2. Makkabeler 8

¹Yahuda Makabi ve yanındakiler köylere gizlice sızarak soydaşlarını ve Yahudiliğe sadık kalanları çağırıp yanlarına aldılar ve yaklaşık altı bin kişiyi bir araya getirdiler.

²Herkes tarafından ayaklar altında çiğnenen halkı gözetmesi ve tanrısız insanlarca kirletilen tapınağa merhamet etmesi için Rab'be yakardılar.

³Yıkıma uğrayan ve yerle bir edilmek üzere olan kente acımasını ve kendisine feryat eden dökülmüş kanların sesini duymasını dilediler.

⁴Masum çocukların yasaya aykırı bir şekilde katledilmesini, kendi adına edilen küfürleri anımsamasını ve kötülüğe karşı gazabını göstermesini istediler.

⁵Makabi düzenli bir askeri birlik oluşturunca, Rab'bin öfkesi merhamete dönüştüğü için uluslar artık onun karşısında duramaz oldu.

⁶Kentlere ve köylere ansızın baskınlar düzenleyip buraları ateşe veriyor, stratejik noktaları ele geçiriyor ve düşmanlardan azımsanmayacak sayıda kişiyi bozguna uğratarak yenilgiye uğratıyordu.

⁷Bu tür gizli saldırılar için özellikle geceleri müttefik ediniyordu; onun yiğitliğine dair söylentiler her yere yayıldı.

⁸Filipos bu adamın yavaş yavaş güçlendiğini ve başarılarının giderek arttığını görünce, Koile-Suriye ve Fenike valisi Batlamyus'a, kralın işlerine destek vermesi için yazdı.

⁹Batlamyus hemen en yakın dostlarından biri olan Patroklos oğlu Nikanor'u seçip gönderdi; Yahudi soyunu tamamen ortadan kaldırması için çeşitli uluslardan en az yirmi bin kişiyi onun komutasına verdi ve askeri konularda deneyimli bir komutan olan Gorgias'ı da onun yanına verdi.

¹⁰Nikanor, kralın Romalılara ödemek zorunda olduğu iki bin talantlık vergiyi, tutsak edilecek Yahudilerin satışından elde edeceği gelirle karşılamayı planladı.

¹¹Bu yüzden hemen kıyı kentlerine haber göndererek Yahudi kölelerin satışını duyurdu; bir talant karşılığında doksan köle vermeyi vaat etti; Her Şeye Gücü Yeten'in kendi üzerine getireceği yargıyı ise hiç hesaba katmıyordu.

¹²Yahuda, Nikanor'un yaklaştığını haber aldı ve ordunun gelmekte olduğunu yanındakilere bildirdi.

¹³Korkaklık gösterenler ve Tanrı'nın adaletine güvenmeyenler kaçıp kendilerini başka yerlere gizlediler.

¹⁴Diğerleri ise ellerinde kalan her şeyi sattılar ve henüz savaşa girmeden önce tanrısız Nikanor tarafından satılmış olan kendilerini kurtarması için hep birlikte Rab'be yalvardılar.

¹⁵Kendileri için olmasa bile, atalarıyla yaptığı antlaşmalar ve üzerlerine çağrılan o yüce ve görkemli adı uğruna bunu yapmasını dilediler.

¹⁶Makabi yanındaki altı bin kişiyi toplayarak onlara düşmandan yılmamalarını, haksız yere üzerlerine gelen ulusların kalabalığından korkmamalarını, tersine yiğitçe savaşmalarını söyledi.

¹⁷Kutsal yere yasa dışı biçimde yaptıkları hakareti, alay konusu ettikleri kente uyguladıkları eziyeti ve atalarından kalan yaşam düzeninin yıkılışını gözlerinin önüne getirmelerini istedi.

¹⁸"Onlar silahlarına ve cüretlerine güveniyorlar," dedi, "biz ise hem üzerimize gelenleri hem de tüm dünyayı tek bir işaretiyle yerle bir etmeye gücü yeten Her Şeye Gücü Yeten Tanrı'ya güveniyoruz."

¹⁹Onlara atalarının gördüğü yardımları, Sanherib zamanında yüz seksen beş bin kişinin nasıl yok edildiğini anlattı.

