2 Maccabees 15:22–38

²²And in his prayer he said after this manner: Thou, O Lord, who didst send thy angel in the time of Ezechias, king of Juda, and didst kill a hundred and eighty-five thousand of the army of Sennacherib:

²³Send now also, O Lord of heaven, thy good angel before us, for the fear and dread of the greatness of thy arm,

²⁴That they may be afraid, who come with blasphemy against thy holy people. And thus he concluded his prayer.

²⁵But Nicanor, and they that were with him came forward, with trumpets and songs.

²⁶But Judas, and they that were with him, encountered them, calling upon God by prayers:

²⁷So fighting with their hands, but praying to the Lord with their hearts, they slew no less than five and thirty thousand, being greatly cheered with the presence of God.

²⁸And when the battle was over, and they were returning with joy, they understood that Nicanor was slain in his armour.

²⁹Then making a shout, and a great noise, they blessed the Almighty Lord in their own language.

³⁰And Judas, who was altogether ready, in body and mind, to die for his countrymen, commanded that Nicanor’s head, and his hand, with the shoulder, should be cut off, and carried to Jerusalem.

³¹And when he was come thither, having called together his countrymen, and the priests to the altar, he sent also for them that were in the castle,

³²And shewing them the head of Nicanor, and the wicked hand, which he had stretched out, with proud boasts, against the holy house of the Almighty God,

³³He commanded also, that the tongue of the wicked Nicanor should be cut out, and given by pieces to birds, and the hand of the furious man to be hanged up over against the temple.

³⁴Then all blessed the Lord of heaven, saying: Blessed be he that hath kept his own place undefiled.

³⁵And he hung up Nicanor’s head in the top of the castle, that it might be an evident and manifest sign of the help of God.

³⁶And they all ordained by a common decree, by no means to let this day pass without solemnity:

³⁷But to celebrate the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, called in the Syrian language, the day before Mardochias’ day.

³⁸So these things being done with relation to Nicanor, and from that time the city being possessed by the Hebrews, I also will here make an end of my narration.