2 Maccabees 15
15
1 But when Nicanor discovered Judas to be in the places of Samaria, he decided to meet him in warfare with all violence, on the Sabbath day.
2 In truth, the Jews who followed him out of necessity were saying: "Do not act so fiercely and barbarously, but give honor to the day of sanctification and reverence to him who beholds all things."
3 That unhappy man asked, "Is there a powerful One in heaven, who commanded the day of the Sabbath to be kept."
4 And they responded to him, "There is the living Lord himself in heaven, the powerful One, who ordered the seventh day to be kept."
5 And so he said: "I also am powerful upon the earth, so I command arms to be taken up and the king's plans to be fulfilled." Nevertheless, he did not succeed in accomplishing his plan.
6 And Nicanor, being certainly lifted up with the greatest arrogance, had decided to establish a public monument of his victory over Judas.
7 But Maccabeus, as always, trusted with all hope that God would be present to help them.
8 And he exhorted his own not to fear the arrival of the nations, but to keep in mind the assistance they had received before from heaven, and now to hope for a future victory from the Almighty.
9 And speaking to them from the law and the prophets, reminding them even of the conflicts they had fought before, he made them more willing.
10 And so, having raised up their courage, at the same time he revealed the deceitful plan of the Gentiles and their betrayal of the oaths.
11 Then he armed every one of them, not with the weapons of shield and spear, but with the best speeches and exhortations; and he explained to them a dream, worthy to be believed, in which he rejoiced with them all.
12 Now the vision was in this manner: Onias, who had been high priest, a good and kind man, modest in appearance, gentle in manners, and noble in speech, and who from boyhood was trained in the virtues, extending his hands, prayed on behalf of all the people of the Jews.
13 After this, there appeared also another man, admirable in age and glory, and with a bearing of great dignity about him.
14 In truth, Onias responded by saying: "This one loves his brothers and the people of Israel. This is he who prays greatly for the people and for all the holy city: Jeremiah, the prophet of God."
15 Then Jeremiah extended his right hand, and he gave to Judas a sword of gold, saying:
16 "Receive this holy sword as a gift from God, with it you shall cast down the adversaries of my people Israel."
17 And so, having been exhorted by the very good words of Judas, by which the readiness and courage of the young men were able to be raised and strengthened, they resolved to strive and to contend with fortitude, so that virtue would judge the matter, because the holy city and the temple were in peril.
18 For their concern was less for their wives and sons, and likewise less for their brothers and relatives; in truth, their greatest and first fear was for the sanctity of the temple.
19 But those also who were in the city had no small concern for those who had gathered together.
20 And, when all now hoped that judgment would soon occur, and when the enemies were near, and the army was set in order, with the beasts and the horsemen positioned in strategic places,
21 Maccabeus, considering the arrival of the multitude, and the various preparations of weapons, and the fierceness of the beasts, extending his hands to heaven, called upon the Lord, who works miracles, who gives victory to those who are worthy, not according to the power of the weapons, but just as it pleases him.
22 Then, calling out in this way, he said: "You, O Lord, who sent your Angel under Hezekiah, king of Judah, and who killed one hundred and eighty-five thousand from the camp of Sennacherib,
23 now also, O Ruler of the heavens, send your good Angel before us, who are in fear and trembling at the greatness of your arm,
24 so that those who approach against your holy people with blasphemy may be afraid." And in this way, indeed, he concluded his prayer.
25 But Nicanor, and those who were with him, advanced with trumpets and songs.
26 In truth, Judas, and those who were with him, calling upon God through prayers, came together against them.
27 Indeed, fighting with their hands, but praying to the Lord with their hearts, they struck down no less than thirty-five thousand, being delighted by the presence of God.
28 And when they had ceased and were returning with gladness, they realized, by his armor, that Nicanor had been slain.
29 And so, making a loud noise and inciting a disturbance, they blessed the Almighty Lord in the language of the fathers.
30 But Judas, who was prepared throughout all his body and soul to die for his citizens, instructed that Nicanor's head, and his hand with the arm, should be cut off and carried through to Jerusalem.
31 When it arrived, having called together his fellow tribesmen, and the priests to the altar, he summoned those also who were in the stronghold.
32 And he displayed the head of Nicanor, and his nefarious hand, which he had extended against the holy house of Almighty God with magnificent boasting.
33 He even ordered now that the tongue of the impious Nicanor should be cut up and given in pieces to the birds, but that the hand of this demented man should be suspended opposite the temple.
34 Therefore, they all blessed the Lord of heaven, saying, "Blessed is he who has kept his own place uncontaminated."
35 Then he suspended Nicanor's head at the top of the stronghold, so that it would be an evident and manifest sign of the assistance of God.
36 And so, they all decreed by common counsel in no way to let this day pass without celebration,
37 but to hold a celebration on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, which was called in the Syrian language: the day before Mardochias' day.
38 Therefore, these things were accomplished concerning Nicanor, and from that time the city was possessed by the Hebrews. And so, I will bring an end to my narration here.
39 And, indeed, if I have done well, so as to have made an adequate history, this also is what I wanted. But if it is less than worthy, may it be permitted me.