²⁰Babil'de Galatlara karşı yapılan savaşı da hatırlattı: Savaşa sadece sekiz bin kişi olarak katılmışlardı ve yanlarında dört bin Makedon vardı; Makedonlar çaresiz kaldığında, bu sekiz bin kişi gökten gelen yardım sayesinde yüz yirmi bin kişiyi yok etmiş ve büyük bir kazanç elde etmişti.

²¹Bu sözlerle onları cesaretlendirip yasalar ve vatan uğruna ölmeye hazır hale getirdikten sonra ordusunu dört bölüğe ayırdı.

²²Kardeşleri Şimon, Yusuf ve Yonatan'ı her bir bölüğün başına komutan olarak atadı ve her birinin emrine bin beşer yüz kişi verdi.

²³Ayrıca Eleazar'a kutsal kitabı okuttu ve "Tanrı'nın Yardımı" parolasını vererek kendisi ilk bölüğün başında Nikanor'a karşı saldırıya geçti.

²⁴Her Şeye Gücü Yeten onlara müttefik olunca, düşmandan dokuz binden fazla kişiyi kılıçtan geçirdiler; Nikanor'un ordusunun büyük kısmını yaralayıp uzuvlarını sakat bıraktılar ve hepsini kaçmaya zorladılar.

²⁵Kendilerini satın almak için gelenlerin paralarına el koydular; onları epey kovaladıktan sonra, vaktin daralması nedeniyle geri döndüler.

²⁶Çünkü ertesi gün Şabat'tı; bu yüzden düşmanı kovalamayı sürdürmediler.

²⁷Düşmanın silahlarını toplayıp ganimetlerini aldıktan sonra Şabat gününü kutlamaya başladılar; kendilerini o güne ulaştıran ve üzerlerine merhametinin başlangıcını bahşeden Rab'be bol bol övgüler sunup şükrettiler.

²⁸Şabat gününden sonra, ganimetlerin bir kısmını eziyet çekenlere, dullara ve yetimlere dağıttılar; geri kalanını ise kendileri ve çocukları arasında paylaştılar.

²⁹Bunları yaptıktan sonra hep birlikte yakardılar ve merhametli Rab'be, kullarıyla tamamen barışması için yalvardılar.

³⁰Timoteos ve Bakhides'in adamlarıyla çarpışarak onlardan yirmi binden fazla kişiyi öldürdüler; çok yüksek kaleleri kolayca ele geçirip bol miktarda ganimet paylaştılar; eziyet çekenleri, yetimleri, dulları ve hatta yaşlıları ganimet paylaşımında kendileriyle eşit tuttular.

³¹Düşmanın silahlarını özenle toplayıp uygun yerlerde depoladılar, geri kalan ganimetleri ise Yeruşalim'e götürdüler.

³²Timoteos'un adamlarından olan, Yahudilere çok acı çektirmiş o son derece kötü birlik komutanını öldürdüler.

³³Vatanlarında zafer şenlikleri yaparken, kutsal kapıları ateşe veren ve küçük bir eve sığınmış olan Kallisthenes'i ve diğer bazı kişileri yakarak öldürdüler; böylece onlar tanrısızlıklarının hak ettiği karşılığı aldılar.

³⁴Yahudileri satın almaları için bin tüccarı beraberinde getiren o üç kat lanetli Nikanor ise,

³⁵Rab'bin yardımıyla, en çok hor gördüğü o insanlar tarafından dize getirildi; görkemli giysilerini çıkarıp tek başına, kaçak bir köle gibi iç kesimlerden geçerek Antakya'ya ulaştı; ordusunun yok olmasından ötürü büyük bir utanç içindeydi.

³⁶Yeruşalim'deki tutsaklar sayesinde Romalılara olan vergiyi ödemeyi üstlenen bu adam, şimdi Yahudilerin kendilerini savunan bir Tanrıları olduğunu ve O'nun buyurduğu yasalara uydukları sürece Yahudilere zarar verilemeyeceğini ilan ediyordu.

¹ΙΟΥΔΑΣ δὲ ὁ Μακκαβαῖος καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ παρεισπορευόμενοι λεληθότως εἰς τὰς κώμας προσεκαλοῦντο τοὺς συγγενεῖς καὶ τοὺς μεμενηκότας ἐν τῷ ᾿Ιουδαϊσμῷ προσλαβόμενοι συνήγαγον εἰς ἑξακισχιλίους.

