1. Makkabeler 7

¹Yüz elli birinci yılda, Selefkos oğlu Demetrios Roma'dan ayrılıp az sayıda adamla kıyıdaki bir kente gitti ve orada krallığını ilan etti.

²Atalarının krallık sarayına girmekte olduğu sırada, askeri birlikler Antiohos ile Lisias'ı yakalayıp ona getirmek üzere tutukladılar.

³Durum kendisine bildirilince, "Onların yüzünü bana göstermeyin" dedi.

⁴Bunun üzerine askeri birlikler onları öldürdü ve Demetrios krallığının tahtına oturdu.

⁵İsrail'deki bütün yasa tanımaz ve tanrısız adamlar onun yanına geldi; kâhinlik makamını elde etmek isteyen Alkimos da onlara öncülük ediyordu.

⁶Kralın önünde halkı suçlayarak şöyle dediler: "Yahuda ve kardeşleri senin bütün dostlarını yok ettiler ve bizi kendi topraklarımızdan darmadağın edip sürdüler.

⁷Şimdi güvendiğin bir adam gönder; gidip onun bize ve kralın topraklarına verdiği tüm yıkımı görsün, onları ve onlara yardım edenlerin hepsini cezalandırsın."

⁸Bunun üzerine kral, Fırat'ın ötesindeki bölgede egemenlik süren, krallıkta büyük nüfuz sahibi, kralın dostlarından ve ona sadık biri olan Bahides'i seçti.

⁹Onu ve tanrısız Alkimos'u gönderdi; Alkimos'un kâhinliğini onayladı ve İsrailoğulları'ndan öç almasını buyurdu.

¹⁰Yola çıkıp büyük bir orduyla Yahuda topraklarına geldiler. Yahuda ile kardeşlerine hileyle barışçıl sözler taşıyan elçiler gönderdiler.

¹¹Ama Yahuda ve kardeşleri onların sözlerine kulak asmadılar; çünkü büyük bir orduyla geldiklerini görmüşlerdi.

¹²Alkimos ile Bahides'in yanına, adil bir çözüm aramak üzere din bilginlerinden oluşan bir kurul toplandı.

¹³İsrailoğulları arasında onlardan barış isteyenlerin ilki Hasidiler oldu.

¹⁴Çünkü, "Harun soyundan gelen kâhin bir adam bu ordularla birlikte geldi, bize haksızlık etmez" dediler.

¹⁵Alkimos onlarla barışçıl bir şekilde konuştu ve onlara ant içerek, "Size de dostlarınıza da kötülük tasarlamayacağız" dedi.

¹⁶Onlar da kendisine güvendiler; ama Alkimos onlardan altmış kişiyi yakalayıp aynı gün içinde öldürdü. Bu durum şu yazılı söze uygundu:

¹⁷"Kutsallarının bedenlerini ve kanlarını Yeruşalim'in çevresine saçtılar, onları gömecek kimse bulunmadı."

¹⁸Bunun üzerine bütün halkın üzerine büyük bir korku ve dehşet çöktü; çünkü, "Onlarda ne doğruluk ne de adalet var; yaptıkları anlaşmayı ve içtikleri andı bozdular" diyorlardı.

¹⁹Bahides Yeruşalim'den ayrılıp Beytzeyt'te ordugah kurdu. Kendisinden kaçan döneklerden birçoğunu ve halktan bazı kişileri yakalatıp katletti ve büyük bir kuyuya attırdı.

²⁰Ülkenin yönetimini Alkimos'a devredip ona destek olması için yanında bir askeri birlik bıraktı; kendisi ise kralın yanına döndü.

²¹Alkimos başkâhinliğini korumak için büyük çaba harcadı.

²²Kendi halkına sıkıntı verenlerin hepsi onun çevresinde toplandı; Yahuda topraklarını ele geçirip İsrail'de büyük yıkıma yol açtılar.

²³Yahuda, Alkimos ile yandaşlarının İsrailoğulları'na uluslardan bile daha büyük kötülükler yaptığını gördü.

²⁴Bunun üzerine Yahuda bölgesinin dört bir yanını dolaşarak döneklik edenlerden öç aldı; böylece onların ülkede serbestçe dolaşmaları engellendi.

²⁵Alkimos, Yahuda ile yandaşlarının güçlendiğini ve onlara karşı koyamayacağını anlayınca kralın yanına döndü ve onlara karşı ağır suçlamalarda bulundu.

²⁶Bunun üzerine kral, İsrail'den nefret eden, ona düşmanlık besleyen ve seçkin komutanlarından biri olan Nikanor'u, halkı tamamen ortadan kaldırması buyruğuyla gönderdi.

