1 Maccabees 2:15-44

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

¹⁵ And they that were sent from king Antiochus came thither, to compel them that were fled into the city of Modin, to sacrifice, and to burn incense, and to depart from the law of God.

¹⁶ And many of the people of Israel consented, and came to them: but Mathathias and his sons stood firm.

¹⁷ And they that were sent from Antiochus, answering, said to Mathathias: Thou art a ruler, and an honourable, and great man in this city, and adorned with sons, and brethren.

¹⁸ Therefore come thou first, and obey the king's commandment, as all nations have done, and the men of Juda, and they that remain in Jerusalem: and thou, and thy sons, shall be in the number of the king's friends, and enriched with gold, and silver, and many presents.

¹⁹ Then Mathathias answered, and said with a loud voice: Although all nations obey king Antiochus, so as to depart every man from the service of the law of his fathers, and consent to his commandments:

²⁰ I and my sons, and my brethren will obey the law of our fathers.

²¹ God be merciful unto us: it is not profitable for us to forsake the law, and the justices of God:

²² We will not hearken to the words of king Antiochus, neither will we sacrifice, and transgress the commandments of our law, to go another way.

²³ Now as he left off speaking these words, there came a certain Jew in the sight of all to sacrifice to the idols upon the altar in the city of Modin, according to the king's commandment.

²⁴ And Mathathias saw and was grieved, and his reins trembled, and his wrath was kindled according to the judgment of the law, and running upon him he slew him upon the altar:

²⁵ Moreover the man whom king Antiochus had sent, who compelled them to sacrifice, he slew at the same time, and pulled down the altar.

²⁶ And shewed zeal for the law, as Phinees did by Zamri the son of Salomi.

²⁷ And Mathathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: Every one that hath zeal for the law, and maintaineth the testament, let him follow me.

²⁸ So he, and his sons fled into the mountains, and left all that they had in the city.

²⁹ Then many that sought after judgment, and justice, went down into the desert:

³⁰ And they abode there, they and their children, and their wives, and their cattle: because afflictions increased upon them.

³¹ And it was told to the king's men, and to the army that was in Jerusalem in the city of David, that certain men who had broken the king's commandment, were gone away into the secret places in the wilderness, and that many were gone after them.

³² And forthwith they went out towards them, and made war against them on the sabbath day,

³³ And they said to them: Do you still resist? come forth, and do according to the edict of king Antiochus, and you shall live.

³⁴ And they said: We will not come forth, neither will we obey the king's edict, to profane the sabbath day.

³⁵ And they made haste to give them battle.

³⁶ But they answered them not, neither did they cast a stone at them, nor stopped up the secret places,

³⁷ Saying: Let us all die in our innocency: and heaven and earth shall be witnesses for us, that you put us to death wrongfully.

³⁸ So they gave them battle on the sabbath: and they were slain with their wives, and their children, and their cattle, to the number of a thousand persons.

³⁹ And Mathathias and his friends heard of it, and they mourned for them exceedingly.

⁴⁰ And every man said to his neighbour: If we shall all do as our brethren have done, and not fight against the heathens for our lives, and our justifications: they will now quickly root us out of the earth.

⁴¹ And they determined in that day, saying: Whosoever shall come up against us to fight on the sabbath day, we will fight against him: and we will not all die, as our brethren that were slain in the secret places.

⁴² Then was assembled to them the congregation of the Assideans, the stoutest of Israel, every one that had a good will for the law.

⁴³ And all they that fled from the evils, joined themselves to them, and were a support to them.

⁴⁴ And they gathered an army, and slew the sinners in their wrath, and the wicked men in their indignation: and the rest fled to the nations for safety.