2 Maccabees 13

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas and his men discovered that Antiochus Eupator wasadvancing in force against Judaea,	1 When these covenants were made, Lyslas went to the king, and the Jews gave themselves to husbandry.
2 and with him Lysias his tutor and chief minister; he had moreover a Greek force of one hundred andten thousand infantry, five thousand three hundred cavalry, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariotsfitted with scythes.	2 But they that were behind, namely, Timotheus and Apollonius the son of Genneus, also Hieronymus, and Demophon, and besides them Nicanor the governor of Cyprus, would not suffer them to live in peace, and to be quiet.
3 Menelaus, too, joined them and very craftily kept urging Antiochus on, not for the welfare of his owncountry but in the hope of being restored to office.	3 The men of Joppe also were guilty of this kind of wickedness: they desired the Jews who dwelt among them to go with their wives and children into the boats, which they had prepared, as though they had no enmity to them.
4 But the King of kings stirred up the anger of Antiochus against the guilty wretch, and when Lysiasmade it clear to the king that Menelaus was the cause of all the troubles, Antiochus gave orders for him to betaken to Beroea and there put to death by the local method of execution.	4 Which when they had consented to, according to the common decree of the city, suspecting nothing, because of the peace : when they were gone forth into the deep, they drowned no fewer than two hundred of them.
5 In that place there is a tower fifty cubits high, ful of ash, with an internal lip al round overhanging theashes.	5 But as soon as Judas heard of this cruelty done to his countrymen, he commanded the men that were with him: and after having called upon God the just judge,
6 If anyone is convicted of sacrilegious theft or of some other heinous crime, he is taken up to the topand pushed over to perish.	6 He came against those murderers of his brethren, and set the haven on fire in the night, burnt the boats, and slew with the sword them that escaped from the fire.
7 In such a manner was the renegade fated to die; Menelaus had not even the privilege of burial.	7 And when he had done these things in this manner, he departed as if he would return again, and root out all the Joppites.
8 Deserved justice, this; since he had committed many sins against the altar, the fire and ashes ofwhich were holy, it was in ashes that he met his death.	8 But when he understood that the men of Jamnia also designed to do in like manner to the Jews that dwelt among them,
9 The king, then, was advancing, his mind filled with barbarous designs, to give the Jews ademonstration of far worse things than anything that had happened under his father.	9 He came upon the Jamnites also by night, end set the haven on fire with the ships, so that the light of the fire was seen at Jerusalem two hundred and forty furlongs off.
10 When Judas heard of this, he ordered the people day and night to cal on the Lord as never before,to come to the help of those who were in peril of being deprived of the Law, their fatherland and the holy Temple,	10 And when they were now gone from thence nine furlongs, and were marching towards Timotheus, five thousand footmen and Ave hundred horsemen of the Arabians set upon them.
11 and not to al ow the people, just when they were beginning to breathe again, to fall into the power ofil -famed foreigners.	11 And after a hard fight, in which by the help of God they got the victory, the rest of the Arabians being overcome, besought Judas for peace, promising to give him pastures, and to assist him in other things.
12 When they had al , with one voice, obeyed his instructions and had made their petitions to themerciful Lord, weeping, fasting and prostrating themselves for three days continuously, Judas spoke words ofencouragement and told them to keep close to him.	12 And Judas thinking that they might be profitable indeed in many things, promised them peace, and after having joined hands, they departed to their tents.
13 After separate consultation with the elders, he resolved not to wait for the king's army to invadeJudaea and take possession of the city, but to march out and settle the whole matter with the Lord's help.	13 He also laid siege to a certain strong city, encompassed with bridges and walls, and inhabited by multitudes of different nations, the name of which is Casphin.
14 Having thus committed the outcome to the Creator of the world, and having exhorted his soldiers tofight bravely to the death for the laws, the Temple, the city, their country and their way of life, he encamped hisarmy near Modein.	14 But they that were within it, trusting in the strength of the walls, and the provision of victuals, behaved in a more negligent manner, and provoked Judas with railing and blaspheming, and uttering such words as were not to be spoken.
15 Giving his men the password 'Victory from God', he made a night attack on the king's pavilion with apicked band of the bravest young men. Inside the camp he destroyed about two thousand, and his men cutdown the largest of the elephants with its mahout;	15 But Machabeus calling upon the great Lord of the world, who without any rams or engines of war threw down the walls of Jericho in the time of Josue, fiercely assaulted the walls.
16 having eventual y filled the camp with terror and confusion, they successful y withdrew,	16 And having taken the city by the will of the Lord, he made an unspeakable slaughter, so that a pool adjoining of two furlongs broad seemed to run with the blood of the slain.
17 just as dawn was breaking. This was achieved, thanks to the protection which the Lord grantedJudas.	17 From thence they departed seven hundred and fifty furlongs, and came to Characa to the Jews that are called Tubianites.
