1 Maccabees 3
3
In Praise of Judas
1Then his son Judas, called Maccabe´us, rose up in his stead. 2And all his brethren helped him, and so did all they that held with his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel. 3So he got his people great honor, 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. 4In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey. 5For he pursued the wicked, and sought them out, and burnt up those that vexed his people. 6Wherefore the wicked shrunk for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled, because salvation prospered in his hand. 7#Prov 10.7; Ecclus 45.1. He grieved also many kings, and made Jacob glad with his acts, and his memorial is blessed for ever. 8#2 Macc 7.38. Moreover he went through the cities of Judah, destroying the ungodly out of them, and turning away wrath from Israel: 9so that he was renowned unto the utmost part of the earth, and he received unto him such as were ready to perish.
Judas Defeats Apollonius
10 #
1 Macc 1.29; 2 Macc 5.24. Then Apol-lo´nius gathered the Gentiles together, and a great host out of Samaria, to fight against Israel. 11Which 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. 12Wherefore Judas took their spoils, and Apol-lo´nius' sword also, and therewith he fought all his life long.
Judas Defeats Seron at Beth–horon
13Now 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; 14he said, I will get me a name and honor in the kingdom; for I will go fight with Judas and them that are with him, who despise the king's commandment. 15So 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. 16And when he came near to the going up of Beth–ho´ron, Judas went forth to meet him with a small company: 17who, 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? 18#1 Sam 14.6; 2 Chr 14.11. 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: 19for the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host; but strength cometh from heaven. 20They come against us in much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and our wives and children, and to spoil us: 21but we fight for our lives and our laws. 22Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: and as for you, be ye not afraid of them. 23Now as soon as he had left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon them, and so Seron and his host was overthrown before him. 24#Josh 10.10. And they pursued them from the going down of Beth–ho´ron unto the plain, where were slain about eight hundred men of them; and the residue fled into the land of the Philistines. 25Then began the fear of Judas and his brethren, and an exceeding great dread, to fall upon the nations round about them. 26Insomuch as his fame came unto the king, and all nations talked of the battles of Judas.
Antiochus Campaigns in Persia, Leaving Lysias as Regent in Syria
27Now when king An-ti´ochus 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. 28He opened also his treasure, and gave his soldiers pay for a year, commanding them to be ready whensoever he should need them. 29Nevertheless, 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; 30he 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. 31Wherefore, 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.
32So he left Lys´i-as, a nobleman, and one of the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the king from the river Euphra´tes unto the borders of Egypt: 33and to bring up his son An-ti´ochus, until he came again. 34Moreover 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 Judah and Jerusalem: 35to 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; 36and that he should place strangers in all their quarters, and divide their land by lot. 37So the king took the half of the forces that remained, and departed from An´ti-och, his royal city, the hundred forty and seventh year; and having passed the river Euphra´tes, he went through the high countries.
A Syrian Army Camps at Emmaus
(2 Maccabees 8.8-11)
38 #
2 Macc 10.12;
2 Macc 8.9;
2 Macc 10.14. Then Lys´i-as chose Ptol´emy the son of Dorym´enes, and Nica´nor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends: 39and with them he sent forty thousand footmen, and seven thousand horsemen, to go into the land of Judah, and to destroy it, as the king commanded. 40So they went forth with all their power, and came and pitched by Emma´us in the plain country. 41And 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.
Judas Gathers and Encourages the Jews
(2 Maccabees 8.12-23)
42Now 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; 43they said one to another, Let us restore the decayed estate of our people, and let us fight for our people and the sanctuary. 44Then was the congregation gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion. 45#1 Macc 1.38; Luke 21.24; Rev 11.2; Isa 24.8. 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 stronghold; the heathen had their habitation in that place; and joy was taken from Jacob, and the pipe with the harp ceased.
46 #
Judg 20.1; 1 Sam 7.5. Wherefore the Israelites assembled themselves together, and came to Mizpah, over against Jerusalem; for in Mizpah was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel. 47#1 Kgs 21.27; Jonah 3.6-7; Neh 9.1. Then they fasted that day, and put on sackcloth, and cast ashes upon their heads, and rent their clothes, 48and laid open the book of the law, wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images. 49#Lev 27.30-33; Num 18.12-24; Neh 10.35-38; Num 6.1-21. They brought also the priests' garments, and the firstfruits, and the tithes: and the Nazarites they stirred up, who had accomplished their days. 50Then cried they with a loud voice toward heaven, saying, What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them away? 51#Luke 21.24; Rev 11.2. For thy sanctuary is trodden down and profaned, and thy priests are in heaviness, and brought low. 52And lo, the heathen are assembled together against us to destroy us: what things they imagine against us, thou knowest. 53How shall we be able to stand against them, except thou, O God, be our help?
54 #
Num 10.1-10. Then sounded they with trumpets, and cried with a loud voice. 55And after this Judas ordained captains over the people, even captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens. 56#Deut 20.5-9; Judg 7.3. 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. 57So the camp removed, and pitched upon the south side of Emma´us.
58And 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: 59for it is better for us to die in battle, than to behold the calamities of our people and our sanctuary. 60Nevertheless, as the will of God is in heaven, so let him do.
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1 Maccabees 3: KJVAAE
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.