1 Maccabees 7

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 In the hundred and one and fiftieth year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came up with a few men unto a city of the sea coast, and reigned there.	1 In the year 151, Demetrius son of Seleucus left Rome and arrived with a few men at a town on thecoast, where he inaugurated his reign.
2 And as he entered into the palace of his ancestors, so it was, that his forces had taken Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them unto him.	2 It so happened that, as he was entering the royal residence of his ancestors, the army capturedAntiochus and Lysias, and intended to bring them to him.
3 Wherefore, when he knew it, he said, Let me not see their faces.	3 On hearing this, he said, 'Keep them out of my sight.'
4 So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom,	4 The army put them to death, and Demetrius ascended his throne.
5 There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain:	5 Next, al those Israelites without law or piety, led by Alcimus, whose ambition was to become highpriest,
6 And they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and his brethren have slain all thy friends, and driven us out of our own land.	6 approached the king and denounced our people to him. 'Judas and his brothers', they said, 'have kil edal your friends, and he has driven us out of our country.
7 Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go and see what havock he hath made among us, and in the king's land, and let him punish them with all them that aid them.	7 Send someone now whom you can trust; let him go and see the wholesale ruin Judas has brought onus and on the king's dominions, and let him punish the wretches and al who assist them.'
8 Then the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who ruled beyond the flood, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king,	8 The king chose Bacchides, one of the Friends of the King, governor of Transeuphrates, an importantpersonage in the kingdom and loyal to the king.
9 And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel.	9 He sent him with the godless Alcimus, whom he confirmed in the high priesthood, with orders to exactretribution from the Israelites.
10 So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Judea, where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.	10 So they set out with a large force and, on reaching Judaea, sent emissaries to Judas and his brotherswith proposals peaceable yet treacherous.
11 But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great power.	11 The latter, however, did not put any faith in their words, aware that they had come with a large force.
12 Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to require justice.	12 Nevertheless, a commission of scribes presented themselves before Alcimus and Bacchides, to suefor just terms.
13 Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them:	13 The first among the Israelites to ask them for peace terms were the Hasidaeans,
14 For said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army, and he will do us no wrong.	14 who reasoned thus, 'This is a priest of Aaron's line who has come with the armed forces; he wil notwrong us.'
15 So he spake unto them, peaceably, and sware unto them, saying, we will procure the harm neither of you nor your friends.	15 He did in fact discuss peace terms with them and gave them his oath, 'We shal not attempt to injureyou or your friends.'
16 Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them threescore men, and slew them in one day, according to the words which he wrote,	16 They believed him, but he arrested sixty of them and put them to death on one day, fulfil ing the wordsof scripture:
17 The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.	17 They have scattered the bodies of your faithful, and shed their blood all round Jerusalem, leaving noone to bury them!
18 Wherefore the fear and dread of them fell upon all the people, who said, There is neither truth nor righteousness in them; for they have broken the covenant and oath that they made.	18 At this, fear and dread gripped the whole people. 'There is no truth or virtue in them,' they said, 'theyhave broken their agreement and their sworn oath.'
19 After this, removed Bacchides from Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bezeth, where he sent and took many of the men that had forsaken him, and certain of the people also, and when he had slain them, he cast them into the great pit.	19 Bacchides then left Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-Zeth, and from there sent and arrested many ofthe men who had deserted him and a few of our people too; he had them kil ed and thrown down the great wel .
20 Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a power to aid him: so Bacchides went to the king.	20 He then put Alcimus in charge of the province, leaving an army with him to support him; Bacchideshimself returned to the king.
21 But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.	21 Alcimus continued his struggle to become high priest,
22 And unto him resorted all such as troubled the people, who, after they had gotten the land of Juda into their power, did much hurt in Israel.	22 and al who were disturbing the peace of their own people ral ied to him, and, having won control ofJudaea, did much harm in Israel.
23 Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites, even above the heathen,	23 Seeing that al the wrongs done to the Israelites by Alcimus and his supporters exceeded what thegentiles had done,
24 He went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance of them that had revolted from him, so that they durst no more go forth into the country.	24 Judas went right round the whole territory of Judaea to take vengeance on those who had desertedhim and to prevent their free movement about the country.
25 On the other side, when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had gotten the upper hand, and knew that he was not able to abide their force, he went again to the king, and said all the worst of them that he could.	25 When Alcimus saw how strong Judas and his supporters had grown and realised that he waspowerless to resist them, he went back to the king, to whom he made malicious accusations against them.
