2. Makkabeler 10

¹Makabi ve yanındakiler, Rab'bin kendilerine yol göstermesiyle, tapınağı ve kenti kendi yönetimleri altına geri aldılar.

²Yabancı soydan olanların meydanda inşa ettikleri sunakları ve ayrıca pagan kutsal alanlarını yıktılar.

³Tapınağı arındırdıktan sonra yeni bir kurban sunağı yaptılar; taşları birbirine sürterek ateş çıkardılar ve iki yıllık bir aradan sonra kurban sunup buhur yaktılar, kandilleri yakıp adak ekmeklerini huzura dizdiler.

⁴Bunları yaptıktan sonra yüzüstü yere kapanarak Rab'be yalvardılar; bir daha böyle felaketlere uğramamalarını, eğer günah işlerlerse kendilerini merhamet ve hakkaniyetle terbiye etmesini, ama küfürbaz ve barbar ulusların eline teslim etmemesini dilediler.

⁵Tapınağın yabancılar tarafından kirletildiği günün aynısında, yani Kislev ayının yirmi beşinci gününde tapınağın yeniden arındırılması gerçekleşti.

⁶Kısa bir süre önce Çardaklar Bayramı'nı dağlarda ve mağaralarda yaban hayvanları gibi barınarak geçirdiklerini hatırlayarak, sekiz gün boyunca Çardaklar Bayramı'nda olduğu gibi sevinçle kutlama yaptılar.

⁷Bu yüzden ellerinde süslü değnekler, taze dallar ve hurma yaprakları taşıyarak, kendi kutsal yerini arındırmayı kendilerine nasip eden Tanrı'ya övgü ilahileri sundular.

⁸Ortak bir buyruk ve halk meclisi kararıyla, tüm Yahudi ulusunun her yıl bu günleri kutlamasını kararlaştırdılar.

⁹Epifanes diye adlandırılan Antiyohus'un sonu böylece gerçekleşti.

¹⁰Şimdi ise o tanrısız adamın oğlu olan Antiyohus Eupator döneminde yaşananları, savaşların getirdiği felaketleri kısaca özetleyerek anlatacağız.

¹¹Krallığı devraldığında, devlet işlerinin başına Lisias adında birini getirdi ve onu Koile-Suriye ile Fenike'nin baş askeri valisi yaptı.

¹²Çünkü Makron diye adlandırılan Batlamyus, Yahudilere yapılan haksızlıklardan ötürü onlara karşı adaleti korumayı öncelik saymış ve onlarla barış içinde yaşamaya çalışmıştı.

¹³Bu yüzden kralın dostları tarafından Eupator'a şikayet edildi; Filometor'un kendisine emanet ettiği Kıbrıs'ı bırakıp Antiyohus Epifanes'in tarafına geçtiği için her fırsatta hain olarak adlandırıldı. Onurlu bir konumda olmadığını görünce büyük bir umutsuzluğa kapılarak kendini zehirledi ve yaşamına son verdi.

¹⁴Gorgias o bölgenin askeri valisi olunca yabancı paralı askerler topladı ve Yahudilere karşı sürekli savaşı kışkırttı.

¹⁵Bununla birlikte, stratejik kaleleri ellerinde tutan İdumeliler de Yahudileri taciz ediyor, Yeruşalim'den kaçanları yanlarına alarak savaşı körüklemeye çalışıyorlardı.

¹⁶Makabi ve yanındakiler ise dua edip Tanrı'dan kendilerine yardımcı olmasını diledikten sonra İdumelilerin kalelerine doğru hızla harekete geçtiler.

¹⁷Buralara şiddetle saldırarak kaleleri ele geçirdiler, surlarda savaşanların hepsini geri püskürttüler, karşılarına çıkan herkesi boğazladılar ve yirmi binden az olmamak üzere insan öldürdüler.

¹⁸En az dokuz bin kişi, kuşatmaya dayanmak için her türlü donanıma sahip çok güçlü iki kuleye sığındı.

¹⁹Makabi; Şimon, Yusuf, Zakkay ve yanlarındakileri bu kuleleri kuşatmak için yeterli sayıda askerle orada bırakıp kendisi daha acil olan yerlere gitmek üzere ayrıldı.

