1 Maccabees 7

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

2 Καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς εἰσεπορεύετο εἰς οἶκον βασιλείας πατέρων αὐτοῦ, συνέλαβον αἱ δυνάμεις τὸν Ἀντίοχον καὶ τὸν Λυσίαν ἄγειν αὐτοὺς αὐτῷ.

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

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

5 Καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες ἄνδρες ἄνομοι καὶ ἀσεβεῖς ἐξ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ Ἄλκιμος ἡγεῖτο αὐτῶν, βουλόμενος ἱερατεύειν.

6 Καὶ κατηγόρησαν τοῦ λαοῦ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, λέγοντες, ἀπώλεσεν Ἰούδας καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ τοὺς φίλους σου, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐσκόρπισαν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡμῶν.

7 Νῦν 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.

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

9 Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν καὶ Ἄλκιμον τὸν ἀσεβῆ, καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἱερωσύνην, καὶ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἐκδίκησιν ἐν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ.

10 Καὶ ἀπῇραν, καὶ ἦλθον μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς εἰς γῆν Ἰούδα· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἀγγέλους πρὸς Ἰούδαν, καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ, λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς μετὰ δόλου.

11 Καὶ οὐ προσέσχον τοῖς λόγοις αὐτῶν, ἴδον γὰρ ὅτι ἦλθον μετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς.

12 Καὶ ἐπισυνήχθησαν πρὸς Ἄλκιμον καὶ Βακχίδην συναγωγὴ γραμματέων ἐκζητῆσαι δίκαια.

13 Καὶ πρῶτοι οἱ Ἀσιδαῖοι ἦσαν ἐν υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐπεζήτουν παρὰ αὐτῶν εἰρήνην·

14 Εἶπαν γὰρ, ἄνθρωπος ἱερεὺς ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος Ἀαρὼν ἦλθεν ἐν ταῖς δυνάμεσι, καὶ οὐκ ἀδικήσει ἡμᾶς.

15 Καὶ ἐλάλησε μετʼ αὐτῶν λόγους εἰρηνικοὺς, καὶ ὤμοσεν αὐτοῖς, λέγων, οὐκ ἐκζητήσομεν ὑμῖν κακὸν, καὶ τοῦ φίλοις ὑμῶν.

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

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

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

19 Καὶ ἀπῇρε Βακχίδης ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐν Βηζὲθ, καὶ ἀπέστειλε καὶ συνέλαβε πολλοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ αὐτομολησάντων ἀνδρῶν, καί τινας τοῦ λαοῦ, καὶ ἔθυσεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ φρέαρ τὸ μέγα.

20 Καὶ κατέστησε τὴν χώραν τῷ Ἀλκίμῳ, καὶ ἀφῆκε μετʼ αὐτοῦ δύναμιν τοῦ βοηθεῖν αὐτῷ· καὶ ἀπῆλθε Βακχίδης πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα.

21 Καὶ ἠγωνίσατο Ἄλκιμος περὶ τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης.

22 Καὶ συνήχθησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ ταράσσοντες τὸν λαὸν αὐτῶν, καὶ κατεκράτησαν γῆν Ἰούδα, καὶ ἐποίησαν πληγὴν μεγάλην ἐν Ἰσραήλ.

23 Καὶ εἶδεν Ἰούδας πᾶσαν τὴν κακίαν ἣν ἐποίησεν Ἄλκιμος καὶ οἱ μετʼ αὐτοῦ ἐν υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ ὑπὲρ τὰ ἔθνη·

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

25 Ὡς δὲ εἶδεν Ἄλκιμος ὅτι ἐνίσχυσεν Ἰούδας καὶ οἱ μετʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔγνω ὅτι οὐ δύναται ὑποστῆναι αὐτούς, καὶ ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ κατηγόρησεν αὐτῶν πονηρά.

