1 Maccabees 7

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1Mac 7:1 
In the hundred and one and fiftieth year Demetrius the son of 
Seleucus departed from Rome, and came up with a few men unto a 
city of the sea coast, and reigned there. 
 
1Mac 7:2 
And as he entered into the palace of his ancestors, so it 
was, that his forces had taken Antiochus and Lysias, to bring 
them unto him. 
 
1Mac 7:3 
Wherefore, when he knew it, he said, Let me not see their 
faces. 
 
1Mac 7:4 
So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the 
throne of his kingdom, 
 
1Mac 7:5 
There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, 
having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their 
captain: 
 
1Mac 7:6 
And they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and 
his brethren have slain all thy friends, and driven us out of 
our own land. 
 
1Mac 7:7 
Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him 
go and see what havock he hath made among us, and in the king's 
land, and let him punish them with all them that aid them. 
 
1Mac 7:8 
Then the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who 
ruled beyond the flood, and was a great man in the kingdom, and 
faithful to the king, 
 
1Mac 7:9 
And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high 
priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the 
children of Israel. 
 
1Mac 7:10 
So they departed, and came with a great power into the land 
of Judea, where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren 
with peaceable words deceitfully. 
 
1Mac 7:11 
But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they 
were come with a great power. 
 
1Mac 7:12 
Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company 
of scribes, to require justice. 
 
1Mac 7:13 
Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel 
that sought peace of them: 
 
1Mac 7:14 
For said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is 
come with this army, and he will do us no wrong. 
 
1Mac 7:15 
So he spake unto them, peaceably, and sware unto them, 
saying, we will procure the harm neither of you nor your 
friends. 
 
1Mac 7:16 
Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them 
threescore men, and slew them in one day, according to the words 
which he wrote, 
 
1Mac 7:17 
The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood 
have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury 
them. 
 
1Mac 7:18 
Wherefore the fear and dread of them fell upon all the 
people, who said, There is neither truth nor righteousness in 
them; for they have broken the covenant and oath that they made. 
 
1Mac 7:19 
After this, removed Bacchides from Jerusalem, and pitched his 
tents in Bezeth, where he sent and took many of the men that had 
forsaken him, and certain of the people also, and when he had 
slain them, he cast them into the great pit. 
 
1Mac 7:20 
Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a 
power to aid him: so Bacchides went to the king. 
 
1Mac 7:21 
But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood. 
 
1Mac 7:22 
And unto him resorted all such as troubled the people, who, 
after they had gotten the land of Juda into their power, did 
much hurt in Israel. 
 
1Mac 7:23 
Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his 
company had done among the Israelites, even above the heathen, 
 
1Mac 7:24 
He went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and 
took vengeance of them that had revolted from him, so that they 
durst no more go forth into the country. 
 
1Mac 7:25 
On the other side, when Alcimus saw that Judas and his 
company had gotten the upper hand, and knew that he was not able 
to abide their force, he went again to the king, and said all 
the worst of them that he could. 
 
1Mac 7:26 
Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a 
man that bare deadly hate unto Israel, with commandment to 
destroy the people. 
 
1Mac 7:27 
So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent 
unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with friendly words, 
saying, 
 
1Mac 7:28 
Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a 
few men, that I may see you in peace. 
 
1Mac 7:29 
He came therefore to Judas, and they saluted one another 
peaceably. Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas 
by violence. 
 
1Mac 7:30 
Which thing after it was known to Judas, to wit, that he came 
unto him with deceit, he was sore afraid of him, and would see 
his face no more. 
 
1Mac 7:31 
Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, 
went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama: 
 
1Mac 7:32 
Where there were slain of Nicanor's side about five thousand 
men, and the rest fled into the city of David. 
 
1Mac 7:33 
After this went Nicanor up to mount Sion, and there came out 
of the sanctuary certain of the priests and certain of the 
elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to shew him 
the burnt sacrifice that was offered for the king. 
 
1Mac 7:34 
But he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused them 
shamefully, and spake proudly, 
 
1Mac 7:35 
And sware in his wrath, saying, Unless Judas and his host be 
now delivered into my hands, if ever I come again in safety, I 
will burn up this house: and with that he went out in a great 
rage. 
 
1Mac 7:36 
Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and 
the temple, weeping, and saying, 
 
1Mac 7:37 
Thou, O Lord, didst choose this house to be called by thy 
name, and to be a house of prayer and petition for thy people: 
 
1Mac 7:38 
Be avenged of this man and his host, and let them fall by the 
sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to 
continue any longer. 
 
1Mac 7:39 
So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in 
Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met him. 
 
1Mac 7:40 
But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there 
he prayed, saying, 
 
1Mac 7:41 
O Lord, when they that were sent from the king of the 
Assyrians blasphemed, thine angel went out, and smote an hundred 
fourscore and five thousand of them. 
 
1Mac 7:42 
Even so destroy thou this host before us this day, that the 
rest may know that he hath spoken blasphemously against thy 
sanctuary, and judge thou him according to his wickedness. 
 
1Mac 7:43 
So the thirteenth day of the month Adar the hosts joined 
battle: but Nicanor's host was discomfited, and he himself was 
first slain in the battle. 
 
1Mac 7:44 
Now when Nicanor's host saw that he was slain, they cast away 
their weapons, and fled. 
 
1Mac 7:45 
Then they pursued after them a day's journey, from Adasa unto 
Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets. 
 
1Mac 7:46 
Whereupon they came forth out of all the towns of Judea round 
about, and closed them in; so that they, turning back upon them 
that pursued them, were all slain with the sword, and not one of 
them was left. 
 