26 Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man that bare deadly hate unto Israel, with commandment to destroy the people.	26 The king sent Nicanor, one of his generals ranking as Il ustrious and a bitter enemy of Israel, withorders to exterminate the people.
27 So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with friendly words, saying,	27 Reaching Jerusalem with a large force, Nicanor sent a friendly, yet treacherous, message to Judasand his brothers, as follows:
28 Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see you in peace.	28 'Let us have no fighting between you and me; I shall come with a smal escort for a peaceful meetingwith you.'
29 He came therefore to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by violence.	29 He met Judas and they exchanged friendly greetings; the enemy, however, had made preparations toabduct Judas.
30 Which thing after it was known to Judas, to wit, that he came unto him with deceit, he was sore afraid of him, and would see his face no more.	30 When Judas became aware of Nicanor's treacherous purpose in coming to see him, he took fright andrefused any further meeting.
31 Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:	31 Nicanor then realised that his plan had been discovered, and took the field against Judas, to givebattle near Caphar-Salama.
32 Where there were slain of Nicanor's side about five thousand men, and the rest fled into the city of David.	32 About five hundred of Nicanor's men fell; the rest took refuge in the City of David.
33 After this went Nicanor up to mount Sion, and there came out of the sanctuary certain of the priests and certain of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the burnt sacrifice that was offered for the king.	33 After these events Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests came out of the Holy Placewith some elders, to give him a friendly welcome and show him the burnt offering being presented for the king.
34 But he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused them shamefully, and spake proudly,	34 But he ridiculed them, laughed at them, defiled them and used insolent language, swearing in hisrage,
35 And sware in his wrath, saying, Unless Judas and his host be now delivered into my hands, if ever I come again in safety, I will burn up this house: and with that he went out in a great rage.	35 'Unless Judas is handed over to me this time with his army, as soon as I am safely back, I promiseyou, I shal burn this building down!'
36 Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple, weeping, and saying,	36 Then he went off in a fury. At this, the priests went in again, and stood weeping in front of the altarand the Temple, saying,
37 Thou, O Lord, didst choose this house to be called by thy name, and to be a house of prayer and petition for thy people:	37 'You have chosen this house to be cal ed by your name, to be a house of prayer and petition for yourpeople.
38 Be avenged of this man and his host, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continue any longer.	38 Take vengeance on this man and on his army, and let them fal by the sword; remember theirblasphemies and give them no respite.'
39 So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met him.	39 Nicanor left Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-Horon, where he was joined by an army from Syria.
40 But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying,	40 Judas, meanwhile, camped at Adasa with three thousand men, and offered this prayer,
41 O Lord, when they that were sent from the king of the Assyrians blasphemed, thine angel went out, and smote an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them.	41 'When the king's envoys blasphemed, your angel went out and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand of his men.
42 Even so destroy thou this host before us this day, that the rest may know that he hath spoken blasphemously against thy sanctuary, and judge thou him according to his wickedness.	42 In the same way let us see you crush this army today, so that everyone else may know that this manhas spoken blasphemously against your sanctuary: pass judgement on him as his wickedness deserves!'
43 So the thirteenth day of the month Adar the hosts joined battle: but Nicanor's host was discomfited, and he himself was first slain in the battle.	43 The armies met in battle on the thirteenth of the month Adar, and Nicanor's army was crushed, hehimself being the first to fal in the battle.
44 Now when Nicanor's host saw that he was slain, they cast away their weapons, and fled.	44 When Nicanor's soldiers saw him fal , they threw down their arms and fled.
45 Then they pursued after them a day's journey, from Adasa unto Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.	45 The Jews pursued them a day's journey, from Adasa to the approaches of Gezer; they sounded theirtrumpets in warning as they fol owed them,
46 Whereupon they came forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and closed them in; so that they, turning back upon them that pursued them, were all slain with the sword, and not one of them was left.	46 and people came out of al the surrounding Judaean vil ages to encircle the fugitives, who then turnedback on their own men. Al fel by the sword, not one being left alive.
47 Afterwards they took the spoils, and the prey, and smote off Nicanors head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so proudly, and brought them away, and hanged them up toward Jerusalem.	47 Having col ected the spoils and booty, they cut off Nicanor's head and the right hand he had stretchedout in a display of insolence; these were taken and displayed within sight of Jerusalem.
48 For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day of great gladness.	48 The people were overjoyed and kept that day as a great holiday:
49 Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of Adar.	49 indeed they decided to celebrate it annual y on the thirteenth of Adar.
50 Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while.	50 For a short while Judaea enjoyed peace.