Everything Apocrypha - 1 Maccabees
1 Maccabees Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16
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.