1 Maccabees 7:40–50

⁴⁰But Judas pitched in ^gAdasa with three thousand men, and there ^bhe prayed, saying, ⁴¹O Lord, when they that were sent from the king of the Assyrians blasphemed, ^cthine angel went out, and smote an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them. ⁴²Even so destroy thou this host before us this day, that the rest may know that ^dhe hath spoken blasphemously against thy sanctuary, and judge thou him according to his wickedness. ⁴³So the thirteenth day of the month ^eAdar the hosts joined battle: but Nicanor’s host was discomfited, and ^fhe himself was first slain in the battle. ⁴⁴Now when Nicanor’s host saw that he was slain, they cast away their weapons, and fled. ⁴⁵Then they pursued after them a day’s journey, from ^gAdasa unto ^hGazera, sounding an alarm after them ⁱwith their trumpets. ⁴⁶Whereupon they came forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and closed them in; so that they, turning back upon them that pursued them, were all slain with the sword, and not one of them was left. ⁴⁷Afterwards they took the spoils, and the prey, and smote off Nicanor’s head, and his right hand, ^kwhich he stretched out so ^dproudly, and brought them away, and hanged them up ^ltowards Jerusalem. ⁴⁸For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day of great gladness. ⁴⁹Moreover ^mthey ordained to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of ^eAdar. ⁵⁰Thus ⁿthe land of Juda was in rest a little while.

VIII.