1 Maccabees 6

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
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 About that time king Antiochus travelling through the high countries heard say, that Elymais in the country of Persia was a city greatly renowned for riches, 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 very rich temple, wherein were coverings of gold, and breastplates, and shields, which Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian king, who reigned first among the Grecians, 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 Wherefore he came and sought to take the city, and to spoil it; but he was not able, because they of the city, having had warning thereof,
4 who rose up in battle against him. So he retreated and in great dismay withdrew from there to return to Babylon.	4 Rose up against him in battle: so he fled, and departed thence with great heaviness, and returned to Babylon.
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 Moreover there came one who brought him tidings into Persia, that the armies, which went against the land of Judea, 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, who went forth first with a great power was driven away of the Jews; and that they were made strong by the armour, and power, and store of spoils, which they had gotten of the armies, whom 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 Also that they had pulled 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 his city Bethsura.
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 Now when the king heard these words, he was astonished and sore moved: whereupon he laid him down upon his bed, and fell sick for grief, because it had not befallen him as he looked for.
9 There he remained many days, overwhelmed with sorrow, for he knew he was going to die.	9 And there he continued many days: for his grief was ever more and more, 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 Wherefore he called for all his friends, and said unto them, The sleep is gone from mine eyes, and my heart faileth for very care.
11 I said to myself: 'Into what tribulation have I come, and in what floods of sorrow am I now!	11 And I thought with myself, Into what tribulation am I come, and how great a flood of misery is it, wherein now I am! for I was bountiful 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 did at Jerusalem, and that I took all the vessels of gold and silver that were therein, and sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judea without a 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 perceive therefore that for this cause these troubles are come upon me, and, behold, I perish through 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 called he for Philip, one of his friends, who he made ruler over all his realm,
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 gave him the crown, and his robe, and his signet, to the end he should bring up his son Antiochus, and nourish 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 hundred forty and ninth year.
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 Now when Lysias knew that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus his son, whom he had brought up being young, to reign in his stead, and his name he called 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 About this time they that were in the tower shut up the Israelites round about the sanctuary, and sought always their hurt, and the strengthening of the heathen.
19 But Judas planned to destroy them, and called all the people together to besiege them.	19 Wherefore Judas, purposing to destroy them, called all the people together 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 So they came together, and besieged them in the hundred and fiftieth year, and he made mounts for shot against them, and other engines.
21 Some of the besieged escaped, joined by impious Israelites;	21 Howbeit certain of them that were besieged got forth, unto whom some ungodly men of Israel joined themselves:
22 they went to the king and said: "How long will you fail to do justice and avenge our kinsmen?	22 And they went unto the king, and said, How long will it be ere thou execute judgment, and avenge our brethren?
23 We agreed to serve your father and to follow his orders and obey his edicts.	23 We have been willing to serve thy father, and to do as he would have us, and to obey his commandments;
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 For which cause they of our nation besiege the tower, and are alienated from us: moreover as many of us as they could light on they slew, and spoiled our inheritance.
25 They have acted aggressively not only against us, but throughout their whole territory.	25 Neither have they stretched out their hand against us only, but also against their 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, this day are they besieging the tower at Jerusalem, to take it: the sanctuary also and Bethsura have they fortified.
27 Unless you quickly forestall them, they will do even worse things than these, and you will not be able to stop them."	27 Wherefore if thou dost not prevent them quickly, they will do the greater things than these, neither shalt thou be able to rule 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 gathered together all his friends, and the captains of his army, and those that had charge of the horse.
29 Mercenary forces also came to him from other kingdoms and from the islands of the seas.	29 There came also unto him from other kingdoms, and from isles of the sea, bands of hired soldiers.
30 His army numbered a hundred thousand foot-soldiers, twenty thousand cavalry, and thirty-two elephants trained for war.	30 So that the number of his army was an hundred thousand footmen, and twenty thousand horsemen, and two and thirty elephants exercised in 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 These went through Idumea, and pitched against Bethsura, which they assaulted many days, making engines of war; but they of Bethsura came out, and burned them with fire, and fought valiantly.
