1 Then Gorgias took five thousand men, and a thousand of the best horsemen: and they removed out of the camp by night.
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.
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 For as yet the army was dispersed from the camp.
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.
6 And when it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men only, who neither had armour nor swords.
7 And they saw the camp of the Gentiles that it was strong, and the men in breastplates, and the horsemen round about them, and these were trained up to war.
8 And Judas said to the men that were with him: Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.
9 Remember in what manner our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharao pursued them with a great army.
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:
11 And all nations shall know that there is one that redeemeth and delivereth Israel.
12 And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them.
13 And they went out of the camp to battle, and they that were with Judas sounded the trumpet.
14 And they joined battle: and the Gentiles were routed, and fled into the plain.
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.
16 And Judas returned again with his army that followed him,
17 And he said to the people: Be not greedy of the spoils: for there is war before us:
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.
19 And as Judas was speaking these words, behold part of them appeared looking forth from the mountain.
20 And Gorgias saw that his men were put to flight, ad that they had set fire to the camp: for the smoke that was seen declared what was done.
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.
22 So they all fled away into the land of the strangers.
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.
24 And returning home they sung a hymn, and blessed God in heaven, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
25 So Israel had a great deliverance that day.
26 And such of the strangers as escaped, went and told Lysias all that had happened.
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.
28 So the year following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand chosen men, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.
29 And they came into Judea, and pitched their tents in Bethoron, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.
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 armourbearer.
31 Shut up this army in the hands of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their host and their horsemen.
32 Strike them with fear, and cause the boldness of their strength to languish, and let them quake at their own destruction.
33 Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee: and let all that know thy name, praise thee with hymns.
34 And they joined battle: and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men.
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.
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.
37 And all the army assembled together, and they went up into mount Sion.
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.
39 And they rent their garments, and made great lamentation, and put ashes on their heads:
40 And they fell face down to the ground on their faces, and they sounded with the trumpets of alarm, and they cried towards heaven.
41 Then Judas appointed men to fight against them that were in the castle, till they had cleansed the holy places.
42 And he chose priests without blemish, whose will was set upon the law of God:
43 And they cleansed the holy places, and took away the stones that had been defiled into an unclean place.
44 And he considered about the altar of holocausts that had been profaned, what he should do with it.
45 And a good counsel came into their minds, to pull it down: lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it; so they threw it down.
46 And they laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, till there should come a prophet, and give answer concerning them.
47 Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former:
48 And they built up the holy places, and the things that were within the temple: and they sanctified the temple, and the courts.
49 And they made new holy vessels, and brought in the candlestick, and the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.
50 And they put incense upon the altar, and lighted up the lamps that were upon the candlestick, and they gave light in the temple.
51 And they set the loaves upon the table, and hung up the veils, and finished all the works that they had begun to make.
52 And they arose before the morning on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month (which is the month of Casleu) in the hundred and forty-eighth year.
53 And they offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of holocausts which they had made.
54 According to the time, and according to the day wherein the heathens had defiled it, in the same was it dedicated anew with canticles, and harps, and lutes, and cymbals.
55 And all the people fell upon their faces, and adored, and blessed up to heaven, him that had prospered them.
56 And they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and they offered holocausts with joy, and sacrifices of salvation, and of praise.
57 And they adorned the front of the temple with crowns of gold, and escutcheons, and they renewed the gates, and the chambers, and hanged doors upon them.
58 And there was exceeding great joy among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.
59 And Judas, and his brethren, and all the church of Israel decreed, that the day of the dedication of the altar should be kept in its season from year to year for eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, with joy and gladness.
60 They built up also at that time mount Sion, with high walls, and strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should at any time come, and tread it down as they did before.
61 And he placed a garrison there to keep it, and he fortified it to secure Bethsura, that the people might have a defence against Idumea.
1 This Simon now, of whom we spake afore, having been a betrayer of the money, and of his country, slandered Onias, as if he had terrified Heliodorus, and been the worker of these evils.
2 Thus was he bold to call him a traitor, that had deserved well of the city, and tendered his own nation, and was so zealous of the laws.
3 But when their hatred went so far, that by one of Simon’s faction murders were committed,
4 Onias seeing the danger of this contention, and that Apollonius, as being the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, did rage, and increase Simon’s malice,
5 He went to the king, not to be an accuser of his countrymen, but seeking the good of all, both publick and private:
6 For he saw that it was impossible that the state should continue quiet, and Simon leave his folly, unless the king did look thereunto.
7 But after the death of Seleucus, when Antiochus, called Epiphanes, took the kingdom, Jason the brother of Onias laboured underhand to be high priest,
8 Promising unto the king by intercession three hundred and threescore talents of silver, and of another revenue eighty talents:
9 Beside this, he promised to assign an hundred and fifty more, if he might have licence to set him up a place for exercise, and for the training up of youth in the fashions of the heathen, and to write them of Jerusalem by the name of Antiochians.
10 Which when the king had granted, and he had gotten into his hand the rule he forthwith brought his own nation to Greekish fashion.
11 And the royal privileges granted of special favour to the Jews by the means of John the father of Eupolemus, who went ambassador to Rome for amity and aid, he took away; and putting down the governments which were according to the law, he brought up new customs against the law:
12 For he built gladly a place of exercise under the tower itself, and brought the chief young men under his subjection, and made them wear a hat.
