1Now about this time Antiochus made his second invasion into Egypt. 2It happened that throughout all the city, for almost forty days, cavalry appeared in the midst of the sky in swift motion, wearing robes woven with gold and carrying spears, equipped with troops for battle— 3drawing swords, squadrons of cavalry in array, encounters and pursuits of both armies, shaking shields, multitudes of lances, throwing of missiles, flashing of golden trappings, and putting on all sorts of armor. 4Therefore everyone prayed that the manifestation might have been given for good.
5When a false rumor had arisen that Antiochus was dead, Jason took not less than a thousand men, and suddenly made an assault upon the city. When those who were on the wall were being routed, and the city was at length nearly taken, Menelaus took refuge in the citadel. 6But Jason slaughtered his own citizens without mercy, not considering that good success against kinsmen is the greatest misfortune, but supposing himself to be setting up trophies over enemies, and not over fellow countrymen. 7He didn’t win control of the government, but receiving shame as the result of his conspiracy, he fled again as a fugitive into the country of the Ammonites. 8At last therefore he met with a miserable end. Having been imprisoned at the court of Aretas the prince of the Arabians, fleeing from city to city, pursued by all men, hated as a rebel against the laws, and abhorred as the executioner of his country and his fellow citizens, he was cast ashore in Egypt. 9He who had driven many from their own country into exile perished in exile, having crossed the sea to the Lacedaemonians, hoping to find shelter there because they were near of kin. 10He who had thrown out a multitude unburied had none to mourn for him. He didn’t have any funeral at all and no place in the tomb of his ancestors.
11Now when news came to the king concerning that which was done, he thought that Judea was in revolt. So, setting out from Egypt in a rage, he took the city by force of weapons, 12and commanded his soldiers to cut down without mercy those who came in their way, and to kill those who went into their houses. 13Then there was killing of young and old, destruction of boys, women, and children, and slaying of virgins and infants. 14In a total of three days, eighty thousand were destroyed, of which forty thousand were slain in close combat, and no fewer were sold into slavery than slain.
15Not content with this, he presumed to enter into the most holy temple of all the earth, having Menelaus for his guide (who had proved himself a traitor both to the laws and to his country), 16even taking the sacred vessels with his polluted hands, and dragging down with his profane hands the offerings that had been dedicated by other kings to enhance the glory and honor of the place. 17Antiochus was lifted up in mind, not seeing that because of the sins of those who lived in the city the Sovereign Lord had been provoked to anger a little while, and therefore His eye was turned away from the place. 18But had it not been so that they were already bound by many sins, this man, even as Heliodorus who was sent by King Seleucus to view the treasury, would, as soon as he came forward, have been scourged and turned back from his daring deed. 19However the Lord didn’t choose the nation for the place’s sake, but the place for the nation’s sake. 20Therefore also the place itself, having shared in the calamities that happened to the nation, did afterward share in its benefits; and the place which was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty was, at the reconciliation of the great Sovereign, restored again with all glory.
21As for Antiochus, when he had carried away out of the temple one thousand eight hundred talents, he hurried away to Antioch, thinking in his arrogance that he could sail on land and walk on the sea, because his heart was lifted up. 22Moreover he left governors to afflict the race: at Jerusalem, Philip, by race a Phrygian, and in character more barbarous than him who set him there; 23and at Gerizim, Andronicus; and besides these, Menelaus, who worse than all the rest, exalted himself against his fellow citizens. Having a malicious mind toward the Jews whom he had made his citizens, 24he sent that lord of pollutions Apollonius with an army of twenty-two thousand, commanding him to kill all those who were of full age, and to sell the women and the boys as slaves. 25He came to Jerusalem, and pretending to be a man of peace, waited till the holy day of the Sabbath, and finding the Jews at rest from work, he commanded his men to parade fully armed. 26He put to the sword all those who came out to the spectacle. Running into the city with the armed men, he killed great multitudes. 27But Judas, who is also called Maccabaeus, with about nine others, withdrew himself, and with his company kept himself alive in the mountains like wild animals do. They continued feeding on what grew wild, that they might not be partakers of the defilement.