32 Then Judas marched away from the citadel and moved his camp to Beth-zechariah, on the way to the king's camp.	32 Upon this Judas removed from the tower, and pitched in Bathzacharias, 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 Then the king rising very early marched fiercely with his host toward Bathzacharias, where his armies made them ready to battle, and sounded the trumpets.
34 They showed the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries to provoke them to fight.	34 And to the end they might provoke the elephants to fight, they shewed them the blood of grapes and mulberries.
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 Moreover they divided the beasts among the armies, and for every elephant they appointed a thousand men, armed with coats of mail, and with helmets of brass on their heads; and beside this, for every beast were ordained five hundred horsemen of the best.
36 These anticipated the beast wherever it was; and wherever it moved, they moved too and never left it.	36 These were ready at every occasion: wheresoever the beast was, and whithersoever the beast went, they went also, neither departed they from him.
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 beasts were there strong towers of wood, which covered every one of them, and were girt fast unto them with devices: there were also upon every one two and thirty strong men, that fought upon them, beside the Indian that ruled him.
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 As for the remnant of the horsemen, they set them on this side and that side at the two parts of the host giving them signs what to do, and being harnessed all over amidst the ranks.
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 brass, the mountains glistered therewith, and shined 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 So part of the king's army being spread upon the high mountains, and part on the valleys below, they marched on safely and in order.
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 Wherefore all that heard the noise of their multitude, and the marching of the company, and the rattling of the harness, were moved: for the army was very great and mighty.
42 Judas with his army advanced to fight, and six hundred men of the king's army fell.	42 Then Judas and his host drew near, and entered into battle, and there were slain 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 Eleazar also, surnamed Savaran, perceiving that one of the beasts, armed with royal harness, was higher than all the rest, and supposing that the king was upon him,
44 So he gave up his life to save his people and win an everlasting name for himself.	44 Put himself in jeopardy, to the end he might deliver his people, and get him a perpetual 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 Wherefore he ran upon him courageously through the midst of the battle, slaying on the right hand and on the left, so that they were divided from him on both sides.
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 Which done, he crept under the elephant, and thrust him under, and slew him: whereupon the elephant fell down upon him, and there he died.
47 When the Jews saw the strength of the royal army and the ardor of its forces, they retreated from them.	47 Howbeit the rest of the Jews seeing the strength of the king, and the violence of his forces, 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 Then the king's army went up to Jerusalem to meet them, and the king pitched his tents against Judea, and against 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 But with them that were in Bethsura he made peace: for they came out of the city, because they had no victuals there to endure the siege, it being a year of rest to the land.
50 The king took Beth-zur and stationed a garrison there to hold it.	50 So the king took Bethsura, and set a garrison there 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 As for the sanctuary, he besieged it many days: and set there artillery with engines and instruments to cast fire and stones, and pieces to cast darts and slings.
52 The Jews countered by setting up machines of their own, and kept up the fight a long time.	52 Whereupon they also made engines against their engines, and held them battle a long season.
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 Yet at the last, their vessels being without victuals, (for that it was the seventh year, and they in Judea that were delivered from the Gentiles, had eaten up the residue of the store;)
54 Few men remained in the sanctuary; the rest scattered, each to his own home, for the famine was too much for them.	54 There were but a few left in the sanctuary, because the famine did so prevail against them, that they were fain to disperse themselves, 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 At that time Lysias heard say, that Philip, whom Antiochus the king, whiles he lived, had appointed to bring up his son Antiochus, that he might 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 out of Persia and Media, and the king's host also that went with him, and that he sought to take unto him the ruling of the affairs.
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 went in all haste, and said to the king and the captains of the host and the company, We decay daily, and our victuals are but small, and the place we lay siege unto is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom lie upon us:
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 be friends 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 covenant with them, that they shall live after their laws, as they did before: for they are therefore displeased, and have done all these things, because we abolished their laws.
60 The proposal found favor with the king and the leaders;	60 So the king and the princes were content: wherefore he sent unto them to make peace; and they accepted thereof.
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 Also the king and the princes made an oath unto them: whereupon they went out of the strong hold.
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; but when he saw the strength of the place, he broke his oath that he had made, and gave commandment to pull 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 Afterward departed he in all haste, and returned unto Antiochia, where he found Philip to be master of the city: so he fought against him, and took the city by force.