1 Maccabees 6

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 As King Antiochus was traversing the inland provinces, he heard that in Persia there was a city called Elymais, famous for its wealth in silver and gold,	1 Now king Antiochus was going through the higher countries, and he heard that the city of Elymais in Persia was greatly renowned, and abounding in silver and gold.
2 and that its temple was very rich, containing gold helmets, breastplates, and weapons left there by Alexander, son of Philip, king of Macedon, the first king of the Greeks.	2 And that there was in it a temple, exceeding rich: and coverings of gold, and breastplates, and shields which king Alexander, son of Philip the Macedonian that reigned first in Greece, had left there.
3 He went therefore and tried to capture and pillage the city. But he could not do so, because his plan became known to the people of the city	3 Lo, he came, and sought to take the city and to pillage it: But he was not able, because the design was known to them that were in the city.
4 who rose up in battle against him. So he retreated and in great dismay withdrew from there to return to Babylon.	4 And they rose up against him in battle, and he fled away from thence, and departed with great sadness, and returned towards Babylonia.
5 While he was in Persia, a messenger brought him news that the armies sent into the land of Judah had been put to flight;	5 And whilst he was in Persia, there came one that told him, how the armies that were in the land of Juda were put to flight:
6 that Lysias had gone at first with a strong army and been driven back by the Israelites; that they had grown strong by reason of the arms, men, and abundant possessions taken from the armies they had destroyed;	6 And that Lysias went with a very great power, and was put to flight before the face of the Jews, and that thy were grown strong by the armour, and power, and store of spoils, which they had gotten out of the camps which they had destroyed:
7 that they had pulled down the Abomination which he had built upon the altar in Jerusalem; and that they had surrounded with high walls both the sanctuary, as it had been before, and his city of Beth-zur.	7 And that they had thrown down the abomination which he had set up upon the altar in Jerusalem, and that they had compassed about the sanctuary with high walls as before, and Bethsura also his city.
8 When the king heard this news, he was struck with fear and very much shaken. Sick with grief because his designs had failed, he took to his bed.	8 And it came to pass when the king heard these words, that he was struck with fear, and exceedingly moved: and he laid himself down upon his bed, and fell sick for grief, because it had not fallen out to him as he imagined.
9 There he remained many days, overwhelmed with sorrow, for he knew he was going to die.	9 And he remained there many days: for great grief came more and more and more upon him, and he made account that he should die.
10 So he called in all his Friends and said to them: "Sleep has departed from my eyes, for my heart is sinking with anxiety.	10 And he called for all his friends, and said to them: Sleep is gone from my eyes, and I am fallen away, and my heart is cast down for anxiety.
11 I said to myself: 'Into what tribulation have I come, and in what floods of sorrow am I now!	11 And I said in my heart: Into how much tribulation am I come, and into what floods of sorrow, wherein now I am: I that was pleasant and beloved in my power!
12 Yet I was kindly and beloved in my rule.' But I now recall the evils I did in Jerusalem, when I carried away all the vessels of gold and silver that were in it, and for no cause gave orders that the inhabitants of Judah be destroyed.	12 But now I remember the evils that I have done in Jerusalem, from whence also I took away all the spoils of gold, and of silver that were in it, and I sent to destroy the inhabitants of Juda without cause.
13 I know that this is why these evils have overtaken me; and now I am dying, in bitter grief, in a foreign land."	13 I know therefore that for this cause these evils have found me: and behold I perish with great grief in a strange land.
14 Then he summoned Philip, one of his Friends, and put him in charge of his whole kingdom.	14 Then he called Philip, one of his friends, and he made him regent over all his kingdom.
15 He gave him his crown, his robe, and his signet ring, so that he might guide the king's son Antiochus and bring him up to be king.	15 And he gave him the crown, and his robe, and his ring, that he should go to Antiochus his son, and should bring him up for the kingdom.
16 King Antiochus died in Persia in the year one hundred and forty-nine.	16 So king Antiochus died there in the year one hundred and forty-nine.
17 When Lysias learned that the king was dead, he set up the king's son Antiochus, whom he had reared as a child, to be king in his place; and he gave him the title Eupator.	17 And Lysias understood that the king was dead, and he set up Antiochus his son to reign, whom he brought up young: and he called his name Eupator.
18 The men in the citadel were hemming in Israel around the sanctuary, continually trying to harm them and to strengthen the Gentiles.	18 Now they that were in the castle, had shut up the Israelites round about the holy places: and they were continually seeking their hurt, and to strengthen the Gentiles.
19 But Judas planned to destroy them, and called all the people together to besiege them.	19 And Judas purposed to destroy them: and he called together all the people, to besiege them.
20 So in the year one hundred and fifty they assembled and stormed the citadel, for which purpose he constructed catapults and other devices.	20 And they came together, and besieged them in the year one hundred and fifty, and they made battering slings and engines.