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

27 Καὶ ἦλθε Νικάνωρ εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ δυνάμει πολλῇ, καὶ ἀπέστειλε πρὸς Ἰούδαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ μετὰ δόλου λόγοις εἰρηνικοῖς, λέγων,

28 μὴ ἔστω μάχη ἀναμέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ ὑμῶν· ἥξω ἐν ἀνδράσιν ὀλίγοις, ἵνα ὑμῶν ἴδω τὰ πρόσωπα μετʼ εἰρήνης.

29 Καὶ ἦλθε πρὸς Ἰούδαν, καὶ ἠσπάσαντο ἀλλήλους εἰρηνικῶς· καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι ἦσαν ἕτοιμοι ἐξαρπάσαι τὸν Ἰούδαν.

30 Καὶ ἐγνώσθη ὁ λόγος τῷ Ἰούδᾳ, ὅτι μετὰ δόλου ἦλθεν ἐπʼ αὐτόν· καὶ ἐπτοήθη ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἐβουλήθη ἔτι ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ.

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

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

33 Καὶ 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.

34 Καὶ ἐμυκτήρισεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ κατεγέλασεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐμίανεν αὐτούς, καὶ ἐλάλησεν ὑπερηφάνως.

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

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

37 σὺ, Κύριε, ἐξελέξω τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον ἐπικληθῆναι τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐπʼ αὐτῷ, εἶναι οἶκον προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως τῷ λαῷ σου.

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

39 Καὶ ἐξῆλθε Νικάνωρ ἐξ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ παρενέβαλεν ἐν Βαιθωρὼν, καὶ συνήντησεν αὐτῷ δύναμις Συρίας.

40 Καὶ Ἰούδας παρενέβαλεν ἐν Ἀδασὰ ἐν τρισχιλίοις ἀνδράσι· καὶ προσηύξατο Ἰούδας, καὶ εἶπεν,

41 οἱ παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων ὅτε ἐδυσφήμησαν, ἐξῆλθεν ὁ ἄγγελός σου, Κύριε, καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑκατὸν ὀγδοηκονταπέντε χιλιάδας.

42 Οὕτω 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.

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

44 Ὡς δὲ εἶδεν ἡ παρεμβολὴ αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἔπεσε Νικάνωρ, ῥίψαντες τὰ ὅπλα αὐτῶν ἔφυγον.

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

46 Καὶ ἐξῆλθον ἐκ πασῶν τῶν κωμῶν τῆς Ἰουδαίας κυκλόθεν, καὶ ὑπερεκέρων αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀνέστρεφον οὗτοι πρὸς τούτους· καὶ ἔπεσον πάντες ῥομφαίᾳ, καὶ οὐ κατελείφθη ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐδὲ εἷς.

47 Καὶ ἔλαβον τὰ σκῦλα καὶ τὴν προνομὴν, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν Νικάνορος ἀφεῖλον, καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν αὐτοῦ ἣν ἐξέτεινεν ὑπερηφάνως, καὶ ἤνεγκαν, καὶ ἐξέτειναν παρὰ τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ.

48 Καὶ εὐφράνθη δ λαὸς σφόδρα, καὶ ἤγαγον τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην ἡμέραν εὐφροσύνης μεγάλης.

49 Καὶ ἔστησαν τοῦ ἄγειν κατὰ ἐνιαυτὸν τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην τὴν τρισκαιδεκάτην τοῦ Ἄδαρ.

50 Καὶ ἡσύχασεν ἡ γῆ Ἰούδα ἡμέρας ὀλίγας.

1 In 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.

2 And 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.

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

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

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

6 and 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.

7 Now 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.

8 Then the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who ruled beyond the river, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king.

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

10 So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Juda, where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18 Wherefore 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.

19 After 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.

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

21 But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.

22 And 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.

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

24 he 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.

25 On 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 evil things against them.

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

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

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

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

30 Which 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.

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

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

33 After 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.

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

35 and 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.

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

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

38 be 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.

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

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

41 O 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.

42 Even 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.

43 So 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.

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

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

46 Whereupon 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.

47 Afterwards 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.

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

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

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