2 Maccabees 13

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas and his men discovered that Antiochus Eupator wasadvancing in force against Judaea,	1 In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas and his men learned that Antiochus Eupator was invading Judea with a large force,
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
5 In that place there is a tower fifty cubits high, ful of ash, with an internal lip al round overhanging theashes.	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.
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 A man guilty of sacrilege or notorious for certain other crimes is brought up there and then hurled down to destruction.
7 In such a manner was the renegade fated to die; Menelaus had not even the privilege of burial.	7 In such a manner was Menelaus, the transgressor of the law, fated to die; he was deprived even of decent burial.
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 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.
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 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.
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 When Judas learned of this, he urged the people to call upon the LORD night and day, to help them now, if ever,
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
16 having eventual y filled the camp with terror and confusion, they successful y withdrew,	16 Finally they withdrew in triumph, having filled the camp with terror and confusion.
17 just as dawn was breaking. This was achieved, thanks to the protection which the Lord grantedJudas.	17 Day was just breaking when this was accomplished with the help and protection of the LORD.
18 The king, having had a taste of Jewish daring, now tried to capture their positions by trickery.	18 The king, having had a taste of the Jews' daring, tried to take their positions by a stratagem.
19 He advanced on Beth-Zur, a strong fortress of the Jews, but was checked, overcome and sorepulsed.	19 So he marched against Beth-zur, a strong fortress of the Jews; but he was driven back, checked, and defeated.
20 Judas supplied the garrison with what they needed,	20 Judas then sent supplies to the men inside,
21 but Rhodocus, of the Jewish army, supplied the enemy with secret information; the man wasidentified, arrested, and dealt with.	21 but Rhodocus, of the Jewish army, betrayed military secrets to the enemy. He was found out, arrested, and imprisoned.
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 The king made a second attempt by negotiating with the men of Beth-zur. After giving them his pledge and receiving theirs, he withdrew
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 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.
24 He received Maccabaeus kindly and, leaving Hegemonides to exercise command from Ptolemais tothe territory of the Gerrenians,	24 He approved of Maccabeus and left him as military and civil governor of the territory from Ptolemais to the region of the Gerrenes.
25 went to Ptolemais. The inhabitants of the place disapproved of the treaty; they complained furiouslyand wanted to annul its provisions.	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.
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 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.