18 The king, having had a taste of Jewish daring, now tried to capture their positions by trickery.	18 But as for Timotheus, they found him not in those places, for before he had dispatched any thing he went back, having left a very strong garrison in a certain hold :
19 He advanced on Beth-Zur, a strong fortress of the Jews, but was checked, overcome and sorepulsed.	19 But Dositheus, and Sosipater, who were captains with Machabeus, slew them that were left by Timotheus in the hold, to the number of ten thousand men.
20 Judas supplied the garrison with what they needed,	20 And Machabeus having set in order about him six thousand men, and divided them by bands, went forth against Timetheus, who had with him a hundred and twenty thousand footmen, and two thousand five hundred horsemen.
21 but Rhodocus, of the Jewish army, supplied the enemy with secret information; the man wasidentified, arrested, and dealt with.	21 Now when Timotheus had knowledge of the coming of Judas, he sent the women and children, and the other baggage before him into a fortress, called Carnion: for it was impregnable and hard to come at, by reason of the straitness of the places.
22 A second time, the king parleyed with the garrison of Beth-Zur; he offered and accepted pledges offriendship, retired, then attacked Judas and his men, but lost the battle.	22 But when the first band of Judas came in sight, the enemies were struck with fear, by the presence of God, who seeth all things, and they were put to flight one from another, so that they were often thrown down by their own companions, and wounded with the strokes of their own swords.
23 He was then told that Philip, left in charge of affairs, had rebelled in Antioch. He was stunned by this,opened negotiations with the Jews, came to an agreement, and swore to abide by al reasonable conditions.Agreement reached, he offered a sacrifice, honoured the Temple, and made generous gifts to the holy place.	23 But Judas was vehemently earnest in punishing the profane, of whom he slew thirty thousand men.
24 He received Maccabaeus kindly and, leaving Hegemonides to exercise command from Ptolemais tothe territory of the Gerrenians,	24 And Timotheus himself fell into the hands of the band of Dositheus and Sosipater, and with many prayers he besought them to let him go with his life, because he had the parents and brethren of many of the Jews, who, by his death, might happen to be deceived.
25 went to Ptolemais. The inhabitants of the place disapproved of the treaty; they complained furiouslyand wanted to annul its provisions.	25 And when he had given his faith that he would restore them according to the agreement, they let him go without hurt, for the saving of their brethren.
26 Lysias mounted the rostrum and made a convincing defence of the provisions which convinced andcalmed them and won their goodwil . He then withdrew to Antioch. So much for the episode of the king'soffensive and retreat.	26 Then Judas went away to Carnion, where he slew five and twenty thousand persons.
	27 And after he had put to flight and destroyed these, he removed his army to Ephron, a strong city, wherein there dwelt a multitude of divers nations: and stout young men standing upon the walls made a vigorous resistance: and in this place there were many engines of war, and a provision of darts.
	28 But when they had invocated the Almighty, who with his power breaketh the strength of the enemies, they took the city; and slew five and twenty thousand of them that were within.
	29 From thence they departed to Scythopolis, which lieth six hundred furlongs from Jerusalem.
	30 But the Jews that were among the Scythopolitans testifying that they were used kindly by them, and that even in the times of their adversity they had treated them with humanity:
	31 They gave them thanks exhorting them to be still friendly to their nation, and so they came to Jerusalem, the feast of the weeks being at hand.
	32 And after Pentecost they marched against Gorgias the governor of Idumea.
	33 And he came out with three thousand footmen, and four hundred horsemen.
	34 And when they had joined battle, it happened that a few of the Jews were slain.
	35 But Dositheus, a horseman, one of Bacenor's band, a valiant man, took hold of Gorgias: and when he would have taken him alive, a certain horseman of the Thracians came upon him, and cut off his shoulder: and so Gorgias escaped to Maresa.
	36 But when they that were with Esdrin had fought long, and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord to be their helper, and leader of the battle:
	37 Then beginning in his own language, and singing hymns with a loud voice, he put Gorgias' soldiers to flight.
	38 So Judas having gathered together his army, came into the city Odollam: and when the seventh day came, they purified themselves according to the custom, and kept the sabbath in the place.
	39 And the day following Judas cam with his company, to take away the bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them with their kinsmen, in the sepulchres of their fathers.
	40 And they found under the coats o the slain some of the donaries of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbiddeth the Jews:
	41 Then they all blessed the just judgment of the Lord, who had discovered the things that were hidden.
	42 And so betaking themselves to prayers, they besought him, that the sin which had been committed might be forgotten. But the most valiant Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin, forasmuch as they saw before their eyes what had happened, because of the sins of those that were slain.
	43 And making a gathering, he twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection,
	44 (For if he had not hoped that the that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,)
	45 And because he considered that the who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them.
	46 It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.
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	90 that all plainly saw, for this cause they were slain.