²καὶ ἐπεκαλοῦντο τὸν Κύριον ἐπιδεῖν ἐπὶ τὸν ὑπὸ πάντων καταπατούμενον λαόν, οἰκτεῖραι δὲ καὶ τὸν ναὸν τὸν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀνθρώπων βεβηλωθέντα,

³ἐλεῆσαι δὲ καὶ τὴν καταφθειρομένην πόλιν καὶ μέλλουσαν ἰσόπεδον γίνεσθαι καὶ τῶν καταβοώντων πρὸς αὐτὸν αἱμάτων εἰσακοῦσαι,

⁴μνησθῆναι δὲ καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀναμαρτήτων νηπίων παρανόμου ἀπωλείας καὶ περὶ τῶν γενομένων εἰς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ βλασφημιῶν καὶ μισοπονηρῆσαι.

⁵γενόμενος δὲ ἐν συστήματι ὁ Μακκαβαῖος ἀνυπόστατος ἤδη τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐγίνετο, τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς ἔλεον τραπείσης.

⁶πόλεις δὲ καὶ κώμας ἀπροσδοκήτως ἐρχόμενος ἐνεπίμπρα καὶ τοὺς ἐπικαίρους τόπους ἀπολαμβάνων οὐκ ὀλίγους τῶν πολεμίων ἐνίκα τροπούμενος

⁷μάλιστα τὰς νύκτας πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας ἐπιβουλὰς συνεργοὺς ἐλάμβανε. καὶ λαλιά τις τῆς εὐανδρίας αὐτοῦ διεχεῖτο πανταχῆ.

⁸Συνορῶν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος κατὰ μικρὸν εἰς προκοπὴν ἐρχόμενον τὸν ἄνδρα, πυκνότερον δὲ ἐν ταῖς εὐημερίαις προβαίνοντα, πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον τὸν Κοίλης Συρίας καὶ Φοινίκης στρατηγὸν ἔγραψεν ἐπιβοηθεῖν τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως πράγμασιν.

⁹ὁ δὲ ταχέως προχειρισάμενος Νικάνορα τὸν τοῦ Πατρόκλου τῶν πρώτων φίλων ἀπέστειλεν ὑποτάξας παμφύλων ἔθνη οὐκ ἐλάττους τῶν δισμυρίων τὸ σύμπαν τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ἐξᾶραι γένος· συνέστησε δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ Γοργίαν ἄνδρα στρατηγὸν καὶ ἐν πολεμικαῖς χρείαις πεῖραν ἔχοντα.

¹⁰διεστήσατο δὲ ὁ Νικάνωρ τὸν φόρον τῷ βασιλεῖ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ὄντα ταλάντων δισχιλίων ἐκ τῆς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων αἰχμαλωσίας ἐκπληρώσειν.

¹¹εὐθέως δὲ εἰς τὰς παραθαλασσίους πόλεις ἀπέστειλε προσκαλούμενος ἐπ᾿ ἀγορασμὸν ᾿Ιουδαϊκῶν σωμάτων, ὑπισχνούμενος ἐνενήκοντα σώματα ταλάντου παραχωρήσειν, οὐ προσδεχόμενος τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Παντοκράτορος μέλλουσαν παρακολουθήσειν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ δίκην.

¹²τῷ δὲ ᾿Ιούδᾳ προσέπεσε περὶ τῆς τοῦ Νικάνορος ἐφόδου· καὶ μεταδόντος αὐτοῦ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ στρατοπέδου,

¹³οἱ δειλανδροῦντες καὶ ἀπιστοῦντες τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δίκην διεδίδρασκον καὶ ἐξετόπιζον ἑαυτούς.

¹⁴οἱ δὲ τὰ περιλελειμμένα πάντα ἐπώλουν, ὁμοῦ δὲ τὸν Κύριον ἠξίουν ῥύσασθαι τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς Νικάνορος πρὶν συντυχεῖν πεπραμένους·

¹⁵καὶ εἰ μὴ δι᾿ αὐτούς, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτῶν διαθήκας καὶ ἕνεκεν τῆς ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἐπικλήσεως τοῦ σεμνοῦ καὶ μεγαλοπρεποῦς ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ.

