1Maccabees:3

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* Then his son Judas , called Maccabeus , rose up in his stead . * And all his brethren helped him , and so did all they that held with his father , and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel . * So he gat his people great honour , and put on a breastplate as a giant , and girt his warlike harness about him , and he made battles , protecting the host with his sword . * In his acts he was like a lion , and like a lion 's whelp roaring for his prey . * For He pursued the wicked , and sought them out , and burnt up those that vexed his people . * Wherefore the wicked shrunk for fear of him , and all the workers of iniquity were troubled , because salvation prospered in his hand . * He grieved also many kings , and made Jacob glad with his acts , and his memorial is blessed for ever . * Moreover he went through the cities of Juda , destroying the ungodly out of them , and turning away wrath from Israel : * So that he was renowned unto the utmost part of the earth , and he received unto him such as were ready to perish . * Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles together , and a great host out of Samaria , to fight against Israel . * Which thing when Judas perceived , he went forth to meet him , and so he smote him , and slew him : many also fell down slain , but the rest fled . * Wherefore Judas took their spoils , and Apollonius ' sword also , and therewith he fought all his life long . * Now when Seron , a prince of the army of Syria , heard say that Judas had gathered unto him a multitude and company of the faithful to go out with him to war ; * He said , I will get me a name and honour in the kingdom ; for I will go fight with Judas and them that are with him , who despise the king 's commandment . * So he made him ready to go up , and there went with him a mighty host of the ungodly to help him , and to be avenged of the children of Israel . * And when he came near to the going up of Bethhoron , Judas went forth to meet him with a small company : * Who , when they saw the host coming to meet them , said unto Judas , How shall we be able , being so few , to fight against so great a multitude and so strong , seeing we are ready to faint with fasting all this day ? * Unto whom Judas answered , It is no hard matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few ; and with the God of heaven it is all one , to deliver with a great multitude , or a small company : * For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host ; but strength cometh from heaven . * They come against us in much pride and iniquity to destroy us , and our wives and children , and to spoil us : * But we fight for our lives and our laws . * Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face : and as for you , be ye not afraid of them . * Now as soon as he had left off speaking , he leapt suddenly upon them , and so Seron and his host was overthrown before him . * And they pursued them from the going down of Bethhoron unto the plain , where were slain about eight hundred men of them ; and the residue fled into the land of the Philistines . * Then began the fear of Judas and his brethren , and an exceeding great dread , to fall upon the nations round about them : * Insomuch as his fame came unto the king , and all nations talked of the battles of Judas . * Now when king Antiochus heard these things , he was full of indignation : wherefore he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm , even a very strong army . * He opened also his treasure , and gave his soldiers pay for a year , commanding them to be ready whensoever he should need them . * Nevertheless , when he saw that the money of his treasures failed and that the tributes in the country were small , because of the dissension and plague , which he had brought upon the land in taking away the laws which had been of old time ; * He feared that he should not be able to bear the charges any longer , nor to have such gifts to give so liberally as he did before : for he had abounded above the kings that were before him . * Wherefore , being greatly perplexed in his mind , he determined to go into Persia , there to take the tributes of the countries , and to gather much money . * So he left Lysias , a nobleman , and one of the blood royal , to oversee the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates unto the borders of Egypt : * And to bring up his son Antiochus , until he came again . * Moreover he delivered unto him the half of his forces , and the elephants , and gave him charge of all things that he would have done , as also concerning them that dwelt in Juda and Jerusalem : * To wit , that he should send an army against them , to destroy and root out the strength of Israel , and the remnant of Jerusalem , and to take away their memorial from that place ; * And that he should place strangers in all their quarters , and divide their land by lot . * So the king took the half of the forces that remained , and departed from Antioch , his royal city , the hundred forty and seventh year ; and having passed the river Euphrates , he went through the high countries . * Then Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenes , Nicanor , and Gorgias , mighty men of the king 's friends : * And with them he sent forty thousand footmen , and seven thousand horsemen , to go into the land of Juda , and to destroy it , as the king commanded . * So they went forth with all their power , and came and pitched by Emmaus in the plain country . * And the merchants of the country , hearing the fame of them , took silver and gold very much , with servants , and came into the camp to buy the children of Israel for slaves : a power also of Syria and of the land of the Philistines joined themselves unto them . * Now when Judas and his brethren saw that miseries were multiplied , and that the forces did encamp themselves in their borders : for they knew how the king had given commandment to destroy the people , and utterly abolish them ; * They said one to another , Let us restore the decayed fortune of our people , and let us fight for our people and the sanctuary . * Then was the congregation gathered together , that they might be ready for battle , and that they might pray , and ask mercy and compassion . * Now Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness , there was none of her children that went in or out : the sanctuary also was trodden down , and aliens kept the strong hold ; the heathen had their habitation in that place ; and joy was taken from Jacob , and the pipe with the harp ceased . * Wherefore the Israelites assembled themselves together , and came to Maspha , over against Jerusalem ; for in Maspha was the place where they prayed aforetime in Israel . * Then they fasted that day , and put on sackcloth , and cast ashes upon their heads , and rent their clothes , * And laid open the book of the law , wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images . * They brought also the priests ' garments , and the firstfruits , and the tithes : and the Nazarites they stirred up , who had accomplished their days . * Then cried they with a loud voice toward heaven , saying , What shall we do with these , and whither shall we carry them away ? * For thy sanctuary is trodden down and profaned , and thy priests are in heaviness , and brought low . * And lo , the heathen are assembled together against us to destroy us : what things they imagine against us , thou knowest . * How shall we be able to stand against them , except thou , O God , be our help ? * Then sounded they with trumpets , and cried with a loud voice . * And after this Judas ordained captains over the people , even captains over thousands , and over hundreds , and over fifties , and over tens . * But as for such as were building houses , or had betrothed wives , or were planting vineyards , or were fearful , those he commanded that they should return , every man to his own house , according to the law . * So the camp removed , and pitched upon the south side of Emmaus . * And Judas said , arm yourselves , and be valiant men , and see that ye be in readiness against the morning , that ye may fight with these nations , that are assembled together against us to destroy us and our sanctuary : * For it is better for us to die in battle , than to behold the calamities of our people and our sanctuary . * Nevertheless , as the will of God is in heaven , so let him do .

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