²⁰Ancak Şimon'un yanındakiler para hırsına kapılarak kuledekilerin bazılarıyla gümüş karşılığında anlaştılar; yetmiş bin drahmi alarak bazılarının kaçıp sızmasına izin verdiler.

²¹Durum Makabi'ye bildirilince, halkın önderlerini bir araya toplayarak bu adamları, düşmanları serbest bırakıp kardeşlerini para karşılığında satmakla suçladı.

²²Hainlik yapan bu adamları öldürttü ve hemen ardından iki kuleyi ele geçirdi.

²³Elindeki silahlarla giriştiği her işte başarıya ulaştırılmış olarak, bu iki kalede yirmi binden fazla kişiyi yok etti.

²⁴Daha önce Yahudilere yenilmiş olan Timoteos, çok sayıda yabancı asker toplayıp Asya'dan azımsanmayacak miktarda at bir araya getirerek, Yahudiye'yi savaşla ele geçirmek amacıyla çıkageldi.

²⁵O yaklaşırken, Makabi ve yanındakiler Tanrı'ya yakarmaya başladılar; başlarına toprak saçıp bellerine çul kuşandılar.

²⁶Sunağın karşısındaki kaideye kapanarak, yasanın açıkça belirttiği gibi, kendilerine merhamet etmesini, düşmanlarına düşman, karşıtlarına karşıt olmasını dilediler.

²⁷Duadan sonra silahlarını kuşanıp kentten epey uzaklaştılar; düşmana yaklaştıklarında kendi mevzilerinde durup beklediler.

²⁸Gün ağarırken her iki taraf da saldırıya geçti; bir taraf erdemlerinin yanı sıra Rab'be sığınmayı başarı ve zaferin güvencesi sayıyor, diğer taraf ise öfkelerini mücadelelerinin kılavuzu yapıyordu.

²⁹Çetin bir savaş başladığında, düşmanlara gökten altın gemli atlar üzerinde görkemli beş adam göründü; bunlar Yahudilere öncülük ediyordu.

³⁰Makabi'yi aralarına alıp kendi zırhlarıyla koruyarak yara almasını önlediler; düşmanların üzerine ise oklar ve yıldırımlar yağdırdılar. Böylece körlükle şaşkına dönen düşmanlar, büyük bir kargaşa içinde kırıldılar.

³¹Yirmi bin beş yüz piyade ve altı yüz süvari öldürüldü.

³²Timoteos ise Hereas'ın komuta ettiği, Gazara denilen çok güçlü bir kaleye kaçıp sığındı.

³³Makabi ve yanındakiler memnuniyetle kaleyi kuşatıp dört gün boyunca kuşatma altında tuttular.

³⁴İçeridekiler ise yerin sağlamlığına güvenerek aşırı derecede küfrediyor ve ağza alınmayacak sözler sarf ediyorlardı.

³⁵Beşinci günün şafağında, Makabi'nin adamlarından yirmi genç, bu küfürler yüzünden öfkeyle dolup surlara cesurca saldırdılar ve vahşi bir hırsla karşılarına çıkan herkesi biçtiler.

³⁶Diğerleri de kulelere tırmanıp içeridekilerin şaşkınlığından yararlanarak kuleleri ateşe verdiler; yaktıkları ateşle o küfürbazları diri diri yaktılar. Başkaları ise kapıları kırıp ordunun geri kalanını içeri alarak kenti ele geçirdiler.

³⁷Bir sarnıçta gizlenen Timoteos'u, kardeşi Hereas'ı ve Apollofanes'i bulup öldürdüler.

³⁸Bunları başardıktan sonra, İsrail'e büyük iyilikler yapan ve kendilerine zafer bahşeden Rab'be ilahilerle ve şükran dualarıyla övgüler sundular.

¹ΜΑΚΚΑΒΑΙΟΣ δὲ καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ, τοῦ Κυρίου προάγοντος αὐτούς, τὸ μὲν ἱερὸν ἐκομίσαντο καὶ τὴν πόλιν,

²τοὺς δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν βωμοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων δεδημιουργημένους, ἔτι δὲ τεμένη καθεῖλον.

