1 Maccabees 3

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Then his son Judas, called Maccabeus, rose up in his stead.	1 Then his son Judas, who was called Maccabeus, took his place.
2 And all his brethren helped him, and so did all they that held with his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel.	2 All his brothers and all who had joined his father supported him, and they carried on Israel's war joyfully.
3 So he gat his people great honour, and put on a breastplate as a giant, and girt his warlike harness about him, and he made battles, protecting the host with his sword.	3 He spread abroad the glory of his people, and put on his breastplate like a giant. He armed himself with weapons of war; he planned battles and protected the camp with his sword.
4 In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for his prey.	4 In his actions he was like a lion, like a young lion roaring for prey.
5 For He pursued the wicked, and sought them out, and burnt up those that vexed his people.	5 He pursued the wicked, hunting them out, and those who troubled his people he destroyed by fire.
6 Wherefore the wicked shrunk for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled, because salvation prospered in his hand.	6 The lawbreakers were cowed by fear of him, and all evildoers were dismayed. By his hand redemption was happily achieved,
7 He grieved also many kings, and made Jacob glad with his acts, and his memorial is blessed for ever.	7 and he afflicted many kings; He made Jacob glad by his deeds, and his memory is blessed forever.
8 Moreover he went through the cities of Juda, destroying the ungodly out of them, and turning away wrath from Israel:	8 He went about the cities of Judah destroying the impious there. He turned away wrath from Israel
9 So that he was renowned unto the utmost part of the earth, and he received unto him such as were ready to perish.	9 and was renowned to the ends of the earth; he gathered together those who were perishing.
10 Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles together, and a great host out of Samaria, to fight against Israel.	10 Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles, together with a large army from Samaria, to fight against Israel.
11 Which thing when Judas perceived, he went forth to meet him, and so he smote him, and slew him: many also fell down slain, but the rest fled.	11 When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him and defeated and killed him. Many fell wounded, and the rest fled.
12 Wherefore Judas took their spoils, and Apollonius' sword also, and therewith he fought all his life long.	12 Their possessions were seized and the sword of Apollonius was taken by Judas, who fought with it the rest of his life.
13 Now when Seron, a prince of the army of Syria, heard say that Judas had gathered unto him a multitude and company of the faithful to go out with him to war;	13 But Seron, commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered many about him, an assembly of faithful men ready for war.
14 He said, I will get me a name and honour in the kingdom; for I will go fight with Judas and them that are with him, who despise the king's commandment.	14 So he said, "I will make a name for myself and win glory in the kingdom by defeating Judas and his followers, who have despised the king's command."
15 So he made him ready to go up, and there went with him a mighty host of the ungodly to help him, and to be avenged of the children of Israel.	15 And again a large company of renegades advanced with him to help him take revenge on the Israelites.
16 And when he came near to the going up of Bethhoron, Judas went forth to meet him with a small company:	16 When he reached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a few men.
17 Who, when they saw the host coming to meet them, said unto Judas, How shall we be able, being so few, to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, seeing we are ready to faint with fasting all this day?	17 But when they saw the army coming against them, they said to Judas: "How can we, few as we are, fight such a mighty host as this? Besides, we are weak today from fasting."
18 Unto whom Judas answered, It is no hard matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few; and with the God of heaven it is all one, to deliver with a great multitude, or a small company:	18 But Judas said: "It is easy for many to be overcome by a few; in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between deliverance by many or by few;
19 For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host; but strength cometh from heaven.	19 for victory in war does not depend upon the size of the army, but on strength that comes from Heaven.
20 They come against us in much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and our wives and children, and to spoil us:	20 With great presumption and lawlessness they come against us to destroy us and our wives and children and to despoil us;
21 But we fight for our lives and our laws.	21 but we are fighting for our lives and our laws.
22 Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: and as for you, be ye not afraid of them.	22 He himself will crush them before us; so do not be afraid of them."
