1 Maccabees 11

1 Her sanctuary was desolate like a wilderness, her festival days were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach, her honours were brought to nothing. 2 Her dishonour was increased according to her glory, and her excellency was turned into mourning. 3 And king Antiochus wrote to all his kingdom, that all the people should be one: and every one should leave his own law. 4 And all nations consented, according to the word of king Antiochus. 5 And many of Israel consented to his service, and they sacrificed to idols, and profaned the sabbath. 6 And the king sent letters by the hands of messengers to Jerusalem, and to all the cities of Juda; that they should follow the law of the nations of the earth. 7 And should forbid holocausts and sacrifices, and atonements to be made in the temple of God. 8 And should prohibit the sabbath, and the festival days to be celebrated. 9 And he commanded the holy places to be profaned, and the holy people of Israel. 10 And he commanded altars to be built, and temples, and idols, and swine’s flesh to be immolated, and unclean beasts, 11 And that they should leave their children uncircumcised, and let their souls be defiled with all uncleannesses, and abominations, to the end that they should forget the law, and should change all the justifications of God. 12 And that whosoever would not do according to the word of king Antiochus, should be put to death. 13 According to all these words he wrote to his whole kingdom: and he appointed rulers over the people that should force them to do these things. 14 And they commanded the cities of Juda to sacrifice. 15 Then many of the people were gathered to them that had forsaken the law of the Lord: and they committed evils in the land: 16 And they drove away the people of Israel into lurking holes, and into the secret places of fugitives. 17 On the fifteenth day of the month, Casleu, in the hundred and forty-fifth year, king Antiochus set up the abominable idol of desolation upon the altar of God, and they built altars throughout all the cities of Juda round about: 18 And they burnt incense, and sacrificed at the doors of the houses and in the streets. 19 And they cut in pieces, and burnt with fire the books of the law of God: 20 And every one with whom the books of the testament of the Lord were found, and whosoever observed the law of the Lord, they put to death, according to the edict of the king. 21 Thus by their power did they deal with the people of Israel, that were found in the cities month after month. 22 And on the five and twentieth day of the month they sacrificed upon the altar of the idol that was over against the altar of God. 23 Now the women that circumcised their children were slain according to the commandment of king Antiochus, 24 And they hanged the children about their neck in all their houses: and those that had circumcised them, they put to death. 25 And many of the people of Israel determined with themselves, that they would not eat unclean things: and they chose rather to die, than to be defiled with unclean meats: 26 And they would not break the holy law of God and they were put to death: 27 And there was very great wrath upon the people. 29 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: 30 And he had five sons: John, who was surnamed Gaddis: 31 And Simon, who was surnamed Thasi; 32 And Judas, who was called Machabeus; 33 And Eleazar, who was surnamed Abaron; and Jonathan, who was surnamed Apphus. 34 These saw the evils that were done in the people of Juda, and in Jerusalem. 35 And 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? 36 The holy places are come into the hands of strangers her temple is become as a man without honour. 37 The 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. 38 What nation hath not inherited her kingdom, and gotten of her spoils? 39 All her ornaments are taken away. She that was free is made a slave. 40 And behold our sanctuary, and our beauty, and our glory is laid waste, and the Gentiles have defiled them. 41 To what end then should we live any longer? 42 And Mathathias and his sons rent their garments, and they covered themselves with haircloth, and made great lamentation. 43 And 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. 44 And many of the people of Israel consented and came to them: but Mathathias and his sons stood firm. 45 And 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. 46 Therefore, 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. 47 Then 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: 48 I and my sons, and my brethren will obey the law of our fathers. 49 God be merciful unto us: it is not profitable for us to forsake the law, and the justices of God: 50 We will not hearken to the words of king Antiochus, neither will we sacrifice and transgress the commandments of our law, to go another way. 51 Now 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. 52 And 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: 53 Moreover the man whom king Antiochus had sent, who compelled them to sacrifice, he slew at the same time, and pulled down the altar, 54 And shewed zeal for the law, as Phinees did by Zamri, the son of Salomi. 55 And 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. 56 So he and his sons fled into the mountains, and left all that they had in the city. 57 Then many that sought after judgment, and justice, went down into the desert 58 And they abode there, they and their children, and their wives, and their cattle: because afflictions increased upon them. 59 And it was told to the king’s men, and to the army that was in Jerusalem, in the city of David, that certain men, who had broken the king’s commandment, were gone away into the secret places in the wilderness, and that many were gone after them. 60 And forthwith they went out towards them, and made war against them on the sabbath day. 61 And they said to them: Do you still resist? come forth, and do according to the edict of king Antiochus, and you shall live. 62 And they said: We will not come forth, neither will we obey the king’s edict, to profane the sabbath day. 63 And they made haste to give them battle. 64 But they answered them not, neither did they cast a stone at them, nor stopped up the secret places, 65 Saying: Let us all die in our innocency: and heaven and earth shall be witnesses for us, that you put us to death wrongfully. 66 So they gave them battle on the sabbath: and they were slain, with their wives, and their children, and their cattle, to the number of a thousand persons. 67 And Mathathias and his friends heard of it, and they mourned for them exceedingly. 68 And every man said to his neighbour: If we shall all do as our brethren have done, and not fight against the heathens for our lives, and our justifications, they will now quickly root us out of the earth. 69 And they determined in that day, saying: Whosoever shall come up against us to fight on the sabbath day, we will fight against him: and we will not all die, as our brethren that were slain in the secret places. 70 Then was assembled to them the congregation of the Assideans, the stoutest of Israel, every one that had a good will for the law. 71 And all they that fled from the evils, joined themselves to them, and were a support to them. 72 And they gathered an army, and slew the sinners in their wrath, and the wicked men in their indignation: and the rest fled to the nations for safety. 73 And Mathathias and his friends went round about, and they threw down the altars: 74 And they circumcised all the children whom they found in the confines of Israel that were uncircumcised: and they did valiantly.