³καὶ τὸν νεὼν καθαρίσαντες ἕτερον θυσιαστήριον ἐποίησαν καὶ πυρώσαντες λίθους καὶ πῦρ ἐκ τούτων λαβόντες, ἀνήνεγκαν θυσίαν μετὰ διετῆ χρόνον καὶ θυμίαμα καὶ λύχνους καὶ τῶν ἄρτων τὴν πρόθεσιν ἐποιήσαντο.

⁴ταῦτα δὲ ποιήσαντες ἠξίωσαν τὸν Κύριον πεσόντες ἐπὶ κοιλίαν μηκέτι περιπεσεῖν τοιούτοις κακοῖς, ἀλλ᾿ ἐάν ποτε καὶ ἁμάρτωσιν, ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ ἐπιεικείας παιδεύεσθαι καὶ μὴ βλασφήμοις καὶ βαρβάροις ἔθνεσι παραδίδοσθαι.

⁵ἐν ᾗ δὲ ἡμέρᾳ ὁ νεὼς ὑπὸ ἀλλοφύλων ἐβεβηλώθη, συνέβη κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμέραν τὸν καθαρισμὸν γενέσθαι τοῦ ναοῦ, τῇ πέμπτῃ καὶ εἰκάδι τοῦ αὐτοῦ μηνός, ὅς ἐστι Χασελεῦ.

⁶καὶ μετ᾿ εὐφροσύνης ἦγον ἡμέρας ὀκτὼ σκηνωμάτων τρόπον, μνημονεύοντες ὡς πρὸ μικροῦ χρόνου τὴν τῶν σκηνῶν ἑορτὴν ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι καὶ ἐν τοῖς σπηλαίοις θηρίων τρόπον ἦσαν νεμόμενοι.

⁷διὸ θύρσους καὶ κλάδους ὡραίους, ἔτι δὲ φοίνικας ἔχοντες ὕμνους ἀνέφερον τῷ εὐοδώσαντι καθαρισθῆναι τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τόπον.

⁸ἐδογμάτισαν δὲ μετὰ κοινοῦ προστάγματος καὶ ψηφίσματος παντὶ τῷ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ἔθνει κατ᾿ ἐνιαυτὸν ἄγειν τάσδε τὰς ἡμέρας.

⁹καὶ τὰ μὲν τῆς ᾿Αντιόχου τοῦ προσαγορευθέντος ᾿Επιφανοῦς τελευτῆς οὕτως εἶχε.

¹⁰Νυνὶ δὲ τὰ κατὰ τὸν Εὐπάτορα ᾿Αντίοχον, υἱὸν δὲ τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς γενόμενον δηλώσομεν, αὐτὰ συντέμνοντες τὰ τῶν πολέμων κακά.

¹¹αὐτὸς γὰρ παραλαβὼν βασιλείαν ἀνέδειξεν ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων Λυσίαν τινά, Κοίλης δὲ Συρίας καὶ Φοινίκης στρατηγὸν πρώταρχον.

¹²Πτολεμαῖος γὰρ ὁ καλούμενος Μάκρων τὸ δίκαιον συντηρεῖν προηγούμενος εἰς τοὺς ᾿Ιουδαίους διὰ τὴν γεγονυῖαν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἀδικίαν ἐπειρᾶτο τὰ πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰρηνικῶς διεξάγειν.

¹³ὅθεν κατηγορούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν φίλων πρὸς τὸν Εὐπάτορα καὶ προδότης παρέκαστα ἀκούων διὰ τὸ τὴν Κύπρον ἐμπιστευθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ Φιλομήτορος ἐκλιπεῖν καὶ πρὸς ᾿Αντίοχον τὸν ᾿Επιφανῆ ἀναχωρῆσαι μήτ᾿ εὐγενῆ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἔχων, ὑπ᾿ ἀθυμίας φαρμακεύσας ἑαυτὸν ἐξέλιπε τὸν βίον.

¹⁴Γοργίας δὲ γενόμενος στρατηγὸς τῶν τόπων ἐξενοτρόφει καὶ παρέκαστα πρὸς τοὺς ᾿Ιουδαίους ἐπολεμοτρόφει.