40 For, just as it is adverse to drink always wine, or always water, so also it is pleasant to use sometimes the one, and sometimes the other. So, if the words were always exact, it would not be pleasing to the readers. Therefore, here it shall be completed. The Holy Bible Catholic Public Domain Version New Testament
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2 Maccabees 15
15
Nicanor's Cruel Plan
1Nicanor learnt that Judas and his men were in the region of Samaria, so he decided to attack them on the Sabbath, when he could do so without any danger to himself. 2The Jews who were forced to accompany his army begged him not to do such a cruel and savage thing, but to respect the day that the all-seeing God had honoured and made the most holy of all days. 3Then Nicanor, the lowest creature on earth, asked if there was some sovereign ruler in heaven who had commanded them to honour the Sabbath. 4And the Jews replied, “Yes; the living Lord, who rules in heaven, commanded us to honour the Sabbath.”
5But Nicanor answered, “I am the ruler on earth, and I order you to take up your weapons and to do what the king commands.” However, he did not succeed in carrying out his cruel plan.
Judas Prepares His Troops for Battle
6In his arrogance Nicanor had boasted that he would set up a monument in honour of his victory over Judas. 7But Judas was fully confident that the Lord would help him, 8so he urged his men not to be afraid of the enemy. He encouraged them to remember how the Almighty had helped them in times past and to rest assured that he would give them victory this time also. 9He renewed their hope by reading to them from the Law and the Prophets and by reminding them of the battles they had already won. 10When his men were ready for battle, he gave them their orders and at the same time pointed out how the Gentiles could not be trusted, because they never kept their treaties. 11He armed all his men, not by encouraging them to trust in shields and spears, but by inspiring them with courageous words. He also raised their morale by telling them about his dream, a kind of vision that they could trust in.
12He told them that he had seen a vision of Onias, the former High Priest, that great and wonderful man of humble and gentle disposition, who was an outstanding orator and who had been taught from childhood how to live a virtuous life. With outstretched arms Onias was praying for the entire Jewish nation. 13Judas then saw an impressive white-haired man of great dignity and authority. 14Onias said: “This is God's prophet Jeremiah, who loves his fellow-Jews and offers many prayers for us and for Jerusalem, the holy city.”
15Then Jeremiah stretched out his right-hand and gave Judas a gold sword, saying as he did so, 16“This holy sword is a gift from God. Take it and destroy your enemies.”
17The eloquent words that Judas spoke encouraged everyone to be brave, and inspired boys to fight like men. Their city, their religion, and their Temple were in danger. So the Jews made up their minds not to waste any time, but to make a daring attack against the enemy and bravely decide their fate in hand-to-hand combat. 18They were not so concerned about their own families and relatives as they were about their sacred Temple. 19And the people who had to stay in Jerusalem were deeply concerned about how a battle on open ground would turn out.
The Defeat and Death of Nicanor
20Everyone was waiting to see who would win the battle. The enemy troops were already moving forward, with their cavalry on each side of them, and their elephants placed in strategic positions. 21Judas Maccabaeus looked at the huge enemy force, the variety of their weapons, and their fierce elephants. Then he raised his hands towards heaven and prayed to the Lord, who works miracles, because he knew that the Lord gives victory to those who deserve it, not to those who have a strong army. 22#2 Kgs 19.35Judas said: “Lord, when Hezekiah was king of Judah, you sent your angel, who killed 185,000 of Sennacherib's men. 23Now once again, Lord of heaven, send your good angel to make our enemies shake and tremble with fear. 24By your great power, destroy these people who have slandered you and have come out to attack your chosen people.” So Judas ended his prayer.
25 #
1 Macc 7.43–50
Nicanor and his army moved forward to the sound of trumpets and battle-songs, 26but Judas and his men went into battle calling on God for help. 27So by fighting with their hands and praying to God in their hearts, the Jews killed more than 35,000 of the enemy. How grateful they were for the help they had received from God! 28When the battle was over and they were going home celebrating their victory, they noticed Nicanor in full armour lying dead on the battlefield. 29Then with loud shouts they praised the Lord in their native language.
30Judas Maccabaeus, who had always fought with all his body and soul for his own people, never losing the patriotism of his youth, ordered his men to cut off Nicanor's head and right arm and to take them to Jerusalem. 31When they arrived in the city, he called together all the people, stationed the priests before the altar, and sent for the men in the fort. 32He showed them the head of the evil Nicanor and the arm which that wicked man had arrogantly stretched out against the sacred Temple of the Almighty God. 33Then he cut out the tongue of that godless man, promising to feed it bit by bit to the birds and to hang up his head opposite the Temple, as evidence of what his foolishness did for him. 34Everyone there looked up to heaven and praised the Lord, who had revealed his power and had kept his Temple from being defiled. 35Judas hung Nicanor's head from the wall of the fort, as a clear proof to everyone of the Lord's help. 36#1 Macc 7.49By unanimous vote it was decided that this day would never be forgotten, but would be celebrated each year on the eve of Mordecai's Day,#15.36 mordecai's day: The Festival of Purim (see Esth 9.17–22). which is the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, called Adar in Aramaic.
Concluding Words
37That is how things turned out for Nicanor. The city of Jerusalem remained in the possession of the Hebrew people from that time on, so I will end my story here. 38If it is well written and to the point, I am pleased; if it is poorly written and uninteresting, I have still done my best. 39We know it is unhealthy to drink wine or water alone, whereas wine mixed with water makes a delightfully tasty drink. So also a good story skilfully written gives pleasure to those who read it. With this I conclude.
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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.