1 Maccabees 3-11

Common English Bible

Early victories of Judas

3 Then his son Judas, known as Maccabeus, took command in his place. ² Every one of his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him, and they gladly fought for Israel.

¹⁰ Apollonius gathered Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel. ¹¹ When Judas found out about it, he went out to meet him in battle, then defeated and killed him. Judas wounded and killed many, while the rest fled. ¹² Then the Israelites seized their spoils. Judas took Apollonius’ sword and used it in battle for the rest of his life.

¹³ At this point, Seron the commander of the Syrian army heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a group of faithful soldiers who stayed with him and went out to battle. ¹⁴ He said, “I will make a name for myself and win honor in the kingdom. I will make war on Judas and his companions who reject the king’s command.” ¹⁵ Once more, a strong army of godless men went up with Seron to help him take vengeance on the Israelites.

¹⁶ When he approached the ascent to go up to Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a small group. ¹⁷ When they saw Seron’s army that was coming against them, they said to Judas, “How can we, who are so few, fight against so large and strong a multitude? What’s more, we feel faint because we haven’t eaten today.”

¹⁸ Judas answered, “It’s easy for many to be trapped by a few. In the sight of heaven, it makes no difference to win by many or by few. ¹⁹ It’s not the size of the army that brings victory in battle, because strength comes from heaven. ²⁰ They’re coming against us with a lot of pride and evil. They want to destroy us, along with our wives and children. They want to ruin us. ²¹ But we are fighting for our lives and for our laws. ²² The heavenly one himself will crush them before us. Don’t be afraid of them.”

²³ After Judas said these words, his soldiers rushed suddenly against Seron’s army, and they crushed them. ²⁴ Judas’ soldiers pursued Seron’s army down the hill from Beth-horon to the plain below. Eight hundred of them died. The rest fled into the land of the Philistines. ²⁵ After this, Judas and his brothers were feared. Terror fell on all the Gentiles around them. ²⁶ Even the king heard about his reputation, and the Gentiles talked about the battles waged by Judas.

Policy of Antiochus

²⁷ When King Antiochus heard about these matters, he became very angry. So he gathered together all the forces of his empire, a mighty army. ²⁸ He opened up his treasury and gave his soldiers a year’s pay in advance, and he ordered them to be ready for anything. ²⁹ Then he realized that the money in his treasury was all used up. The revenues from the country were small because of the turmoil and disaster that he had brought about in the land by abolishing the laws that had existed from early days. ³⁰ He became afraid that he might not have enough funds to provide for his expenses as well as for the gifts that he granted more abundantly than previous kings. ³¹ He was very troubled by this. Then he decided to go to Persia and collect revenues there and raise a large sum of money.

³² The king appointed Lysias, a distinguished man from a royal family, to be in charge of his affairs from the Euphrates River to the Egyptian border. ³³ He also wanted Lysias to take care of his young son Antiochus until he returned. ³⁴ So he gave Lysias authority over half of his armed forces and war elephants. He gave him orders regarding what he wanted him to do, including the matter of the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem. ³⁵ He wanted Lysias to send an army against them to wipe out and destroy Israel’s strength and the few remaining in Jerusalem. He ordered that their memory should be completely erased from the place. ³⁶ Lysias was to settle strangers in all their territory and divide up their lands by lot. ³⁷ Then the king took the other half of his forces and left his capital Antioch in the year 147.^[a] He crossed the Euphrates River and went through the upper provinces.

Preparations for battle

³⁸ Lysias selected Ptolemy, Dorymenes’ son, as well as Nicanor and Gorgias, two able men who were among the king’s chief political advisors. ³⁹ He sent them with forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into Judah and destroy it, as the king had commanded. ⁴⁰ So they headed out with their whole force. When they arrived, they set up camp in the plain near Emmaus. ⁴¹ When traders in the region heard about their plan, they took a great amount of silver and gold, together with shackles, and went to the camp intending to obtain some Israelites for slaves. A force from Idumea^[b] and the land of the Philistines also joined them.

