7:29. So thou shalt not fear this tormentor, but being made a worthy partner with thy brethren, receive death, that in that mercy I may receive thee again with thy brethren.
7:30. While she was yet speaking these words, the young man said: For whom do you stay? I will not obey the commandment of the king, but the commandment of the law which was given us by Moses.
7:31. But thou that hast been the author of all mischief against the Hebrews, shalt not escape the hand of G.o.d.
7:32. For we suffer thus for our sins.
7:33. And though the Lord, our G.o.d, is angry with us a little while, for our chastis.e.m.e.nt and correction, yet he will be reconciled again to his servants.
7:34. But thou, O wicked, and of all men most flagitious, be not lifted up without cause with vain hopes, whilst thou art raging against his servants.
7:35. For thou hast not yet escaped the judgment of the Almighty G.o.d, who beholdeth all things.
7:36. For my brethren having now undergone a short pain, are under the covenant of eternal life: but thou, by the judgment of G.o.d, shalt receive just punishment for thy pride.
7:37. But I, like my brethren, offer up my life and my body for the laws of our fathers: calling upon G.o.d to be speedily merciful to our nation, and that thou by torments and stripes mayst confess that he alone is G.o.d.
7:38. But in me, and in my brethren, the wrath of the Almighty, which hath justly been brought upon all our nation, shall cease.
7:39. Then the king being incensed with anger, raged against him more cruelly than all the rest, taking it grievously that he was mocked.
7:40. So this man also died undefiled, wholly trusting in the Lord.
7:41. And last of all, after the sons, the mother also was consumed.
7:42. But now there is enough said of the sacrifices and of the excessive cruelties.
2 Machabees Chapter 8
Judas Machabeus gathering an army gains divers victories.
8:1. But Judas Machabeus, and they that were with him, went privately into the towns: and calling together their kinsmen and friends, and taking unto them such as continued in the Jews" religion, they a.s.sembled six thousand men.
8:2. And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon his people that was trodden down by all and would have pity on the temple, that was defiled by the wicked:
8:3. That he would have pity also upon the city that was destroyed, that was ready to be made even with the ground, and would hear the voice of the blood that cried to him:
8:4. That he would remember also the most unjust deaths of innocent children, and the blasphemies offered to his name, and would shew his indignation on this occasion.
8:5. Now when Machabeus had gathered a mult.i.tude, he could not be withstood by the heathens: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.
8:6. So coming unawares upon the towns and cities, he set them on fire, and taking possession of the most commodious places, he made no small slaughter of the enemies:
8:7. And especially in the nights he went upon these expeditions, and the fame of his valour was spread abroad every where.
8:8. Then Philip seeing that the man gained ground by little and little, and that things for the most part succeeded prosperously with him, wrote to Ptolemee, the governor of Celesyria and Phenicia, to send aid to the king"s affairs.
Philip seeing, etc... The governor of Jerusalem found himself unable to contend with Judas, especially after the victories he had obtained over Apollonius and Seron. 1 Mac. 3.
8:9. And he with all speed sent Nicanor, the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends, giving him no fewer than twenty thousand armed men of different nations, to root out the whole race of the Jews, joining also with him Gorgias, a good soldier, and of great experience in matters of war.
Twenty thousand... The whole number of the forces sent at that time into Judea, was 40,000 footmen, and 7000 hors.e.m.e.n, 1 Mac. 3.30. But only 20,000 are here taken notice of, because there were no more with Nicanor at the time of the battle.
8:10. And Nicanor purposed to raise for the king the tribute of two thousand talents, that was to be given to the Romans, by making so much money of the captive Jews:
8:11. Wherefore he sent immediately to the cities upon the sea coast, to invite men together to buy up the Jewish slaves, promising that they should have ninety slaves for one talent, not reflecting on the vengeance which was to follow him from the Almighty.
8:12. Now when Judas found that Nicanor was coming, he imparted to the Jews that were with him, that the enemy was at hand.
8:13. And some of them being afraid, and distrusting the justice of G.o.d, fled away.
8:14. Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord, that he would deliver them from the wicked Nicanor, who had sold them before he came near them:
8:15. And if not for their sakes, yet for the covenant that he had made with their fathers, and for the sake of his holy and glorious name that was invoked upon them.
8:16. But Machabeus calling together seven thousand that were with him, exhorted them not to be reconciled to the enemies, nor to fear the mult.i.tude of the enemies who came wrongfully against them, but to fight manfully:
Seven thousand... In the Greek it is six thousand. But then three thousand of them had no arms. 1 Mac. 4.6.
8:17. Setting before their eyes the injury they had unjustly done the holy place, and also the injury they had done to the city, which had been shamefully abused, besides their destroying the ordinances of the fathers.
8:18. For, said he, they trust in their weapons, and in their boldness: but we trust in the Almighty Lord, who at a beck can utterly destroy both them that come against us, and the whole world.
8:19. Moreover, he put them in mind also of the helps their fathers had received from G.o.d: and how, under Sennacherib, a hundred and eighty-five thousand had been destroyed.
8:20. And of the battle that they had fought against the Galatians, in Babylonia; how they, being in all but six thousand, when it came to the point, and the Macedonians, their companions, were at a stand, slew a hundred and twenty thousand, because of the help they had from heaven, and for this they received many favours.
Galatians... That is, the Gauls, who having ravaged Italy and Greece, poured themselves in upon Asia, in immense mult.i.tudes, where also they founded the kingdom of Galatia or Gallo Graecia.
8:21. With these words they were greatly encouraged and disposed even to die for the laws and their country.
8:22. So he appointed his brethren captains over each division of his army; Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving to each one fifteen hundred men.
8:23. And after the holy book had been read to them by Esdras, and he had given them for a watchword, The help of G.o.d: himself leading the first band, he joined battle with Nicanor:
8:24. And the Almighty being their helper, they slew above nine thousand men: and having wounded and disabled the greater part of Nicanor"s army, they obliged them to fly.
Above nine thousand... Viz., including the three thousand slain in the pursuit.
8:25. And they took the money of them that came to buy them, and they pursued them on every side.
8:26. But they came back for want of time: for it was the day before the sabbath: and therefore they did not continue the pursuit.
8:27. But when they had gathered together their arms and their spoils, they kept the sabbath: blessing the Lord who had delivered them that day, distilling the beginning of mercy upon them.
8:28. Then after the sabbath they divided the spoils to the feeble and the orphans, and the widows, and the rest they took for themselves and their servants.
8:29. When this was done, and they had all made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord, to be reconciled to his servants unto the end.