1 Maccabees 2:1–28

In those days arose Mathathias, the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem, and he abode in the mountain of Modin:

²And he had five sons: John, who was surnamed Gaddis:

³And Simon, who was surnamed Thasi;

⁴And Judas, who was called Machabeus;

⁵And Eleazar, who was surnamed Abaron; and Jonathan, who was surnamed Apphus.

⁶These saw the evils that were done in the people of Juda, and in Jerusalem.

⁷And Mathathias said: Woe is me, wherefore was I born to see the ruin of my people, and the ruin of the holy city, and to dwell there, when it is given into the hands of the enemies?

⁸The holy places are come into the hands of strangers her temple is become as a man without honour.

⁹The vessels of her glory are carried away captive; her old men are murdered in the streets, and her young men are fallen by the sword of the enemies.

¹⁰What nation hath not inherited her kingdom, and gotten of her spoils?

¹¹All her ornaments are taken away. She that was free is made a slave.

¹²And behold our sanctuary, and our beauty, and our glory is laid waste, and the Gentiles have defiled them.

¹³To what end then should we live any longer?

¹⁴And Mathathias and his sons rent their garments, and they covered themselves with haircloth, and made great lamentation.

¹⁵And they that were sent from king Antiochus, came thither, to compel them that were fled into the city of Modin, to sacrifice, and to burn incense, and to depart from the law of God.

¹⁶And many of the people of Israel consented and came to them: but Mathathias and his sons stood firm.

¹⁷And they that were sent from Antiochus, answering, said to Mathathias: Thou art a ruler, and an honourable, and great man in this city, and adorned with sons, and brethren.

¹⁸Therefore, come thou first, and obey the king’s commandment, as all nations have done, and the men of Juda, and they that remain in Jerusalem: and thou, and thy sons shall be in the number of the king’s friends, and enriched with gold, and silver, and many presents.

¹⁹Then Mathathias answered, and said with a loud voice: Although all nations obey king Antiochus, so as to depart every man from the service of the law of his fathers, and consent to his commandments:

²⁰I and my sons, and my brethren will obey the law of our fathers.

²¹God be merciful unto us: it is not profitable for us to forsake the law, and the justices of God:

²²We will not hearken to the words of king Antiochus, neither will we sacrifice and transgress the commandments of our law, to go another way.

²³Now as he left off speaking these words, there came a certain Jew in the sight of all to sacrifice to the idols upon the altar in the city of Modin, according to the king’s commandment.

²⁴And Mathathias saw, and was grieved, and his reins trembled, and his wrath was kindled according to the judgment of the law, and running upon him he slew him upon the altar:

²⁵Moreover the man whom king Antiochus had sent, who compelled them to sacrifice, he slew at the same time, and pulled down the altar,

²⁶And shewed zeal for the law, as Phinees did by Zamri, the son of Salomi.

²⁷And Mathathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: Every one that hath zeal for the law, and maintaineth the testament, let him follow me.

²⁸So he and his sons fled into the mountains, and left all that they had in the city.