1 Maccabees 4

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Now Gorgias took five thousand infantry and a thousand picked cavalry, and this detachment set out at night	1 Then Gorgias took five thousand men, and a thousand of the best horsemen: and they removed out of the camp by night.
2 in order to attack the camp of the Jews and take them by surprise. Some men from the citadel were their guides.	2 That they might come upon the camp of the Jews, and strike them suddenly: and the men that were of the castle were their guides.
3 Judas heard of it, and himself set out with his soldiers to attack the king's army at Emmaus,	3 And Judas heard of it, and rose up, he and the valiant men, to attack the king's forces that were in Emmaus.
4 while the latter's forces were still scattered away from the camp.	4 For as yet the army was dispersed from the camp.
5 During the night Gorgias came into the camp of Judas, and found no one there; so he began to hunt for them in the mountains, saying, "They are fleeing from us."	5 And Gorgias came by night into the camp of Judas, and found no man, and he sought them in the mountains: for he said: These men flee from us.
6 But at daybreak Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men, who lacked such armor and swords as they would have wished.	6 And when it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men only, who neither had armour nor swords.
7 They saw the army of the Gentiles, strong and breastplated, flanked with cavalry, and made up of expert soldiers.	7 And they saw the camp of the Gentiles that it was strong, and the men in breastplates, and the horsemen round about them, and these were trained up to war.
8 Judas said to the men with him: "Do not be afraid of their numbers or dread their attack.	8 And Judas said to the men that were with him: Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.
9 Remember how our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with an army.	9 Remember in what manner our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharao pursued them with a great army.
10 So now let us cry to Heaven in the hope that he will favor us, remember his covenant with our fathers, and destroy this army before us today.	10 And now let us cry to heaven: and the Lord will have mercy on us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and will destroy this army before our face this day:
11 All the Gentiles shall know that there is One who redeems and delivers Israel."	11 And all nations shall know that there is one that redeemeth and delivereth Israel.
12 When the foreigners looked up and saw them marching toward them,	12 And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them.
13 they came out of their camp for battle, and the men with Judas blew the trumpet.	13 And they went out of the camp to battle, and they that were with Judas sounded the trumpet.
14 The battle was joined and the Gentiles were defeated and fled toward the plain.	14 And they joined battle: and the Gentiles were routed, and fled into the plain.
15 Their whole rearguard fell by the sword, and they were pursued as far as Gazara and the plains of Judea, to Azotus and Jamnia. About three thousand of their men fell.	15 But all the hindmost of them fell by the sword, and they pursued them as far as Gezeron, and even to the plains of Idumea, and of Azotus, and of Jamnia: and there fell of them to the number of three thousand men.
16 When Judas and the army returned from the pursuit,	16 And Judas returned again with his army that followed him,
17 he said to the people: "Do not be greedy for the plunder, for there is a fight ahead of us,	17 And he said to the people: Be not greedy of the spoils: for there is war before us:
18 and Gorgias and his army are near us on the mountain. But now stand firm against our enemies and overthrow them. Afterward you can freely take the plunder."	18 And Gorgias and his army are near us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overthrow them, and you shall take the spoils afterwards with safety.
19 As Judas was finishing this speech, a detachment appeared, looking down from the mountain.	19 And as Judas was speaking these words, behold part of them appeared looking forth from the mountain.
20 They saw that their army had been put to flight and their camp was being burned. The smoke that could be seen indicated what had happened.	20 And Gorgias saw that his men were put to flight, ad that they had set fire to the camp: for the smoke that was seen declared what was done.
21 When they realized this, they were terrified; and when they also saw the army of Judas in the plain ready to attack,	21 And when they had seen this, they were seized with great fear, seeing at the same time Judas and his army in the plain ready to fight.
22 they all fled to Philistine territory.	22 So they all fled away into the land of the strangers.
23 Then Judas went back to plunder the camp, and his men collected much gold and silver, violet and crimson cloth, and great treasure.	23 And Judas returned to take the spoils of the camp, and they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.
24 As they returned, they were singing hymns and glorifying Heaven, "for he is good, for his mercy endures forever."	24 And returning home they sung a hymn, and blessed God in heaven, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
25 Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.	25 So Israel had a great deliverance that day.
26 But those of the foreigners who had escaped went and told Lysias all that had occurred.	26 And such of the strangers as escaped, went and told Lysias all that had happened.
27 When he heard it he was disturbed and discouraged, because things in Israel had not turned out as he intended and as the king had ordered.	27 And when he heard these things, he was amazed and discouraged: because things had not succeeded in Israel according to his mind, and as the king had commanded.
28 So the following year he gathered together sixty thousand picked men and five thousand cavalry, to subdue them.	28 So the year following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand chosen men, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.
29 They came into Idumea and camped at Beth-zur, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.	29 And they came into Judea, and pitched their tents in Bethoron, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.
30 Seeing that the army was strong, he prayed thus: "Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, who broke the rush of the mighty one by the hand of your servant David and delivered the camp of the Philistines into the hand of Jonathan, the son of Saul, and his armor-bearer.	30 And they saw that the army was strong, and he prayed, and said: Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst break the violence of the mighty by the hand of thy servant David, and didst deliver up the camp of the strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul and of his armourbearer.
31 Give this army into the hands of your people Israel; make them ashamed of their troops and their cavalry.	31 Shut up this army in the hands of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their host and their horsemen.
