1 Maccabees 4

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Gorgias took with him five thousand foot and a thousand picked cavalry, and the force moved off bynight	1 Then took Gorgias five thousand footmen, and a thousand of the best horsemen, and removed out of the camp by night;
2 with the object of attacking the Jewish position and dealing them an unexpected blow; the men fromthe Citadel were there to guide him.	2 To the end he might rush in upon the camp of the Jews, and smite them suddenly. And the men of the fortress were his guides.
3 Judas got wind of it and himself moved off with his fighters to strike at the royal army at Emmaus,	3 Now when Judas heard thereof he himself removed, and the valiant men with him, that he might smite the king's army which was at Emmaus,
4 while its fighting troops were stil dispersed outside the camp.	4 While as yet the forces were dispersed from the camp.
5 Hence, when Gorgias reached Judas' camp, he found no one and began looking for the Jews in themountains. 'For', he said, 'we have got them on the run.'	5 In the mean season came Gorgias by night into the camp of Judas: and when he found no man there, he sought them in the mountains: for said he, These fellows flee from us
6 First light found Judas in the plain with three thousand men, although these lacked the armour andswords they would have wished.	6 But as soon as it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men, who nevertheless had neither armour nor swords to their minds.
7 They could now see the gentile encampment with its strong fortifications and cavalry surrounding it,clearly people who understood warfare.	7 And they saw the camp of the heathen, that it was strong and well harnessed, and compassed round about with horsemen; and these were expert of war.
8 Judas said to his men, 'Do not be afraid of their numbers, and do not flinch at their attack.	8 Then said Judas to the men that were with him, Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.
9 Remember how our ancestors were delivered at the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing them inforce.	9 Remember how our fathers were delivered in the Red sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with an army.
10 And now let us cal on Heaven: if he cares for us, he wil remember his covenant with our ancestorsand will destroy this army confronting us today;	10 Now therefore let us cry unto heaven, if peradventure the Lord will have mercy upon us, and remember the covenant of our fathers, and destroy this host before our face this day:
11 then all the nations wil know for certain that there is One who ransoms and saves Israel.'	11 That so all the heathen may know that there is one who delivereth and saveth Israel.
12 The foreigners looked up and, seeing the Jews advancing against them,	12 Then the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming over against them.
13 came out of the camp to join battle. Judas' men sounded the trumpet	13 Wherefore they went out of the camp to battle; but they that were with Judas sounded their trumpets.
14 and engaged them. The gentiles were defeated and fled towards the plain	14 So they joined battle, and the heathen being discomfited fled into the plain.
15 and al the stragglers fel by the sword. The pursuit continued as far as Gezer and the plains ofIdumaea, Azotus and Jamnia, and the enemy lost about three thousand men.	15 Howbeit all the hindmost of them were slain with the sword: for they pursued them unto Gazera, and unto the plains of Idumea, and Azotus, and Jamnia, so that there were slain of them upon a three thousand men.
16 Breaking off the pursuit, Judas returned with his men	16 This done, Judas returned again with his host from pursuing them,
17 and said to the people, 'Never mind the booty, for we have another battle ahead of us.	17 And said to the people, Be not greedy of the spoil inasmuch as there is a battle before us,
18 Gorgias and his troops are still near us in the mountains. First stand up to our enemies and fight them,and then you can safely collect the booty.'	18 And Gorgias and his host are here by us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overcome them, and after this ye may boldly take the spoils.
19 The words were hardly out of Judas' mouth, when a detachment came into view, peering down fromthe mountain.	19 As Judas was yet speaking these words, there appeared a part of them looking out of the mountain:
20 Observing that their own troops had been routed and that the camp had been fired -- since the smoke,which they could see, attested the fact-	20 Who when they perceived that the Jews had put their host to flight and were burning the tents; for the smoke that was seen declared what was done:
21 they were panic-stricken at the sight; and when, furthermore, they saw Judas' troops drawn up forbattle on the plain,	21 When therefore they perceived these things, they were sore afraid, and seeing also the host of Judas in the plain ready to fight,
22 they al fled into Philistine territory.	22 They fled every one into the land of strangers.
23 Judas then turned back to plunder the camp, and a large sum in gold and silver, with violet and sea-purple stuffs, and many other valuables were carried off.	23 Then Judas returned to spoil the tents, where they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.
24 On their return, the Jews chanted praises to Heaven, singing, 'He is kind and his love is everlasting!'	24 After this they went home, and sung a song of thanksgiving, and praised the Lord in heaven: because it is good, because his mercy endureth forever.
25 That day had seen a remarkable deliverance in Israel.	25 Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.
26 Those of the foreigners who had escaped came and gave Lysias an account of all that had happened.	26 Now all the strangers that had escaped came and told Lysias what had happened:
27 The news shocked and dismayed him, for affairs in Israel had not gone as he intended, and the resultwas quite the opposite to what the king had ordered.	27 Who, when he heard thereof, was confounded and discouraged, because neither such things as he would were done unto Israel, nor such things as the king commanded him were come to pass.
28 The next year he mobilised sixty thousand picked troops and five thousand cavalry with the intentionof finishing off the Jews.	28 The next year therefore following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand choice men of foot, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.