¹⁵ὁμοῦ δὲ τούτῳ καὶ οἱ ᾿Ιδουμαῖοι ἐγκρατεῖς ἐπικαίρων ὀχυρωμάτων ὄντες ἐγύμναζον τοὺς ᾿Ιουδαίους, καὶ τοὺς φυγαδευθέντας ἀπὸ ῾Ιεροσολύμων προσλαβόμενοι πολεμοτροφεῖν ἐπεχείρουν.

¹⁶οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον ποιησάμενοι λιτανείαν καὶ ἀξιώσαντες τὸν Θεὸν σύμμαχον αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι, ἐπὶ τὰ τῶν ᾿Ιδουμαίων ὀχυρώματα ὥρμησαν,

¹⁷οἷς καὶ προσβαλόντες εὐρώστως ἐγκρατεῖς ἐγένοντο τῶν τόπων πάντας τε τοὺς ἐπὶ τῷ τείχει μαχομένους ἠμύναντο κατέσφαζόν τε τοὺς ἐμπίπτοντας, ἀνεῖλον δὲ οὐχ ἦττον τῶν δισμυρίων.

¹⁸συμφυγόντων δὲ οὐκ ἔλαττον τῶν ἐνακισχιλίων εἰς δύο πύργους ὀχυροὺς εὖ μάλα καὶ πάντα τὰ πρὸς πολιορκίαν ἔχοντας,

¹⁹ὁ Μακκαβαῖος εἰς ἐπείγοντας τόπους ἀπολιπὼν Σίμωνα καὶ ᾿Ιώσηφον, ἔτι δὲ καὶ Ζακχαῖον καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ ἱκανοὺς πρὸς τὴν τούτων πολιορκίαν, αὐτὸς ἐχωρίσθη.

²⁰οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Σίμωνα φιλαργυρήσαντες ὑπό τινων τῶν ἐν τοῖς πύργοις ἐπείσθησαν ἀργυρίῳ· ἑπτάκις δὲ μυριάδας δραχμὰς λαβόντες εἴασάν τινας διαρρυῆναι.

²¹προσαγγελθέντος δὲ τῷ Μακκαβαίῳ περὶ τοῦ γεγονότος, συναγαγὼν τοὺς ἡγουμένους τοῦ λαοῦ κατηγόρησεν ὡς ἀργυρίου πεπράκασι τοὺς ἀδελφούς, τοὺς πολεμίους κατ᾿ αὐτῶν ἀπολύσαντες.

²²τούτους μὲν οὖν προδότας γενομένους ἀπέκτεινε καὶ παραχρῆμα τοὺς δύο πύργους κατελάβετο.

²³τοῖς δὲ ὅπλοις τὰ πάντα ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν εὐοδούμενος ἀπώλεσεν ἐν τοῖς δυσὶν ὀχυρώμασι πλείους τῶν δισμυρίων.

²⁴Τιμόθεος δὲ ὁ πρότερον ἡττηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων συναγαγὼν ξένας δυνάμεις παμπληθεῖς καὶ τοὺς τῆς ᾿Ασίας γενομένους ἵππους συναθροίσας οὐκ ὀλίγους, παρῆν ὡς δορυάλωτον ληψόμενος τὴν ᾿Ιουδαίαν.

²⁵οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον συνεγγίζοντος αὐτοῦ, πρὸς ἱκετείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐτράπησαν γῇ τὰς κεφαλὰς καταπάσαντες καὶ τὰς ὀσφύας σάκκοις ζώσαντες,

²⁶ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπέναντι τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου κρηπῖδα προσπεσόντες, ἠξίουν ἵλεων αὐτοῖς γενόμενν ἐχθρεῦσαι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς αὐτῶν καὶ ἀντικεῖσθαι τοῖς ἀντικειμένοις, καθὼς ὁ νόμος διασαφεῖ.

²⁷γενόμενοι δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς δεήσεως, ἀναλαβόντες τὰ ὅπλα προῆγον ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐπὶ πλεῖον· συνεγγίσαντες δὲ τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐφ᾿ ἑαυτῶν ἦσαν.

