1 Maccabees 1

^aAnd it happened, after that Alexander son of Philip, the Macedonian, who came out of the land of ^bChettiim, had smitten Darius king of the Persians and ^cMedes, that he reigned in his stead, the first over Greece, ²and made many wars, and won many ^dstrong holds, and slew the kings of the earth, ³and went through to the ends of the earth, and took spoils of many nations, insomuch that the earth was quiet before him; whereupon he was exalted, and his heart was lifted up. ⁴And he gathered a mighty strong host, and ruled over countries, and nations, and kings, who became tributaries unto him. ⁵And after these things he ^efell sick, and perceived that he should die. ⁶Wherefore he called his servants, such as were honourable, and ^fhad been brought up with him from his youth, and parted his kingdom among them, while he was yet alive. ⁷So Alexander reigned twelve years, and then died. ⁸And his servants bare rule every one in his place. ⁹And after his death they all put ^ffcrowns upon themselves; so did their sons after them many years: and evils were multiplied in the earth.

¹⁰And there came out of them ^ga wicked root, ^hAntiochus surnamed Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been ⁱa hostage at Rome, and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. ¹¹In those days went there out of Israel ⁱⁱwicked men, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us: for since we departed from them we have had much sorrow. ¹²So this device pleased them well. ¹³Then ⁱⁱcertain of the people were so forward herein, that they went to the king, who gave them licence to do after the ordinances of the heathen: ¹⁴whereupon ^jthey built a place of exercise at Jerusalem according to the customs of the heathen: ¹⁵and ^kmade themselves uncircumcised, and forsook the holy covenant, and ^ljoined themselves to the heathen, and ^mwere sold to do mischief.

¹⁶Now when the kingdom was established before Antiochus, he thought to reign over Egypt, that he might have the dominion of two realms. ¹⁷Wherefore ⁿhe entered into Egypt, ^owith a great multitude, with chariots, and ^pelephants, and horsemen, and a great ^ppnavy, ¹⁸and made war against ^qPtolemee king of Egypt: but Ptolemee was afraid of him, and fled; and ^rmany were wounded to death. ¹⁹Thus they got the strong cities in the land of Egypt, and he took the spoils thereof.

²⁰And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt, he returned again in the hundred forty and third year, and ^swent up against Israel and Jerusalem ^owith a great multitude, ²¹and ^tentered proudly into the sanctuary, and took away ^uthe golden altar, and ^wthe candlestick of light, and ^wall the vessels thereof, ²²and ^xthe table of the shewbread, and ^ythe pouring vessels, and ^ythe vials, and ^ythe censers of gold, and ^zthe vail, and ^athe crowns, and the golden ornaments that were before the temple, all which he pulled off. ²³He took also the silver and the gold, and the precious vessels: also he took the hidden treasures which he found. ²⁴And when he had taken all away, he went into his own land, ^chaving made a great massacre, and ^dspoken very proudly. ²⁵Therefore there was great mourning in Israel, in every place where they were; ²⁶so that the princes and elders mourned, the virgins and young men were made feeble, and the beauty of women was changed. ^27eEvery bridegroom took up lamentation, and she that sat in the marriage chamber was in heaviness. ²⁸The land also was moved for the inhabitants thereof, and all the house of Jacob was covered with confusion.

²⁹And after ^ftwo years fully expired ^ffthe king sent his chief collector of tribute unto the cities of Juda, who came unto Jerusalem ^gwith a great multitude, ³⁰and spake peaceable words unto them, but all was deceit: for when they had given him credence, he fell suddenly upon the city, and smote it very sore, and destroyed much people of Israel. ³¹And when he had taken the spoils of the city, he set it on fire, and pulled down the houses and walls thereof on every side. ³²But the women and children took they captive, and possessed the cattle. ³³Then builded they the city of David with a great and strong wall, and with mighty towers, and made it ^gga strong hold for them. ³⁴And they put therein a ^hsinful nation, ⁱwicked men, and fortified themselves therein. ³⁵They stored it also with armour and victuals, and when they had gathered together the spoils of Jerusalem, they laid them up there, and so they became a sore snare: ³⁶for it was ^ja place to lie in wait against the sanctuary, and an evil adversary to Israel. ³⁷Thus ^kthey shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled it: ³⁸insomuch ^lthat the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them: whereupon ^llthe city was made a habitation of strangers, and became strange to those that were born in her; and her own children left her. ^39lHer sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness, ^mnher feasts were turned into mourning, ⁿher sabbaths into reproach, her honour into contempt. ⁴⁰As had been her glory, so was her dishonour increased, and her excellency was turned into mourning.

⁴¹Moreover king Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom, that all should be one people, ⁴²and ^oevery one should leave his laws: so all the heathen agreed according to the commandment of the king. ⁴³Yea, many also of the Israelites consented to his ^preligion, and sacrificed unto idols, and profaned the sabbath. ⁴⁴For the king had sent letters by messengers unto Jerusalem and the cities of Juda, that they should follow the strange laws of the land, ⁴⁵and ^qforbid burnt offerings, and sacrifice, and drink offerings, in the temple; and that they should ⁿprofane the sabbaths and festival days: ⁴⁶and ^qpollute the sanctuary and holy people: ^47rset up altars, and ^sgroves, and ^tchapels of idols, and ^usacrifice swine’s flesh, and ^xunclean beasts: ⁴⁸that they should also leave their children uncircumcised, and make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation: ⁴⁹to the end they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances. ⁵⁰And ^ywhosoever would not do according to the commandment of the king, ^zhe said, he should die. ^51aIn the selfsame manner wrote he to his whole kingdom, and appointed ^boverseers over all the people, commanding the cities of Juda to sacrifice, city by city. ⁵²Then many of the people were gathered unto them, to wit, every one that forsook the law; and so they committed evils in the land; ⁵³and drove the Israelites into ^csecret places, even wheresoever they could flee for succour.

⁵⁴Now the fifteenth day of the month ^dCasleu, in the hundred forty and fifth year, they set up ^dthe abomination of desolation upon the altar, and ^ebuilded idol altars throughout the cities of Juda on every side; ⁵⁵and burnt incense at the doors of their houses, and in the streets. ⁵⁶And when they had rent in pieces the books of the law which they found, they burnt them with fire. ⁵⁷And wheresoever was found with any the book of the testament, or if any ^fconsented to the law, the king’s commandment was, that they should put him to death. ⁵⁸Thus did they by their authority unto the Israelites every month, to as many as were found in the cities. ⁵⁹Now ^gthe five and twentieth day of the month they did sacrifice upon the idol altar, ^gwhich was upon the altar of God. ⁶⁰At which time, according to the commandment, ^hthey put to death certain women, that had caused their children to be circumcised. ⁶¹And ^hthey hanged the infants about their necks, and rifled their houses, and slew them that had circumcised them. ⁶²Howbeit many in Israel were fully resolved and confirmed in themselves not to eat any ⁱunclean thing. ⁶³Wherefore ^kthey chose rather to die, ^kthat they might not be defiled with meats, and that they might not profane the holy covenant: so then they died. ⁶⁴And there was very great wrath upon Israel.

II.