1Eodem tempore, Antiochus secundam profectionem paravit in Ægyptum. 2Contigit autem per universam Jerosolymorum civitatem videri diebus quadraginta per aëra equites discurrentes, auratas stolas habentes et hastis, quasi cohortes armatos: 3et cursus equorum per ordines digestos, et congressiones fieri cominus, et scutorum motus, et galeatorum multitudinem gladiis districtis, et telorum jactus, et aureorum armorum splendorem, omnisque generis loricarum. 4Quapropter omnes rogabant in bonum monstra converti. 5Sed cum falsus rumor exisset, tamquam vita excessisset Antiochus, assumptis Jason non minus mille viris, repente agressus est civitatem: et civibus ad murum convolantibus ad ultimum apprehensa civitate, Menelaus fugit in arcem: 6Jason vero non parcebat in cæde civibus suis, nec cogitabat prosperitatem adversum cognatos malum esse maximum, arbitrans hostium et non civium se trophæa capturum. 7Et principatum quidem non obtinuit, finem vero insidiarum suarum confusionem accepit, et profugus iterum abiit in Ammanitem. 8Ad ultimum, in exitium sui conclusus ab Areta Arabum tyranno fugiens de civitate in civitatem, omnibus odiosus, ut refuga legum et execrabilis, ut patriæ et civium hostis, in Ægyptum extrusus est: 9et qui multos de patria sua expulerat, peregre periit, Lacedæmonas profectus, quasi pro cognatione ibi refugium habiturus: 10et qui insepultos multos abjecerat, ipse et illamentatus et insepultus abjicitur, sepultura neque peregrina usus, neque patrio sepulchro participans. 11His itaque gestis, suspicatus est rex societatem deserturos Judæos: et ob hoc profectus ex Ægypto efferatis animis, civitatem quidem armis cepit. 12Jussit autem militibus interficere, nec parcere occursantibus, et per domos ascendentes trucidare. 13Fiebant ergo cædes juvenum ac seniorum, et mulierum et natorum exterminia, virginumque et parvulorum neces. 14Erant autem toto triduo octoginta millia interfecti, quadraginta millia vincti, non minus autem venundati. 15Sed nec ista sufficiunt: ausus est etiam intrare templum universa terra sanctius, Menelao ductore, qui legum et patriæ fuit proditor: 16et scelestis manibus sumens sancta vasa, quæ ab aliis regibus et civitatibus erant posita ad ornatum loci, et gloriam, contrectabat indigne, et contaminabat. 17Ita alienatus mente Antiochus, non considerabat quod propter peccata habitantium civitatem, modicum Deus fuerat iratus: propter quod et accidit circa locum despectio: 18alioquin nisi contigisset eos multis peccatis esse involutos, sicut Heliodorus, qui missus est a Seleuco rege ad expoliandum ærarium, etiam hic statim adveniens flagellatus, et repulsus utique fuisset ab audacia. 19Verum non propter locum, gentem: sed propter gentem, locum Deus elegit. 20Ideoque et ipse locus particeps factus est populi malorum: postea autem fiet socius bonorum, et qui derelictus in ira Dei omnipotentis est, iterum in magni Domini reconciliatione cum summa gloria exaltabitur. 21Igitur Antiochus mille et octingentis ablatis de templo talentis, velociter Antiochiam regressus est, existimans se præ superbia terram ad navigandum, pelagus vero ad iter agendum deducturum propter mentis elationem. 22Reliquit autem et præpositos ad affligendam gentem: Jerosolymis quidem Philippum genere Phrygem, moribus crudeliorem eo ipso a quo constitutus est: 23in Garizim autem Andronicum et Menelaum, qui gravius quam ceteri imminebant civibus. 24Cumque appositus esset contra Judæos, misit odiosum principem Apollonium cum exercitu viginti et duobus millibus, præcipiens ei omnes perfectæ ætatis interficere, mulieres ac juvenes vendere. 25Qui cum venisset Jerosolymam, pacem simulans, quievit usque ad diem sanctum sabbati: et tunc feriatis Judæis arma capere suis præcepit. 26Omnesque qui ad spectaculum processerant, trucidavit: et civitatem cum armatis discurrens, ingentem multitudinem peremit. 27Judas autem Machabæus, qui decimus fuerat, secesserat in desertum locum, ibique inter feras vitam in montibus cum suis agebat: et fœni cibo vescentes, demorabantur, ne participes essent coinquinationis.