1 Maccabees 13

1 And he was greatly perplexed in mind, and purposed to go into Persia, and to take tributes of the countries, and to gather much money. 2 And he left Lysias, a nobleman of the blood royal to oversee the affairs of the kingdom from the river Euphrates even to the river of Egypt: 3 And to bring up his son, Antiochus, till he came again. 4 And he delivered to him half the army, and the elephants: and he gave him charge concerning all that he would have done, and concerning the inhabitants of Judea, and Jerusalem. 5 And that he should send an army against them to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away the memory of them from that place. 6 And that he should settle strangers, to dwell in all their coasts, and divide their land by lot. 7 So the king took the half of the army that remained, and went forth from Antioch, the chief city of his kingdom, in the hundred and forty-seventh year: and he passed over the river Euphrates, and went through the higher countries. 8 Then Lysias chose Ptolemee, the son of Dorymenus, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king’s friends. 9 And he sent with them forty thousand men, and seven thousand horsemen: to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it, according to the king’s orders. 10 So they went forth with all their power, and came, and pitched near Emmaus, in the plain country. 11 And the merchants of the countries heard the fame of them: and they took silver and gold in abundance, and servants: and they came into the camp, to buy the children of Israel for slaves: and there were joined to them the forces of Syria, and of the land of the strangers. 12 And Judas, and his brethren, saw that evils were multiplied, and that the armies approached to their borders: and they knew the orders the king had given to destroy the people, and utterly abolish them. 13 And they said, every man to his neighbour: Let us raise up the low condition of our people, and let us fight for our people, and our sanctuary. 14 And the assembly was gathered, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion. 15 Now Jerusalem was not inhabited, but was like a desert: there was none of her children that went in or out: and the sanctuary was trodden down: and the children of strangers were in the castle, there was the habitation of the Gentiles: and joy was taken away from Jacob, and the pipe and harp ceased there. 16 And they assembled together, and came to Maspha, over against Jerusalem: for in Maspha was a place of prayer heretofore in Israel. 17 And they fasted that day, and put on haircloth, and put ashes upon their heads: and they rent their garments: 18 And they laid open the books of the law, in which the Gentiles searched for the likeness of their idols: 19 And they brought the priestly ornaments, and the first fruits and tithes, and stirred up the Nazarites that had fulfilled their days: 20 And they cried with a loud voice toward heaven, saying: What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them? 21 For thy holies are trodden down, and are profaned, and thy priests are in mourning, and are brought low. 22 And behold the nations are come together against us, to destroy us: thou knowest what they intend against us. 23 How shall we be able to stand before their face, unless thou, O God, help us? 24 Then they sounded with trumpets, and cried out with a loud voice. 25 And after this, Judas appointed captains over the people, over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens. 26 And he said to them that were building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or were fearful, that they should return every man to his house, according to the law. 27 So they removed the camp, and pitched on the south side of Emmaus. 28 And Judas said: Gird yourselves, and be valiant men, and be ready against the morning, that you may fight with these nations that are assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. 29 For it is better for us to die in battle, than to see the evils of our nation, and of the holies: 30 Nevertheless, as it shall be the will of God in heaven, so be it done. 32 Then Gorgias took five thousand men, and a thousand of the best horsemen; and they removed out of the camp by night. 33 That they might come upon the camp of the Jews and strike them suddenly: and the men that were of the castle were their guides. 34 And Judas heard of it, and rose up, he and the valiant men, to attack the king’s forces that were in Emmaus. 35 For as yet the army was dispersed from the camp 36 And Gorgias came by night into the camp of Judas, and found no man; and he sought them in the mountains: for he said: These men flee from us. 37 And when it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men only, who neither had armour nor swords: 38 And they saw the camp of the Gentiles that it was strong, and the men in breastplates, and the horsemen round about them, and these were trained up to war. 39 And Judas said to the men that were with him: Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault. 40 Remember in what manner our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with a great army. 41 And now let us cry to heaven, and the Lord will have mercy on us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and will destroy this army before our face this day: 42 And all nations shall know that there is one that redeemeth and delivereth Israel. 43 And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them. 44 And they went out of the camp to battle, and they that were with Judas sounded the trumpet. 45 And they joined battle: and the Gentiles were routed, and fled into the plain. 46 But all the hindmost of them fell by the sword and they pursued them as far as Gezeron, and even to the plains of Idumea, and of Azotus, and of Jamnia: and there fell of them to the number of three thousand men. 47 And Judas returned again with his army that followed him. 48 And he said to the people: Be not greedy of the spoils; for there is war before us: 49 And Gorgias and his army are near us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overthrow them, and you shall take the spoils afterwards with safety. 50 And as Judas was speaking these words, behold part of them appeared, looking forth from the mountain. 51 And Gorgias saw that his men were put to flight, and that they had set fire to the camp: for the smoke that was seen declared what was done. 52 And when they had seen this, they were seized with great fear, seeing at the same time Judas and his army in the plain ready to fight. 53 So they all fled away into the land of the strangers.