3:67. So they removed the camp, and pitched on the south side of Emmaus.
3:68. And Judas said: Gird yourselves, and be valiant men, and be ready against the morning, that you may fight with these nations that are a.s.sembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.
3:59. For it is better for us to die in battle, than to see the evils of our nation, and of the holies:
3:60. Nevertheless, as it shall be the will of G.o.d in heaven, so be it done.
1 Machabees Chapter 4
Judas routs the king"s army. Gorgias flies before him. Lysias comes against him with a great army, but is defeated. Judas cleanses the temple, sets up a new altar, and fortifies the sanctuary.
4:1. Then Gorgias took five thousand men, and a thousand of the best hors.e.m.e.n; and they removed out of the camp by night.
4:2. That they might come upon the camp of the Jews and strike them suddenly: and the men that were of the castle were their guides.
4:3. And Judas heard of it, and rose up, he and the valiant men, to attack the king"s forces that were in Emmaus.
4:4. For as yet the army was dispersed from the camp
The army was dispersed... That is, in different divisions, not altogether encamped.
4:5. And Gorgias came by night into the camp of Judas, and found no man; and he sought them in the mountains: for he said: These men flee from us.
4:6. And when it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men only, who neither had armour nor swords:
Who neither had armour nor swords... Such as they wished for.
4:7. And they saw the camp of the Gentiles that it was strong, and the men in breastplates, and the hors.e.m.e.n round about them, and these were trained up to war.
4:8. And Judas said to the men that were with him: Fear ye not their mult.i.tude, neither be ye afraid of their a.s.sault.
4:9. Remember in what manner our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with a great army.
4:10. And now let us cry to heaven, and the Lord will have mercy on us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and will destroy this army before our face this day:
4:11. And all nations shall know that there is one that redeemeth and delivereth Israel.
4:12. And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them.
4:13. And they went out of the camp to battle, and they that were with Judas sounded the trumpet.
4:14. And they joined battle: and the Gentiles were routed, and fled into the plain.
4:15. But all the hindmost of them fell by the sword and they pursued them as far as Gezeron, and even to the plains of Idumea, and of Azotus, and of Jamnia: and there fell of them to the number of three thousand men.
4:16. And Judas returned again with his army that followed him.
4:17. And he said to the people: Be not greedy of the spoils; for there is war before us:
4:18. And Gorgias and his army are near us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overthrow them, and you shall take the spoils afterwards with safety.
4:19. And as Judas was speaking these words, behold part of them appeared, looking forth from the mountain.
4:20. And Gorgias saw that his men were put to flight, and that they had set fire to the camp: for the smoke that was seen declared what was done.
4:21. And when they had seen this, they were seized with great fear, seeing at the same time Judas and his army in the plain ready to fight.
4:22. So they all fled away into the land of the strangers.
4:23. And Judas returned to take the spoils of the camp, and they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.
4:24. And returning home, they sung a hymn, and blessed G.o.d in heaven, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
4:25. So Israel had a great deliverance that day.
4:26 And such of the strangers as escaped, went and told Lysias all that had happened.
4:27. And when he heard these things, he was amazed and discouraged: because things had not succeeded in Israel according to his mind, and as the king had commanded.
4:28. So the year following, Lysias gathered together threescore thousand chosen men, and five thousand hors.e.m.e.n, that he might subdue them.
4:29. And they came into Judea, and pitched their tents in Bethoron, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.
4:30. And they saw that the army was strong, and he prayed and said: Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst break the violence of the mighty by the hand of thy servant David, and didst deliver up the camp of the strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul, and of his armour bearer.
4:31. Shut up this army in the hands of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their host and their hors.e.m.e.n. 32 Strike them with fear, and cause the boldness of their strength to languish, and let them quake at their own destruction.
4:33. Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee: and let all that know thy name praise thee with hymns.
4:34. And they joined battle: and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men.
4:35. And when Lysias saw that his men were put to flight, and how bold the Jews were, and that they were ready either to live, or to die manfully, he went to Antioch, and chose soldiers, that they might come again into Judea with greater numbers.
4:36. Then Judas, and his brethren said: Behold our enemies are discomfited: let us go up now to cleanse the holy places, and to repair them.
4:37. And all the army a.s.sembled together, and they went up into Mount Sion.
4:38. And they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burnt, and shrubs growing up in the courts as in a forest, or on the mountains, and the chambers joining to the temple thrown down.
4:39. And they rent their garments, and made great lamentation, and put ashes on their heads:
4:40. And they fell down to the ground on their faces, and they sounded with the trumpets of alarm, and they cried towards heaven.
4:41. Then Judas appointed men to fight against them that were in the castle, till they had cleansed the holy places,
4:42. And he chose priests without blemish, whose will was set upon the law of G.o.d.
4:43. And they cleansed the holy places, and took away the stones that had been defiled into an unclean place.