2 Maccabees 15:22–37

²²Therefore in his prayer he said after this manner; O Lord, thou didst send thine angel in the time of Ezekias king of Judea, and didst slay in the host of Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand: ²³Wherefore now also, O Lord of heaven, send a good angel before us for a fear and dread unto them; ²⁴And through the might of thine arm let those be stricken with terror, that come against thy holy people to blaspheme. And he ended thus.

²⁵Then Nicanor and they that were with him came forward with trumpets and songs. ²⁶But Judas and his company encountered the enemies with invocation and prayer. ²⁷So that fighting with their hands, and praying unto God with their hearts, they slew no less than thirty and five thousand men: for through the appearance of God they were greatly cheered.

²⁸Now when the battle was done, returning again with joy, they knew that Nicanor lay dead in his harness. ²⁹Then they made a great shout and a noise, praising the Almighty in their own language. ³⁰And Judas, who was ever the chief defender of the citizens both in body and mind, and who continued his love toward his countrymen all his life, commanded to strike off Nicanor’s head, and his hand with his shoulder, and bring them to Jerusalem. ³¹So when he was there, and called them of his nation together, and set the priests before the altar, he sent for them that were of the tower, ³²And shewed them vile Nicanor’s head, and the hand of that blasphemer, which with proud brags he had stretched out against the holy temple of the Almighty. ³³And when he had cut out the tongue of that ungodly Nicanor, he commanded that they should give it by pieces unto the fowls, and hang up the reward of his madness before the temple. ³⁴So every man praised toward the heaven the glorious Lord, saying, Blessed be he that hath kept his own place undefiled. ³⁵He hanged also Nicanor’s head upon the tower, an evident and manifest sign unto all of the help of the Lord. ³⁶And they ordained all with a common decree in no case to let that day pass without solemnity, but to celebrate the thirtieth day of the twelfth month, which in the Syrian tongue is called Adar, the day before Mardocheus’ day.

³⁷Thus went it with Nicanor: and from that time forth the Hebrews had the city in their power. And here will I make an end.