Septuagint (Greek Old Testament)

Now when Judas and the people heard these words, there assembled a great congregation together, to consult what they should do for their brethren, that were in trouble, and assaulted of them.

Then said Judas unto Simon his brother, Choose thee out men, and go and deliver thy brethren that are in Galilee, for I and Jonathan my brother will go into the country of Galaad.

So he left Joseph the [son] of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the people, with the remnant of the host in Judea to keep it.

Unto whom he gave commandment, saying, Take ye the charge of this people, and see that ye make not war against the heathen until the time that we come again.

Now unto Simon were given three thousand men to go into Galilee, and unto Judas eight thousand men for the country of Galaad.

Then went Simon into Galilee, where he fought many battles with the heathen, so that the heathen were discomfited by him.

And he pursued them unto the gate of Ptolemais; and there were slain of the heathen about three thousand men, whose spoils he took.

And those that were in Galilee, and in Arbattis, with their wives and their children, and all that they had, took he away [with him], and brought them into Judea with great joy.

Judas Maccabeus also and his brother Jonathan went over Jordan, and travelled three days' journey in the wilderness,

where they met with the Nabathites, who came unto them in a peaceable manner, and told them every thing that had happened to their brethren in the land of Galaad:

and how that many of them were shut up in Bosora, and Bosor, and Alema, Casphor, Maked, and Carnaim; all these cities are strong and great:

and that they were shut up in the rest of the cities of the country of Galaad, and that against to morrow they had appointed to bring their host against the forts, and to take them, and to destroy them all in one day.

Hereupon Judas and his host turned suddenly by the way of the wilderness unto Bosora; and when he had won the city, he slew all the males with the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burned the city with fire.

From whence he removed by night, and went till he came to the fortress.

And betimes in the morning they looked up, and, behold, there was an innumerable people bearing ladders and other engines of war, to take the fortress: for they assaulted them.

When Judas therefore saw that the battle was begun, and that the cry of the city went up to heaven, with trumpets, and a great sound,

he said unto his host, Fight this day for your brethren.

So he went forth behind them in three companies, who sounded their trumpets, and cried with prayer.

Then the host of Timotheus, knowing that it was Maccabeus, fled from him: wherefore he smote them with a great slaughter; so that there were killed of them that day about eight thousand men.

This done, Judas turned aside to Maspha; and after he had assaulted it, he took it, and slew all the males therein, and received the spoils thereof, and burnt it with fire.

From thence went he, and took Casphon, Maged, Bosor, and the other cities of the country of Galaad.

After these things gathered Timotheus another host, and encamped against Raphon beyond the brook.

So Judas sent [men] to espy the host, who brought him word, saying, All the heathen that be round about us are assembled unto them, even a very great host.

He hath also hired the Arabians to help them, and they have pitched their tents beyond the brook, ready to come and fight against thee. Upon this Judas went to meet them.

Then Timotheus said unto the captains of his host, When Judas and his host come near the brook, if he pass over first unto us, we shall not be able to withstand him; for he will mightily prevail against us:

but if he be afraid, and camp beyond the river, we shall go over unto him, and prevail against him.

Now when Judas came near the brook, he caused the scribes of the people to remain by the brook: unto whom he gave commandment, saying, Suffer no man to remain in the camp, but let all come to the battle.

So he went first over unto them, and all the people after him: then all the heathen, being discomfited before him, cast away their weapons, and fled unto the temple that was at Carnaim.

But they took the city, and burned the temple with all that were therein. Thus was Carnaim subdued, neither could they stand any longer before Judas.

Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites that were in the country of Galaad, from the least unto the greatest, even their wives, and their children, and their stuff, a very great host, to the end they might come into the land of Judea.

Now when they came unto Ephron (this was a great city in the way as they should go, very well fortified) they could not turn from it, either on the right hand or the left, but must needs pass through the midst of it.

Then they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the gates with stones.

Whereupon Judas sent unto them in peaceable manner, saying, Let us pass through your land to go into our own country, and none shall do you any hurt; we will only pass through on foot: howbeit they would not open unto him.

Wherefore Judas commanded a proclamation to be made throughout the host, that every man should pitch his tent in the place where he was.

So the soldiers pitched, and assaulted the city all that day and all that night, till at the length the city was delivered into his hands:

who then slew all the males with the edge of the sword, and rased the city, and took the spoils thereof, and passed through the city over them that were slain.

After this went they over Jordan into the great plain before Bethsan.

And Judas gathered together those that came behind, and exhorted the people all the way through, till they came into the land of Judea.

So they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, where they offered burnt offerings, because not one of them was slain until they had returned in peace.

Now what time as Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brother in Galilee before Ptolemais,

Joseph the [son] of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the garrisons, heard of the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done.

Wherefore they said, Let us also get us a name, and go fight against the heathen that are round about us.

So when they had given charge unto the garrison that was with them, they went toward Jamnia.

Then came Gorgias and his men out of the city to fight against them.

And so it was, that Joseph and Azarias were put to flight, and pursued unto the borders of Judea: and there were slain that day of the people of Israel about two thousand men.

Thus was there a great overthrow among the children of Israel, because they were not obedient unto Judas and his brethren, but thought to do some valiant act.

Moreover these men came not of the seed of those, by whose hand deliverance was given unto Israel.

Howbeit the man Judas and his brethren were greatly renowned in the sight of all Israel, and of all the heathen, wheresoever their name was heard of:

insomuch as the people assembled unto them with joyful acclamations.

Afterward went Judas forth with his brethren, and fought against the children of Esau in the land toward the south, where he smote Hebron, and the towns thereof, and pulled down the fortress of it, and burned the towers thereof round about.