²⁷Nikanor büyük bir orduyla Yeruşalim'e geldi ve Yahuda ile kardeşlerine hileyle barışçıl sözler göndererek şöyle dedi:

²⁸"Aramızda savaş olmasın; sizinle barış içinde yüz yüze görüşmek için yanımda sadece birkaç adamla geleceğim."

²⁹Yahuda'nın yanına geldi ve birbirlerini dostça selamladılar; ancak düşmanlar Yahuda'yı kaçırmak için hazır bekliyordu.

³⁰Nikanor'un kendisine hileyle yaklaştığı Yahuda'ya bildirilince, ondan korktu ve bir daha onunla yüz yüze gelmek istemedi.

³¹Planının açığa çıktığını anlayan Nikanor, Yahuda ile savaşmak üzere Kafarsalama yakınlarında onunla karşılaşmaya çıktı.

³²Nikanor'un adamlarından yaklaşık beş bin kişi öldü; geri kalanlar ise Davut Kenti'ne kaçtılar.

³³Bu olaylardan sonra Nikanor Siyon Dağı'na çıktı. Kâhinlerden bazıları kutsal odalardan, halkın ileri gelenleriyle birlikte onu dostça selamlamak ve kral için sunulan yakmalık sunuyu ona göstermek için çıktılar.

³⁴Ama Nikanor onlarla alay etti, onları hor gördü, dinsel olarak kirletti ve kibirle konuştu.

³⁵Öfkeyle ant içerek şöyle dedi: "Eğer Yahuda ve ordusu hemen elime teslim edilmezse, esenlikle döndüğümde bu tapınağı ateşe vereceğim!" Sonra büyük bir öfkeyle oradan ayrıldı.

³⁶Kâhinler içeri girip sunağın ve tapınağın önünde durdular; ağlayarak şöyle dediler:

³⁷"Ya RAB, adının anılması, halkın için bir dua ve yakarış evi olması için bu tapınağı sen seçtin.

³⁸Bu adamdan ve ordusundan öç al, kılıçtan geçirilsinler! Ettikleri hakaretleri unutma ve onlara kalacak yer verme."

³⁹Nikanor Yeruşalim'den ayrılıp Beythoron'da ordugah kurdu; orada Suriye'den gelen bir ordu ona katıldı.

⁴⁰Yahuda ise üç bin adamıyla Adasa'da ordugah kurdu ve şöyle dua etti:

⁴¹"Ya RAB, Asur kralının adamları sana hakaret ettiğinde, meleğin çıkıp onlardan yüz seksen beş bin kişiyi yok etmişti.

⁴²Bugün de bu orduyu önümüzde öylece bozguna uğrat; öyle ki, geri kalanlar onun senin kutsal tapınağına karşı kötü konuştuğunu anlasınlar. Onu kötülüğüne göre yargıla."

⁴³Adar ayının on üçüncü gününde ordular savaşa tutuştu. Nikanor'un ordusu bozguna uğradı ve savaşta ilk düşen kendisi oldu.

⁴⁴Nikanor'un düştüğünü gören ordusu, silahlarını atıp kaçtı.

⁴⁵Yahudiler, Adasa'dan Gazera'ya kadar bir günlük yol boyunca onları kovaladılar ve arkalarından işaret borularını çaldılar.

⁴⁶Yahuda'nın çevre köylerinin hepsinden halk dışarı çıkıp kaçanları kuşattı. Kaçanlar geri dönüp kovalayanların üzerine geldiler ve hepsi kılıçtan geçirildi; onlardan tek bir kişi bile sağ kalmadı.

⁴⁷Ganimetleri ve yağmalanan malları aldılar; Nikanor'un başını ve kibirle uzattığı sağ elini kesip getirdiler ve Yeruşalim'in yakınında sergilediler.

⁴⁸Halk büyük bir sevince boğuldu ve o günü büyük bir coşku günü olarak kutladı.

⁴⁹Her yıl Adar ayının on üçüncü gününü bu şekilde kutlamayı kararlaştırdılar.

⁵⁰Böylece Yahuda toprakları kısa bir süre barış içinde kaldı.

¹ΕΤΟΥΣ ἑνὸς καὶ πεντηκοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ ἐξῆλθε Δημήτριος ὁ τοῦ Σελεύκου ἐκ Ῥώμης καὶ ἀνέβη σὺν ἀνδράσιν ὀλίγοις εἰς πόλιν παραθαλασσίαν καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν ἐκεῖ.

²καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς εἰσεπορεύετο εἰς οἶκον βασιλείας πατέρων αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνέλαβον αἱ δυνάμεις τὸν ᾿Αντίοχον καὶ τὸν Λυσίαν ἀγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς αὐτῷ.

³καὶ ἐγνώσθη αὐτῷ τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ εἶπε· μή μοι δείξητε τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν.

⁴καὶ ἀπέκτειναν αὐτοὺς αἱ δυνάμεις, καὶ ἐκάθισε Δημήτριος ἐπὶ θρόνου βασιλείας αὐτοῦ.

⁵καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες ἄνδρες ἄνομοι καὶ ἀσεβεῖς ἐξ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ῎Αλκιμος ἡγεῖτο αὐτῶν, βουλόμενος ἱερατεύειν.

⁶καὶ κατηγόρησαν τοῦ λαοῦ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λέγοντες· ἀπώλεσεν ᾿Ιούδας καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς φίλους σου, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐσκόρπισαν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡμῶν·

⁷νῦν οὖν ἀπόστειλον ἄνδρα, ᾧ πιστεύεις, καὶ πορευθεὶς ἰδέτω τὴν ἐξολόθρευσιν πᾶσαν, ἣν ἐποίησεν ἡμῖν καὶ τῇ χώρᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ κολασάτω αὐτοὺς καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐπιβοηθοῦντας αὐτοῖς.

⁸καὶ ἐπέλεξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Βακχίδην τῶν φίλων τοῦ βασιλέως κυριεύοντα ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ μέγαν ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ καὶ πιστὸν τῷ βασιλεῖ

⁹καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν καὶ ῎Αλκιμον τὸν ἀσεβῆ, καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἱερωσύνην καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραήλ.

¹⁰καὶ ἀπῇραν καὶ ἦλθον μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς εἰς γῆν ᾿Ιούδα· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς ᾿Ιούδαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς μετὰ δόλου.

¹¹καὶ οὐ προσέσχον τοῖς λόγοις αὐτῶν· εἶδον γὰρ ὅτι ἦλθον μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς.

¹²καὶ ἐπισυνήχθησαν πρὸς ῎Αλκιμον καὶ Βακχίδην συναγωγὴ γραμματέων ἐκζητῆσαι δίκαια,

¹³καὶ πρῶτοι οἱ ῾Ασιδαῖοι ἦσαν ἐν υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἐπεζήτουν παρ᾿ αὐτῶν εἰρήνην·

¹⁴εἶπαν γάρ· ἄνθρωπος ἱερεὺς ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος ᾿Ααρὼν ἦλθεν ἐν ταῖς δυνάμεσι καὶ οὐκ ἀδικήσει ἡμᾶς.

¹⁵καὶ ἐλάλησε μετ᾿ αὐτῶν λόγους εἰρηνικοὺς καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· οὐκ ἐκζητήσομεν ὑμῖν κακὸν καὶ τοῖς φίλοις ὑμῶν.

¹⁶καὶ ἐνεπίστευσαν αὐτῷ, καὶ συνέλαβεν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἑξήκοντα ἄνδρας καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ κατὰ τὸν λόγον, ὃν ἔγραψε·

¹⁷σάρκας ὁσίων σου καὶ αἵματα αὐτῶν ἐξέχεαν κύκλῳ ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, καὶ οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῖς ὁ θάπτων.

¹⁸καὶ ἐπέπεσεν αὐτῶν ὁ φόβος καὶ ὁ τρόμος ἐπὶ πάντα τὸν λαόν, ὅτι εἶπαν· οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀλήθεια καὶ κρίσις, παρέβησαν γὰρ τὴν στάσιν καὶ τὸν ὅρκον, ὃν ὤμοσαν.

¹⁹καὶ ἀπῇρε Βακχίδης ἀπὸ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐν Βηθζαὶθ καὶ ἀπέστειλε καὶ συνέλαβε πολλοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ αὐτομολησάντων ἀνδρῶν καί τινας τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἔθυσεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ φρέαρ τὸ μέγα.

²⁰καὶ κατέστησε τὴν χώραν τῷ ᾿Αλκίμῳ καὶ ἀφῆκε μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ δύναμιν τοῦ βοηθεῖν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἀπῆλθε Βακχίδης πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα.

²¹καὶ ἠγωνίσατο ῎Αλκιμος περὶ τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης,

²²καὶ συνήχθησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ ταράσσοντες τὸν λαὸν αὐτῶν καὶ κατεκράτησαν γῆν ᾿Ιούδα καὶ ἐποίησαν πληγὴν μεγάλην ἐν ᾿Ισραήλ.

