2 Maccabees 10

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Maccabaeus and his companions, under the Lord's guidance, restored the Temple and the city,	1 At that time Antiochus returned with dishonour out of Persia.
2 and pul ed down the altars erected by the foreigners in the market place, as wel as the shrines.	2 For he had entered into the city called Persepolis, and attempted to rob the temple, and to oppress the city: but the multitude running together to arms, put them to flight: and so it fell out that Antiochus being put to flight returned with disgrace.
3 They purified the sanctuary and built another altar; then, striking fire from flints and using this fire, theyoffered the first sacrifice for two years, burning incense, lighting the lamps and setting out the loaves.	3 Now when he was come about Ecbatana, he received the news of what had happened to Nicanor and Timotheus.
4 When they had done this, prostrating themselves on the ground, they implored the Lord never againto let them fal into such adversity, but if they should ever sin, to correct them with moderation and not to deliverthem over to blasphemous and barbarous nations.	4 And swelling with anger he thought to revenge upon the Jews the injury done by them that had put him to flight. And therefore he commanded his chariot to be driven, without stopping in his journey, the judgment of heaven urging him forward, because he had spoken so proudly, that he would come to Jerusalem, and make it a common burying place of the Jews.
5 This day of the purification of the Temple fell on the very day on which the Temple had been profanedby the foreigners, the twenty-fifth of the same month, Chislev.	5 But the Lord the God of Israel, that seeth all things, struck him with an incurable and an invisible plague. For as soon as he had ended these words, a dreadful pain in his bowels came upon him, and bitter torments of the inner parts.
6 They kept eight festal days with rejoicing, in the manner of the feast of Shelters, remembering how,not long before at the time of the feast of Shelters, they had been living in the mountains and caverns like wildbeasts.	6 And indeed very justly, seeing he had tormented the bowels of others with many and new torments, albeit he by no means ceased from his malice.
7 Then, carrying thyrsuses, leafy boughs and palms, they offered hymns to him who had brought thecleansing of his own holy place to a happy outcome.	7 Moreover being filled with pride, breathing out fire in his rage against the Jews, and commanding the matter to be hastened, it happened as he was going with violence that he fell from the chariot, so that his limbs were much pained by a grievous bruising of the body.
8 They also decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, that the whole Jewish nation should celebratethose same days every year.	8 Thus he that seemed to himself to command even the waves of the sea, being proud above the condition of man, and to weigh the heights of the mountains in a balance, now being cast down to the ground, was carried in a litter, bearing witness to the manifest power of God in himself:
9 Such were the circumstances attending the death of Antiochus styled Epiphanes.	9 So that worms swarmed out of the body of this man, and whilst he lived in sorrow and pain, his flesh fell off, and the filthiness of his smell was noisome to the army.
10 Our task now is to unfold the history of Antiochus Eupator, son of that godless man, and briefly torelate the evil effects of the wars.	10 And the man that thought a little to before he could reach the stars of heaven, no man could endure to carry, for the intolerable stench.
11 On coming to the throne, this prince put at the head of affairs a certain Lysias, the general officercommanding Coele-Syria and Phoenicia,	11 And by this means, being brought from his great pride, he began to come to the knowledge of himself, being admonished by the scourge of God, his pains increasing every moment
12 whereas Ptolemy, known as Macron, and the first person to govern the Jews justly, had done hisbest to govern them peaceful y to make up for the wrongs inflicted on them in the past.	12 And when he himself could not now abide his own stench, he spoke thus: It is just to be subject to God, and that a mortal man should not equal himself to God.
13 Denounced, in consequence, to Eupator by the Friends of the King, he heard himself cal ed traitor atevery turn: for having abandoned Cyprus, which had been entrusted to him by Philometer, for having gone overto Antiochus Epiphanes, and for having shed no lustre on his il ustrious office: he committed suicide by poisoninghimself.	13 Then this wicked man prayed to the Lord, of whom he was not like to obtain mercy.
14 Gorgias now became general of the area; he maintained a force of mercenaries and a continualstate of war with the Jews.	14 And the city to which he was going in haste to lay it even with the ground, and to make it a, common buryingplace, he now desireth to make free.
15 At the same time, the Idumaeans, who controlled important fortresses, were harassing the Jews,welcoming outlaws from Jerusalem and endeavouring to maintain a state of war.	15 And the Jews whom he said he would not account worthy to be so much as buried, but would give them up to be devoured by the birds and wild beasts, and would utterly destroy them with their children, he now promiseth to make equal with the Athenians.
16 Maccabaeus and his men, after making public supplication to God, entreating him to support them,began operations against the Idumaean fortresses.	16 The holy temple also which before he had spoiled, he promiseth to adorn with goodly gifts, and to multiply the holy vessels, and to allow out of his revenues the charges pertaining to the sacrifices.