From thence he removed to go into the land of the Philistines, and passed through Samaria.

At that time certain priests, desirous to shew their valour, were slain in battle, for that they went out to fight unadvisedly.

So Judas turned to Azotus in the land of the Philistines, and when he had pulled down their altars, and burned their carved images with fire, and spoiled their cities, he returned into the land of Judea.

About that time king Antiochus travelling through the high countries heard say, that Elymais in the country of Persia was a city greatly renowned for riches, silver, and gold;

and that there was in it a very rich temple, wherein were coverings of gold, and breastplates, and shields, which Alexander, [son] of Philip, the Macedonian king, who reigned first among the Grecians, had left there:

wherefore he came and sought to take the city, and to spoil it; but he was not able, because they of the city, having had warning thereof,

rose up against him in battle: so he fled, and departed thence with great heaviness, and returned to Babylon.

Moreover there came one who brought him tidings into Persia, that the armies, which went against the land of Judea, were put to flight:

and that Lysias, who went forth first with a great power, was driven away of the Jews; and that they were made strong by the armour, and power, and store of spoils, which they had gotten of the armies, whom they had destroyed:

also that they had pulled down the abomination, which he had set up upon the altar in Jerusalem, and that they had compassed about the sanctuary with high walls, as before, and his city Bethsura.

Now when the king heard these words, he was astonished and sore moved: whereupon he laid him down upon his bed, and fell sick for grief, because it had not befallen him as he looked for.

And there he continued many days: for his grief was ever more and more, and he made account that he should die.

Wherefore he called for all his friends, and said unto them, The sleep is gone from mine eyes, and my heart faileth for very care.

And I thought with myself, Into what tribulation am I come, and how great a flood [of misery] is it wherein now I am! for I was bountiful and beloved in my power.

But now I remember the evils that I did at Jerusalem, and that I took all the vessels of gold and silver that were therein, and sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judea without a cause.

I perceive therefore that for this cause these troubles are come upon me, and, behold, I perish through great grief in a strange land.

Then called he for Philip, one of his friends, whom he made ruler over all his realm.

And gave him the crown, and his robe, and his signet, to the end he should bring up his son Antiochus, and nourish him up for the kingdom.

So king Antiochus died there in the hundred forty and ninth year.

Now when Lysias knew that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus his son, whom he had brought up being young, to reign in his stead, and his name he called Eupator.

About this time they that were in the tower shut up the Israelites round about the sanctuary, and sought always their hurt, and the strengthening of the heathen.

Wherefore Judas, purposing to destroy them, called all the people together to besiege them.

So they came together, and besieged them in the hundred and fiftieth year, and he made mounts for shot against them, and [other] engines.

Howbeit certain of them that were besieged got forth, unto whom some ungodly men of Israel joined themselves:

and they went unto the king, and said, How long will it be ere thou execute judgment, and avenge our brethren?

We have been willing to serve thy father, and to do as he would have us, and to obey his commandments;

for which cause they of our nation besiege the tower, and are alienated from us: moreover as many of us as they could light on they slew, and spoiled our inheritance.

Neither have they stretched out their hand against us only, but also against all their borders.

And, behold, this day are they besieging the tower at Jerusalem, to take it: the sanctuary also and Bethsura have they fortified.

Wherefore if thou dost not prevent them quickly, they will do greater things than these, neither shalt thou be able to rule them.

Now when the king heard this, he was angry, and gathered together all his friends, and the captains of his army, and those that had charge of the horse.

There came also unto him from other kingdoms, and from isles of the sea, bands of hired soldiers.

So that the number of his army was an hundred thousand footmen, and twenty thousand horsemen, and two and thirty elephants exercised in battle.

These went through Idumea, and pitched against Bethsura, which they assaulted many days, making engines; but they [of Bethsura] came out, and burned them with fire, and fought valiantly.

Upon this Judas removed from the tower, and pitched in Bethzacharias, over against the king's camp.

Then the king rising very early marched fiercely with his host toward Bethzacharias, where his armies made them ready to battle, and sounded the trumpets.

And to the end they might provoke the elephants to fight, they shewed them the blood of grapes and mulberries.

Moreover they divided the beasts among the armies, and for every elephant they appointed a thousand men, armed with coats of mail, and with helmets of brass on their heads; and beside this, for every beast were ordained five hundred horsemen of the best.

These were ready at every occasion: wheresoever the beast was, and whithersoever the beast went, they went also, neither departed they from him.

And upon the beasts were there strong towers of wood, which covered every one of them, and were girt fast unto them with devices: there were also upon every one two and thirty strong men, that fought upon them, beside the Indian that ruled him.

As for the remnant of the horsemen, they set them on this side and that side at the two parts of the host, giving them signs what to do, and being harnessed all over amidst the ranks.

Now when the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the mountains glistered therewith, and shined like lamps of fire.

So part of the king's army being spread upon the high mountains, and part on the valleys below, they marched on safely and in order.

Wherefore all that heard the noise of their multitude, and the marching of the company, and the rattling of the harness, were moved: for the army was very great and mighty.

Then Judas and his host drew near, and entered into battle, and there were slain of the king's army six hundred men.

Eleazar also, [surnamed] Savaran, perceiving that one of the beasts, armed with royal harness, was higher than all the rest, and supposing that the king was upon him,

put himself in jeopardy, to the end he might deliver his people, and get him a perpetual name:

wherefore he ran upon him courageously through the midst of the battle, slaying on the right hand and on the left, so that they were divided from him on both sides.

Which done, he crept under the elephant, and thrust him under, and slew him: whereupon the elephant fell down upon him, and there he died.

Howbeit [the rest of the Jews] seeing the strength of the king, and the violence of his forces, turned away from them.