Persecution of the Jews

20 After subduing Egypt, Antiochus returned in the one hundred forty-third year.c He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force. 21 He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils. 22 He took also the table for the bread of the Presence, the cups for drink offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front of the temple; he stripped it all off. 23 He took the silver and the gold, and the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures that he found. 24 Taking them all, he went into his own land.

He shed much blood,

and spoke with great arrogance.

25 Israel mourned deeply in every community,

26 rulers and elders groaned,

young women and young men became faint,

the beauty of the women faded.

27 Every bridegroom took up the lament;

she who sat in the bridal chamber was mourning.

28 Even the land trembled for its inhabitants,

and all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.

The Occupation of Jerusalem

29 Two years later the king sent to the cities of Judah a chief collector of tribute, and he came to Jerusalem with a large force. 30 Deceitfully he spoke peaceable words to them, and they believed him; but he suddenly fell upon the city, dealt it a severe blow, and destroyed many people of Israel. 31 He plundered the city, burned it with fire, and tore down its houses and its surrounding walls. 32 They took captive the women and children, and seized the livestock. 33 Then they fortified the city of David with a great strong wall and strong towers, and it became their citadel. 34 They stationed there a sinful people, men who were renegades. These strengthened their position; 35 they stored up arms and food, and collecting the spoils of Jerusalem they stored them there, and became a great menace,

36 for the citadeld became an ambush against the sanctuary,

an evil adversary of Israel at all times.

37 On every side of the sanctuary they shed innocent blood;

they even defiled the sanctuary.

38 Because of them the residents of Jerusalem fled;

she became a dwelling of strangers;

she became strange to her offspring,

and her children forsook her.

39 Her sanctuary became desolate like a desert;

her feasts were turned into mourning,

her sabbaths into a reproach,

her honor into contempt.

40 Her dishonor now grew as great as her glory;

her exaltation was turned into mourning.

Installation of Gentile Cults

(Cp 2 Macc 6:1–17; Mt 24:15; Mk 13:14)

41 Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, 42 and that all should give up their particular customs. 43 All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath. 44 And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, 45 to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane sabbaths and festivals, 46 to defile the sanctuary and the priests, 47 to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and other unclean animals, 48 and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, 49 so that they would forget the law and change all the ordinances. 50 He added,e “And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die.”