1 Maccabees 7

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 In the year one hundred and fifty-one, Demetrius, son of Seleucus, set out from Rome, arrived with a few men in a city on the seacoast, and began to rule there.	1 In the hundred and one and fiftieth year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came up with a few men unto a city of the sea coast, and reigned there.
2 As he was preparing to enter the royal palace of his ancestors, the soldiers seized Antiochus and Lysias to bring them to him.	2 And as he entered into the palace of his ancestors, so it was, that his forces had taken Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them unto him.
3 When he was informed of this, he said, "Do not show me their faces."	3 Wherefore, when he knew it, he said, Let me not see their faces.
4 So the soldiers killed them, and Demetrius sat on the royal throne.	4 So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom,
5 Then all the lawless and impious men of Israel came to him. They were led by Alcimus, who desired to be high priest.	5 There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain:
6 They made this accusation to the king against the people: "Judas and his brothers have destroyed all your friends and have driven us out of our country.	6 And they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and his brethren have slain all thy friends, and driven us out of our own land.
7 So now, send a man whom you trust to go and see all the havoc Judas has done to us and to the king's land, and let him punish them and all their supporters."	7 Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go and see what havock he hath made among us, and in the king's land, and let him punish them with all them that aid them.
8 Then the king chose Bacchides, one of the King's Friends, governor of West-of-Euphrates, a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king.	8 Then the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who ruled beyond the flood, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king,
9 He sent him and the impious Alcimus, to whom he granted the high priesthood, with orders to take revenge on the Israelites.	9 And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel.
10 They set out and, on arriving in the land of Judah with a great army, sent messengers who spoke deceitfully to Judas and his brothers in peaceful terms.	10 So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Judea, where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.
11 But these paid no attention to their words, seeing that they had come with a great army.	11 But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great power.
12 A group of scribes, however, gathered about Alcimus and Bacchides to ask for a just agreement.	12 Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to require justice.
13 The Hasideans were the first among the Israelites to seek peace with them,	13 Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them:
14 for they said, "A priest of the line of Aaron has come with the army, and he will not do us any wrong."	14 For said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army, and he will do us no wrong.
15 He spoke with them peacefully and swore to them, "We will not try to injure you or your friends."	15 So he spake unto them, peaceably, and sware unto them, saying, we will procure the harm neither of you nor your friends.
16 So they trusted him. But he arrested sixty of them and killed them in one day, according to the text of Scripture:	16 Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them threescore men, and slew them in one day, according to the words which he wrote,
17 "The flesh of your saints they have strewn, and their blood they have shed round about Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them."	17 The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.
18 Then fear and dread of them came upon all the people, who said: "There is no truth or justice among them; they violated the agreement and the oath that they swore."	18 Wherefore the fear and dread of them fell upon all the people, who said, There is neither truth nor righteousness in them; for they have broken the covenant and oath that they made.
19 Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem and pitched his camp in Beth-zaith. He had many of the men arrested who deserted to him, throwing them into the great pit.	19 After this, removed Bacchides from Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bezeth, where he sent and took many of the men that had forsaken him, and certain of the people also, and when he had slain them, he cast them into the great pit.
20 He handed the province over to Alcimus, leaving troops to help him, while he himself returned to the king.	20 Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a power to aid him: so Bacchides went to the king.
21 Alcimus spared no pains to maintain his high priesthood,	21 But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.
22 and all those who were disturbing their people gathered about him. They took possession of the land of Judah and caused great distress in Israel.	22 And unto him resorted all such as troubled the people, who, after they had gotten the land of Juda into their power, did much hurt in Israel.
23 When Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus and his men were bringing upon the Israelites, more than even the Gentiles had done,	23 Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites, even above the heathen,
24 he went about all the borders of Judea and took revenge on the men who had deserted, preventing them from going out into the country.	24 He went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance of them that had revolted from him, so that they durst no more go forth into the country.
25 But when Alcimus saw that Judas and his followers were gaining strength and realized that he could not oppose them, he returned to the king and accused them of grave crimes.	25 On the other side, when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had gotten the upper hand, and knew that he was not able to abide their force, he went again to the king, and said all the worst of them that he could.