21 Some of the besieged escaped, joined by impious Israelites;	21 And some of the besieged got out: and some wicked men of Israel joined themselves unto them.
22 they went to the king and said: "How long will you fail to do justice and avenge our kinsmen?	22 And they went to the king, and said: How long dost thou delay to execute the judgment, and to revenge our brethren?
23 We agreed to serve your father and to follow his orders and obey his edicts.	23 We determined to serve thy father and to do according to his orders, and obey his edicts:
24 And for this the sons of our people have become our enemies; they have put to death as many of us as they could find and have plundered our estates.	24 And for this they of our nation are alienated from us, and have slain as many of us as they could find, and have spoiled our inheritances.
25 They have acted aggressively not only against us, but throughout their whole territory.	25 Neither have they put forth their hand against us only, but also against all our borders.
26 Look! They have now besieged the citadel in Jerusalem in order to capture it, and they have fortified the sanctuary and Beth-zur.	26 And behold they have approached this day to the castle of Jerusalem to take it, and they have fortified the stronghold of Bethsura:
27 Unless you quickly forestall them, they will do even worse things than these, and you will not be able to stop them."	27 And unless thou speedily prevent them, they will do greater things than these, and thou shalt not be able to subdue them.
28 When the king heard this he was angry, and he called together all his Friends, the officers of his army, and the commanders of the cavalry.	28 Now when the king heard this, he was angry: and he called together all his friends, and the captains of his army, and them that were over the horsemen.
29 Mercenary forces also came to him from other kingdoms and from the islands of the seas.	29 There came also to him from other realms, and from the islands of the sea hired troops.
30 His army numbered a hundred thousand foot-soldiers, twenty thousand cavalry, and thirty-two elephants trained for war.	30 And the number of his army was an hundred thousand footmen, and twenty thousand horsemen, and thirty-two elephants, trained to battle.
31 They passed through Idumea and camped before Beth-zur. For many days they attacked it; they constructed siege-devices, but the besieged made a sortie and burned these, and they fought bravely.	31 And they went through Idumea, and approached to Bethsura, and fought many days, and they made engines: but they sallied forth and burnt them with fire, and fought manfully.
32 Then Judas marched away from the citadel and moved his camp to Beth-zechariah, on the way to the king's camp.	32 And Judas departed from the castle, and removed the camp to Bethzacharam, over against the king's camp.
33 The king, rising before dawn, moved his force hastily along the road to Beth-zechariah; and the armies prepared for battle, while the trumpets sounded.	33 And the king rose before it was light, and made his troops march on fiercely towards the way of Bethzacharam: and the armies made themselves ready for the battle, and they sounded the trumpets:
34 They showed the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries to provoke them to fight.	34 And they shewed the elephants the blood of grapes, and mulberries to provoke them to fight.
35 The beasts were distributed along the phalanxes, each elephant having assigned to it a thousand men in coats of mail, with bronze helmets, and five hundred picked cavalry.	35 And they distributed the beasts by the legions: and there stood by every elephant a thousand men in coats of mail, and with helmets of brass on their heads: and five hundred horsemen set in order were chosen for every beast.
36 These anticipated the beast wherever it was; and wherever it moved, they moved too and never left it.	36 These before the time wheresoever the beast was, the were there: and withersoever it went, they went, and they departed not from it.
37 A strong wooden tower covering each elephant, and fastened to it by a harness, held, besides the Indian mahout, three soldiers who fought from it.	37 And upon the beast, there were strong wooden towers, which covered every one of them: and engines upon them: and upon every one thirty-two valiant men, who fought from above; and an Indian to rule the beast.
38 The remaining cavalry were stationed on one or the other of the two flanks of the army, to harass the enemy and to be protected from the phalanxes.	38 And the rest of the horsemen he placed on this side and on that side at the two wings, with trumpets to stir up the army, and to hasten them forward that stood thick together in the legions thereof.
39 When the sun shone on the gold and bronze shields, the mountains gleamed with their brightness and blazed like flaming torches.	39 Now when the sun shone upon the shields of gold, and of brass, the mountains glittered therewith, and they shone like lamps of fire.
40 Part of the king's army extended over the heights, while some were on low ground, but they marched forward steadily and in good order.	40 And part of the king's army was distinguished by the high mountains, and the other part by the low places: and they marched on warily and orderly.
41 All who heard the noise of their numbers, the tramp of their marching, and the clashing of the arms, trembled; for the army was very great and strong.	41 And all the inhabitants of the land were moved at the noise of their multitude, and the marching of the company, and the rattling of the armour, for the army was exceeding great and strong.
42 Judas with his army advanced to fight, and six hundred men of the king's army fell.	42 And Judas and his army drew near for battle: and there fell of the king's army six hundred men.
