2Macc 8
1
Then Judas Maccabeus, and they that were with him, went privily into the towns, and
called their kinsfolks together, and took to them all such as continued in the Jews’
religion, and assembled about six thousand men.
2
And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon the people that was trodden
down of all; and also pity the temple profaned of ungodly men;
3
And that he would have compassion upon the city, sore defaced, and ready to be made
even with the ground; and hear the blood that cried to him,
4
And remember the wicked slaughter of harmless infants, and the blasphemies committed
against his name; and that he would shew his hatred against the wicked.
5
Now when Maccabeus had his company about him, he could not be withstood by the heathen:
for the anger of the Lord was turned into mercy.
6
Therefore he came at unawares, and burnt up towns and cities, and got into his hands
the most commodious places, and overcame and put to flight no small number of his
enemies.
7
But specially took he advantage of the night for such privy attempts, insomuch that
the fruit of his holiness was spread every where.
8
So when Philip saw that this man increased by little and little, and that things prospered
with him still more and more, he wrote to Ptolemeus, the governor of Celosyria and
Phenice, to yield more aid to the king’s affairs.
9
Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends,
he sent him with no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations under him, to root out
the whole generation of the Jews; and with him he joined also Gorgias a captain, who
in matters of war had great experience.
10
So Nicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive Jews, as should defray the
tribute of two thousand talents, which the king was to pay to the Romans.
11
Wherefore immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast, proclaiming a sale
of the captive Jews, and promising that they should have fourscore and ten bodies
for one talent, not expecting the vengeance that was to follow upon him from the Almighty
God.
12
Now when word was brought to Judas of Nicanor’s coming, and he had imparted to those
that were with him whom the army was at hand,
13
They that were fearful, and distrusted the justice of God, fled, and conveyed themselves
away.
14
Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord to deliver them,
sold by the wicked Nicanor before they met together:
15
And if not for their own sakes, yet for the covenants he had made with their fathers,
and for his holy and glorious name’s sake, by which they were called.
16
So Maccabeus called his men together to the number of six thousand, and exhorted them
not to be stricken with terror of the enemy, nor to fear the great multitude of the
heathen, who came wrongly against them; but to fight manfully,
17
And to set before their eyes the injury that they had unjustly done to the holy place,
and the cruel handling of the city, whereof they made a mockery, and also the taking
away of the government of their forefathers:
18
For they, said he, trust in their weapons and boldness; but our confidence is in the
Almighty who at a beck can cast down both them that come against us, and also all
the world.
19
Moreover, he recounted to them what helps their forefathers had found, and how they
were delivered, when under Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand perished.
20
And he told them of the battle that they had in Babylon with the Galatians, how they
came but eight thousand in all to the business, with four thousand Macedonians, and
that the Macedonians being perplexed, the eight thousand destroyed an hundred and
twenty thousand because of the help that they had from heaven, and so received a great
booty.
21
Thus when he had made them bold with these words, and ready to die for the law and
the country, he divided his army into four parts;
22
And joined with himself his own brethren, leaders of each band, to wit Simon, and
Joseph, and Jonathan, giving each one fifteen hundred men.
23
Also he appointed Eleazar to read the holy book: and when he had given them this watchword,
The help of God; himself leading the first band,
24
And by the help of the Almighty they slew above nine thousand of their enemies, and
wounded and maimed the most part of Nicanor’s host, and so put all to flight;
25
And took their money that came to buy them, and pursued them far: but lacking time
they returned:
26
For it was the day before the sabbath, and therefore they would no longer pursue them.
27
So when they had gathered their armour together, and spoiled their enemies, they occupied
themselves about the sabbath, yielding exceeding praise and thanks to the Lord, who
had preserved them to that day, which was the beginning of mercy distilling upon them.
28
And after the sabbath, when they had given part of the spoils to the maimed, and the
widows, and orphans, the residue they divided among themselves and their servants.
29
When this was done, and they had made a common supplication, they besought the merciful
Lord to be reconciled with his servants for ever.
30
Moreover of those that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who fought against them,
they slew above twenty thousand, and very easily got high and strong holds, and divided
among themselves many spoils more, and made the maimed, orphans, widows, yea, and
the aged also, equal in spoils with themselves.
31
And when they had gathered their armour together, they laid them up all carefully
in convenient places, and the remnant of the spoils they brought to Jerusalem.
32
They slew also Philarches, that wicked person, who was with Timotheus, and had annoyed
the Jews many ways.
33
Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the victory in their country they
burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire upon the holy gates, who had fled into a little
house; and so he received a reward meet for his wickedness.
34
As for that most ungracious Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to buy the
Jews,
35
He was through the help of the Lord brought down by them, of whom he made least account;
and putting off his glorious apparel, and discharging his company, he came like a
fugitive servant through the midland to Antioch having very great dishonour, for that
his host was destroyed.
36
Thus he, that took upon him to make good to the Romans their tribute by means of captives
in Jerusalem, told abroad, that the Jews had God to fight for them, and therefore
they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws that he gave them.