2 Maccabees 13

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 In the hundred forty and ninth year it was told Judas, that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a great power into Judea,	1 In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas and his men discovered that Antiochus Eupator wasadvancing in force against Judaea,
2 And with him Lysias his protector, and ruler of his affairs, having either of them a Grecian power of footmen, an hundred and ten thousand, and horsemen five thousand and three hundred, and elephants two and twenty, and three hundred chariots armed with hooks.	2 and with him Lysias his tutor and chief minister; he had moreover a Greek force of one hundred andten thousand infantry, five thousand three hundred cavalry, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariotsfitted with scythes.
3 Menelans also joined himself with them, and with great dissimulation encouraged Antiochus, not for the safeguard of the country, but because he thought to have been made governor.	3 Menelaus, too, joined them and very craftily kept urging Antiochus on, not for the welfare of his owncountry but in the hope of being restored to office.
4 But the King of kings moved Antiochus' mind against this wicked wretch, and Lysias informed the king that this man was the cause of all mischief, so that the king commanded to bring him unto Berea, and to put him to death, as the manner is in that place.	4 But the King of kings stirred up the anger of Antiochus against the guilty wretch, and when Lysiasmade it clear to the king that Menelaus was the cause of all the troubles, Antiochus gave orders for him to betaken to Beroea and there put to death by the local method of execution.
5 Now there was in that place a tower of fifty cubits high, full of ashes, and it had a round instrument which on every side hanged down into the ashes.	5 In that place there is a tower fifty cubits high, ful of ash, with an internal lip al round overhanging theashes.
6 And whosoever was condemned of sacrilege, or had committed any other grievous crime, there did all men thrust him unto death.	6 If anyone is convicted of sacrilegious theft or of some other heinous crime, he is taken up to the topand pushed over to perish.
7 Such a death it happened that wicked man to die, not having so much as burial in the earth; and that most justly:	7 In such a manner was the renegade fated to die; Menelaus had not even the privilege of burial.
8 For inasmuch as he had committed many sins about the altar, whose fire and ashes were holy, he received his death in ashes.	8 Deserved justice, this; since he had committed many sins against the altar, the fire and ashes ofwhich were holy, it was in ashes that he met his death.
9 Now the king came with a barbarous and haughty mind to do far worse to the Jews, than had been done in his father's time.	9 The king, then, was advancing, his mind filled with barbarous designs, to give the Jews ademonstration of far worse things than anything that had happened under his father.
10 Which things when Judas perceived, he commanded the multitude to call upon the Lord night and day, that if ever at any other time, he would now also help them, being at the point to be put from their law, from their country, and from the holy temple:	10 When Judas heard of this, he ordered the people day and night to cal on the Lord as never before,to come to the help of those who were in peril of being deprived of the Law, their fatherland and the holy Temple,
11 And that he would not suffer the people, that had even now been but a little refreshed, to be in subjection to the blasphemous nations.	11 and not to al ow the people, just when they were beginning to breathe again, to fall into the power ofil -famed foreigners.
12 So when they had all done this together, and besought the merciful Lord with weeping and fasting, and lying flat upon the ground three days long, Judas, having exhorted them, commanded they should be in a readiness.	12 When they had al , with one voice, obeyed his instructions and had made their petitions to themerciful Lord, weeping, fasting and prostrating themselves for three days continuously, Judas spoke words ofencouragement and told them to keep close to him.
13 And Judas, being apart with the elders, determined, before the king's host should enter into Judea, and get the city, to go forth and try the matter in fight by the help of the Lord.	13 After separate consultation with the elders, he resolved not to wait for the king's army to invadeJudaea and take possession of the city, but to march out and settle the whole matter with the Lord's help.
14 So when he had committed all to the Creator of the world, and exhorted his soldiers to fight manfully, even unto death, for the laws, the temple, the city, the country, and the commonwealth, he camped by Modin:	14 Having thus committed the outcome to the Creator of the world, and having exhorted his soldiers tofight bravely to the death for the laws, the Temple, the city, their country and their way of life, he encamped hisarmy near Modein.
15 And having given the watchword to them that were about him, Victory is of God; with the most valiant and choice young men he went in into the king's tent by night, and slew in the camp about four thousand men, and the chiefest of the elephants, with all that were upon him.	15 Giving his men the password 'Victory from God', he made a night attack on the king's pavilion with apicked band of the bravest young men. Inside the camp he destroyed about two thousand, and his men cutdown the largest of the elephants with its mahout;
16 And at last they filled the camp with fear and tumult, and departed with good success.	16 having eventual y filled the camp with terror and confusion, they successful y withdrew,
17 This was done in the break of the day, because the protection of the Lord did help him.	17 just as dawn was breaking. This was achieved, thanks to the protection which the Lord grantedJudas.
18 Now when the king had taken a taste of the manliness of the Jews, he went about to take the holds by policy,	18 The king, having had a taste of Jewish daring, now tried to capture their positions by trickery.
19 And marched toward Bethsura, which was a strong hold of the Jews: but he was put to flight, failed, and lost of his men:	19 He advanced on Beth-Zur, a strong fortress of the Jews, but was checked, overcome and sorepulsed.
20 For Judas had conveyed unto them that were in it such things as were necessary.	20 Judas supplied the garrison with what they needed,
21 But Rhodocus, who was in the Jews' host, disclosed the secrets to the enemies; therefore he was sought out, and when they had gotten him, they put him in prison.	21 but Rhodocus, of the Jewish army, supplied the enemy with secret information; the man wasidentified, arrested, and dealt with.
22 The king treated with them in Bethsum the second time, gave his hand, took their's, departed, fought with Judas, was overcome;	22 A second time, the king parleyed with the garrison of Beth-Zur; he offered and accepted pledges offriendship, retired, then attacked Judas and his men, but lost the battle.
23 Heard that Philip, who was left over the affairs in Antioch, was desperately bent, confounded, intreated the Jews, submitted himself, and sware to all equal conditions, agreed with them, and offered sacrifice, honoured the temple, and dealt kindly with the place,	23 He was then told that Philip, left in charge of affairs, had rebelled in Antioch. He was stunned by this,opened negotiations with the Jews, came to an agreement, and swore to abide by al reasonable conditions.Agreement reached, he offered a sacrifice, honoured the Temple, and made generous gifts to the holy place.
24 And accepted well of Maccabeus, made him principal governor from Ptolemais unto the Gerrhenians;	24 He received Maccabaeus kindly and, leaving Hegemonides to exercise command from Ptolemais tothe territory of the Gerrenians,
25 Came to Ptolemais: the people there were grieved for the covenants; for they stormed, because they would make their covenants void:	25 went to Ptolemais. The inhabitants of the place disapproved of the treaty; they complained furiouslyand wanted to annul its provisions.
26 Lysias went up to the judgment seat, said as much as could be in defence of the cause, persuaded, pacified, made them well affected, returned to Antioch. Thus it went touching the king's coming and departing.	26 Lysias mounted the rostrum and made a convincing defence of the provisions which convinced andcalmed them and won their goodwil . He then withdrew to Antioch. So much for the episode of the king'soffensive and retreat.