2 Maccabees 10
10
The Temple Is Cleansed
(1 Maccabees 4.36-41)
1Now Maccabe´us and his company, the Lord guiding them, recovered the temple and the city: 2#1 Macc 1.47,54. but the altars which the heathen had built in the open street, and also the chapels, they pulled down. 3#Exod 30.7,8; 25.30. And having cleansed the temple they made another altar, and striking stones they took fire out of them, and offered a sacrifice after two years, and set forth incense, and lights, and showbread. 4When that was done, they fell flat down, and besought the Lord that they might come no more into such troubles; but if they sinned any more against him, that he himself would chasten them with mercy, and that they might not be delivered unto the blasphemous and barbarous nations. 5Now upon the same day that the strangers profaned the temple, on the very same day it was cleansed again, even the five and twentieth day of the same month, which is Chislev. 6#Lev 23.33-36,39-43; Heb 11.38. And they kept eight days with gladness, as in the feast of the tabernacles, remembering that not long before they had held the feast of the tabernacles, when as they wandered in the mountains and dens like beasts. 7Therefore they bare branches, and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms unto him that had given them good success in cleansing his place. 8They ordained also by a common statute and decree, That every year those days should be kept of the whole nation of the Jews.
Ptolemy Is Called a Traitor and Kills Himself
9And this was the end of An-ti´ochus, called E-piph´anes. 10Now will we declare the acts of An-ti´ochus Eu´pator, who was the son of this wicked man, gathering briefly the calamities of the wars. 11So when he was come to the crown, he set one Lys´i-as over the affairs of his realm, and appointed him his chief governor of Coelesyr´ia and Phoeni´cia. 12#2 Macc 4.45; 6.8; 8.8. For Ptolemy, that was called Macron, choosing rather to do justice unto the Jews for the wrong that had been done unto them, endeavored to continue peace with them. 13#1 Macc 2.18; 2 Macc 8.9; 1 Macc 1.19; 2 Macc 4.21; 9.29. Whereupon being accused of the king's friends before Eu´pator, and called traitor at every word, because he had left Cyprus, that Philome´tor had committed unto him, and departed to An-ti´ochus E-piph´anes, and seeing that he was in no honorable place, he was so discouraged, that he poisoned himself and died.
Judas Captures Idumean Fortresses
(1 Maccabees 5.1-3)
14 #
1 Macc 3.38; 2 Macc 8.9. But when Gorgias was governor of the holds, he hired soldiers, and nourished war continually with the Jews: 15and therewithal the Idume´ans, having gotten into their hands the most commodious holds, kept the Jews occupied, and receiving those that were banished from Jerusalem, they went about to nourish war. 16Then they that were with Maccabe´us made supplication, and besought God that he would be their helper; and so they ran with violence upon the strongholds of the Idume´ans, 17and assaulting them strongly, they won the holds, and kept off all that fought upon the wall, and slew all that fell into their hands, and killed no fewer than twenty thousand. 18And because certain, who were no less than nine thousand, were fled together into two very strong castles, having all manner of things convenient to sustain the siege, 19Maccabe´us left Simon and Joseph, and Zacche´us also, and them that were with him, who were enough to besiege them, and departed himself unto those places which more needed his help. 20Now they that were with Simon, being led with covetousness, were persuaded for money through certain of those that were in the castle, and took seventy thousand drachms, and let some of them escape. 21But when it was told Maccabe´us what was done, he called the governors of the people together, and accused those men, that they had sold their brethren for money, and set their enemies free to fight against them. 22So he slew those that were found traitors, and immediately took the two castles. 23And having good success with his weapons in all things he took in hand, he slew in the two holds more than twenty thousand.
Judas Defeats Timotheus
(1 Maccabees 5.28-34)
24 #
1 Macc 5.6,7. Now Timo´theus, whom the Jews had overcome before, when he had gathered a great multitude of foreign forces, and horses out of Asia not a few, came as though he would take Judea by force of arms. 25#Neh 9.1; 1 Macc 3.47. But when he drew near, they that were with Maccabe´us turned themselves to pray unto God, and sprinkled earth upon their heads, and girded their loins with sackcloth, 26#Exod 23.22. And fell down at the foot of the altar, and besought him to be merciful to them, and to be an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law declareth.
27So after the prayer they took their weapons, and went on further from the city: and when they drew near to their enemies, they kept by themselves. 28Now the sun being newly risen, they joined both together; the one part having together with their virtue their refuge also unto the Lord for a pledge of their success and victory: the other side making their rage leader of their battle. 29#2 Macc 3.25; 5.2,3. But when the battle waxed strong, there appeared unto the enemies from heaven five comely men upon horses, with bridles of gold, and two of them led the Jews, 30and took Maccabe´us betwixt them, and covered him on every side with their weapons, and kept him safe, but shot arrows and lightnings against the enemies: so that being confounded with blindness, and full of trouble, they were killed. 31And there were slain of footmen twenty thousand and five hundred, and six hundred horsemen.
Judas Takes Gezer
(1 Maccabees 13.43-48)
32As for Timo´theus himself, he fled into a very stronghold, called Gezer, where Cher´eas was governor. 33But they that were with Maccabe´us laid siege against the fortress courageously four days. 34And they that were within, trusting to the strength of the place, blasphemed exceedingly, and uttered wicked words. 35Nevertheless upon the fifth day early twenty young men of Maccabe´us' company, inflamed with anger because of the blasphemies, assaulted the wall manly, and with a fierce courage killed all that they met withal. 36Others likewise ascending after them, while they were busied with them that were within, burned the towers, and kindling fires burned the blasphemers alive; and others broke open the gates, and, having received in the rest of the army, took the city, 37and killed Timo´theus, that was hid in a certain pit, and Cher´eas his brother, with Apol-lo´phan-es. 38When this was done, they praised the Lord with psalms and thanksgiving, who had done so great things for Israel, and given them the victory.
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.