⁴² Judas and his brothers saw that the situation was becoming increasingly difficult, as the military forces were encamped in their territory. They learned also that the king had commanded their complete destruction. ⁴³ But they spoke to each other, “Let’s restore our people after all they’ve suffered, and fight for our people and the sanctuary.” ⁴⁴ So the congregation gathered to prepare for battle, and to pray and ask for mercy and compassion.

⁴⁶ Then they assembled and went to Mizpah, across from Jerusalem, because Israelites used to have a place of prayer there. ⁴⁷ They fasted for a day and put on mourning clothes, sprinkled ashes on their heads, and tore their garments. ⁴⁸ In addition, they opened up the Law scroll to find answers to the kinds of questions Gentiles would ask of their idols. ⁴⁹ They also brought out the priestly garments as well as early produce and tenth-part gifts. They stirred up nazirites, who had completed the duration of their solomn promises. ⁵⁰ Then they cried aloud to heaven:

⁵⁴ Then they blew the trumpets and gave a loud shout. ⁵⁵ Judas appointed leaders of the people in charge of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens. ⁵⁶ In keeping with the Law, he told all who were building houses or were about to get married or were planting a vineyard or were fainthearted to go home. ⁵⁷ Then the army went on the march and camped south of Emmaus.

⁵⁸ Judas said: “Arm yourselves and be fearless. Be ready early in the morning to fight these Gentiles who have gathered here against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. ⁵⁹ It would be better for us to die fighting than to see the misfortunes of our nation and the sanctuary. ⁶⁰ Whatever may be heaven’s will, that’s what the heavenly one will do.”

Battle at Emmaus

4 Gorgias took five thousand infantry and one thousand select cavalry, and this division moved out secretly at night. ² He wanted to come to the Jewish camp and attack without warning. Men from the elevated fortress served as his guides. ³ But Judas heard about it, and he and his warriors moved out to attack the king’s forces in Emmaus ⁴ while the division was absent from the camp. ⁵ So when Gorgias entered Judas’ camp during the night, there was no one there. He started looking for them in the hills, because he said, “These men are running away from us.”

⁶ At daybreak, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men. But they didn’t have armor and swords such as they would have liked. ⁷ They saw the Gentile camp, strongly fortified, surrounded by cavalry clearly trained in warfare. ⁸ Judas said to those who were with him: “Don’t fear their numbers or be afraid when they charge. ⁹ Remember how our ancestors were saved at the Red Sea,^[c] when Pharaoh was pursuing them with his forces. ¹⁰ So let’s cry to heaven to see if the heavenly one will favor us and remember his covenant with our ancestors and crush this army in front of us today. ¹¹ Then all the Gentiles will know that there is someone who redeems and saves Israel.”

¹² The foreigners looked up and saw the Israelites coming against them. ¹³ They went out from their camp to engage them in battle. The men with Judas blew their trumpets, and the battle began. ¹⁴ The Gentiles were crushed and fled into the plain. ¹⁵ All those who were in the rear were killed by the sword. The Israelites pursued them to Gazara, to the plains of Idumea, and to Azotus and Jamnia. Three thousand Gentiles died. ¹⁶ Judas and his forces stopped pursuing them. ¹⁷ He said to everyone: “Don’t be greedy to plunder, for there is still a battle ahead of us. ¹⁸ Gorgias and his force are still near us in the hills. Stand now against our enemies and fight them. Then afterward boldly seize the spoils.”

¹⁹ Just as Judas said this, a detachment of Gentiles cautiously appeared, coming out of the hills. ²⁰ They saw that their army had been put to flight and that the Jews were burning the camp, as evident from the smoke over the area. ²¹ When they saw the devastation and noticed Judas’ army in the plain ready for battle, they were terrified. ²² They ran away into the land of the Philistines. ²³ So Judas went back to plunder the camp. His army took a great amount of gold and silver, cloth that was dyed blue and purple, and great riches. ²⁴ As they returned, they sang hymns and songs of praise to heaven: “God is good, because his mercy endures forever.” ²⁵ That day Israel had a great deliverance.

