1Maccabees:7

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* 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 . * 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 . * Wherefore , when he knew it , he said , Let me not see their faces . * So his host slew them . Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom , * There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel , having Alcimus , who was desirous to be high priest , for their captain : * 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 . * 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 . * Then 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 , * 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 . * So 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 . * But they gave no heed to their words ; for they saw that they were come with a great power . * Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes , to require justice . * Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them : * 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 . * So he spake unto them , peaceably , and sware unto them , saying , we will procure the harm neither of you nor your friends . * Whereupon they believed him : howbeit he took of them threescore men , and slew them in one day , according to the words which he wrote , * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * Then committed he the country to Alcimus , and left with him a power to aid him : so Bacchides went to the king . * But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood . * 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 . * Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites , even above the heathen , * 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 . * 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 all the worst of them that he could . * Then the king sent Nicanor , one of his honourable princes , a man that bare deadly hate unto Israel , with commandment to destroy the people . * So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force ; and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with friendly words , saying , * Let there be no battle between me and you ; I will come with a few men , that I may see you in peace . * He came therefore to Judas , and they saluted one another peaceably . Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by violence . * 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 . * Nicanor also , when he saw that his counsel was discovered , went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama : * Where there were slain of Nicanor 's side about five thousand men , and the rest fled into the city of David . * 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 . * But he mocked them , and laughed at them , and abused them shamefully , and spake proudly , * 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 . * Then the priests entered in , and stood before the altar and the temple , weeping , and saying , * 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 : * 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 . * So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem , and pitched his tents in Bethhoron , where an host out of Syria met him . * But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men , and there he prayed , saying , * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * Now when Nicanor 's host saw that he was slain , they cast away their weapons , and fled . * Then they pursued after them a day 's journey , from Adasa unto Gazera , sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets . * 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 . * Afterwards they took the spoils , and the prey , and smote off Nicanors head , and his right hand , which he stretched out so proudly , and brought them away , and hanged them up toward Jerusalem . * For this cause the people rejoiced greatly , and they kept that day a day of great gladness . * Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day , being the thirteenth of Adar . * Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while .

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