²³καὶ εἶδεν ᾿Ιούδας πᾶσαν τὴν κακίαν, ἣν ἐποίησεν ῎Αλκιμος καὶ οἱ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐν υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραὴλ ὑπὲρ τὰ ἔθνη,

²⁴καὶ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς πάντα τὰ ὅρια τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας κυκλόθεν καὶ ἐποίησεν ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τοῖς ἀνδράσι τοῖς αὐτομολήσασι, καὶ ἀνεστάλησαν τοῦ πορεύεσθαι εἰς τὴν χώραν.

²⁵ὡς δὲ εἶδεν ῎Αλκιμος ὅτι ἐνίσχυσεν ᾿Ιούδας καὶ οἱ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔγνω ὅτι οὐ δύναται ὑποστῆναι αὐτούς, καὶ ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ κατηγόρησεν αὐτῶν πονηρά.

²⁶Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Νικάνορα ἕνα τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτοῦ τῶν ἐνδόξων καὶ μισοῦντα καὶ ἐχθραίνοντα τῷ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ ἐξᾶραι τὸν λαόν.

²⁷καὶ ἦλθε Νικάνωρ εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ δυνάμει πολλῇ, καὶ ἀπέστειλε πρὸς ᾿Ιούδαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ μετὰ δόλου λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς λέγων·

²⁸μὴ ἔστω μάχην ἀναμέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν· ἥξω ἐν ἀνδράσιν ὀλίγοις, ἵνα ὑμῶν ἴδω τὰ πρόσωπα μετ᾿ εἰρήνης.

²⁹καὶ ἦλθε πρὸς ᾿Ιούδαν, καὶ ἠσπάσαντο ἀλλήλους εἰρηνικῶς· καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι ἦσαν ἕτοιμοι ἐξαρπᾶσαι τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν.

³⁰καὶ ἐγνώσθη ὁ λόγος τῷ ᾿Ιούδᾳ ὅτι μετὰ δόλου ἦλθεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν, καὶ ἐπτοήθη ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐβουλήθη ἔτι ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ.

³¹καὶ ἔγνω Νικάνωρ, ὅτι ἀπεκαλύφθη ἡ βουλὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς συνάντησιν τῷ ᾿Ιούδᾳ ἐν πολέμῳ κατὰ Χαφαρσαλαμά.

³²καὶ ἔπεσον τῶν παρὰ Νικάνορος ὡσεὶ πεντακισχίλοι ἄνδρες, καὶ ἔφυγον εἰς τὴν πόλιν Δαυίδ.

³³Καὶ μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους ἀνέβη Νικάνωρ εἰς τὸ ὄρος Σιών. καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερέων ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τοῦ λαοῦ ἀσπάσασθαι αὐτὸν εἰρηνικῶς καὶ δεῖξαι αὐτῷ τὴν ὁλοκαύτωσιν τὴν προσφερομένην ὑπὲρ τοῦ βασιλέως.

³⁴καὶ ἐμυκτήρισεν αὐτοὺς καὶ κατεγέλασεν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐμίανεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐλάλησεν ὑπερηφάνως·

³⁵καὶ ὤμοσε μετὰ θυμοῦ λέγων· ἐὰν μὴ παραδοθῇ ᾿Ιούδας καὶ ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτοῦ εἰς χεῖράς μου τὸ νῦν, καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψω ἐν εἰρήνῃ, ἐμπυριῶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον. καὶ ἐξῆλθε μετὰ θυμοῦ μεγάλου.

³⁶καὶ εἰσῆλθον οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ἔστησαν κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ ἔκλαυσαν καὶ εἶπον·

³⁷σύ, Κύριε, ἐξελέξω τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον ἐπικληθῆναι τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ εἶναι οἶκον προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως τῷ λαῷ σου·

³⁸ποίησον ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τούτῳ καὶ ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πεσέτωσαν ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ· μνήσθητι τῶν δυσφηριῶν αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ δῷς αὐτοῖς μονήν.

³⁹καὶ ἐξῆλθε Νικάνωρ ἐξ ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐν Βαιθωρών, καὶ συνήντησεν αὐτῷ δύναμις Συρίας.

