III. Then ahis son Judas, called Maccabeus, aarose up in his stead. 2 And all his brethren helped him, and so did all they that held with his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel. 3 So he gat his people great honour, and put on a bbreastplate as a giant, and girt his warlike charness about him, and he made battles, protecting dthe host with his sword. 4 In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion’s whelp roaring for his prey. 5 For he pursued ethe wicked, and sought them out, and eeburnt up those that vexed his people. 6 Wherefore ethe wicked fshrunk for fear of him, and ffall the workers of iniquity were troubled, because gsalvation prospered in his hand. 7 He grieved also many kings, and made Jacob glad with his acts, and gghis memorial is blessed for ever. 8 Moreover he went through the cities of Juda, destroying ethe ungodly out of them, and hturning away wrath from Israel: 9 so that he was renowned unto the utmost part of the earth, and he * received unto him such as were iready to perish.

10 Then kApollonius gathered the Gentiles together, and a great host out of lSamaria, to fight against Israel. 11 Which thing when Judas perceived, he went forth to meet him, and so he smote him, and slew him: many also mfell down slain, but the rest fled. 12 Wherefore Judas took their spoils, and kApollonius’ sword also, and therewith he fought all his life long.

13 Now when Seron, a prince of the army of Syria, heard say that Judas had gathered unto him a multitude and company of the faithful to go out with him to war; 14 he said, I will get me a name and honour in the kingdom; for I will go fight with Judas and them that are with him, who despise the king’s commandment. 15 So he nmade him ready to go up, and there went with him a mighty dhost of ethe ungodly to help him, and to be avenged of the children of Israel. 16 And when he came near to the going up of oBethoron, Judas went forth to meet him pwith a small company: 17 who, when they saw dthe host coming to meet them, said unto Judas, How shall we be able, being so pfew, to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, seeing qwe are ready to faint with fasting all this day? 18 Unto whom Judas answered, rIt is no hard matter for many to be sshut up in the hands of a few; and with tthe God of heaven it is all one, rto deliver with a great multitude, or a small company: 19 for the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of a host; but strength cometh from heaven. 20 They come * against us * in much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and our wives and children, and to spoil us: 21 but we fight for our lives and our laws. 22 Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: and as for you, be ye not afraid of them. 23 Now as soon as he had left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon them, and so Seron and his dhost was overthrown before him. 24 And they pursued them * from uthe going down of Bethoron unto the plain, where were slain about eight hundred men of them; and the residue fled into the land of the Philistines. 25 Then began the fear of Judas and his brethren, and wan exceeding great dread, to fall upon the nations round about them: 26 insomuch as his fame came unto the king, and all nations talked of the xbattles of Judas.

27 Now when yking Antiochus heard these things, he was full of indignation: wherefore he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm, even a very strong darmy. 28 He opened also his treasure, and gave his soldiers zpay for a year, commanding them to be ready * whensoever he should need them. 29 Nevertheless, when he saw that the money of his treasures failed, and * that the tributes in the country were small, because of the dissension and plague, which he had brought upon the land * in taking away the laws which had been of old time; 30 he feared * that he should not be able to bear the charges aany longer, nor to have such gifts to give so liberally as he did before: for bhe had abounded above the kings that were before him. 31 Wherefore, being greatly cperplexed in his mind, he determined to go into dPersia, there to take the tributes of the countries, and to gather much money. 32 So he left eLysias, a nobleman, and one eeof the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates unto the borders of Egypt: 33 and to bring up fhis son Antiochus, until he came again. 34 Moreover he delivered unto him the half of his forces, and gthe elephants, and gave him charge of all things that he would have done, as also concerning them that dwelt in Juda and Jerusalem: 35 to wit, that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and hthe remnant of Jerusalem, and ito take away their memorial from that place; 36 and that he should place strangers in all their quarters, and divide their land by lot. 37 So the king took the half of the forces that remained, and departed from jAntioch, * his royal city, * the hundred forty and seventh year; and having passed the river Euphrates, dhe went through kthe high countries.

38 Then Lysias chose lPtolemee the son of Dorymenes, and mNicanor, and nGorgias, mighty men of nnthe king’s friends: 39 and with them he sent forty thousand footmen, and seven thousand horsemen, to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it, as the king commanded. 40 So they went forth with all their power, and came and pitched by oEmmaus in the plain country. 41 And oothe merchants of the country, hearing the fame of them, took silver and gold very much, with * servants, and came into pthe camp to buy the children of Israel for slaves: a power also of Syria and of the land * of the Philistines joined themselves unto them. 42 qNow when Judas and his brethren saw that miseries were multiplied, and that the forces did encamp themselves in their borders; (for they knew how the king had given commandment to destroy the people, and utterly abolish them;) 43 they said one to another, Let us restore the rdecayed estate of our people, and let us fight for our people and the sanctuary. 44 Then was the congregation gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion. 45 Now hsJerusalem lay void as a wilderness, there was none of her children that twent in or out: sthe sanctuary also was trodden down, and aliens kept uthe strong hold; the heathen had their habitation in that place; and joy was taken from Jacob, and the pipe with wthe harp ceased. 46 Wherefore the Israelites assembled themselves together, and came to * Maspha, over against Jerusalem; for in xMaspha was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel. 47 Then ythey fasted that day, and zput on sackcloth, and cast yaashes upon their heads, and zarent their clothes, 48 and laid open the book of the law, * wherein the heathen had sought to paint bthe likeness of their images. 49 They brought also cthe priests’ garments, and dthe firstfruits, and ethe tithes: and fthe Nazarites they stirred up, gwho had accomplished their days. 50 Then cried they with a loud voice toward heaven, saying, What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them away? 51 For thy hsanctuary is trodden down and profaned, and thy priests are in heaviness, and brought low. 52 And lo, the heathen are assembled together against us to destroy us: what things they imagine against us, thou knowest. 53 How shall we be able to stand against them, except thou, O God, be our help? 54 Then sounded they with itrumpets, and cried with a loud voice. 55 And kafter this Judas ordained captains over the people, even lcaptains over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens. 56 But as for msuch as were building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or nwere ofearful, those he commanded that they should return, every man to his own house, maccording to the law. 57 So pthe camp removed, and pitched upon the south side of qEmmaus. 58 And Judas said, rArm yourselves, and be valiant men, and see that ye be in readiness against the morning, that ye may fight with these nations, that are assembled together against us to destroy us and our hsanctuary: 59 for it is better for us to die in battle, than to behold the calamities of our people and our hsanctuary. 60 Nevertheless, ras the will sof God is in heaven, so let him do.