1In the one hundred fifty first year, Demetrius the son of Seleucus came out of Rome, and went up with a few men to a city by the sea, and reigned there. 2It came to pass, when he would go into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army laid hands on Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him. 3The thing became known to him, and he said, “Don’t show me their faces!” 4So the army killed them. Then Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom.
5All the lawless and ungodly men of Israel came to him. Alcimus was their leader, desiring to be high priest. 6They accused the people to the king, saying, “Judas and his kindred have destroyed all your friends, and have scattered us from our own land. 7Now therefore send a man whom you trust, and let him go and see all the destruction which he has brought on us and the king’s country, and how he has punished them and all who helped them.” 8So the king chose Bacchides, one of the king’s friends, who was ruler in the country beyond the river, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king. 9He sent him and that ungodly Alcimus, whom he made the high priest; and he commanded him to take vengeance upon the children of Israel.
10They marched away and came with a great army into the land of Judah. He sent messengers to Judas and his kindred with words of peace deceitfully. 11They paid no attention to their words; for they saw that they had come with a great army. 12A group of scribes gathered together to Alcimus and Bacchides to seek just terms. 13The Hasidaeans were the first among the children of Israel who sought peace from them, 14for they said, “One who is a priest of the seed of Aaron has come with the army, and he will do us no wrong.” 15He spoke with them words of peace, and swore to them, saying, “We won’t seek to harm you or your friends.” 16They trusted him. Then he seized sixty men of them, and killed them in one day, according to the word which was written,
17The flesh of Your saints
and their blood was shed all around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
18The fear and the dread of them fell upon all the people, for they said, “There is neither truth nor justice in them; for they have broken the covenant and the oath which they swore.” 19Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem, and encamped in Bezeth. He sent and seized many of the deserters who were with him, and some of the people, and he killed them, throwing them into a large pit. 20He placed Alcimus in charge of the country and left with him a force to aid him. Then Bacchides went away to the king.
21Alcimus struggled to maintain his high priesthood. 22All those who troubled their people joined him, and they took control of the land of Judah, and did great damage in Israel. 23Judas saw all the wrongs that Alcimus and his company had done among the children of Israel, even more than the Gentiles. 24He went out into all the borders of Judea and took vengeance on the men who had deserted from him, and they were restrained from going out into the country. 25But when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had grown strong, and knew that he was not able to withstand them, he returned to the king, and brought evil accusations against them.
26Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honorable princes, a man who hated Israel and was their enemy, and commanded him to destroy the people. 27Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army. He sent to Judas and his kindred deceitfully with words of peace, saying, 28“Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see your faces in peace.” 29He came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. The enemies were ready to seize Judas by violence. 30This was known to Judas, that he came to him with deceit, and he was very afraid of him, and would see his face no more. 31Nicanor found out that his plan was disclosed; and he went out to meet Judas in battle beside Capharsalama. 32About five hundred men of Nicanor’s army fell, and the rest fled into the city of David.
33After these things, Nicanor went up to mount Zion. Some of the priests came out of the sanctuary, with some of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to show him the whole burned sacrifice that was being offered for the king. 34He mocked them, laughed at them, derided them shamefully, spoke arrogantly, 35and swore in a rage, saying, “Unless Judas and his army are now delivered into my hands, it shall be that, if I return safely, I will burn up this house!” And he went out in a great rage. 36The priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple; and they wept, and said, 37“You chose this house to be called by Your name, to be a house of prayer and supplication for Your people. 38Take vengeance on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and don’t allow them to live any longer.”
39Then Nicanor went out from Jerusalem and encamped in Bethhoron, and there the Syrian army met him. 40Judas encamped in Adasa with three thousand men. Judas prayed and said, 41“When those who came from the king blasphemed, Your angel went out, and struck among them one hundred eighty-five thousand. 42Even so, crush this army before us today, and let all the rest know that he has spoken wickedly against Your sanctuary. Judge him according to his wickedness.” 43On the thirteenth day of the month Adar, the armies met in battle. Nicanor’s army was defeated, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle. 44Now when his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw away their weapons and fled. 45They pursued them a day’s journey from Adasa until you come to Gazara, and they sounded an alarm after them with the signal trumpets. 46Men came out of all the surrounding villages of Judea, and outflanked them. These turned them back on those, and they all fell by the sword. There wasn’t one of them left. 47The Jews took the spoils and the booty, and they cut off Nicanor’s head and his right hand, which he had stretched out so arrogantly, and brought them, and hung them up beside Jerusalem. 48The people were exceedingly glad, and they kept that day as a day of great gladness. 49They ordained to keep this day year by year on the thirteenth day of Adar. 50So the land of Judah had rest a few days.
