Renewed Attacks from Syria

¹⁸ Meanwhile the garrison in the citadel kept hemming Israel in around the sanctuary. They were trying in every way to harm them and strengthen the nations.^{(A) 19} Judas therefore resolved to destroy them and assembled all the people to besiege them. ²⁰ They gathered together and besieged the citadel^[a] in the one hundred fiftieth year, and he built siege towers and engines of war.^{(B) 21} But some of the garrison escaped from the siege, and some of the ungodly Israelites joined them.^{(C) 22} They went to the king and said, “How long will you fail to do justice and to avenge our kindred? ²³ We were happy to serve your father, to live by what he said, and to follow his commands.^{(D) 24} For this reason the sons of our people besieged the citadel^[b] and became hostile to us; moreover, they have put to death as many of us as they have caught, and they have seized our inheritances. ²⁵ It is not against us alone that they have stretched out their hands; they have also attacked all the lands on their borders. ²⁶ And see, today they have encamped against the citadel in Jerusalem to take it; they have fortified both the sanctuary and Beth-zur;^{(E) 27} unless you quickly prevent them, they will do still greater things, and you will not be able to stop them.”

²⁸ The king was enraged when he heard this. He assembled all his Friends, the commanders of his forces and those in authority.^{[c](F) 29} Mercenary forces also came to him from other kingdoms and from islands of the seas.^{(G) 30} The number of his forces was one hundred thousand foot soldiers, twenty thousand horsemen, and thirty-two elephants accustomed to war.^{(H) 31} They came through Idumea and encamped against Beth-zur, and for many days they fought and built engines of war, but the Jews^[d] sallied out and burned these with fire and fought courageously.^(I)

The Battle at Beth-zechariah

³² Then Judas marched away from the citadel and encamped at Beth-zechariah, opposite the camp of the king. ³³ Early in the morning the king set out and took his army by a forced march along the road to Beth-zechariah, and his troops made ready for battle and sounded their trumpets. ³⁴ They offered the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries, to arouse them for battle. ³⁵ They distributed the animals among the phalanxes; with each elephant they stationed a thousand men armed with coats of mail and with brass helmets on their heads, and five hundred picked horsemen were assigned to each beast. ³⁶ These took their position beforehand wherever the animal was; wherever it went, they went with it, and they never left it. ³⁷ On the elephants^[e] were wooden towers, strong and covered; they were fastened on each animal by special harness, and on each were four^[f] armed men who fought from there and also its Indian driver. ³⁸ The rest of the cavalry were stationed on either side, on the two flanks of the army, to harass the enemy while being themselves protected by the phalanxes. ³⁹ When the sun shone on the shields of gold and brass, the hills were ablaze with them and gleamed like flaming torches.

⁴⁰ Now a part of the king’s army was spread out on the high hills, and some troops were on the plain, and they advanced steadily and in good order. ⁴¹ All who heard the noise made by their multitude, by the marching of the multitude and the clanking of their arms, trembled, for the army was very large and strong. ⁴² But Judas and his army advanced to the battle, and six hundred of the king’s army fell. ⁴³ Now Eleazar, called Avaran, saw that one of the animals was equipped with royal armor. It was taller than all the others, and he supposed that the king was on it.^{(J) 44} So he gave his life to save his people and to win for himself an everlasting name.^{(K) 45} He courageously ran into the midst of the phalanx to reach it; he killed men right and left, and they parted before him on both sides. ⁴⁶ He got under the elephant, stabbed it from beneath, and killed it, but it fell to the ground upon him and he died. ⁴⁷ When the Jews^[g] saw the royal might and the fierce attack of the forces, they turned away in flight.

The Conversion of Saul

9 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest^{(A) 2} and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.^{(B) 4} He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”^{(C) 5} He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” ⁷ The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.^{(D) 8} Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing;^[a] so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹ For three days he was without sight and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰ Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”^{(E) 11} The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,^{(F) 12} and he has seen in a vision^[b] a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” ¹³ But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.”^{(G) 15} But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;^{(H) 16} I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”^{(I) 17} So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul^[c] and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”^{(J) 18} And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, ¹⁹ and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul Preaches in Damascus

For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,^{(K) 20} and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” ²¹ All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”^{(L) 22} Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus^[d] was the Messiah.^[e](M)

Saul Escapes from the Jews

²³ After some time had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him,^{(N) 24} but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night so that they might kill him,^{(O) 25} but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall,^[f] lowering him in a basket.

Saul in Jerusalem

²⁶ When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.^{(P) 27} But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.^{(Q) 28} So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ He spoke and argued with the Hellenists, but they were attempting to kill him.^{(R) 30} When the brothers and sisters learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

³¹ Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.^(S)

The Siege of the Temple

⁴⁸ The soldiers of the king’s army went up to Jerusalem against them, and the king encamped in Judea and at Mount Zion. ⁴⁹ He made peace with the people of Beth-zur, and they evacuated the town because they had no provisions there to withstand a siege, since it was a sabbatical year for the land.^{(A) 50} So the king took Beth-zur and stationed a guard there to hold it.^{(B) 51} Then he encamped before the sanctuary for many days. He set up siege towers, engines of war, devices to throw fire and stones, machines to shoot arrows, and catapults.^{(C) 52} The Jews^[a] also made engines of war to match theirs and fought for many days. ⁵³ But they had no food in storage,^[b] because it was the seventh year; those who had found safety in Judea from the nations had consumed the last of the stores. ⁵⁴ Only a few men were left in the sanctuary; the rest scattered to their own homes, for the famine proved too much for them.

Syria Offers Terms

⁵⁵ Then Lysias heard that Philip, whom King Antiochus while still living had appointed to bring up his son Antiochus to be king,^{(D) 56} had returned from Persia and Media with the forces that had gone with the king and that he was trying to seize control of the government.^{(E) 57} So he quickly gave orders to withdraw and said to the king, to the commanders of the forces, and to the troops, “Daily we grow weaker, our food supply is scant, the place against which we are fighting is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom press urgently on us. ⁵⁸ Now, then, let us come to terms with these people and make peace with them and with all their nation.^{(F) 59} Let us agree to let them live by their laws as they did before, for it was on account of their laws that we abolished that they became angry and did all these things.”^(G)

⁶⁰ The speech pleased the king and the commanders, and he sent to the Jews^[c] an offer of peace, and they accepted it.^{(H) 61} So the king and the commanders gave them their oath. On these conditions the Jews^[d] evacuated the stronghold. ⁶² But when the king entered Mount Zion and saw what a strong fortress the place was, he broke the oath he had sworn and gave orders to tear down the wall all around.^{(I) 63} Then he set off in haste and returned to Antioch. He found Philip in control of the city, but he fought against him and took the city by force.^(J)

The Healing of Aeneas

³² Now as Peter went here and there among all the brothers and sisters,^[a] he came down also to the saints living in Lydda.^{(A) 33} There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed. ³⁴ Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!” And immediately he got up.^{(B) 35} And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.^(C)

Peter in Lydda and Joppa

³⁶ Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas.^[b] She was devoted to good works and acts of charity.^{(D) 37} At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs.^{(E) 38} Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.”^{(F) 39} So Peter got up and went with them, and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them.^{(G) 40} Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.^{(H) 41} He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive.^{(I) 42} This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ Meanwhile, he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.^(J)