¹⁶συναγαγὼν δὲ ὁ Μακκαβαῖος τοὺς περὶ αὐτὸν ὄντας τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἐξακισχιλίους παρεκάλει μὴ καταπλαγῆναι τοὺς πολεμίους, μηδὲ εὐλαβεῖσθαι τὴν τῶν ἀδίκως παραγινομένων ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἐθνῶν πολυπληθίαν, ἀγωνίσασθαι δὲ γενναίως

¹⁷πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν λαβόντας τὴν ἀνόμως εἰς τὸν ἅγιον τόπον συντελεσμένην ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν ὕβριν καὶ τὸν τῆς ἐμπεπαιγμένης πόλεως αἰκισμόν, ἔτι δὲ τὴν τῆς προγονικῆς πολιτείας κατάλυσιν.

¹⁸οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὅπλοις πεποίθασιν ἅμα καὶ τόλμαις, ἔφησεν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ παντοκράτορι Θεῷ, δυναμένῳ καὶ τοὺς ἐρχομένους ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς καὶ τὸν ὅλον κόσμον ἐν ἑνὶ νεύματι καταβαλεῖν, πεποίθαμεν.

¹⁹προσαναλεξάμενος δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν προγόνων γενομένας ἀντιλήψεις καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ Σενναχηρείμ, ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα πέντε χιλιάδες ὡς ἀπώλοντο,

²⁰καὶ τὴν ἐν τῇ Βαβυλωνίᾳ τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Γαλάτας παράταξιν γενομένην, ὡς οἱ πάντες ἐπὶ τὴν χρείαν ἦλθον ὀκτακισχίλιοι σὺν Μακεδόσι τετρασχιλίοις, τῶν Μακεδόνων ἀπορουμένων, οἱ ὀκτακισχίλιοι τὰς δώδεκα μυριάδας ἀπώλεσαν διὰ τὴν γενομένην αὐτοῖς ἀπ᾿ οὐρανοῦ βοήθειαν καὶ ὠφέλειαν πολλὴν ἔλαβον.

²¹ἐφ᾿ οἷς εὐθαρσεῖς αὐτοὺς παραστήσας καὶ ἑτοίμους ὑπὲρ τῶν νόμων καὶ τῆς πατρίδος ἀποθνήσκειν, τετραμερές τι τὸ στράτευμα ἐποίησε.

²²τάξας καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ προηγουμένους ἑκατέρας τάξεως, Σίμωνα καὶ ᾿Ιώσηφον καὶ ᾿Ιωνάθαν, ὑποτάξας ἑκάστῳ χιλίους πρὸς τοῖς πεντακοσίοις,

²³ἔτι δὲ καὶ ᾿Ελεάζαρον, παραγνοὺς τὴν ἱερὰν βίβλον καὶ δοὺς σύνθημα Θεοῦ βοηθείας τῆς πρώτης σπείρας αὐτὸς προηγούμενος, συνέβαλε τῷ Νικάνορι.

²⁴γενομένου δὲ αὐτοῖς τοῦ Παντοκράτορος συμμάχου, κατέσφαξαν τῶν πολεμίων ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἐνακισχιλίους, τραυματίας δὲ καὶ τοῖς μέλεσιν ἀναπήρους τὸ πλεῖστον μέρος τῆς τοῦ Νικάνορος στρατιᾶς ἐποίησαν, πάντας δὲ φυγεῖν ἠνάγκασαν.

²⁵τὰ δὲ χρήματα τῶν παραγεγονότων ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγορασμὸν αὐτῶν ἔλαβον· συνδιώξαντες δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐφ᾿ ἱκανὸν ἀνέλυσαν ὑπὸ τῆς ὥρας συγκλειόμενοι.

²⁶ἦν γὰρ ἡ πρὸ τοῦ σαββάτου, δι᾿ ἣν αἰτίαν οὐκ ἐμακροθύμησαν κατατρέχοντες αὐτούς.