43 Eleazar, called Avaran, saw one of the beasts bigger than any of the others and covered with royal armor, and he thought the king must be on it.	43 And Eleazar the son of Saura saw one of the beasts harnessed with the king's harness: and it was higher than the other beasts: and it seemed to him that the king was on it:
44 So he gave up his life to save his people and win an everlasting name for himself.	44 And he exposed himself to deliver his people and to get himself an everlasting name.
45 He dashed up to it in the middle of the phalanx, killing men right and left, so that they fell back from him on both sides.	45 And he ran up to it boldly in the midst of the legion, killing on the right hand, and on the left, and they fell by him on this side and that side.
46 He ran right under the elephant and stabbed it in the belly, killing it. The beast fell to the ground on top of him, and he died there.	46 And he went between the feet of the elephant, and put himself under it: and slew it, and it fell to the ground upon him, and he died there.
47 When the Jews saw the strength of the royal army and the ardor of its forces, they retreated from them.	47 Then they seeing the strength of the king and the fierceness of his army, turned away from them.
48 A part of the king's army went up to Jerusalem to attack them, and the king established camps in Judea and at Mount Zion.	48 But the king's army went up against them to Jerusalem: and the king's army pitched their tents against Judea and mount Sion.
49 He made peace with the men of Beth-zur, and they evacuated the city, because they had no food there to enable them to stand a siege, for that was a sabbath year in the land.	49 And he made peace with them that were in Bethsura: and they came forth out of the city, because they had no victuals, being shut up there, for it was the year of rest to the land.
50 The king took Beth-zur and stationed a garrison there to hold it.	50 And the king took Bethsura: and he placed there a garrison to keep it.
51 For many days he besieged the sanctuary, setting up artillery and machines, fire-throwers, catapults and mechanical bows for shooting arrows and slingstones.	51 And he turned his army against the sanctuary for many days: and he set up there battering slings, and engines and instruments to cast fire, and engines to cast stones and javelins, and pieces to shoot arrows, and slings.
52 The Jews countered by setting up machines of their own, and kept up the fight a long time.	52 And they also made engines against their engines, and they fought for many days.
53 But there were no provisions in the storerooms, because it was the seventh year, and the tide-over provisions had been eaten up by those who had been rescued from the Gentiles and brought to Judea.	53 But there were no victuals in the city, because it was the seventh year: and such as had stayed in Judea of them that came from among the nations, had eaten the residue of all that which had been stored up.
54 Few men remained in the sanctuary; the rest scattered, each to his own home, for the famine was too much for them.	54 And there remained in the holy places but a few, for the famine had prevailed over them: and they were dispersed every man to his own place.
55 Lysias heard that Philip, whom King Antiochus, before his death, had appointed to train his son Antiochus to be king,	55 Now Lysias heard that Philip, whom king Antiochus while he lived had appointed to bring up his son Antiochus, and to reign, to be king,
56 had returned from Persia and Media with the army that accompanied the king, and that he was seeking to take over the government.	56 Was returned from Persia, and Media, with the army that went with him, and that he sought to take upon him the affairs of the kingdom:
57 So he hastily resolved to withdraw. He said to the king, the leaders of the army, and the soldiers: "We are grow-ing weaker every day, our provisions are scanty, the place we are besieging is strong, and it is our duty to take care of the affairs of the kingdom.	57 Wherefore he made haste to go, and say to the king and to the captains of the army: We decay daily, and our provision of victuals is small, and the place that we lay siege to is strong, and it lieth upon us to take order for the affairs of the kingdom.
58 Therefore let us now come to terms with these men, and make peace with them and all their nation.	58 Now therefore let us come to an agreement with these men, and make peace with them and with all their nation.
59 Let us grant them freedom to live according to their own laws as formerly; it was on account of their laws, which we abolished, that they became angry and did all these things."	59 And let us covenant with them, that they may live according to their own laws as before. For because of our despising their laws, they have been provoked, and have done all these things.
60 The proposal found favor with the king and the leaders;	60 And the proposal was acceptable in the sight of the king, and of the princes: and he sent to them to make peace: and they accepted of it.
61 he sent peace terms to the Jews, and they accepted. So the king and the leaders swore an oath to them, and on these terms they evacuated the fortification.	61 And the king and the princes swore to them: and they came out of the stronghold.
62 But when the king entered Mount Zion and saw how the place was fortified, he broke the oath he had sworn and gave orders for the encircling wall to be destroyed.	62 Then the king entered into mount Sion, and saw the strength of the place: and he quickly broke the oath that he had taken, and gave commandment to throw down the wall round about.
63 Then he departed in haste and returned to Antioch, where he found Philip in possession of the city. He fought against him and took the city by force.	63 And he departed in haste, and returned to Antioch, where he found Philip master of the city: and he fought against him, and took the city.