1 Maccabees 6

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
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 King Antiochus, meanwhile, was making his way through the Upper Provinces; he had heard that inPersia there was a city called Elymais, renowned for its riches, its 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 its very wealthy temple containing golden armour, breastplates and weapons, left there byAlexander son of Philip, the king of Macedon, the first to reign over the Greeks.
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 He therefore went and attempted to take the city and pil age it, but without success, the citizens havingbeen forewarned.
4 who rose up in battle against him. So he retreated and in great dismay withdrew from there to return to Babylon.	4 They resisted him by force of arms. He was routed, and began retreating, very gloomily, towardsBabylon.
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 But, while he was stil in Persia, news reached him that the armies which had invaded Judaea hadbeen routed,
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 in particular had advanced in massive strength, only to be forced to turn and flee beforethe Jews; that the latter were now stronger than ever, thanks to the arms, supplies and abundant spoils acquiredfrom the armies they had cut to pieces,
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 pul ed down the abomination which he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem, hadencircled the sanctuary with high wal s as in the past, and had fortified Beth-Zur, one of his cities.
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 When the king heard this news he was amazed and profoundly shaken; he threw himself on his bedand fel sick with grief, since things had not turned out for him as he had planned.
9 There he remained many days, overwhelmed with sorrow, for he knew he was going to die.	9 And there he remained for many days, subject to deep and recurrent fits of melancholy, until herealised that he was dying.
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 Then, summoning al his Friends, he said to them, 'Sleep evades my eyes, and my heart is cowed byanxiety.
11 I said to myself: 'Into what tribulation have I come, and in what floods of sorrow am I now!	11 I have been wondering how I could have come to such a pitch of distress, so great a flood as thatwhich now engulfs me -- I who was so generous and wel -loved in my heyday.
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 recall how wrongly I acted in Jerusalem when I seized al the vessels of silver and goldthere and ordered the extermination of the inhabitants of Judah for no reason at al .
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 This, I am convinced, is why these misfortunes have overtaken me, and why I am dying of melancholyin a foreign land.'
14 Then he summoned Philip, one of his Friends, and put him in charge of his whole kingdom.	14 He summoned Philip, one of his Friends, and made him regent of the whole 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 He entrusted him with his diadem, his robe and his signet, on the understanding that he was toeducate his son Antiochus and train him for the throne.
16 King Antiochus died in Persia in the year one hundred and forty-nine.	16 King Antiochus then died, in the year 149.
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 Lysias, learning that the king was dead, established on the throne in succession to him his sonAntiochus, whom he had brought up from childhood -- and styled him 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 The people in the Citadel at the time were blockading Israel round the sanctuary and were takingevery opportunity to harm them and to support the gentiles.
19 But Judas planned to destroy them, and called all the people together to besiege them.	19 Judas decided that they must be destroyed, and he mobilised the whole 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 They assembled and laid siege to the Citadel in the year 150, building batteries and siege-engines.
21 Some of the besieged escaped, joined by impious Israelites;	21 But some of the besieged broke through the blockade, and to these a number of renegades fromIsrael attached themselves.
22 they went to the king and said: "How long will you fail to do justice and avenge our kinsmen?	22 They made their way to the king and said, 'How much longer are you going to wait before you seejustice done and avenge our fellows?
23 We agreed to serve your father and to follow his orders and obey his edicts.	23 We were content to serve your father, to comply with his orders, and to 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 As a result our own people will have nothing to do with us; what is more, they have kil ed al those ofus they could catch, and looted our family property.
25 They have acted aggressively not only against us, but throughout their whole territory.	25 Nor is it on us alone that their blows have fal en, but on al your territories.
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 At this moment, they are laying siege to the Citadel of Jerusalem, to capture it, and they have fortifiedthe sanctuary and Beth-Zur.
27 Unless you quickly forestall them, they will do even worse things than these, and you will not be able to stop them."	27 Unless you forestall them at once, they wil go on to even bigger things, and then you wil never beable to control 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 The king was furious when he heard this and summoned al his Friends, the generals of his forcesand the marshals of horse.
29 Mercenary forces also came to him from other kingdoms and from the islands of the seas.	29 He recruited mercenaries from other kingdoms and the Mediterranean islands.
30 His army numbered a hundred thousand foot-soldiers, twenty thousand cavalry, and thirty-two elephants trained for war.	30 His forces numbered a hundred thousand foot soldiers, twenty thousand cavalry and thirty-twoelephants with experience of battle conditions.
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 They advanced through Idumaea and besieged Beth-Zur, pressing the attack for days on end; theyalso constructed siege-engines, but the defenders made a sortie and set these on fire, putting up a braveresistance.
