedication of the temple
36At that time Judas and his brothers said, “Look, our enemies have been crushed. Let’s go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary.” 37All the army gathered together and went up to Mount Zion. 38They found the sanctuary deserted, the altar treated with disrespect, and the gates burned. In the courts, bushes had sprung up like in an open field or on one of the mountains. They saw that the priests’ chambers were in ruins as well. 39So they tore their clothes and mourned with great sorrow. They sprinkled their heads with ashes 40and fell facedown on the ground. When the trumpets sounded a signal, they cried out to heaven.
41Then Judas chose some soldiers to fight against those stationed in the elevated fortress until he completed cleansing the sanctuary. 42He selected priests who were blameless and devoted to the Law. 43They cleansed the sanctuary and took the polluted stones to a ritually unclean place. 44They discussed what to do about the altar for entirely burned offerings, since it had been polluted. 45They decided it was best to tear it down so that it wouldn’t be a lasting shameful reminder to them that the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar. 46They stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple mount until a prophet should arise who could say what to do with them. 47They then took unfinished stones, in keeping with the Law, and built a new altar like the former one.
48They also restored the sanctuary and the temple interior, and dedicated the courtyards. 49They fashioned new holy equipment and brought the lampstand, the incense altar, and the table into the temple. 50Then they offered incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lampstand, which illuminated the temple. 51They placed bread on the table and hung curtains. Finally, they completed all the work that they had started.
52They rose early in the morning of the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.#4.52 November–December, 164 BCE It was the year 148. 53They offered sacrifice, following the Law, on the new altar for entirely burned offerings that they had made. 54In the very season, on the exact day that the Gentiles had polluted it, it was dedicated with songs, harps, lutes, and cymbals. 55All the people bowed to the ground and worshipped and blessed heaven, which had given them success.
56So they celebrated the rededication of the altar for eight days and joyfully made entirely burned offerings. They offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise. 57They decorated the front of the temple with gold crowns and small shields. They restored the gates and the priests’ chambers, furnishing them with doors. 58The people were extremely glad, and the disgrace the Gentiles brought was lifted.
59Then Judas, with his brothers and all the assembly of Israel, laid down a law that every year at that season the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and happiness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of Kislev.#4.59 November–December
60At that same time the Israelites built high walls and strong towers all around Mount Zion so that the Gentiles did not come and trample them as they had done previously. 61Judas stationed an occupying force there as guards. He also built up Beth-zur to protect it so that the people might have a fortress that faced in the direction of Idumea.
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1 Maccabees 4: CEB
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