13 Now such was the height of Greek fashions, and increase of heathenish manners, through the exceeding profaneness of Jason, that ungodly wretch, and no high priest;
14 That the priests had no courage to serve any more at the altar, but despising the temple, and neglecting the sacrifices, hastened to be partakers of the unlawful allowance in the place of exercise, after the game of Discus called them forth;
15 Not setting by the honours of their fathers, but liking the glory of the Grecians best of all.
16 By reason whereof sore calamity came upon them: for they had them to be their enemies and avengers, whose custom they followed so earnestly, and unto whom they desired to be like in all things.
17 For it is not a light thing to do wickedly against the laws of God: but the time following shall declare these things.
18 Now when the game that was used every faith year was kept at Tyrus, the king being present,
19 This ungracious Jason sent special messengers from Jerusalem, who were Antiochians, to carry three hundred drachms of silver to the sacrifice of Hercules, which even the bearers thereof thought fit not to bestow upon the sacrifice, because it was not convenient, but to be reserved for other charges.
20 This money then, in regard of the sender, was appointed to Hercules’ sacrifice; but because of the bearers thereof, it was employed to the making of gallies.
21 Now when Apollonius the son of Menestheus was sent into Egypt for the coronation of king Ptolemeus Philometor, Antiochus, understanding him not to be well affected to his affairs, provided for his own safety: whereupon he came to Joppa, and from thence to Jerusalem:
22 Where he was honourably received of Jason, and of the city, and was brought in with torch alight, and with great shoutings: and so afterward went with his host unto Phenice.
23 Three years afterward Jason sent Menelaus, the aforesaid Simon’s brother, to bear the money unto the king, and to put him in mind of certain necessary matters.
24 But he being brought to the presence of the king, when he had magnified him for the glorious appearance of his power, got the priesthood to himself, offering more than Jason by three hundred talents of silver.
25 So he came with the king’s mandate, bringing nothing worthy the high priesthood, but having the fury of a cruel tyrant, and the rage of a savage beast.
26 Then Jason, who had undermined his own brother, being undermined by another, was compelled to flee into the country of the Ammonites.
27 So Menelaus got the principality: but as for the money that he had promised unto the king, he took no good order for it, albeit Sostratis the ruler of the castle required it:
28 For unto him appertained the gathering of the customs. Wherefore they were both called before the king.
29 Now Menelaus left his brother Lysimachus in his stead in the priesthood; and Sostratus left Crates, who was governor of the Cyprians.
30 While those things were in doing, they of Tarsus and Mallos made insurrection, because they were given to the king’s concubine, called Antiochus.
31 Then came the king in all haste to appease matters, leaving Andronicus, a man in authority, for his deputy.
32 Now Menelaus, supposing that he had gotten a convenient time, stole certain vessels of gold out of the temple, and gave some of them to Andronicus, and some he sold into Tyrus and the cities round about.
33 Which when Onias knew of a surety, he reproved him, and withdrew himself into a sanctuary at Daphne, that lieth by Antiochia.
34 Wherefore Menelaus, taking Andronicus apart, prayed, him to get Onias into his hands; who being persuaded thereunto, and coming to Onias in deceit, gave him his right hand with oaths; and though he were suspected by him, yet persuaded he him to come forth of the sanctuary: whom forthwith he shut up without regard of justice.
35 For the which cause not only the Jews, but many also of other nations, took great indignation, and were much grieved for the unjust murder of the man.
36 And when the king was come again from the places about Cilicia, the Jews that were in the city, and certain of the Greeks that abhorred the fact also, complained because Onias was slain without cause.
37 Therefore Antiochus was heartily sorry, and moved to pity, and wept, because of the sober and modest behaviour of him that was dead.
38 And being kindled with anger, forthwith he took away Andronicus his purple, and rent off his clothes, and leading him through the whole city unto that very place, where he had committed impiety against Onias, there slew he the cursed murderer. Thus the Lord rewarded him his punishment, as he had deserved.
39 Now when many sacrileges had been committed in the city by Lysimachus with the consent of Menelaus, and the fruit thereof was spread abroad, the multitude gathered themselves together against Lysimachus, many vessels of gold being already carried away.
40 Whereupon the common people rising, and being filled with rage, Lysimachus armed about three thousand men, and began first to offer violence; one Auranus being the leader, a man far gone in years, and no less in folly.
41 They then seeing the attempt of Lysimachus, some of them caught stones, some clubs, others taking handfuls of dust, that was next at hand, cast them all together upon Lysimachus, and those that set upon them.
42 Thus many of them they wounded, and some they struck to the ground, and all of them they forced to flee: but as for the churchrobber himself, him they killed beside the treasury.
43 Of these matters therefore there was an accusation laid against Menelaus.
44 Now when the king came to Tyrus, three men that were sent from the senate pleaded the cause before him:
45 But Menelaus, being now convicted, promised Ptolemee the son of Dorymenes to give him much money, if he would pacify the king toward him.
46 Whereupon Ptolemee taking the king aside into a certain gallery, as it were to take the air, brought him to be of another mind:
47 Insomuch that he discharged Menelaus from the accusations, who notwithstanding was cause of all the mischief: and those poor men, who, if they had told their cause, yea, before the Scythians, should have been judged innocent, them he condemned to death.
48 Thus they that followed the matter for the city, and for the people, and for the holy vessels, did soon suffer unjust punishment.
49 Wherefore even they of Tyrus, moved with hatred of that wicked deed, caused them to be honourably buried.
50 And so through the covetousness of them that were of power Menelaus remained still in authority, increasing in malice, and being a great traitor to the citizens.