2Maccabees:10

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* Now Maccabeus and his company , the Lord guiding them , recovered the temple and the city : * But the altars which the heathen had built in the open street , and also the chapels , they pulled down . * And 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 . * When 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 . * Now 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 . * And 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 . * Therefore they bare branches , and fair boughs , and palms also , and sang psalms unto him that had given them good success in cleansing his place . * They ordained also by a common statute and decree , That every year those days should be kept of the whole nation of the Jews . * And this was the end of Antiochus , called Epiphanes . * Now will we declare the acts of Antiochus Eupator , who was the son of this wicked man , gathering briefly the calamities of the wars . * So 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 . * For 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 . * Whereupon 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 . * But when Gorgias was governor of the holds , he hired soldiers , and nourished war continually with the Jews : * And therewithall 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 . * Then 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 , * And 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 . * And 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 , * Maccabeus 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 . * Now 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 . * But 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 . * So he slew those that were found traitors , and immediately took the two castles . * And having good success with his weapons in all things he took in hand , he slew in the two holds more than twenty thousand . * Now 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 . * But 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 , * And 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 . * So 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 . * Now 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 * But 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 , * And 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 . * And there were slain of footmen twenty thousand and five hundred , and six hundred horsemen . * As for Timotheus himself , he fled into a very strong hold , called Gawra , where Chereas was governor . * But they that were with Maccabeus laid siege against the fortress courageously four days . * And they that were within , trusting to the strength of the place , blasphemed exceedingly , and uttered wicked words . * Nevertheless 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 . * Others 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 , * And killed Timotheus , that was hid in a certain pit , and Chereas his brother , with Apollophanes . * When this was done , they praised the Lord with psalms and thanksgiving , who had done so great things for Israel , and given them the victory .

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