2 Maccabees 13

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas and his men learned that Antiochus Eupator was invading Judea with a large force,	1 When these covenants were made, Lyslas went to the king, and the Jews gave themselves to husbandry.
2 and that with him was Lysias, his guardian, who was in charge of the government. They led a Greek army of one hundred and ten thousand foot soldiers, fifty-three hundred horsemen, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed 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 also joined them, and with great duplicity kept urging Antiochus on, not for the welfare of his country, but in the hope of being established in 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 aroused the anger of Antiochus against the scoundrel. When the king was shown by Lysias that Menelaus was to blame for all the trouble, he ordered him to be taken to Beroea and executed there in the customary local method.	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 There is at that place a tower seventy-five feet high, full of ashes, with a circular rim sloping down steeply on all sides toward the ashes.	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 A man guilty of sacrilege or notorious for certain other crimes is brought up there and then hurled down to destruction.	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 Menelaus, the transgressor of the law, fated to die; he was deprived even of decent 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 It was altogether just that he who had committed so many sins against the altar with its pure fire and ashes should meet his death in ashes.	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 was advancing, his mind full of savage plans for inflicting on the Jews worse things than those they suffered in his father's time.	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 learned of this, he urged the people to call upon the LORD night and day, to help them now, if ever,	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 when they were about to be deprived of their law, their country, and their holy temple; and not to allow this nation, which had just begun to revive, to be subjected again to blasphemous Gentiles.	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 all joined in doing this, and had implored the merciful LORD continuously with weeping and fasting and prostrations for three days, Judas encouraged them and told them to stand ready.	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 a private meeting with the elders, he decided that, before the king's army could invade Judea and take possession of the city, the Jews should march out and settle the matter with God'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 Leaving the outcome to the Creator of the world, and exhorting his followers to fight nobly to death for the laws, the temple, the city, the country, and the government, he pitched his camp 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 battle cry "God's Victory," he made a night attack on the king's pavilion with a picked force of the bravest young men and killed about two thousand in the camp. They also slew the lead elephant and its rider.	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 Finally they withdrew in triumph, having filled the camp with terror and confusion.	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 Day was just breaking when this was accomplished with the help and protection of the LORD.	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 the Jews' daring, tried to take their positions by a stratagem.	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 So he marched against Beth-zur, a strong fortress of the Jews; but he was driven back, checked, and defeated.	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 then sent supplies to the men inside,	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, betrayed military secrets to the enemy. He was found out, arrested, and imprisoned.	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 The king made a second attempt by negotiating with the men of Beth-zur. After giving them his pledge and receiving theirs, he withdrew	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 and attacked Judas and his men. But he was defeated. Next he heard that Philip, who was left in charge of the government in Antioch had rebelled. Dismayed, he parleyed with the Jews, submitted to their terms, and swore to observe their rights. Having come to this agreement, he offered a sacrifice, and honored the temple with a generous donation.	23 But Judas was vehemently earnest in punishing the profane, of whom he slew thirty thousand men.
24 He approved of Maccabeus and left him as military and civil governor of the territory from Ptolemais to the region of the Gerrenes.	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 When he came to Ptolemais, the people of that city were angered by the peace treaty; in fact they were so indignant that they 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 But Lysias took the platform, defended the treaty as well as he could and won them over by persuasion. After calming them and gaining their good will, he returned to Antioch. That is how the king's attack and withdrawal went.	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.