²⁷ὁπλολογήσαντες δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰ σκῦλα ἐκδύσαντες τῶν πολεμίων περὶ τὸ σάββατον ἐγίνοντο, περισσῶς εὐλογοῦντες καὶ ἐξομολογούμενοι τῷ Κυρίῳ τῷ διασώσαντι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην, ἀρχὴν ἐλέους τάξαντος αὐτοῖς.

²⁸μετὰ δὲ τὸ σάββατον τοῖς ᾐκισμένοις καὶ ταῖς χήραις καὶ ὀρφανοῖς μερίσαντες ἀπὸ τῶν σκύλων, τὰ λοιπὰ αὐτοὶ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἐμερίσαντο.

²⁹ταῦτα δὲ διαπραξάμενοι καὶ κοινὴν ἱκετίαν ποιησάμενοι, τὸν ἐλεήμονα Κύριον ἠξίουν εἰς τέλος καταλλαγῆναι τοῖς αὐτοῦ δούλοις.

³⁰καὶ τοῖς περὶ Τιμόθεον καὶ Βακχίδην συνερίσαντες ὑπὲρ τοὺς δισμυρίους αὐτῶν ἀνεῖλον καὶ ὀχυρωμάτων ὑψηλῶν εὖ μάλα ἐγκρατεῖς ἐγένοντο καὶ λάφυρα πλεῖστα ἐμερίσαντο ἰσομοίρους ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τοῖς ᾐκισμένοις καὶ ὀρφανοῖς καὶ χήραις, ἔτι δὲ καὶ πρεσβυτέροις ποιήσαντες.

³¹ὁπλολογήσαντες δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐπιμελῶς πάντα συνέθηκαν εἰς τοὺς ἐπικαίρους τόπους, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ τῶν σκύλων ἤνεγκαν εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμα.

³²τὸν δὲ φυλάρχην τῶν περὶ Τιμόθεον ἀνεῖλον, ἀνοσιώτατον ἄνδρα καὶ πολλὰ τοὺς ᾿Ιουδαίους ἐπιλελυπηκότα.

³³ἐπινίκια δὲ ἄγοντες ἐν τῇ πατρίδι τοὺς ἐμπρήσαντας τοὺς ἱεροὺς πυλῶνας. Καλλισθένην καί τινας ἄλλους, ὑφῆψαν εἰς ἓν οἰκίδιον πεφευγότας, οἵτινες ἄξιον τῆς δυσσεβείας ἐκομίσαντο μισθόν.

³⁴ὁ δὲ τρισαλιτήριος Νικάνωρ, ὁ τοὺς χιλίους ἐμπόρους ἐπὶ τὴν πράσιν τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ἀγαγών,

³⁵ταπεινωθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν κατ᾿ αὐτὸν νομιζομένων ἐλαχίστων εἶναι, τῇ τοῦ Κυρίου βοηθείᾳ τὴν δοξικὴν ἀποθέμενος ἐσθῆτα, διὰ τῆς μεσογείου, δραπέτου τρόπον, ἔρημον ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας, ἧκεν εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν ὑπεράγαν δυσημερήσας ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ στρατοῦ διαφθορᾷ.

³⁶καὶ ὁ τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἀναδεξάμενος φόρον ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἐν ῾Ιεροσολύμοις αἰχμαλωσίας κατορθώσασθαι, κατήγγελλεν ὑπέρμαχον ἔχειν τὸν Θεὸν τοὺς ᾿Ιουδαίους καὶ διὰ τὸν τρόπον τοῦτο ἀτρώτους εἶναι τοὺς ᾿Ιουδαίους, διὰ τὸ ἀκολουθεῖν τοῖς ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ προστεταγμένοις νόμοις.

¹Then Judas Maccabeus, and they that were with him, went privily into the towns, and called their kinsfolks together, and took unto them all such as continued in the Jews’ religion, and assembled about six thousand men.

²And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon the people that was trodden down of all; and also pity the temple profaned of ungodly men;

³And that he would have compassion upon the city, sore defaced, and ready to be made even with the ground; and hear the blood that cried unto him,

⁴And remember the wicked slaughter of harmless infants, and the blasphemies committed against his name; and that he would shew his hatred against the wicked.

⁵Now when Maccabeus had his company about him, he could not be withstood by the heathen: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.

