THE FIRST BOOK OF MACHABEES
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
7:25. And Alcimus saw that Judas and they that were with him, prevailed: and he knew that he could not stand against them, and he went back to the king, and accused them of many crimes.
7:26. And the king sent Nicanor, one of his principal lords, who was a great enemy to Israel: and he commanded him to destroy the people.
7:27. And Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army, and he sent to Judas and to his brethren deceitfully, with friendly words,
7:28. Saying: Let there be no fighting between me and you: I will come with a few men, to see your faces with peace.
7:29. And he came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably: and the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by force.
7:30. And the thing was known to Judas that he was come to him with deceit: and he was much afraid of him, and would not see his face any more.
7:31. And Nicanor knew that his counsel was discovered: and he went out to fight against Judas, near Capharsalama.
7:32. And there fell of Nicanor's army almost five thousand men, and they fled into the city of David.
7:33. And after this Nicanor went up into mount Sion: and some of the priests and the people came out to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the holocausts that were offered for the king.
7:34. But he mocked and despised them, and abused them: and he spoke proudly,
7:35. And swore in anger, saying: Unless Judas and his army be delivered into my hands, as soon as ever I return in peace, I will burn this house. And he went out in a great rage.
7:36. And the priests went in, and stood before the face of the altar and the temple: and weeping, they said:
7:37. Thou, O Lord, hast chosen this house for thy name to be called upon therein, that it might be a house of prayer and supplication for thy people.
7:38. Be avenged of this man, and his army, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continne any longer.
7:39. Then Nicanor went out from Jerusalem, and encamped near to Bethoron: and an army of Syria joined him.
7:40. But Judas pitched in Adarsa with three thousand men: and Judas prayed, and said:
7:41. O Lord, when they that were sent by king Sennacherib blasphemed thee, an angel went out, and slew of them a hundred and eighty-five thousand:
7:42. Even so destroy this army in our sight today and let the rest know that he hath spoken ill against thy sanctuary: and judge thou him according to his wickedness.
7:43. And the armies joined battle on the thirteenth day of the month, Adar: and the army of Nicanor was defeated, and he himself was first slain in the battle.
7:44. And when his army saw that Nicanor was slain they threw away their weapons, and fled:
7:45. And they pursued after them one day's journey from Adazer, even till ye come to Gazara, and they sounded the trumpets after them with signals.
7:46. And they went forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and they pushed them with the horns, and they turned again to them, and they were all slain with the sword, and there was not left of them so much as one.
7:47. And they took the spoils of them for a booty, and they cut off Nicanor's head, and his right hand, which he had proudly stretched out, and they brought it, and hung it up over against Jerusalem.
7:48. And the people rejoiced exceedingly, and they spent that day with great joy.
7:49. And he ordained that this day should be kept every year, being the thirteenth of the month of Adar.
7:50. And the land of Juda was quiet for a short time.
1 Machabees Chapter 8
Judas hears of the great character of the Romans: he makes a league with them.
8:1. Now Judas heard of the fame of the Romans, that they are powerful and strong, and willingly agree to all things that are requested of them: and that whosoever have come to them, they have made amity with them, and that they are mighty in power.
8:2. And they heard of their battles, and their noble acts which they had done in Galatia, how they had conquered them, and brought them under tribute:
They heard, etc... What is here set down of the history and character of the ancient Romans, is not an assertion, or affirmation of the sacred writer: but only a relation of what Judas had heard of them.
8:3. And how great things they had done in the land of Spain, and that they had brought under their power the mines of silver and of gold that are there, and had gotten possession of all the place by their counsel and patience:
8:4. And had conquered places that were very far off from them, and kings that came against them from the ends of the earth, and had overthrown them with great slaughter: and the rest pay them tribute every year.
8:5. And that they had defeated in battle Philip and Perses the king of the Ceteans, and the rest that had borne arms against them, and had conquered them:
Ceteans... That is, the Macedonians.
8:6. And how Antiochus, the great king of Asia, who went to fight against them, having a hundred and twenty elephants, with horsemen, and chariots, and a very great army, was routed by them.
8:7. And how they took him alive, and appointed to him, that both he and they that should reign after him, should pay a great tribute, and that he should give hostages, and that which was agreed upon,
8:8. And the country of the Indians, and of the Medes, and of the Lydians, some of their best provinces: and those which they had taken from them, they gave to king Eumenes.
Eumenes... King of Pergamus.
8:9. And that they who were in Greece, had a mind to go and to destroy them: and they had knowledge thereof,