2 Maccabees 10

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Maccabaeus and his companions, under the Lord's guidance, restored the Temple and the city,	1 When Maccabeus and his companions, under the Lord's leadership, had recovered the temple and the city,
2 and pul ed down the altars erected by the foreigners in the market place, as wel as the shrines.	2 they destroyed the altars erected by the Gentiles in the marketplace and the sacred enclosures.
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 After purifying the temple, they made a new altar. Then, with fire struck from flint, they offered sacrifice for the first time in two years, burned incense, and lighted lamps. They also set out the showbread.
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 When they had done this, they prostrated themselves and begged the Lord that they might never again fall into such misfortunes, and that if they should sin at any time, he might chastise them with moderation and not hand them over to blasphemous and barbarous Gentiles.
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 On the anniversary of the day on which the temple had been profaned by the Gentiles, that is, the twenty-fifth of the same month Chislev, the purification of the temple took place.
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 The Jews celebrated joyfully for eight days as on the feast of Booths, remembering how, a little while before, they had spent the feast of Booths living like wild animals in caves on the mountains.
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 Carrying rods entwined with leaves, green branches and palms, they sang hymns of grateful praise to him who had brought about the purification of his own Place.
8 They also decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, that the whole Jewish nation should celebratethose same days every year.	8 By public edict and decree they prescribed that the whole Jewish nation should celebrate these days every year.
9 Such were the circumstances attending the death of Antiochus styled Epiphanes.	9 Such was the end of Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes.
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 Now we shall relate what happened under Antiochus Eupator, the son of that godless man, and shall give a summary of the chief evils caused by the wars.
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 When Eupator succeeded to the kingdom, he put a certain Lysias in charge of the government as commander-in-chief of Coelesyria and Phoenicia.
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 Ptolemy, surnamed Macron, had taken the lead in treating the Jews fairly because of the previous injustice that had been done them, and he endeavored to have peaceful relations with them.
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 As a result, he was accused before Eupator by the King's Friends. In fact, on all sides he heard himself called a traitor for having abandoned Cyprus, which Philometor had entrusted to him, and for having gone over to Antiochus Epiphanes. Since he could not command the respect due to his high office, he ended his life by taking poison.
14 Gorgias now became general of the area; he maintained a force of mercenaries and a continualstate of war with the Jews.	14 When Gorgias became governor of the region, he employed foreign troops and used every opportunity to attack the Jews.
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 At the same time the Idumeans, who held some important strongholds, were harassing the Jews; they welcomed fugitives from Jerusalem and endeavored to continue the war.
16 Maccabaeus and his men, after making public supplication to God, entreating him to support them,began operations against the Idumaean fortresses.	16 Maccabeus and his companions, after public prayers asking God to be their ally, moved quickly against the strongholds of the Idumeans.
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 Attacking vigorously, they gained control of the places, drove back all who manned the walls, and cut down those who opposed them, killing as many as twenty thousand men.
18 Nine thousand at least took refuge in two exceptional y strong towers with everything they needed towithstand a siege,	18 When at least nine thousand took refuge in two very strong towers, containing everything necessary to sustain a siege,
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 Maccabeus left Simon and Joseph, along with Zacchaeus and his men, in sufficient numbers to besiege them, while he himself went off to places where he was more urgently needed.
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 But some of the men in Simon's force who were money lovers let themselves be bribed by some of the men in the towers; on receiving seventy thousand drachmas, they allowed a number of them to escape.
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 When Maccabeus was told what had happened, he assembled the rulers of the people and accused those men of having sold their kinsmen for money by setting their enemies free to fight against them.
22 Having executed them as traitors, he at once proceeded to capture both towers.	22 So he put them to death as traitors, and without delay captured the two towers.
23 Successful in all that he undertook by force of arms, in these two fortresses he slaughtered morethan twenty thousand men.	23 As he was successful at arms in all his undertakings, he destroyed more than twenty thousand men in the two strongholds.
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 Timothy, who had previously been defeated by the Jews, gathered a tremendous force of foreign troops and collected a large number of cavalry from Asia; then he appeared in Judea, ready to conquer it by force.
25 At his approach, Maccabaeus and his men made their supplications to God, sprinkling earth on theirheads and putting sackcloth round their waists.	25 At his approach, Maccabeus and his men made supplication to God, sprinkling earth upon their heads and girding their loins in sackcloth.
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 Lying prostrate at the foot of the altar, they begged him to be gracious to them, and to be an enemy to their enemies, and a foe to their foes, as the law declares.
27 After these prayers, they armed themselves and advanced a fair distance from the city, halting whenthey were close to the enemy.	27 After the prayer, they took up their arms and advanced a considerable distance from the city, halting when they were close to the enemy.
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 As soon as dawn broke, the armies joined battle, the one having as pledge of success and victory not only their valor but also their reliance on the Lord, and the other taking fury as their leader in the fight.
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 In the midst of the fierce battle, there appeared to the enemy from the heavens five majestic men riding on golden-bridled horses, who led the Jews on.
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.	30 They surrounded Maccabeus, and shielding him with their own armor, kept him from being wounded. They shot arrows and hurled thunderbolts at the enemy, who were bewildered and blinded, thrown into confusion and routed.
31 Twenty thousand five hundred infantry and six hundred cavalry were slaughtered.	31 Twenty-five hundred of their foot soldiers and six hundred of their horsemen were slain.
32 Timotheus himself fled to a strongly guarded citadel cal ed Gezer, where Chaereas was incommand.	32 Timothy, however, fled to a well-fortified stronghold called Gazara, where Chaereas was in command.
33 For four days Maccabaeus and his men eagerly besieged the fortress,	33 For four days Maccabeus 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.	34 Those inside, relying on the strength of the place, kept repeating outrageous blasphemies and uttering abominable words.
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.	35 When the fifth day dawned, twenty young men in the army of Maccabeus, angered over such blasphemies, bravely stormed the wall and with savage fury cut 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.	36 Others who climbed up the same way swung around on the defenders, taking the besieged in the rear; they put the towers to the torch, spread the fire and burned the blasphemers alive. Still others broke down the gates and let in the rest of the troops, who took possession of the city.
37 Timotheus had hidden in a storage-wel , but they kil ed him, with his brother Chaereas, andApol ophanes.	37 Timothy had hidden in a cistern, but they killed him, along with his brother Chaereas, and Apollophanes.
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.	38 On completing these exploits, they blessed, with hymns of grateful praise, the Lord who shows great kindness to Israel and grants them victory.