1Mac 7:47 
Afterwards they took the spoils, and the prey, and smote off 
Nicanors head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so 
proudly, and brought them away, and hanged them up toward 
Jerusalem. 
 
1Mac 7:48 
For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept 
that day a day of great gladness. 
 
1Mac 7:49 
Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day, being the 
thirteenth of Adar. 
 
1Mac 7:50 
Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while. 
 

7:1 In the hundred and fifty-first year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from the city of Rome, and came up with a few men into a city of the sea coast, and reigned there.

7:2 And it came to pass, as he entered into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army seized upon Antiochus, and Lysias, to bring them unto him.

7:3 And when he knew it, he said: Let me not see their face.

7:4 So the army slew them. And Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom:

7:5 And there came to him the wicked and ungodly men of Israel: And Alcimus was at the head of them, who desired to be made high priest.

7:6 And they accused the people to the king, saying: Judas and his brethren have destroyed all thy friends, and he hath driven us out of our land.

7:7 Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go, and see all the havock he hath made amongst us, and in the king's lands: and let him punish all his friends and their helpers.

7:8 Then the king chose Bacchides, one of his friends that ruled beyond the great river in the kingdom, and was faithful to the king: and he sent him,

7:9 To see the havock that Judas had made: and the wicked Alcimus he made high priest, and commanded him to take revenge upon the children of Israel.

7:10 And they arose, and came with a great army into the land of Juda: and they sent messengers, and spoke to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.

7:11 But they gave no heed to their words: for they saw that they were come with a great army.

7:12 Then there assembled to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of the scribes to require things that are just:

7:13 And first the Assideans that were among the children of Israel, and they sought peace of them.

7:14 For they said: One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come, he will not deceive us.

7:15 And he spoke to them peaceably: and he swore to them, saying: We will do you no harm nor your friends.

7:16 And they believed him. And he took threescore of them, and slew them in one day, according to the word that is written:

7:17 The flesh of thy saints, and the blood of them they have shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

7:18 Then fear and trembling fell upon all the people: for they said: There is no truth, nor justice among them: for they have broken the covenant, and the oath which they made.

7:19 And Bacchides removed the camp from Jerusalem, and pitched in Bethzecha: and he sent, and took many of them that were fled away from him, and some of the people he killed, and threw them into a great pit.

7:20 Then he committed the country to Alcimus, and left with him troops to help him. So Bacchides went away to the king:

7:21 But Alcimus did what he could to maintain his chief priesthood.

7:22 And they that disturbed the people resorted to him, and they got the land of Juda into their power, and did much hurt in Israel.

7:23 And Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus, and they that were with him, did to the children of Israel, much more than the Gentiles.

7:24 And he went out into all the coasts of Juda round about, and took vengeance upon the men that had revolted, and they ceased to go forth any more into the country.

7:25 And Alcimus saw that Judas, and they that were with him prevailed: and he knew that he could not stand against them, and he went back to the king, and accused them of many crimes.

7:26 And the king sent Nicanor one of his principal lords, who was a great enemy to Israel: and he commanded him to destroy the people.

7:27 And Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army, and he sent to Judas and to his brethren deceitfully with friendly words,

7:28 Saying: Let there be no fighting between me and you: I will come with a few men to see your faces with peace.

7:29 And he came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably: and the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by force.

7:30 And the thing was known to Judas that he was come to him with deceit: and he was much afraid of him, and would not see his face any more.

7:31 And Nicanor knew that his counsel was discovered: and he went out to fight against Judas near Capharsalama.

7:32 And there fell of Nicanor's army almost five thousand men, and they fled into the city of David.

7:33 And after this Nicanor went up into mount Sion: and some of the priests and the people came out to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the holocausts that were offered for the king.

7:34 But he mocked them and despised them, and abused them: and he spoke proudly,

7:35 And swore in anger, saying: Unless Judas and his army be delivered into my hands, as soon as ever I return in peace, I will burn this house. And he went out in a great rage.

7:36 And the priests went in, and stood before the face of the altar and the temple: and weeping, they said:

7:37 Thou, O Lord, hast chosen this house for thy name to be called upon therein, that it might be a house of prayer and supplication for thy people.

7:38 Be avenged of this man, and his army, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continue any longer.

7:39 Then Nicanor went out from Jerusalem, and encamped near to Bethoron: and an army of Syria joined him.

7:40 But Judas pitched in Adarsa with three thousand men: and Judas prayed, and said:

7:41 O Lord, when they that were sent by king Sennacherib blasphemed thee, an angel went out, and slew of them a hundred and eighty-five thousand:

7:42 Even so destroy this army in our sight to day, and let the rest know that he hath spoken ill against thy sanctuary: and judge thou him according to his wickedness.

7:43 And the armies joined battle on the thirteenth day of the month Adar: and the army of Nicanor was defeated, and he himself was first slain in the battle.

7:44 And when his army saw that Nicanor was slain, they threw away their weapons, and fled:

7:45 And they pursued after them one day's journey from Adazer, even till ye come to Gazara, and they sounded the trumpets after them with signals.

7:46 And they went forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and they pushed them with the horns, and they turned again to them, and they were all slain with the sword, and there was not left of them so much as one.

7:47 And they took the spoils of them for a booty, and they cut off Nicanor's head, and his right hand, which he had proudly stretched out, and they brought it, and hung it up over against Jerusalem.

7:48 And the people rejoiced exceedingly, and they spent that day with great joy.

7:49 And he ordained that this day should be kept every year, being the thirteenth of the month of Adar.

7:50 And the land of Juda was quiet for a short time.