First campaign of Lysias

²⁶ The foreigners who escaped went and told Lysias about all that had happened. ²⁷ When he heard it, he was perplexed and discouraged. Things hadn’t happened to Israel as he had intended, and they hadn’t turned out the way that the king commanded. ²⁸ The next year he gathered together sixty thousand select men and five thousand cavalry, intending to subdue the Israelites. ²⁹ They came to Idumea and camped at Beth-zur. Judas, on the other hand, went out to meet them with ten thousand men.

³⁰ When Judas saw how numerous their army was, he prayed:

³⁴ Then both sides attacked each other. Five thousand men from Lysias’ army died in the fighting. ³⁵ Lysias saw his troops being defeated and took note of the boldness that inspired Judas’ troops—how ready they were to live or die bravely. So he withdrew to Antioch and enlisted mercenaries so that he could invade Judea again with an even bigger army.

Cleansing and dedication of the temple

³⁶ At that time Judas and his brothers said, “Look, our enemies have been crushed. Let’s go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary.” ³⁷ All the army gathered together and went up to Mount Zion. ³⁸ They found the sanctuary deserted, the altar treated with disrespect, and the gates burned. In the courts, bushes had sprung up like in an open field or on one of the mountains. They saw that the priests’ chambers were in ruins as well. ³⁹ So they tore their clothes and mourned with great sorrow. They sprinkled their heads with ashes ⁴⁰ and fell facedown on the ground. When the trumpets sounded a signal, they cried out to heaven.

⁴¹ Then Judas chose some soldiers to fight against those stationed in the elevated fortress until he completed cleansing the sanctuary. ⁴² He selected priests who were blameless and devoted to the Law. ⁴³ They cleansed the sanctuary and took the polluted stones to a ritually unclean place. ⁴⁴ They discussed what to do about the altar for entirely burned offerings, since it had been polluted. ⁴⁵ They decided it was best to tear it down so that it wouldn’t be a lasting shameful reminder to them that the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar. ⁴⁶ They stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple mount until a prophet should arise who could say what to do with them. ⁴⁷ They then took unfinished stones, in keeping with the Law, and built a new altar like the former one.

⁴⁸ They also restored the sanctuary and the temple interior, and dedicated the courtyards. ⁴⁹ They fashioned new holy equipment and brought the lampstand, the incense altar, and the table into the temple. ⁵⁰ Then they offered incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lampstand, which illuminated the temple. ⁵¹ They placed bread on the table and hung curtains. Finally, they completed all the work that they had started.

⁵² They rose early in the morning of the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev.^[d] It was the year 148. ⁵³ They offered sacrifice, following the Law, on the new altar for entirely burned offerings that they had made. ⁵⁴ In the very season, on the exact day that the Gentiles had polluted it, it was dedicated with songs, harps, lutes, and cymbals. ⁵⁵ All the people bowed to the ground and worshipped and blessed heaven, which had given them success.

⁵⁶ So they celebrated the rededication of the altar for eight days and joyfully made entirely burned offerings. They offered a sacrifice of deliverance and praise. ⁵⁷ They decorated the front of the temple with gold crowns and small shields. They restored the gates and the priests’ chambers, furnishing them with doors. ⁵⁸ The people were extremely glad, and the disgrace the Gentiles brought was lifted.

⁵⁹ Then Judas, with his brothers and all the assembly of Israel, laid down a law that every year at that season the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and happiness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of Kislev.^[e]

⁶⁰ At that same time the Israelites built high walls and strong towers all around Mount Zion so that the Gentiles did not come and trample them as they had done previously. ⁶¹ Judas stationed an occupying force there as guards. He also built up Beth-zur to protect it so that the people might have a fortress that faced in the direction of Idumea.

Wars with neighboring peoples

5 When the Gentiles living nearby learned that the altar had been rebuilt and the sanctuary had been dedicated just as it was before, they became very angry. ² They sought to wipe out Jacob’s descendants who lived among them. So they started to kill and destroy the people.

³ But Judas waged war on the descendants of Esau in Idumea at Akrabattene because they kept ambushing Israelites. He dealt them a heavy blow, humbling them and taking their goods. ⁴ He also took note of the wickedness of Baean’s sons, who were trapping, catching, and ambushing people on the highways. ⁵ Judas shut them up in their towers. He camped against them, and by promising their complete destruction, he burned their towers and all who were in them. ⁶ Then he moved against the Ammonites. He found a strong group with many people and a man named Timothy as their leader. ⁷ Judas had many battles with them, beat them severely, and struck them down. ⁸ He also captured Jazer and its villages. Then he went back to Judea.

