1 Maccabees 7

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 In the year 151, Demetrius son of Seleucus left Rome and arrived with a few men at a town on thecoast, where he inaugurated his reign.	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 It so happened that, as he was entering the royal residence of his ancestors, the army capturedAntiochus and Lysias, and intended 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 On hearing this, he said, 'Keep them out of my sight.'	3 Wherefore, when he knew it, he said, Let me not see their faces.
4 The army put them to death, and Demetrius ascended his throne.	4 So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom,
5 Next, al those Israelites without law or piety, led by Alcimus, whose ambition was to become highpriest,	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 approached the king and denounced our people to him. 'Judas and his brothers', they said, 'have kil edal your friends, and he has 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 Send someone now whom you can trust; let him go and see the wholesale ruin Judas has brought onus and on the king's dominions, and let him punish the wretches and al who assist them.'	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 The king chose Bacchides, one of the Friends of the King, governor of Transeuphrates, an importantpersonage in the kingdom and loyal 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 with the godless Alcimus, whom he confirmed in the high priesthood, with orders to exactretribution from 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 So they set out with a large force and, on reaching Judaea, sent emissaries to Judas and his brotherswith proposals peaceable yet treacherous.	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 The latter, however, did not put any faith in their words, aware that they had come with a large force.	11 But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great power.
12 Nevertheless, a commission of scribes presented themselves before Alcimus and Bacchides, to suefor just terms.	12 Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to require justice.
13 The first among the Israelites to ask them for peace terms were the Hasidaeans,	13 Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them:
14 who reasoned thus, 'This is a priest of Aaron's line who has come with the armed forces; he wil notwrong us.'	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 did in fact discuss peace terms with them and gave them his oath, 'We shal not attempt to injureyou 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 They believed him, but he arrested sixty of them and put them to death on one day, fulfil ing the wordsof 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 They have scattered the bodies of your faithful, and shed their blood all round Jerusalem, leaving noone 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 At this, fear and dread gripped the whole people. 'There is no truth or virtue in them,' they said, 'theyhave broken their agreement and their sworn oath.'	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 then left Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-Zeth, and from there sent and arrested many ofthe men who had deserted him and a few of our people too; he had them kil ed and thrown down the great wel .	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 then put Alcimus in charge of the province, leaving an army with him to support him; Bacchideshimself 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 continued his struggle to become high priest,	21 But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.
22 and al who were disturbing the peace of their own people ral ied to him, and, having won control ofJudaea, did much harm 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 Seeing that al the wrongs done to the Israelites by Alcimus and his supporters exceeded what thegentiles 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 Judas went right round the whole territory of Judaea to take vengeance on those who had desertedhim and to prevent their free movement about 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 When Alcimus saw how strong Judas and his supporters had grown and realised that he waspowerless to resist them, he went back to the king, to whom he made malicious accusations against them.	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 The king sent Nicanor, one of his generals ranking as Il ustrious and a bitter enemy of Israel, withorders to exterminate 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 Reaching Jerusalem with a large force, Nicanor sent a friendly, yet treacherous, message to Judasand his brothers, as follows:	27 So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with friendly words, saying,
28 'Let us have no fighting between you and me; I shall come with a smal escort for a peaceful meetingwith you.'	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 He met Judas and they exchanged friendly greetings; the enemy, however, had made preparations toabduct Judas.	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 Judas became aware of Nicanor's treacherous purpose in coming to see him, he took fright andrefused any further meeting.	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 Nicanor then realised that his plan had been discovered, and took the field against Judas, to givebattle near Caphar-Salama.	31 Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:
32 About five hundred of Nicanor's men fell; the rest took refuge in 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 these events Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests came out of the Holy Placewith some elders, to give him a friendly welcome and show him the burnt offering being presented 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 ridiculed them, laughed at them, defiled them and used insolent language, swearing in hisrage,	34 But he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused them shamefully, and spake proudly,
35 'Unless Judas is handed over to me this time with his army, as soon as I am safely back, I promiseyou, I shal burn this building down!'	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 Then he went off in a fury. At this, the priests went in again, and stood weeping in front of the altarand the Temple, saying,	36 Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple, weeping, and saying,
37 'You have chosen this house to be cal ed by your name, to be a house of prayer and petition for yourpeople.	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 vengeance on this man and on his army, and let them fal by the sword; remember theirblasphemies and give them no respite.'	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 encamped at Beth-Horon, where he was joined by an army from Syria.	39 So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met him.
40 Judas, meanwhile, camped at Adasa with three thousand men, and offered this prayer,	40 But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying,
41 'When the king's envoys blasphemed, your angel went out and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand of his men.	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 let us see you crush this army today, so that everyone else may know that this manhas spoken blasphemously against your sanctuary: pass judgement on him as his wickedness deserves!'	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 of the month Adar, and Nicanor's army was crushed, hehimself being the first to fal 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 Nicanor's soldiers saw him fal , 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 the approaches of Gezer; they sounded theirtrumpets in warning as they fol owed them,	45 Then they pursued after them a day's journey, from Adasa unto Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.
46 and people came out of al the surrounding Judaean vil ages to encircle the fugitives, who then turnedback on their own men. Al fel by the sword, not one being left alive.	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 Having col ected the spoils and booty, they cut off Nicanor's head and the right hand he had stretchedout in a display of insolence; these were taken and displayed within sight of Jerusalem.	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 were overjoyed and kept that day as a great holiday:	48 For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day of great gladness.
49 indeed they decided to celebrate it annual y on the thirteenth of Adar.	49 Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of Adar.
50 For a short while Judaea enjoyed peace.	50 Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while.