32 Strike them with fear, weaken the boldness of their strength, and let them tremble at their own destruction.	32 Strike them with fear, and cause the boldness of their strength to languish, and let them quake at their own destruction.
33 Strike them down by the sword of those who love you, that all who know your name may hymn your praise."	33 Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee: and let all that know thy name, praise thee with hymns.
34 Then they engaged in battle, and about five thousand of Lysias' men fell in hand-to-hand fighting.	34 And they joined battle: and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men.
35 When Lysias saw his ranks beginning to give way, and the increased boldness of Judas, whose men were ready either to live or to die bravely, he withdrew to Antioch and began to recruit mercenaries so as to return to Judea with greater numbers.	35 And when Lysias saw that his men were put to flight, and how bold the Jews were, and that they were ready either to live, or to die manfully, he went to Antioch, and chose soldiers, that they might come again into Judea with greater numbers.
36 Then Judas and his brothers said, "Now that our enemies have been crushed, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it."	36 Then Judas, and his brethren said: Behold our enemies are discomfited: let us go up now to cleanse the holy places and to repair them.
37 So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion.	37 And all the army assembled together, and they went up into mount Sion.
38 They found the sanctuary desolate, the altar desecrated, the gates burnt, weeds growing in the courts as in a forest or on some mountain, and the priests' chambers demolished.	38 And they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burnt, and shrubs growing up in the courts as in a forest, or on the mountains, and the chambers joining to the temple thrown down.
39 Then they tore their clothes and made great lamentation; they sprinkled their heads with ashes	39 And they rent their garments, and made great lamentation, and put ashes on their heads:
40 and fell with their faces to the ground. And when the signal was given with trumpets, they cried out to Heaven.	40 And they fell face down to the ground on their faces, and they sounded with the trumpets of alarm, and they cried towards heaven.
41 Judas appointed men to attack those in the citadel, while he purified the sanctuary.	41 Then Judas appointed men to fight against them that were in the castle, till they had cleansed the holy places.
42 He chose blameless priests, devoted to the law;	42 And he chose priests without blemish, whose will was set upon the law of God:
43 these purified the sanctuary and carried away the stones of the Abomination to an unclean place.	43 And they cleansed the holy places, and took away the stones that had been defiled into an unclean place.
44 They deliberated what ought to be done with the altar of holocausts that had been desecrated.	44 And he considered about the altar of holocausts that had been profaned, what he should do with it.
45 The happy thought came to them to tear it down, lest it be a lasting shame to them that the Gentiles had defiled it; so they tore down the altar.	45 And a good counsel came into their minds, to pull it down: lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it; so they threw it down.
46 They stored the stones in a suitable place on the temple hill, until a prophet should come and decide what to do with them.	46 And they laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, till there should come a prophet, and give answer concerning them.
47 Then they took uncut stones, according to the law, and built a new altar like the former one.	47 Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former:
48 They also repaired the sanctuary and the interior of the temple and purified the courts.	48 And they built up the holy places, and the things that were within the temple: and they sanctified the temple, and the courts.
49 They made new sacred vessels and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.	49 And they made new holy vessels, and brought in the candlestick, and the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.
50 Then they burned incense on the altar and lighted the lamps on the lampstand, and these illuminated the temple.	50 And they put incense upon the altar, and lighted up the lamps that were upon the candlestick, and they gave light in the temple.
51 They also put loaves on the table and hung up curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken.	51 And they set the loaves upon the table, and hung up the veils, and finished all the works that they had begun to make.
52 Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, that is, the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-eight,	52 And they arose before the morning on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month (which is the month of Casleu) in the hundred and forty-eighth year.
53 they arose and offered sacrifice according to the law on the new altar of holocausts that they had made.	53 And they offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of holocausts which they had made.
54 On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had defiled it, on that very day it was reconsecrated with songs, harps, flutes, and cymbals.	54 According to the time, and according to the day wherein the heathens had defiled it, in the same was it dedicated anew with canticles, and harps, and lutes, and cymbals.
55 All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised Heaven, who had given them success.	55 And all the people fell upon their faces, and adored, and blessed up to heaven, him that had prospered them.
56 For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar and joyfully offered holocausts and sacrifices of deliverance and praise.	56 And they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and they offered holocausts with joy, and sacrifices of salvation, and of praise.
57 They ornamented the facade of the temple with gold crowns and shields; they repaired the gates and the priests' chambers and furnished them with doors.	57 And they adorned the front of the temple with crowns of gold, and escutcheons, and they renewed the gates, and the chambers, and hanged doors upon them.
58 There was great joy among the people now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed.	58 And there was exceeding great joy among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.
59 Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness on the anniversary every year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.	59 And Judas, and his brethren, and all the church of Israel decreed, that the day of the dedication of the altar should be kept in its season from year to year for eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, with joy and gladness.
60 At that time they built high walls and strong towers around Mount Zion, to prevent the Gentiles from coming and trampling over it as they had done before.	60 They built up also at that time mount Sion, with high walls, and strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should at any time come, and tread it down as they did before.
61 Judas also placed a garrison there to protect it, and likewise fortified Beth-zur, that the people might have a stronghold facing Idumea.	61 And he placed a garrison there to keep it, and he fortified it to secure Bethsura, that the people might have a defence against Idumea.