23 Now as soon as he had left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon them, and so Seron and his host was overthrown before him.	23 When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly upon Seron and his army, who were crushed before him.
24 And they pursued them from the going down of Bethhoron unto the plain, where were slain about eight hundred men of them; and the residue fled into the land of the Philistines.	24 He pursued Seron down the descent of Beth-horon into the plain. About eight hundred of their men fell, and the rest fled to the country of the Philistines.
25 Then began the fear of Judas and his brethren, and an exceeding great dread, to fall upon the nations round about them:	25 Then Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and dread fell upon the Gentiles about them.
26 Insomuch as his fame came unto the king, and all nations talked of the battles of Judas.	26 His fame reached the king, and all the Gentiles talked about the battles of Judas.
27 Now when king Antiochus heard these things, he was full of indignation: wherefore he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm, even a very strong army.	27 When Antiochus heard about these events, he was angry; so he ordered a muster of all the forces of his kingdom, a very strong army.
28 He opened also his treasure, and gave his soldiers pay for a year, commanding them to be ready whensoever he should need them.	28 He opened his treasure chests, gave his soldiers a year's pay, and commanded them to be prepared for anything.
29 Nevertheless, when he saw that the money of his treasures failed and that the tributes in the country were small, because of the dissension and plague, which he had brought upon the land in taking away the laws which had been of old time;	29 He then found that this exhausted the money in his treasury; moreover the income from the province was small, because of the dissension and distress he had brought upon the land by abolishing the laws which had been in effect from of old.
30 He feared that he should not be able to bear the charges any longer, nor to have such gifts to give so liberally as he did before: for he had abounded above the kings that were before him.	30 He feared that, as had happened more than once, he would not have enough for his expenses and for the gifts that he had previously given with a more liberal hand than the preceding kings.
31 Wherefore, being greatly perplexed in his mind, he determined to go into Persia, there to take the tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.	31 Greatly perplexed, he decided to go to Persia and levy tribute on those provinces, and so raise a large sum of money.
32 So he left Lysias, a nobleman, and one of the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates unto the borders of Egypt:	32 He left Lysias, a nobleman of royal blood, in charge of the king's affairs from the Euphrates River to the frontier of Egypt,
33 And to bring up his son Antiochus, until he came again.	33 and commissioned him to take care of his son Antiochus until his own return.
34 Moreover he delivered unto him the half of his forces, and the elephants, and gave him charge of all things that he would have done, as also concerning them that dwelt in Juda and Jerusalem:	34 He entrusted to him half of the army, and the elephants, and gave him instructions concerning everything he wanted done. As for the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem,
35 To wit, that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away their memorial from that place;	35 Lysias was to send an army against them to crush and destroy the power of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem and efface their memory from the land.
36 And that he should place strangers in all their quarters, and divide their land by lot.	36 He was to settle foreigners in all their territory and distribute their land by lot.
37 So the king took the half of the forces that remained, and departed from Antioch, his royal city, the hundred forty and seventh year; and having passed the river Euphrates, he went through the high countries.	37 The king took the remaining half of the army and set out from Antioch, his capital, in the year one hundred and forty-seven; he crossed the Euphrates River and advanced inland.
38 Then Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenes, Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends:	38 Lysias chose Ptolemy, son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, capable men among the King's Friends,
39 And with them he sent forty thousand footmen, and seven thousand horsemen, to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it, as the king commanded.	39 and with them he sent forty thousand men and seven thousand cavalry to invade the land of Judah and ravage it according to the king's orders.
40 So they went forth with all their power, and came and pitched by Emmaus in the plain country.	40 Setting out with all their forces, they came and pitched their camp near Emmaus in the plain.
41 And the merchants of the country, hearing the fame of them, took silver and gold very much, with servants, and came into the camp to buy the children of Israel for slaves: a power also of Syria and of the land of the Philistines joined themselves unto them.	41 When the merchants of the country heard of their fame, they came to the camp, bringing fetters and a large sum of silver and gold, to buy the Israelites as slaves. A force from Idumea and from Philistia joined with them.