⁶Therefore he came at unawares, and burnt up towns and cities, and got into his hands the most commodious places, and overcame and put to flight no small number of his enemies.

⁷But specially took he advantage of the night for such privy attempts, insomuch that the fruit of his holiness was spread every where.

⁸So when Philip saw that this man increased by little and little, and that things prospered with him still more and more, he wrote unto Ptolemeus, the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, to yield more aid to the king’s affairs.

⁹Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends, he sent him with no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations under him, to root out the whole generation of the Jews; and with him he joined also Gorgias a captain, who in matters of war had great experience.

¹⁰So Nicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive Jews, as should defray the tribute of two thousand talents, which the king was to pay to the Romans.

¹¹Wherefore immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast, proclaiming a sale of the captive Jews, and promising that they should have fourscore and ten bodies for one talent, not expecting the vengeance that was to follow upon him from the Almighty God.

¹²Now when word was brought unto Judas of Nicanor’s coming, and he had imparted unto those that were with him that the army was at hand,

¹³They that were fearful, and distrusted the justice of God, fled, and conveyed themselves away.

¹⁴Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord to deliver them, sold by the wicked Nicanor before they met together:

¹⁵And if not for their own sakes, yet for the covenants he had made with their fathers, and for his holy and glorious name’s sake, by which they were called.

¹⁶So Maccabeus called his men together unto the number of six thousand, and exhorted them not to be stricken with terror of the enemy, nor to fear the great multitude of the heathen, who came wrongly against them; but to fight manfully,

¹⁷And to set before their eyes the injury that they had unjustly done to the holy place, and the cruel handling of the city, whereof they made a mockery, and also the taking away of the government of their forefathers:

¹⁸For they, said he, trust in their weapons and boldness; but our confidence is in the Almighty who at a beck can cast down both them that come against us, and also all the world.

¹⁹Moreover, he recounted unto them what helps their forefathers had found, and how they were delivered, when under Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand perished.

²⁰And he told them of the battle that they had in Babylon with the Galatians, how they came but eight thousand in all to the business, with four thousand Macedonians, and that the Macedonians being perplexed, the eight thousand destroyed an hundred and twenty thousand because of the help that they had from heaven, and so received a great booty.

²¹Thus when he had made them bold with these words, and ready to die for the law and the country, he divided his army into four parts;

²²And joined with himself his own brethren, leaders of each band, to wit Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving each one fifteen hundred men.

²³Also he appointed Eleazar to read the holy book: and when he had given them this watchword, The help of God; himself leading the first band,

²⁴And by the help of the Almighty they slew above nine thousand of their enemies, and wounded and maimed the most part of Nicanor’s host, and so put all to flight;

²⁵And took their money that came to buy them, and pursued them far: but lacking time they returned:

²⁶For it was the day before the sabbath, and therefore they would no longer pursue them.

²⁷So when they had gathered their armour together, and spoiled their enemies, they occupied themselves about the sabbath, yielding exceeding praise and thanks to the Lord, who had preserved them unto that day, which was the beginning of mercy distilling upon them.

²⁸And after the sabbath, when they had given part of the spoils to the maimed, and the widows, and orphans, the residue they divided among themselves and their servants.

²⁹When this was done, and they had made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord to be reconciled with his servants for ever.

³⁰Moreover of those that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who fought against them, they slew above twenty thousand, and very easily got high and strong holds, and divided among themselves many spoils more, and made the maimed, orphans, widows, yea, and the aged also, equal in spoils with themselves.

³¹And when they had gathered their armour together, they laid them up all carefully in convenient places, and the remnant of the spoils they brought to Jerusalem.

³²They slew also Philarches, that wicked person, who was with Timotheus, and had annoyed the Jews many ways.

³³Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the victory in their country they burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire upon the holy gates, who had fled into a little house; and so he received a reward meet for his wickedness.

³⁴As for that most ungracious Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to buy the Jews,

³⁵He was through the help of the Lord brought down by them, of whom he made least account; and putting off his glorious apparel, and discharging his company, he came like a fugitive servant through the midland unto Antioch having very great dishonour, for that his host was destroyed.

³⁶Thus he, that took upon him to make good to the Romans their tribute by means of captives in Jerusalem, told abroad, that the Jews had God to fight for them, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws that he gave them.