1 Maccabees 3

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Then his son Judas, who was called Maccabeus, took his place.	1 Then his son Judas, called Machabeus, rose up in his stead.
2 All his brothers and all who had joined his father supported him, and they carried on Israel's war joyfully.	2 And all his brethren helped him, and all they that had joined themselves to his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel.
3 He spread abroad the glory of his people, and put on his breastplate like a giant. He armed himself with weapons of war; he planned battles and protected the camp with his sword.	3 And he got his people great honour, and put on a breastplate as a giant, and girt his warlike armour about him in battles, and protected the camp with his sword.
4 In his actions he was like a lion, like a young lion roaring for prey.	4 In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey.
5 He pursued the wicked, hunting them out, and those who troubled his people he destroyed by fire.	5 And he pursued the wicked and sought them out, and them that troubled his people he burnt with fire:
6 The lawbreakers were cowed by fear of him, and all evildoers were dismayed. By his hand redemption was happily achieved,	6 And his enemies were driven away for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled: and salvation prospered in his hand.
7 and he afflicted many kings; He made Jacob glad by his deeds, and his memory is blessed forever.	7 And he grieved many kings, and made Jacob glad with his works, and his memory is blessed for ever.
8 He went about the cities of Judah destroying the impious there. He turned away wrath from Israel	8 And he went through the cities of Juda, and destroyed the wicked out of them, and turned away wrath from Israel.
9 and was renowned to the ends of the earth; he gathered together those who were perishing.	9 And he was renowned even to the utmost part of the earth, and he gathered them that were perishing.
10 Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles, together with a large army from Samaria, to fight against Israel.	10 And Apollonius gathered together the Gentiles, and a numerous and great army from Samaria, to make war against Israel.
11 When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him and defeated and killed him. Many fell wounded, and the rest fled.	11 And Judas understood it, and went forth to meet him: and he overthrew him, and killed him: and many fell down slain, the rest fled away.
12 Their possessions were seized and the sword of Apollonius was taken by Judas, who fought with it the rest of his life.	12 And he took their spoils, and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and fought with it all his lifetime.
13 But Seron, commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered many about him, an assembly of faithful men ready for war.	13 And Seron captain of the army of Syria heard that Judas had assembled a company of the faithful, and a congregation with him,
14 So he said, "I will make a name for myself and win glory in the kingdom by defeating Judas and his followers, who have despised the king's command."	14 And he said: I will get me a name, and will be glorified in the kingdom, and will overthrow Judas, and those that are with him, that have despised the edict of the king.
15 And again a large company of renegades advanced with him to help him take revenge on the Israelites.	15 And he made himself ready: and the host of the wicked went up with him, strong succours, to be revenged of the children of Israel.
16 When he reached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a few men.	16 And they approached even as far as Bethoron: and Judas went forth to meet him, with a small company.
17 But when they saw the army coming against them, they said to Judas: "How can we, few as we are, fight such a mighty host as this? Besides, we are weak today from fasting."	17 But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas: How shall we, being few, be able to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, and we are ready to faint with fasting today?
18 But Judas said: "It is easy for many to be overcome by a few; in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between deliverance by many or by few;	18 And Judas said: It is an easy matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few: and there is no difference in the sight of the God of heaven to deliver with a great multitude, or with a small company:
19 for victory in war does not depend upon the size of the army, but on strength that comes from Heaven.	19 For the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from heaven.
20 With great presumption and lawlessness they come against us to destroy us and our wives and children and to despoil us;	20 They come against us with an insolent multitude, and with pride, to destroy us, and our wives, and our children, and to take our spoils.
21 but we are fighting for our lives and our laws.	21 But we will fight for our lives and our laws:
22 He himself will crush them before us; so do not be afraid of them."	22 And the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: but as for you, fear them not.
23 When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly upon Seron and his army, who were crushed before him.	23 And as soon as he had made an end of speaking, he rushed suddenly upon them: and Seron and his host were overthrown before him:
24 He pursued Seron down the descent of Beth-horon into the plain. About eight hundred of their men fell, and the rest fled to the country of the Philistines.	24 And he pursued him by the descent of Bethoron even to the plain, and there fell of them eight hundred men, and the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.
25 Then Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and dread fell upon the Gentiles about them.	25 And the fear of Judas and of his brethren, and the dread of them fell upon all the nations round about them.
26 His fame reached the king, and all the Gentiles talked about the battles of Judas.	26 And his fame came to the king, and all nations told of the battles of Judas.
27 When Antiochus heard about these events, he was angry; so he ordered a muster of all the forces of his kingdom, a very strong army.	27 Now when king Antiochus heard these words, he was angry in his mind: and he sent and gathered the forces of all his kingdom, an exceeding strong army.
28 He opened his treasure chests, gave his soldiers a year's pay, and commanded them to be prepared for anything.	28 And he opened his treasury, and gave out pay to the army for a year: and he commanded them, that they should be ready for all things.
29 He then found that this exhausted the money in his treasury; moreover the income from the province was small, because of the dissension and distress he had brought upon the land by abolishing the laws which had been in effect from of old.	29 And he perceived that the money of his treasures failed, and that the tributes of the country were small because of the dissension, and the evil that he had brought upon the land, that he might take away the laws of old times:
30 He feared that, as had happened more than once, he would not have enough for his expenses and for the gifts that he had previously given with a more liberal hand than the preceding kings.	30 And he feared that he should not have as formerly enough, for charges and gifts, which he had given before with a liberal hand: for he had abounded more than the kings that had been before him.
31 Greatly perplexed, he decided to go to Persia and levy tribute on those provinces, and so raise a large sum of money.	31 And he was greatly perplexed in mind, and purposed to go into Persia, and to take tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.
