1 Maccabees 7

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN 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 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.
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 As he was preparing to enter the royal palace of his ancestors, the soldiers seized Antiochus and Lysias to bring them to him.
3 On hearing this, he said, 'Keep them out of my sight.'	3 When he was informed of this, he said, "Do not show me their faces."
4 The army put them to death, and Demetrius ascended his throne.	4 So the soldiers killed them, and Demetrius sat on the royal throne.
5 Next, al those Israelites without law or piety, led by Alcimus, whose ambition was to become highpriest,	5 Then all the lawless and impious men of Israel came to him. They were led by Alcimus, who desired to be high priest.
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 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.
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 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."
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, one of the King's Friends, governor of West-of-Euphrates, 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 He sent him and the impious Alcimus, to whom he granted the high priesthood, with orders to take revenge on the Israelites.
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 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.
11 The latter, however, did not put any faith in their words, aware that they had come with a large force.	11 But these paid no attention to their words, seeing that they had come with a great army.
12 Nevertheless, a commission of scribes presented themselves before Alcimus and Bacchides, to suefor just terms.	12 A group of scribes, however, gathered about Alcimus and Bacchides to ask for a just agreement.
13 The first among the Israelites to ask them for peace terms were the Hasidaeans,	13 The Hasideans were the first among the Israelites to seek peace with 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 they said, "A priest of the line of Aaron has come with the army, and he will not do us any 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 He spoke with them peacefully and swore to them, "We will not try to injure you or 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 So they trusted him. But he arrested sixty of them and killed them in one day, according to the text of Scripture:
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 your saints they have strewn, and their blood they have shed round about Jerusalem, and there was no one 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 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."
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 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.
20 He then put Alcimus in charge of the province, leaving an army with him to support him; Bacchideshimself returned to the king.	20 He handed the province over to Alcimus, leaving troops to help him, while he himself returned to the king.
21 Alcimus continued his struggle to become high priest,	21 Alcimus spared no pains to maintain his 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 all those who were disturbing their people gathered about him. They took possession of the land of Judah and caused great distress in Israel.
23 Seeing that al the wrongs done to the Israelites by Alcimus and his supporters exceeded what thegentiles had done,	23 When Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus and his men were bringing upon the Israelites, more than even the Gentiles had done,
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 about all the borders of Judea and took revenge on the men who had deserted, preventing them from going out 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 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.
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 famous officers, who was a bitter enemy of Israel, with orders 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 Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a large force and deceitfully sent to Judas and his brothers this peaceable message:
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 fight between me and you. I will come with a few men to meet you peaceably."
29 He met Judas and they exchanged friendly greetings; the enemy, however, had made preparations toabduct Judas.	29 So he came to Judas, and they greeted one another peaceably. But Judas' enemies were prepared to seize him.
30 When Judas became aware of Nicanor's treacherous purpose in coming to see him, he took fright andrefused any further meeting.	30 When he became aware that Nicanor had come to him with treachery in mind, Judas was afraid and would not meet him again.
31 Nicanor then realised that his plan had been discovered, and took the field against Judas, to givebattle near Caphar-Salama.	31 When Nicanor saw that his plan had been discovered, he went out to fight Judas near Capharsalama.
32 About five hundred of Nicanor's men fell; the rest took refuge in the City of David.	32 About five hundred men of Nicanor's army fell; the rest fled to 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, 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.
34 But he ridiculed them, laughed at them, defiled them and used insolent language, swearing in hisrage,	34 But he mocked and ridiculed them, defiled them, and spoke disdainfully.
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 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.
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 The priests, however, went in and stood before the altar and the sanctuary. They wept and said:
37 'You have chosen this house to be cal ed by your name, to be a house of prayer and petition for yourpeople.	37 "You have chosen this house to bear your name, to be a house of prayer and petition for your 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 Take revenge on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and do not let them continue."
39 Nicanor left Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-Horon, where he was joined by an army from Syria.	39 Nicanor left Jerusalem and pitched his camp at Beth-horon, where the Syrian army joined him.
40 Judas, meanwhile, camped at Adasa with three thousand men, and offered this prayer,	40 But Judas camped in Adasa with three thousand men. Here Judas uttered this prayer:
41 'When the king's envoys blasphemed, your angel went out and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand of his men.	41 "When they who were sent by the king blasphemed, your angel went out and killed a hundred and eighty-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 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."
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 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.
44 When Nicanor's soldiers saw him fal , they threw down their arms and fled.	44 When his army saw that Nicanor was dead, they threw down their arms 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 The Jews pursued them a day's journey, from Adasa to near Gazara, blowing the trumpets behind them as signals.
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 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.
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 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.
48 The people were overjoyed and kept that day as a great holiday:	48 The people rejoiced greatly, and observed that day as a great festival.
49 indeed they decided to celebrate it annual y on the thirteenth of Adar.	49 They decreed that it should be observed every year on the thirteenth of Adar.
50 For a short while Judaea enjoyed peace.	50 And for a short time the land of Judah was quiet.