29 They advanced into Idumaea and made their base at Beth-Zur, where Judas met them with tenthousand men.	29 So they came into Idumea, and pitched their tents at Bethsura, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.
30 When he saw their military strength he offered this prayer, 'Blessed are you, Saviour of Israel, whoshattered the mighty warrior's attack at the hand of your servant David, and delivered the Philistine camp into thehands of Jonathan son of Saul, and his armour-bearer.	30 And when he saw that mighty army, he prayed and said, Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst quell the violence of the mighty man by the hand of thy servant David, and gavest the host of strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul, and his armourbearer;
31 Crush this expedition in the same way at the hands of your people Israel; let their troops and cavalrybring them nothing but shame.	31 Shut up this army in the hand of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their power and horsemen:
32 Sow panic in their ranks, confound the confidence they put in their numbers and send them reeling indefeat.	32 Make them to be of no courage, and cause the boldness of their strength to fall away, and let them quake at their destruction:
33 Overthrow them by the sword of those who love you, and all who acknowledge your name wil singyour praises.'	33 Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee, and let all those that know thy name praise thee with thanksgiving.
34 The two forces engaged, and five thousand men of Lysias' troops fel in hand-to-hand fighting.	34 So they joined battle; and there were slain of the host of Lysias about five thousand men, even before them were they slain.
35 Seeing the rout of his army and the courage of Judas' troops and their readiness to live or die nobly,Lysias withdrew to Antioch, where he recruited mercenaries for a further invasion of Judaea in even greaterstrength.	35 Now when Lysias saw his army put to flight, and the manliness of Judas' soldiers, and how they were ready either to live or die valiantly, he went into Antiochia, and gathered together a company of strangers, and having made his army greater than it was, he purposed to come again into Judea.
36 Judas and his brothers then said, 'Now that our enemies have been defeated, let us go up to purifythe sanctuary and dedicate it.'	36 Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary.
37 So they marshal ed the whole army, and went up to Mount Zion.	37 Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion.
38 There they found the sanctuary deserted, the altar desecrated, the gates burnt down, and vegetationgrowing in the courts as it might in a wood or on some mountain, while the storerooms were in ruins.	38 And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests' chambers pulled down;
39 They tore their garments and mourned bitterly, putting dust on their heads.	39 They rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads,
40 They prostrated themselves on the ground, and when the trumpets gave the signal they cried aloud toHeaven.	40 And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven.
41 Judas then ordered his men to keep the Citadel garrison engaged until he had purified the sanctuary.	41 Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary.
42 Next, he selected priests who were blameless and zealous for the Law	42 So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law:
43 to purify the sanctuary and remove the stones of the 'Pollution' to some unclean place.	43 Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place.
44 They discussed what should be done about the altar of burnt offering which had been profaned,	44 And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned;
45 and very properly decided to pul it down, rather than later be embarrassed about it since it had beendefiled by the gentiles. They therefore demolished it	45 They thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down,
46 and deposited the stones in a suitable place on the hil of the Dwel ing to await the appearance of aprophet who should give a ruling about them.	46 And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them.
47 They took unhewn stones, as the Law prescribed, and built a new altar on the lines of the old one.	47 Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former;
48 They restored the Holy Place and the interior of the Dwel ing, and purified the courts.	48 And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts.
49 They made new sacred vessels, and brought the lamp-stand, the altar of incense, and the table intothe Temple.	49 They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the table.
50 They burned incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lamp-stand, and these shone inside theTemple.	50 And upon the altar they burned incense, and the lamps that were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple.
51 They placed the loaves on the table and hung the curtains and completed al the tasks they hadundertaken.	51 Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they had begun to make.
52 On the twenty-fifth of the ninth month, Chislev, in the year 148 they rose at dawn	52 Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning,
53 and offered a lawful sacrifice on the new altar of burnt offering which they had made.	53 And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.
54 The altar was dedicated, to the sound of hymns, zithers, lyres and cymbals, at the same time of yearand on the same day on which the gentiles had original y profaned it.	54 Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals.
55 The whole people fel prostrate in adoration and then praised Heaven who had granted them success.	55 Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success.
56 For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar, joyful y offering burnt offerings, communionand thanksgiving sacrifices.	56 And so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise.
57 They ornamented the front of the Temple with crowns and bosses of gold, renovated the gates andstorerooms, providing the latter with doors.	57 They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them.
58 There was no end to the rejoicing among the people, since the disgrace inflicted by the gentiles hadbeen effaced.	58 Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away.
59 Judas, with his brothers and the whole assembly of Israel, made it a law that the days of thededication of the altar should be celebrated yearly at the proper season, for eight days beginning on the twenty-fifth of the month of Chislev, with rejoicing and gladness.	59 Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, with mirth and gladness.
60 They then proceeded to build high wal s with strong towers round Mount Zion, to prevent the gentilesfrom coming and riding roughshod over it as in the past.	60 At that time also they builded up the mount Sion with high walls and strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should come and tread it down as they had done before.
61 Judas stationed a garrison there to guard it; he also fortified Beth-Zur, so that the people would havea fortress confronting Idumaea.	61 And they set there a garrison to keep it, and fortified Bethsura to preserve it; that the people might have a defence against Idumea.