2 Maccabees 14

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Three years after this, Judas and his men learned that Demetrius son of Seleucus had landed at theport of Tripolis with a strong army and a fleet,	1 In the year one hundred and fortynine, Judas understood that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a multitude against Judea,
2 and that he had occupied the country and had killed Antiochus and his tutor Lysias.	2 And with him Lysias the regent, who had charge over the affairs of the realm, having with him a hundred and ten thousand footmen, five thousand horsemen, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with hooks.
3 A certain Alcimus, a former high priest, had wilful y incurred defilement at the time of the insurrection;realising that whichever way he turned there was no security for him, nor any further access to the holy altar,	3 Menelaus also joined himself with them: and with great deceitfulness besought Antiochus, not for the welfare of his country, but in hopes that he should be appointed chief ruler.
4 he went to King Demetrius in about the year one hundred and fifty-one and presented him with agolden crown and a palm, together with the traditional olive branches from the Temple; there, for that day, he letthe matter rest.	4 But the King of kings stirred up the mind of Antiochus against the sinner, and upon Lysias suggesting that he was the cause of all the evils, he commanded (as the custom is with them) that he should be apprehended and put to death in the same place.
5 Presently he found an opportunity to further his mad plan. When Demetrius cal ed him into his counciland questioned him about the dispositions and intentions of the Jews, he replied,	5 Now there was in that place a tower fifty cubits high, having a heap of ashes on every side: this had a prospect steep down.
6 'Those Jews called Hasidaeans, who are led by Judas Maccabaeus, are war-mongers and rebels whoare preventing the kingdom from finding stability.	6 From thence he commanded the sacrilegious wretch to be thrown down into the ashes, all men thrusting him forward unto death.
7 That is why, after being deprived of my hereditary dignity -- I mean the high priesthood -- I have comehere now,	7 And by such a law it happened that Menelaus the transgressor of the law was put to death: not having so much as burial in the earth.
8 first out of genuine concern for the king's interests, and secondly, out of a regard for our own fellow-citizens, because the irresponsible behaviour of those I have mentioned has brought no slight misery on ourentire race.	8 And indeed very justly, for insomuch as he had committed many sins against the altar of God, the fire and ashes of which were holy: he was condemned to die in ashes.
9 When your majesty has taken note of al these points, may it please you to make provision for thewelfare of our country and our oppressed nation, as befits the gracious benevolence you extend to al ;
10 for, as long as Judas remains alive, the State wil never enjoy peace.'	10 taste of the hardiness of the Jews, attempted to take the strong places by policy:
11 No sooner had he spoken thus than the rest of the King's Friends, who were hostile to Judas'activities, stoked Demetrius' anger.	11 But the king, with his mind full of rage, came on to shew himself worse to the Jews than his father was.
12 The latter at once selected Nicanor, then commander of the elephants, promoted him to thecommand of Judaea and despatched him	12 Which, when Judas understood, he commanded the people to call upon the Lord day and night, that as he had always done, so now also he would help them:
13 with instructions to dispose of Judas, disperse his followers and instal Alcimus as high priest of thegreatest of temples.	13 Because they were afraid to be deprived of the law, and of their country, and of the holy temple: and that he would not suffer the people, that had of late taken breath for a little while, to be again in subjection to blasphemous nations.
14 The foreigners in Judaea, who had fled before Judas, flocked to join Nicanor, thinking that themisfortunes and troubles of the Jews would be to their own advantage.	14 So when they had all done this together, and had craved mercy of the Lord with weeping and fasting, lying prostrate on the ground for three days continually, Judas exhorted them to make themselves ready.
15 When the Jews heard that Nicanor was coming and that the foreigners were about to attack, theysprinkled dust over themselves and made supplication to him who had established his people for ever and whonever failed to support his own heritage by direct manifestations.	15 But he with the ancients determined, before the king should bring his army into Judea, and make himself master of the city, to go out, and to commit the event of the thing to the judgment of the Lord.
16 On their leader's orders, they at once left the place where they were and confronted the enemy atthe vil age of Dessau.	16 So committing all to God, the creator of the world, and having exhorted his people to fight manfully, and to stand up even to death for the laws, the temple, the city, their country, and citizens: he placed his army about Modin.
17 Simon, brother of Judas, engaged Nicanor but, owing to the sudden arrival of the enemy, suffered aslight reverse.	17 And having given his company for a watchword, The victory of God, with most valiant chosen young men, he set upon the king's quarter by night, and slew four thousand men in the camp, and the greatest of the elephants, with them that had been upon him,
18 Nicanor, however, had heard how brave Judas and his men were and how resolutely they alwaysfought for their country, and he did not dare al ow bloodshed to decide the issue.	18 And having filled the camp of the enemies with exceeding greet fear and tumult, they went off with good success.
19 And so he sent Posidonius, Theodotus and Mattathias to offer the Jews pledges of friendship and toaccept theirs.	19 Now this was done at the break of day, by the protection and help of the Lord.