²⁸ἄρτι δὲ τῆς ἀνατολῆς διαδεχομένης προσέβαλον ἑκάτεροι, οἱ μὲν ἔγγυον ἔχοντες εὐημερίας καὶ νίκης μετ᾿ ἀρετῆς τὴν ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον καταφυγήν, οἱ δὲ καθηγεμόνα τῶν ἀγώνων ταττόμενοι τὸν θυμόν.

²⁹γενομένης δὲ καρτερᾶς μάχης, ἐφάνησαν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐφ᾿ ἵππων χρυσοχαλίνων ἄνδρες πέντε διαπρεπεῖς, καὶ ἀφηγούμενοι τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων,

³⁰οἳ καὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον μέσον λαβόντες καὶ σκεπάζοντες ταῖς ἑαυτῶν πανοπλίαις ἄτρωτον διεφύλαττον, εἰς δὲ τοὺς ὑπεναντίους τοξεύματα καὶ κεραυνοὺς ἐξερρίπτουν· διὸ συγχυθέντες ἀορασίᾳ κατεκόπτοντο ταραχῆς πεπληρωμένοι.

³¹κατεσφάγησαν δὲ δισμύριοι πρὸς τοῖς πεντακοσίοις, ἱππεῖς δὲ ἑξακόσιοι.

³²αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Τιμόθεος συνέφυγεν εἰς Γάζαρα λεγόμενον ὀχύρωμα, εὖ μάλα φρούριον, στρατηγοῦντος ἐκεῖ Χαιρέου.

³³οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον ἄσμενοι περιεκάθισαν τὸ φρούριον ἡμέρας τέσσαρας.

³⁴οἱ δὲ ἔνδον τῇ ἐρυμνότητι τοῦ τόπου πεποιθότες ὑπεράγαν ἐβλασφήμουν καὶ λόγους ἀθεμίτους προΐεντο.

³⁵ὑποφαινούσης δὲ τῆς πέμπτης ἡμέρας, εἴκοσι νεανίαι τῶν περὶ τὸν Μακκαβαῖον πυρωθέντες τοῖς θυμοῖς διὰ τὰς βλασφημίας, προσβαλόντες τῷ τείχει ἀρρενωδῶς καὶ θηριώδει θυμῷ τὸν ἐμπίπτοντα ἔκοπτον.

³⁶ἕτεροι δὲ ὁμοίως προσαναβάντες ἐν τῷ περισπασμῷ πρὸς τοὺς ἔνδον, ἐνεπίμπρων τοὺς πύργους καὶ πυρὰς ἀνάψαντες ζῶντας τοὺς βλασφήμους κατέκαιον. οἱ δὲ τὰς πύλας διέκοπτον, εἰσδεξάμενοι δὲ τὴν λοιπὴν τάξιν προκατελάβοντο τὴν πόλιν.

³⁷καὶ τὸν Τιμόθεον ἀποκεκρυμμένον ἔν τινι λάκκῳ κατέσφαξαν καὶ τὸν τούτου ἀδελφὸν Χαιρέαν καὶ τὸν ᾿Απολλοφάνην.

³⁸ταῦτα δὲ διαπραξάμενοι μεθ᾿ ὕμνων καὶ ἐξομολογήσεων εὐλόγουν τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ μεγάλως εὐεργετοῦντι τὸν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ τὸ νῖκος αὐτοῖς διδόντι.

¹Now Maccabeus and his company, the Lord guiding them, recovered the temple and the city:

²But the altars which the heathen had built in the open street, and also the chapels, they pulled down.

³And having cleansed the temple they made another altar, and striking stones they took fire out of them, and offered a sacrifice after two years, and set forth incense, and lights, and shewbread.

⁴When that was done, they fell flat down, and besought the Lord that they might come no more into such troubles; but if they sinned any more against him, that he himself would chasten them with mercy, and that they might not be delivered unto the blasphemous and barbarous nations.

⁵Now upon the same day that the strangers profaned the temple, on the very same day it was cleansed again, even the five and twentieth day of the same month, which is Casleu.

⁶And they kept the eight days with gladness, as in the feast of the tabernacles, remembering that not long afore they had held the feast of the tabernacles, when as they wandered in the mountains and dens like beasts.

⁷Therefore they bare branches, and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms unto him that had given them good success in cleansing his place.