32 Then Judas marched away from the citadel and moved his camp to Beth-zechariah, on the way to the king's camp.	32 At this, Judas left the Citadel and pitched camp at Beth-Zechariah opposite the royal encampment.
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 The king rose at daybreak and marched his army at top speed down the road to Beth-Zechariah,where his forces took up their battle formations and sounded the trumpets.
34 They showed the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries to provoke them to fight.	34 The elephants were given a syrup of grapes and mulberries to prepare them for the battle.
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 These animals were distributed among the phalanxes, to each elephant being al ocated a thousandmen dressed in coats of mail with bronze helmets on their heads; five hundred picked horsemen were alsoassigned to each beast.
36 These anticipated the beast wherever it was; and wherever it moved, they moved too and never left it.	36 The horsemen anticipated every move their elephant made; wherever it went they went with it, neverquitting 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 On each elephant, to protect it, was a stout wooden tower, kept in position by girths, each with itsthree combatants, as well as its mahout.
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 The remainder of the cavalry was stationed on one or other of the two flanks of the army, to harassthe enemy and cover the phalanxes.
39 When the sun shone on the gold and bronze shields, the mountains gleamed with their brightness and blazed like flaming torches.	39 When the sun glinted on the bronze and golden shields, the mountains caught the glint and gleamedlike fiery torches.
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 One part of the royal army was deployed on the upper slopes of the mountain and the other in theval ey below; they advanced in solid, wel -disciplined formation.
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 Everyone trembled at the noise made by this vast multitude, the thunder of the troops on the marchand the clanking of their armour, for it was an immense and mighty army.
42 Judas with his army advanced to fight, and six hundred men of the king's army fell.	42 Judas and his army advanced to give battle, and six hundred of the king's army were killed.
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, cal ed Avaran, noticing that one of the elephants was royal y caparisoned and was also tal erthan al the others, and supposing that the king was mounted on it,
44 So he gave up his life to save his people and win an everlasting name for himself.	44 sacrificed himself to save his people and win an imperishable 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 Boldly charging towards the creature through the thick of the phalanx, dealing death to right and left,so that the enemy scattered on either side at his onslaught,
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 he darted in under the elephant, thrust at it from underneath, and kil ed it. The beast collapsed on topof him, and he died on the spot.
47 When the Jews saw the strength of the royal army and the ardor of its forces, they retreated from them.	47 The Jews however realising how strong the king was and how ferocious his army, retreated ahead ofthem.
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 The royal army moved up to encounter them outside Jerusalem, and the king began to blockadeJudaea and Mount Zion.
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 He granted peace terms to the people of Beth-Zur, who evacuated the town; it lacked store ofprovisions to withstand a siege, since the land was enjoying a sabbatical year.
50 The king took Beth-zur and stationed a garrison there to hold it.	50 Having occupied Beth-Zur, the king stationed a garrison there to hold 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 He besieged the sanctuary for a long time, erecting batteries and siege-engines, flame-throwers andballistas, scorpions to discharge arrows, and catapults.
52 The Jews countered by setting up machines of their own, and kept up the fight a long time.	52 The defenders countered these by constructing their own engines and were thus able to prolong theirresistance.
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 they had no food in their stores since it was the seventh year, and because those who had takenrefuge in Judaea from the gentiles had eaten up the last of their reserves.
54 Few men remained in the sanctuary; the rest scattered, each to his own home, for the famine was too much for them.	54 Only a few men were left in the Holy Place, owing to the severity of the famine; the rest had dispersed and gone home.
55 Lysias heard that Philip, whom King Antiochus, before his death, had appointed to train his son Antiochus to be king,	55 Meanwhile Philip, whom King Antiochus before his death had appointed to train his son Antiochus forthe throne,
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 had returned from Persia and Media with the forces that had accompanied the king, and was planningto seize control of 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 On hearing this, Lysias at once decided to leave, and said to the king, the generals of the army andthe men, 'We are growing weaker every day, we are short of food, and the place we are besieging is welfortified; moreover the affairs of the kingdom demand our attention.
58 Therefore let us now come to terms with these men, and make peace with them and all their nation.	58 Let us offer the hand of friendship to these men and make peace with them and with their wholenation.
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 Let us grant them permission to fol ow their own customs as before, since it is our abolition of thesecustoms that has provoked them into acting like this.'
60 The proposal found favor with the king and the leaders;	60 The king and his commanders approved this argument, and he offered the Jews peace terms, whichthey accepted.
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 The king and the generals ratified the treaty by oath, and the besieged accordingly left the fortress.
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 The king then entered Mount Zion, but on seeing how impregnable the place was, he broke the oathhe had sworn and gave orders for the encircling wall to be demolished.
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 He then hurriedly withdrew, making off for Antioch, where he found Philip already master of the city.Antiochus gave battle and captured the city by force of arms.