20 After careful consideration of his terms, the leader communicated them to his troops, and since theywere all clearly of one mind they agreed to the treaty.	20 But the king having taken
21 A day was fixed on which the respective leaders were to meet as individuals. A litter came out fromeither side and seats were set up.	21 And he marched with his army to Bethsura, which was a strong hold of the Jews: but he was repulsed, he failed, he rest his men.
22 Judas had posted armed men in strategic positions, in case of a sudden treacherous move by theenemy. The leaders held their conference and reached agreement.	22 Now Judas sent necessaries to them that were within.
23 Nicanor took up residence in Jerusalem and did nothing out of place there; indeed, he sent away thecrowds that had flocked to join him.	23 But Rhodocus, one of the Jews' army, disclosed the secrets to the enemies, so he was sought out, and taken up, and put in prison.
24 He kept Judas constantly with him, becoming deeply attached to him	24 Again the king treated with them that were in Bethsura: gave his right hand: took theirs: and went away.
25 and encouraged him to marry and have children. Judas married, settled down and led a normal life.	25 He fought with Jucias: and was overcome. And when he understood that Philip, who had been left over the affairs, had rebelled at Antioch, he was in a consternation of mind, and entreating the Jews, and yielding to them, he swore to all things that seemed reasonable, and, being reconciled, offered sacrifices, honoured the temple, and left gifts.
26 When Alcimus saw how friendly the two men had become, he went to Demetrius with a copy of thetreaty they had signed and told him that Nicanor was harbouring thoughts against the interests of the State, andwas planning that Judas, an enemy of the realm, should fil the next vacancy among the Friends of the King.	26 He embraced Machabeus, and made him governor and prince from Ptolemais unto the Cerrenians.
27 The king flew into a rage; roused by the slanders of this villain, he wrote to Nicanor, tel ing him of hisstrong displeasure at these agreements and ordering him immediately to send Maccabaeus to Antioch in chains.	27 But when he was come to Ptolemais, the men of that city were much displeased with the conditions of the peace, being angry for fear they should break the covenant.
28 When the letter reached Nicanor, he was very much upset, for he disliked the prospect of breakingan agreement with a man who had done nothing wrong.	28 Then Lysias went up to the judgment seat, and set forth the reason, and appeased the people, and returned to Antioch: and thus matters went with regard to the king's coming and his return.
29 Since, however, there was no way of opposing the king, he waited for an opportunity to carry out theorder by a stratagem.
30 Maccabaeus began to notice that Nicanor was treating him more sharply and that his manner ofspeaking to him was more abrupt than it had been, and he concluded that such sharpness could have no verygood motive. He therefore collected a considerable number of his fol owers and got away from Nicanor.
31 The latter, realising that the man had wel and truly outmanoeuvred him, went to the greatest andholiest of Temples when the priests were offering the customary sacrifices, and ordered them to surrenderJudas.
32 When they protested on oath that they did not know where the wanted man could be,
33 he stretched out his right hand towards the Temple and swore this oath, 'If you do not hand Judasover to me as prisoner, I shal rase this dwelling of God to the ground, I shal demolish the altar, and on this veryspot I shal erect a splendid temple to Dionysus.'
34 With these words he left them. The priests stretched out their hands to heaven, cal ing on him whohas at al times done battle for our nation; this was their prayer:
35 'O Lord in need of nothing, it has pleased you that the Temple where you dwel should be here withus.
36 Now, therefore, holy Lord of al holiness, preserve for ever from all profanation this House, so newlypurified.'
37 Now, a man cal ed Razis, one of the elders of Jerusalem, was denounced to Nicanor. He was a manwho loved his countrymen and stood high in their esteem, and he was known as the father of the Jews becauseof his kindness.
38 In the earlier days of the insurrection he had been convicted of Judaism, and he had risked both lifeand limb for Judaism with the utmost zeal.
39 Nicanor, by way of demonstrating the enmity he had for the Jews, sent over five hundred soldiers toarrest him,
40 reckoning that if he eliminated this man he would be dealing them a severe blow.
41 When the troops were on the point of capturing the tower and were forcing the outer door and cal ingfor fire to set the doors alight, Razis, finding himself completely surrounded, fel on his own sword,
42 nobly resolving to die rather than fal into the clutches of these villains and suffer outrages unworthyof his noble birth.
43 But in the heat of conflict he missed his thrust, and while the troops swarmed in through thedoorways, he ran nimbly upstairs to the parapet and manfully threw himself down among the troops.
44 But, as they immediately drew back, he fell into the middle of the empty space.
45 Stil breathing, and blazing with anger, he struggled to his feet, blood spurting in al directions, anddespite his terrible wounds ran right through the crowd; then, taking his stand on a steep rock,
46 although he had now lost every drop of blood, he tore out his entrails and taking them in both handsflung them down on the crowd, cal ing on the Master of his life and spirit to give them back to him one day. Thushe died.