26 Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his famous officers, who was a bitter enemy of Israel, with orders to destroy the people.	26 Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man that bare deadly hate unto Israel, with commandment to destroy the people.
27 Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a large force and deceitfully sent to Judas and his brothers this peaceable message:	27 So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with friendly words, saying,
28 "Let there be no fight between me and you. I will come with a few men to meet you peaceably."	28 Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see you in peace.
29 So he came to Judas, and they greeted one another peaceably. But Judas' enemies were prepared to seize him.	29 He came therefore to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by violence.
30 When he became aware that Nicanor had come to him with treachery in mind, Judas was afraid and would not meet him again.	30 Which thing after it was known to Judas, to wit, that he came unto him with deceit, he was sore afraid of him, and would see his face no more.
31 When Nicanor saw that his plan had been discovered, he went out to fight Judas near Capharsalama.	31 Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:
32 About five hundred men of Nicanor's army fell; the rest fled to the City of David.	32 Where there were slain of Nicanor's side about five thousand men, and the rest fled into the city of David.
33 After this, Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests from the sanctuary and some of the elders of the people came out to greet him peaceably and to show him the holocaust that was being offered for the king.	33 After this went Nicanor up to mount Sion, and there came out of the sanctuary certain of the priests and certain of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the burnt sacrifice that was offered for the king.
34 But he mocked and ridiculed them, defiled them, and spoke disdainfully.	34 But he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused them shamefully, and spake proudly,
35 In a rage he swore: "If Judas and his army are not delivered to me at once, when I return victorious I will burn this temple down." He went away in great anger.	35 And sware in his wrath, saying, Unless Judas and his host be now delivered into my hands, if ever I come again in safety, I will burn up this house: and with that he went out in a great rage.
36 The priests, however, went in and stood before the altar and the sanctuary. They wept and said:	36 Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple, weeping, and saying,
37 "You have chosen this house to bear your name, to be a house of prayer and petition for your people.	37 Thou, O Lord, didst choose this house to be called by thy name, and to be a house of prayer and petition for thy people:
38 Take revenge on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and do not let them continue."	38 Be avenged of this man and his host, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continue any longer.
39 Nicanor left Jerusalem and pitched his camp at Beth-horon, where the Syrian army joined him.	39 So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met him.
40 But Judas camped in Adasa with three thousand men. Here Judas uttered this prayer:	40 But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying,
41 "When they who were sent by the king blasphemed, your angel went out and killed a hundred and eighty-five thousand of them.	41 O Lord, when they that were sent from the king of the Assyrians blasphemed, thine angel went out, and smote an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them.
42 In the same way, crush this army before us today, and let the rest know that Nicanor spoke wickedly against your sanctuary; judge him according to his wickedness."	42 Even so destroy thou this host before us this day, that the rest may know that he hath spoken blasphemously against thy sanctuary, and judge thou him according to his wickedness.
43 The armies met in battle on the thirteenth day of the month Adar. Nicanor's army was crushed, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle.	43 So the thirteenth day of the month Adar the hosts joined battle: but Nicanor's host was discomfited, and he himself was first slain in the battle.
44 When his army saw that Nicanor was dead, they threw down their arms and fled.	44 Now when Nicanor's host saw that he was slain, they cast away their weapons, and fled.
45 The Jews pursued them a day's journey, from Adasa to near Gazara, blowing the trumpets behind them as signals.	45 Then they pursued after them a day's journey, from Adasa unto Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.
46 From all the surrounding villages of Judea people came out and closed in on them. They hemmed them in, and all the enemies fell by the sword; not a single one escaped.	46 Whereupon they came forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and closed them in; so that they, turning back upon them that pursued them, were all slain with the sword, and not one of them was left.
47 Then the Jews collected the spoils and the booty; they cut off Nicanor's head and his right arm, which he had lifted up so arrogantly. These they brought to Jerusalem and displayed there.	47 Afterwards they took the spoils, and the prey, and smote off Nicanors head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so proudly, and brought them away, and hanged them up toward Jerusalem.
48 The people rejoiced greatly, and observed that day as a great festival.	48 For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day of great gladness.
49 They decreed that it should be observed every year on the thirteenth of Adar.	49 Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of Adar.
50 And for a short time the land of Judah was quiet.	50 Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while.