42 Now when Judas and his brethren saw that miseries were multiplied, and that the forces did encamp themselves in their borders: for they knew how the king had given commandment to destroy the people, and utterly abolish them;	42 Judas and his brothers saw that the situation had become critical now that armies were encamped within their territory; they knew of the orders which the king had given to destroy and utterly wipe out the people.
43 They said one to another, Let us restore the decayed fortune of our people, and let us fight for our people and the sanctuary.	43 So they said to one another, "Let us restore our people from their ruined estate, and fight for our people and our sanctuary!"
44 Then was the congregation gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion.	44 The assembly gathered together to prepare for battle and to pray and implore mercy and compassion.
45 Now Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness, there was none of her children that went in or out: the sanctuary also was trodden down, and aliens kept the strong hold; the heathen had their habitation in that place; and joy was taken from Jacob, and the pipe with the harp ceased.	45 Jerusalem was uninhabited, like a desert; not one of her children entered or came out. The sanctuary was trampled on, and foreigners were in the citadel; it was a habitation of Gentiles. Joy had disappeared from Jacob, and the flute and the harp were silent.
46 Wherefore the Israelites assembled themselves together, and came to Maspha, over against Jerusalem; for in Maspha was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel.	46 Thus they assembled and went to Mizpah near Jerusalem, because there was formerly at Mizpah a place of prayer for Israel.
47 Then they fasted that day, and put on sackcloth, and cast ashes upon their heads, and rent their clothes,	47 That day they fasted and wore sackcloth; they sprinkled ashes on their heads and tore their clothes.
48 And laid open the book of the law, wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images.	48 They unrolled the scroll of the law, to learn about the things for which the Gentiles consulted the images of their idols.
49 They brought also the priests' garments, and the firstfruits, and the tithes: and the Nazarites they stirred up, who had accomplished their days.	49 They brought with them the priestly vestments, the first fruits, and the tithes; and they brought forward the nazirites who had completed the time of their vows.
50 Then cried they with a loud voice toward heaven, saying, What shall we do with these, and whither shall we carry them away?	50 And they cried aloud to Heaven: "What shall we do with these men, and where shall we take them?
51 For thy sanctuary is trodden down and profaned, and thy priests are in heaviness, and brought low.	51 For your sanctuary has been trampled on and profaned, and your priests are in mourning and humiliation.
52 And lo, the heathen are assembled together against us to destroy us: what things they imagine against us, thou knowest.	52 Now the Gentiles are gathered together against us to destroy us. You know what they plot against us.
53 How shall we be able to stand against them, except thou, O God, be our help?	53 How shall we be able to resist them unless you help us?"
54 Then sounded they with trumpets, and cried with a loud voice.	54 Then they blew the trumpets and cried out loudly.
55 And after this Judas ordained captains over the people, even captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.	55 After this Judas appointed officers among the people, over thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and over tens.
56 But as for such as were building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or were fearful, those he commanded that they should return, every man to his own house, according to the law.	56 He proclaimed that those who were building houses, or were just married, or were planting vineyards, and those who were afraid, could each return to his home, according to the law.
57 So the camp removed, and pitched upon the south side of Emmaus.	57 Then the army moved off, and they camped to the south of Emmaus.
58 And Judas said, arm yourselves, and be valiant men, and see that ye be in readiness against the morning, that ye may fight with these nations, that are assembled together against us to destroy us and our sanctuary:	58 Judas said: "Arm yourselves and be brave; in the morning be ready to fight these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.
59 For it is better for us to die in battle, than to behold the calamities of our people and our sanctuary.	59 It is better for us to die in battle than to witness the ruin of our nation and our sanctuary. Whatever Heaven wills, he will do."
60 Nevertheless, as the will of God is in heaven, so let him do.