⁸They ordained also by a common statute and decree, That every year those days should be kept of the whole nation of the Jews.

⁹And this was the end of Antiochus, called Epiphanes.

¹⁰Now will we declare the acts of Antiochus Eupator, who was the son of this wicked man, gathering briefly the calamities of the wars.

¹¹So when he was come to the crown, he set one Lysias over the affairs of his realm, and appointed him his chief governor of Celosyria and Phenice.

¹²For Ptolemeus, that was called Macron, choosing rather to do justice unto the Jews for the wrong that had been done unto them, endeavoured to continue peace with them.

¹³Whereupon being accused of the king’s friends before Eupator, and called traitor at every word because he had left Cyprus, that Philometor had committed unto him, and departed to Antiochus Epiphanes, and seeing that he was in no honourable place, he was so discouraged, that he poisoned himself and died.

¹⁴But when Gorgias was governor of the holds, he hired soldiers, and nourished war continually with the Jews:

¹⁵And therewithal the Idumeans, having gotten into their hands the most commodious holds, kept the Jews occupied, and receiving those that were banished from Jerusalem, they went about to nourish war.

¹⁶Then they that were with Maccabeus made supplication, and besought God that he would be their helper; and so they ran with violence upon the strong holds of the Idumeans,

¹⁷And assaulting them strongly, they won the holds, and kept off all that fought upon the wall, and slew all that fell into their hands, and killed no fewer than twenty thousand.

¹⁸And because certain, who were no less than nine thousand, were fled together into two very strong castles, having all manner of things convenient to sustain the siege,

¹⁹Maccabeus left Simon and Joseph, and Zaccheus also, and them that were with him, who were enough to besiege them, and departed himself unto those places which more needed his help.

²⁰Now they that were with Simon, being led with covetousness, were persuaded for money through certain of those that were in the castle, and took seventy thousand drachms, and let some of them escape.

²¹But when it was told Maccabeus what was done, he called the governors of the people together, and accused those men, that they had sold their brethren for money, and set their enemies free to fight against them.

²²So he slew those that were found traitors, and immediately took the two castles.

²³And having good success with his weapons in all things he took in hand, he slew in the two holds more than twenty thousand.

²⁴Now Timotheus, whom the Jews had overcome before, when he had gathered a great multitude of foreign forces, and horses out of Asia not a few, came as though he would take Jewry by force of arms.

²⁵But when he drew near, they that were with Maccabeus turned themselves to pray unto God, and sprinkled earth upon their heads, and girded their loins with sackcloth,

²⁶And fell down at the foot of the altar, and besought him to be merciful to them, and to be an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law declareth.

²⁷So after the prayer they took their weapons, and went on further from the city: and when they drew near to their enemies, they kept by themselves.

²⁸Now the sun being newly risen, they joined both together; the one part having together with their virtue their refuge also unto the Lord for a pledge of their success and victory: the other side making their rage leader of their battle

²⁹But when the battle waxed strong, there appeared unto the enemies from heaven five comely men upon horses, with bridles of gold, and two of them led the Jews,

³⁰And took Maccabeus betwixt them, and covered him on every side weapons, and kept him safe, but shot arrows and lightnings against the enemies: so that being confounded with blindness, and full of trouble, they were killed.

³¹And there were slain of footmen twenty thousand and five hundred, and six hundred horsemen.

³²As for Timotheus himself, he fled into a very strong hold, called Gazara, where Chereas was governor.

³³But they that were with Maccabeus laid siege against the fortress courageously four days.

³⁴And they that were within, trusting to the strength of the place, blasphemed exceedingly, and uttered wicked words.

³⁵Nevertheless upon the fifth day early twenty young men of Maccabeus’ company, inflamed with anger because of the blasphemies, assaulted the wall manly, and with a fierce courage killed all that they met withal.

³⁶Others likewise ascending after them, whiles they were busied with them that were within, burnt the towers, and kindling fires burnt the blasphemers alive; and others broke open the gates, and, having received in the rest of the army, took the city,

³⁷And killed Timotheus, that was hid in a certain pit, and Chereas his brother, with Apollophanes.

³⁸When this was done, they praised the Lord with psalms and thanksgiving, who had done so great things for Israel, and given them the victory.