2 Machabees 10

¹But Machabeus, & they that were with him, our Lord protecting them, recovered the temple and the city again:

²but the altars, which the aliens had set up through the streets, and also the temples he threw down.

³And having purged the temple, they made another altar: and out of fired stones taking fire they offered sacrifices after two years, and set incense, and lamps, & the breads of proposition.

⁴Which things being done, they besought our Lord prostrate on the ground, that they might no more fall into such evils: but and if they had sometime sinned, that they might be chastened of him more mildly, & not be delivered to barbarous, & blasphemous men.

⁵And what day the temple had been polluted of the aliens, it happened that on the same day was made the purification, the five & twentieth of the month, which was Casleu.

⁶And with joy eight days they kept in manner of tabernacles, remembering that a little before they had kept the solemn day of Tabernacles in the mountains, & in dens after the manner of beasts.

⁷For the which cause they bare before them stalks of herbs, & green boughs, and palms to him, that gave success to clean his place.

⁸And they decreed by common precept & decree to all the nation of the Jews every year to keep these days.

⁹And Antiochus that was called the Noble, his departure out of life was after this sort.

¹⁰But now of Eupator the son of Antiochus the impious, we will tell the things that have been done, abridging the evils that were done in the wars.

¹¹For he having taken upon him the kingdom, appointed over the affairs of the king one Lysias general of the host of Phænicia and Syria.

¹²For Ptolomee who was called Macer, determined to be a keeper of justice towards the Jews, & especially for the iniquity, that was done against them, and to deal peaceably with them.

¹³But being accused for this of his friends to Eupator, when he was called oftentimes traitor, because he had left Cypres committed unto him by Philometor, and removing to Antiochus the Noble, had revolted also from him, he made an end of his life with poison.

¹⁴But Gorgias being captain of the places, taking unto him strangers often warred against the Jews.

¹⁵And the Idumeans that kept the commodious holds, received them that were chased from Jerusalem, and attempted to make battle.

¹⁶And they that were with Machabeus, beseeching our Lord by prayers that he would be their helper, made an assault upon the holds of the Idumeans:

¹⁷and sticking to it with great force, they won the places, killed them that came in the way, & slew together no less than twenty thousand.

¹⁸And whereas certain were fled into two towers very strong, having all provision to make resistance,

¹⁹Machabeus for the expugning of them, leaving Simon and Joseph, & also Zachæus, and such as were with them very many, himself turned to those battles which forced more.

²⁰But they that were with Simon, being led with covetousness, were persuaded with money by certain that were in the towers: and taking seventy thousand didrachmæs, they let certain escape.

²¹But when it was told Machabeus what was done, assembling the princes of the people he accused them, that they had sold their brethren for money, their adversaries being let go.

²²These therefore being become traitors he slew, and forthwith he took the two towers.

²³And with weapons and hands doing all things prosperously, in the two holds he slew more than twenty thousand.

²⁴And Timothee, who before had been overcome of the Jews, having called together an army of foreign multitude, and gathering horsemen of Asia, came as to take Jury by arms.

²⁵But Machabeus and they that were with him, when he approached, besought our Lord, sprinkling their head with earth, and being girded about the loins with haircloths,

²⁶lying flat at the brim of the altar, that he would be propitious to them, and an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law saith.

²⁷And so after prayer taking weapons, going forth somewhat far out of the city, & being come very near the enemies they pitched.

²⁸And at the very first rising of the sun both joined battle: these indeed having our Lord the surety of victory, & prosperity with virtue: but they had courage for the captain of the battle.

²⁹But when there was a sore fight, there appeared to the adversaries from heaven five men upon horses, comely with golden bridles, conducting the Jews:

³⁰of whom two having Machabeus between them, compassing him round about with their armour, kept him safe: and against the adversaries they threw darts, and fire balls, whereby both confounded with blindness, and filled with perturbation they fell.

³¹And there were slain twenty thousand five hundred, and horsemen six hundred.

³²But Timothee fled into Gazara a strong hold, whereof Chæreas was the captain.

³³And Machabeus, and they that were with him joyfully besieged the hold four days.

³⁴But they that were within, trusting to the place, blasphemed above measure, & cast forth abominable words.

³⁵But when the fifth day appeared, twenty young men of them that were with Machabeus, incensed in their minds because of the blasphemy, went manfully to the wall, and with fierce courage going on, they scaled to the top:

³⁶Yea and the others also mounting up, attempted to set the towers and the gates on fire, and to burn the blasphemers themselves alive.

³⁷And the hold being sacked for two days together, they slew Timothee that was found hiding himself in a certain place: and his brother Chæreas, and Apollophanes they killed.

³⁸Which things being done, they blessed our Lord in hymns and confessions, who did great things in Israel, and gave them the victory.