1Anno centesimo quinquagesimo primo, exiit Demetrius Seleuci filius ab urbe Roma, et ascendit cum paucis viris in civitatem maritimam, et regnavit illic. 2Et factum est, ut ingressus est domum regni patrum suorum, comprehendit exercitus Antiochum et Lysiam, ut adducerent eos ad eum. 3Et res ei innotuit, et ait: Nolite mihi ostendere faciem eorum. 4Et occidit eos exercitus. Et sedit Demetrius super sedem regni sui. 5Et venerunt ad eum viri iniqui et impii ex Israël: et Alcimus dux eorum, qui volebat fieri sacerdos. 6Et accusaverunt populum apud regem, dicentes: Perdidit Judas et fratres ejus omnes amicos tuos, et nos dispersit de terra nostra. 7Nunc ergo mitte virum, cui credis, ut eat, et videat exterminium omne quod fecit nobis, et regionibus regis: et puniat omnes amicos ejus, et adjutores eorum. 8Et elegit rex ex amicis suis Bacchidem, qui dominabatur trans flumen magnum in regno, et fidelem regi: et misit eum, 9ut videret exterminium quod fecit Judas: sed et Alcimum impium constituit in sacerdotium, et mandavit ei facere ultionem in filios Israël. 10Et surrexerunt, et venerunt cum exercitu magno in terram Juda: et miserunt nuntios, et locuti sunt ad Judam et ad fratres ejus verbis pacificis in dolo. 11Et non intenderunt sermonibus eorum: viderunt enim quia venerunt cum exercitu magno. 12Et convenerunt ad Alcimum et Bacchidem congregatio scribarum requirere quæ justa sunt: 13et primi, Assidæi qui erant in filiis Israël: et exquirebant ab eis pacem. 14Dixerunt enim: Homo sacerdos de semine Aaron venit; non decipiet nos: 15et locutus est cum eis verba pacifica, et juravit illis, dicens: Non inferemus vobis malum, neque amicis vestris. 16Et crediderunt ei: et comprehendit ex eis sexaginta viros, et occidit eos in una die, secundum verbum quod scriptum est: 17Carnes sanctorum tuorum, et sanguinem ipsorum effuderunt in circuitu Jerusalem, et non erat qui sepeliret. 18Et incubuit timor et tremor in omnem populum: quia dixerunt: Non est veritas, et judicium in eis: transgressi sunt enim constitutum, et jusjurandum quod juraverunt. 19Et movit Bacchides castra ab Jerusalem, et applicuit in Bethzecha: et misit, et comprehendit multos ex eis qui a se effugerant: et quosdam de populo mactavit, et in puteum magnum projecit. 20Et commisit regionem Alcimo, et reliquit cum eo auxilium in adjutorium ipsi. Et abiit Bacchides ad regem: 21et satis agebat Alcimus pro principatu sacerdotii sui: 22et convenerunt ad eum omnes, qui perturbabant populum suum, et obtinuerunt terram Juda, et fecerunt plagam magnam in Israël. 23Et vidit Judas omnia mala quæ fecit Alcimus et qui cum eo erant filiis Israël, multo plus quam gentes: 24et exiit in omnes fines Judææ in circuitu, et fecit vindictam in viros desertores, et cessaverunt ultra exire in regionem. 25Vidit autem Alcimus quod prævaluit Judas et qui cum eo erant, et cognovit quia non potest sustinere eos: et regressus est ad regem, et accusavit eos multis criminibus. 26Et misit rex Nicanorem, unum ex principibus suis nobilioribus, qui erat inimicitias exercens contra Israël: et mandavit ei evertere populum. 27Et venit Nicanor in Jerusalem cum exercitu magno, et misit ad Judam et ad fratres ejus verbis pacificis cum dolo, 28dicens: Non sit pugna inter me et vos: veniam cum viris paucis, ut videam facies vestras cum pace. 29Et venit ad Judam, et salutaverunt se invicem pacifice: et hostes parati erant rapere Judam. 30Et innotuit sermo Judæ quoniam cum dolo venerat ad eum: et conterritus est ab eo, et amplius noluit videre faciem ejus. 31Et cognovit Nicanor quoniam denudatum est consilium ejus: et exivit obviam Judæ in pugnam juxta Capharsalama. 32Et ceciderunt de Nicanoris exercitu fere quinque millia viri, et fugerunt in civitatem David. 33Et post hæc verba ascendit Nicanor in montem Sion: et exierunt de sacerdotibus populi salutare eum in pace, et demonstrare ei holocautomata, quæ offerebantur pro rege. 34Et irridens sprevit eos, et polluit: et locutus est superbe, 35et juravit cum ira, dicens: Nisi traditus fuerit Judas et exercitus ejus in manus meas, continuo cum regressus fuero in pace, succendam domum istam. Et exiit cum ira magna. 36Et intraverunt sacerdotes, et steterunt ante faciem altaris et templi, et flentes dixerunt: 37Tu, Domine, elegisti domum istam ad invocandum nomen tuum in ea, ut esset domus orationis et obsecrationis populo tuo: 38fac vindictam in homine isto et exercitu ejus, et cadant in gladio: memento blasphemias eorum, et ne dederis eis ut permaneant. 39Et exiit Nicanor ab Jerusalem, et castra applicuit ad Bethoron: et occurrit illi exercitus Syriæ. 40Et Judas applicuit in Adarsa cum tribus millibus viris: et oravit Judas, et dixit: 41Qui missi erant a rege Sennacherib, Domine, quia blasphemaverunt te, exiit angelus, et percussit ex eis centum octoginta quinque millia: 42sic contere exercitum istum in conspectu nostro hodie: et sciant ceteri quia male locutus est super sancta tua: et judica illum secundum malitiam illius. 43Et commiserunt exercitus prælium tertiadecima die mensis Adar: et contrita sunt castra Nicanoris, et cecidit ipse primus in prælio. 44Ut autem vidit exercitus ejus quia cecidisset Nicanor, projecerunt arma sua, et fugerunt: 45et persecuti sunt eos viam unius diei ab Adazer usquequo veniatur in Gazara, et tubis cecinerunt post eos cum significationibus: 46et exierunt de omnibus castellis Judææ in circuitu, et ventilabant eos cornibus, et convertebantur iterum ad eos, et ceciderunt omnes gladio, et non est relictus ex eis nec unus. 47Et acceperunt spolia eorum in prædam: et caput Nicanoris amputaverunt, et dexteram ejus, quam extenderat superbe, et attulerunt, et suspenderunt contra Jerusalem. 48Et lætatus est populus valde, et egerunt diem illam in lætitia magna. 49Et constituit agi omnibus annis diem istam tertiadecima die mensis Adar. 50Et siluit terra Juda dies paucos.