⁴⁰καὶ ᾿Ιούδας παρενέβαλεν ἐν ᾿Αδασὰ ἐν τρισχιλίοις ἀνδράσι· καὶ προσηύξατο ᾿Ιούδας καὶ εἶπεν·

⁴¹οἱ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ᾿Ασσυρίων ὅτε ἐδυσφήμησαν, ἐξῆλθεν ἄγγελός σου, Κύριε, καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑκατὸν ὀγδοηκονταπέντε χιλιάδας·

⁴²οὕτω σύντριψον τὴν παρεμβολὴν ταύτην ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν σήμερον, καὶ γνώτωσαν οἱ ἐπίλοιποι, ὅτι κακῶς ἐλάλησαν ἐπὶ τὰ ἅγιά σου, καὶ κρῖνον αὐτὸν κατὰ τὴν κακίαν αὐτοῦ.

⁴³καὶ συνῆψαν αἱ παρεμβολαὶ εἰς πόλεμον τῇ τρισκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς ῎Αδαρ, καὶ συνετρίβη ἡ παρεμβολὴ Νικάνορος, καὶ ἔπεσεν αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ.

⁴⁴ὡς δὲ εἶδεν ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἔπεσε Νικάνωρ, ρίψαντες τὰ ὅπλα αὐτῶν ἔφυγον.

⁴⁵καὶ κατεδίωκον αὐτοὺς ὁδὸν ἡμέρας μιᾶς ἀπὸ ᾿Αδασὰ ἕως τοῦ ἐλθεῖν εἰς Γάζηρα καὶ ἐσάλπισαν ὀπίσω αὐτῶν ταῖς σάλπιγξι τῶν σημασιῶν.

⁴⁶καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἐκ πασῶν τῶν κωμῶν τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας κυκλόθεν καὶ ὑπερεκέρων αὐτούς, καὶ ἀνέστρεφον οὗτοι πρὸς τούτους, καὶ ἔπεσον πάντες ρομφαίᾳ, καὶ οὐ κατελείφθη ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐδὲ εἷς.

⁴⁷καὶ ἔλαβον τὰ σκῦλα καὶ τὴν προνομήν, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν Νικάνορος ἀφεῖλον καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν αὐτοῦ, ἣν ἐξέτεινεν ὑπερηφάνως, καὶ ἤνεγκαν καὶ ἐξέτειναν παρὰ τὴν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

⁴⁸καὶ εὐφράνθη ὁ λαὸς σφόδρα καὶ ἤγαγον τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἡμέραν εὐφροσύνης μεγάλης·

⁴⁹καὶ ἔστησαν τοῦ ἄγειν κατὰ ἐνιαυτὸν τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην τὴν τρισκαιδεκάτην τοῦ ῎Αδαρ.

⁵⁰καὶ ἠσύχασεν ἡ γῆ ᾿Ιούδα ἡμέρας ὀλίγας.

¹In 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.

²And 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.

³Wherefore, when he knew it, he said, Let me not see their faces.

⁴So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom,

⁵There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain:

⁶And 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.

⁷Now 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.

⁸Then 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,

⁹And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel.

¹⁰So 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.

¹¹But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great power.

¹²Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to require justice.

¹³Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them:

¹⁴For said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army, and he will do us no wrong.

¹⁵So he spake unto them, peaceably, and sware unto them, saying, we will procure the harm neither of you nor your friends.

¹⁶Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them threescore men, and slew them in one day, according to the words which he wrote,

¹⁷The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

¹⁸Wherefore 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.

¹⁹After 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.

²⁰Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a power to aid him: so Bacchides went to the king.

²¹But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.

²²And 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.

²³Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites, even above the heathen,

²⁴He 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.

²⁵On 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.

²⁶Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man that bare deadly hate unto Israel, with commandment to destroy the people.

²⁷So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with friendly words, saying,

²⁸Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see you in peace.

²⁹He came therefore to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by violence.

³⁰Which 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.

³¹Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:

³²Where there were slain of Nicanor’s side about five thousand men, and the rest fled into the city of David.

³³After 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.

³⁴But he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused them shamefully, and spake proudly,

³⁵And 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.

³⁶Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple, weeping, and saying,

³⁷Thou, O Lord, didst choose this house to be called by thy name, and to be a house of prayer and petition for thy people:

³⁸Be 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.

³⁹So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met him.

⁴⁰But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying,

⁴¹O 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.

⁴²Even 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.

⁴³So 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.

⁴⁴Now when Nicanor’s host saw that he was slain, they cast away their weapons, and fled.

⁴⁵Then they pursued after them a day’s journey, from Adasa unto Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.

⁴⁶Whereupon 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.

⁴⁷Afterwards they took the spoils, and the prey, and smote off Nicanor’s head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so proudly, and brought them away, and hanged them up toward Jerusalem.

⁴⁸For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day of great gladness.

⁴⁹Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of Adar.

⁵⁰Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while.