Liberation of Galilean Jews

⁹ Then the Gentiles in Gilead gathered together against the Israelites who lived in their territory, planning to destroy them. So the Jews fled to the fortress of Dathema. ¹⁰ They sent a letter to Judas and his brothers:

¹⁴ While the letter was still being read, other messengers from Galilee, with torn clothing, said similar things. ¹⁵ They related that the people of Ptolemais, Tyre, Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles had gathered together “to annihilate us.” ¹⁶ When Judas and the people heard all this, a great assembly was called to decide what they should do to assist their people who were in distress and were being attacked by enemies. ¹⁷ Then Judas said to Simon his brother: “Choose your men and go rescue your people in Galilee. My brother Jonathan and I will go to Gilead.” ¹⁸ He left Joseph, Zechariah’s son, and Azariah, a leader of the people, with the rest of the forces in Judea to guard it. ¹⁹ He commanded them, “Take charge of this people, but don’t engage in battle with the Gentiles before we return.” ²⁰ Three thousand men were assigned to Simon to go to Galilee, and eight thousand were to go with Judas to Gilead.

²¹ So Simon went to Galilee, fought several battles with the Gentiles, and crushed them. ²² He pursued them to the gate of Ptolemais. As many as three thousand Gentiles died, and he plundered their possessions. ²³ Then he took the Jews of Galilee and Arbatta, together with their wives and children and all they owned, and led them to Judea with great rejoicing.

Judas and Jonathan in Gilead

²⁴ Judas Maccabeus and his brother Jonathan crossed the Jordan and traveled for three days into the wilderness. ²⁵ They encountered the Nabateans, who greeted them in peace and related all that had happened to their people in Gilead: ²⁶ “Many of them have been cornered inside Bozrah and Bosor, in Alema and Chaspho, in Maked and Carnaim.” These were strong and large towns. ²⁷ “Some have been confined in other towns in Gilead. The enemy is getting ready to attack the fortresses tomorrow. They intend to capture and destroy all these people in a single day.”

²⁸ So Judas and his army turned back quickly to Bozrah by the wilderness road. He took the town and killed every male by the sword. He seized all their goods and burned down the town. ²⁹ He left there by night and went all the way to the fortress. ³⁰ At daybreak they looked around and saw a large company, too many to count, carrying ladders and war engines to use to capture the fortress. They were attacking those inside. ³¹ So Judas saw that the battle had already begun and that the cries of the townspeople went up to heaven. There were trumpet blasts and loud shouts. ³² He said to his forces: “Fight today for your people!” ³³ He came up behind them in three companies. They sounded their trumpets and cried out in prayer. ³⁴ When Timothy’s army realized that it was Maccabeus, they ran away. But Judas dealt them a heavy blow. As many as eight thousand of the enemy died that day.

³⁵ Judas turned next to Maapha. He fought against it and took it. He killed every male in it, plundered it, and burned it with fire. ³⁶ After that he marched ahead and took Chaspho, Maked, Bosor, and the other towns of Gilead.

³⁷ Following this, Timothy assembled another army and encamped opposite Raphon, on the other side of the stream. ³⁸ Judas sent spies to observe the camp, and they reported: “All the Gentiles around us have gone over to him—it’s a very large force. ³⁹ They have also hired Arabs to help them. They’re camped across the stream, and they’re ready to come and fight against you.” So Judas went out to meet them.

⁴⁰ As Judas and his army were drawing near to the stream of water, Timothy told the officers of his forces, “If Judas crosses the water first, we won’t be able to resist him, and he’ll surely defeat us. ⁴¹ But if he hesitates out of fear and camps on the other side of the river, then we’ll cross over and defeat him.”