32 He left Lysias, a nobleman of royal blood, in charge of the king's affairs from the Euphrates River to the frontier of Egypt,	32 And he left Lysias, a nobleman of the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the kingdom, from the river Euphrates even to the river of Egypt:
33 and commissioned him to take care of his son Antiochus until his own return.	33 And to bring up his son Antiochus, till he came again.
34 He entrusted to him half of the army, and the elephants, and gave him instructions concerning everything he wanted done. As for the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem,	34 And he delivered to him half the army, and the elephants: and he gave him charge concerning all that he would have done, and concerning the inhabitants of Judea, and Jerusalem:
35 Lysias was to send an army against them to crush and destroy the power of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem and efface their memory from the land.	35 And that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away the memory of them from that place:
36 He was to settle foreigners in all their territory and distribute their land by lot.	36 And that he should settle strangers to dwell in all their coasts, and divide their land by lot.
37 The king took the remaining half of the army and set out from Antioch, his capital, in the year one hundred and forty-seven; he crossed the Euphrates River and advanced inland.	37 So the king took the half of the army that remained, and went forth from Antioch the chief city of his kingdom, in the hundred and forty-seventh year: and he passed over the river Euphrates, and went through the higher countries.
38 Lysias chose Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, capable men among the King's Friends,	38 Then Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenus, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends.
39 and with them he sent forty thousand men and seven thousand cavalry to invade the land of Judah and ravage it according to the king's orders.	39 And he sent with them forty thousand men, and seven thousand horsemen: to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it according to the king's orders.
40 Setting out with all their forces, they came and pitched their camp near Emmaus in the plain.	40 So they went forth with all their power, and came, and pitched near Emmaus in the plain country.
41 When the merchants of the country heard of their fame, they came to the camp, bringing fetters and a large sum of silver and gold, to buy the Israelites as slaves. A force from Idumea and from Philistia joined with them.	41 And the merchants of the countries heard the fame of them: and they took silver and gold in abundance, and servants: and they came into the camp, to buy the children of Israel for slaves: and there were joined to them the forces of Syria, and of the land of the strangers.
42 Judas and his brothers saw that the situation had become critical now that armies were encamped within their territory; they knew of the orders which the king had given to destroy and utterly wipe out the people.	42 And Judas and his brethren saw that evils were multiplied, and that the armies approached to their borders: and they knew the orders the king had given to destroy the people and utterly abolish them.
43 So they said to one another, "Let us restore our people from their ruined estate, and fight for our people and our sanctuary!"	43 And they said every man to his neighbour: Let us raise up the low condition of our people, and let us fight for our people, and our sanctuary.
44 The assembly gathered together to prepare for battle and to pray and implore mercy and compassion.	44 And the assembly was gathered that they might be ready for battle: and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion.
45 Jerusalem was uninhabited, like a desert; not one of her children entered or came out. The sanctuary was trampled on, and foreigners were in the citadel; it was a habitation of Gentiles. Joy had disappeared from Jacob, and the flute and the harp were silent.	45 Now Jerusalem was not inhabited, but was like a desert: there was none of her children that went in or out: and the sanctuary was trodden down: and the children of strangers were in the castle, there was the habitation of the Gentiles: and joy was taken away from Jacob, and the pipe and harp ceased there.
46 Thus they assembled and went to Mizpah near Jerusalem, because there was formerly at Mizpah a place of prayer for Israel.	46 And they assembled together, and came to Maspha over against Jerusalem: for in Maspha was a place of prayer heretofore in Israel.
47 That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes.	47 And they fasted that day, and put on haircloth, and put ashes upon their heads: and they rent their garments:
48 They unrolled the scroll of the law, to learn about the things for which the Gentiles consulted the images of their idols.	48 And they laid open the books of the law, in which the Gentiles searched for the likeness of their idols:
49 They brought with them the priestly vestments, the first fruits, and the tithes; and they brought forward the nazirites who had completed the time of their vows.	49 And they brought the priestly ornaments, and the firstfruits and tithes, and stirred up the Nazarites that had fulfilled their days:
50 And they cried aloud to Heaven: "What shall we do with these men, and where shall we take them?	50 And they cried with a loud voice toward heaven, saying: What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them?
51 For your sanctuary has been trampled on and profaned, and your priests are in mourning and humiliation.	51 For thy holies are trodden down, and are profaned, and thy priests are in mourning, and are brought low.
52 Now the Gentiles are gathered together against us to destroy us. You know what they plot against us.	52 And behold the nations are come together against us to destroy us: thou knowest what they intend against us.
53 How shall we be able to resist them unless you help us?"	53 How shall we be able to stand before their face, unless thou, O God, help us?
54 Then they blew the trumpets and cried out loudly.	54 Then they sounded with trumpets, and cried out with a loud voice.
55 After this Judas appointed officers among the people, over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens.	55 And after this Judas appointed captains over the people, over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.
56 He proclaimed that those who were building houses, or were just married, or were planting vineyards, and those who were afraid, could each return to his home, according to the law.	56 And he said to them that were building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or were fearful, that they should return every man to his house, according to the law.
57 Then the army moved off, and they camped to the south of Emmaus.	57 So they removed the camp, and pitched on the south side of Emmaus.
58 Judas said: "Arm yourselves and be brave; in the morning be ready to fight these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.	58 And Judas said: Gird yourselves, and be valiant men, and be ready against the morning, that you may fight with these nations that are assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.
59 It is better for us to die in battle than to witness the ruin of our nation and our sanctuary. Whatever Heaven wills, he will do."	59 For it is better for us to die in battle, than to see the evils of our nation, and of the holies:
	60 Nevertheless as it shall be the will of God in heaven so be it done.