17 Vigorously pressing home their attack, they seized possession of these vantage points, beating offal who fought on the ramparts; they slaughtered al who fel into their hands, accounting for no fewer than twentythousand.	17 Yea also, that he would become a Jew himself, and would go through every place of the earth, and declare the power of God.
18 Nine thousand at least took refuge in two exceptional y strong towers with everything they needed towithstand a siege,	18 But his pains not ceasing (for the just judgment of God was come upon him) despairing of life he wrote to the Jews in the manner of a supplication, a letter in these words:
19 whereupon, Maccabaeus left Simon and Joseph, with Zacchaeus and his forces, in sufficientnumbers to besiege them, and himself went off to other places requiring his attention.	19 To his very good subjects the Jews, Antiochus king and ruler wisheth much health and welfare, and happiness.
20 But Simon's men were greedy for money and al owed themselves to be bribed by some of the menin the towers; accepting seventy thousand drachmas, they let a number of them escape.	20 If you and your children are well, and if all matters go with you to your mind, we give very great thanks.
21 When Maccabaeus was told what had happened, he summoned the people's commanders andaccused the offenders of having sold their brothers for money by releasing their enemies to fight them.	21 As for me, being infirm, but yet kindly remembering you, returning out of the places of Persia, and being taken with a grievous disease, I thought it necessary to take care for the common good:
22 Having executed them as traitors, he at once proceeded to capture both towers.	22 Not distrusting my life, but having great hope to escape the sickness.
23 Successful in all that he undertook by force of arms, in these two fortresses he slaughtered morethan twenty thousand men.	23 But considering that my father also, at what time she led an army into the higher countries, appointed who should reign after him:
24 Timotheus, who had been beaten by the Jews once before, now assembled an enormous force ofmercenaries, mustering cavalry from Asia in considerable numbers, and soon appeared in Judaea, expecting toconquer it by force of arms.	24 To the end that if any thing contrary to expectation should fall out, or ally bad tidings should be brought, they that were in the countries, knowing to whom the whole government was left, might not be troubled.
25 At his approach, Maccabaeus and his men made their supplications to God, sprinkling earth on theirheads and putting sackcloth round their waists.	25 Moreover, considering that neighbouring princes and borderers wait for opportunities, and expect what shall be the event, I have appointed my son Antiochus king, whom I often recommended to many of you, when I went into the higher provinces: and I have written to him what I have joined here below.
26 Prostrating themselves on the terrace before the altar, they begged him to support them and to showhimself the enemy of their enemies, the adversary of their adversaries, as the Law clearly states.	26 I pray you therefore, and request of you, that remembering favours both public and private, you will every man of you continue to be faithful to me and to my son.
27 After these prayers, they armed themselves and advanced a fair distance from the city, halting whenthey were close to the enemy.	27 For I trust that he will behave with I moderation and humanity, and following my intentions, will be gracious unto you.
28 As the first light of dawn began to spread, the two sides joined battle, the one having as their pledgeof success and victory not only their own valour but their recourse to the Lord, the other making their own ardourtheir mainstay in the fight.	28 Thus the murderer and blasphemer, being grievously struck, as himself had treated others, died a miserable death in a strange country among the mountains.
29 When the battle was at its height, the enemy saw five magnificent men appear from heaven onhorses with golden bridles and put themselves at the head of the Jews;	29 But Philip that was brought up with him, carried away his body: and out of fear of the son of Antiochus, went into Egypt to Ptolemee Philometor.
30 surrounding Maccabaeus and screening him with their own armour, they kept him unscathed, whilethey rained arrows and thunderbolts on the enemy until, blinded and confused, they scattered in completedisorder.
31 Twenty thousand five hundred infantry and six hundred cavalry were slaughtered.
32 Timotheus himself fled to a strongly guarded citadel cal ed Gezer, where Chaereas was incommand.
33 For four days Maccabaeus and his men eagerly besieged the fortress,
34 while the defenders, confident in the security of the place, hurled fearful blasphemies and godlessinsults at them.
35 At daybreak on the fifth day, twenty young men of Maccabaeus' forces, fired with indignation at theblasphemies, manful y assaulted the wall, with wild courage cutting down everyone they encountered.
36 Others, in a similar scaling operation, took the defenders in the rear, and set fire to the towers,lighting pyres on which they burned the blasphemers alive. The first, meanwhile, breaking open the gates, let therest of the army in and, at their head, captured the town.
37 Timotheus had hidden in a storage-wel , but they kil ed him, with his brother Chaereas, andApol ophanes.
38 When al this was over, with hymns and thanksgiving they blessed the Lord, who had shown suchgreat kindness to Israel and given them the victory.