⁴² When Judas came to the stream of water, he stationed the scribes of the people there and issued this command: “Don’t let anyone start to make camp. Instead, force them all to enter the battle.” ⁴³ He then crossed over against them first, and the whole army followed him. All the Gentiles were defeated. They threw down their weapons and ran away into the sacred grounds at Carnaim. ⁴⁴ But Judas took the town and burned the sacred grounds with fire, together with all who were hiding there. Even Carnaim was conquered, and they couldn’t oppose Judas any longer.

Return to Jerusalem

⁴⁵ Then Judas gathered all the Israelites in Gilead to go to the land of Judah. It was a very large group, both small and great, with all their wives, children, and goods. ⁴⁶ They came to Ephron, a large and secure town along the way. They couldn’t go around it on either side. They had to go through it. ⁴⁷ But the townspeople shut them out and blocked up the gates with rocks.

⁴⁸ Judas sent them a peaceful message: “Let us pass through your land to get to ours. We won’t do you any harm. We’ll just pass through by foot.” But they still refused to open to him. ⁴⁹ So Judas ordered that the army camp wherever they were, ⁵⁰ and the forces did so. All that day and night he fought against the town, and it was handed over to him. ⁵¹ He killed every male by the edge of the sword, and he demolished and plundered the town. Then he passed through it, walking over the dead bodies.

⁵² After that they crossed the Jordan and came into the large plain in front of Beth-shan. ⁵³ Judas kept rallying those who fell behind and encouraged the people all along the way until he came to the land of Judah. ⁵⁴ They went up to Mount Zion with joy and gladness. They made entirely burned offerings, because they had returned safely. Not one of them had died.

Joseph and Azariah defeated

⁵⁵ Now this is what happened while Judas and Jonathan were in Gilead and their brother Simon was in Galilee in front of Ptolemais. ⁵⁶ Joseph, Zechariah’s son, and Azariah (the commanders of the forces that had remained behind) heard about their brave deeds and the war they had fought. ⁵⁷ So they said, “Let’s make a name for ourselves too. Let’s go and make war on the Gentiles around us.” ⁵⁸ They gave orders to the troops who were with them and marched against Jamnia. ⁵⁹ Gorgias and his troops came out from the town to engage them in battle. ⁶⁰ Joseph and Azariah were decisively defeated, and they were pursued to the borders of Judea. As many as two thousand Israelites died that day. ⁶¹ As a result, the people of Israel suffered a great defeat because, wanting to do a brave thing, they didn’t obey Judas and his brothers. ⁶² Furthermore, they didn’t belong to the family of those men through whom deliverance was given to Israel.

⁶³ All Israel and all the Gentiles greatly esteemed Judas and his brothers, wherever their name was heard. ⁶⁴ People gathered to them and praised them.

Success at Hebron and Philistia

⁶⁵ At that time, Judas and his brothers headed out and fought Esau’s descendants in the land to the south. He struck Hebron and its villages, tore down its fortress, and burned its towers all around. ⁶⁶ He then set out to enter the land of the Philistines and passed through Marisa. ⁶⁷ That day some priests who wished to do a brave deed died in battle because they had gone out to battle unwisely. ⁶⁸ But Judas turned aside to Azotus in the land of the Philistines. Judas tore down their altars, and he burned the carved images of their gods with fire. He plundered the towns and returned to Judah.

Last days of Antiochus Epiphanes

6 King Antiochus was traveling through the upper provinces when he heard that Elymais, a city in Persia, was famous for its great quantities of silver and gold. ² Its temple was very rich and contained gold shields, breastplates, and weapons that Alexander (the son of Philip, the first Macedonian king to rule over the Greeks) left there. ³ So he went and tried to take the city by force and plunder it. But he was unsuccessful because the city’s inhabitants knew about his plan. ⁴ They resisted him in battle, and he fled. With great disappointment, he planned to return to Babylon.

⁵ While King Antiochus was in Persia, someone came to him and reported that the armies that had gone into the land of Judah had been thoroughly defeated. ⁶ Lysias, who had gone first with a strong force, had turned and run from the Jews. The Jews then grew stronger when they took weapons, supplies, and abundant spoils from the armies they defeated. ⁷ They had taken down the disgusting thing that he had set up on the altar in Jerusalem. Furthermore, they had surrounded the sanctuary and also Lysias’ town Beth-zur with high walls like before.

⁸ When the king heard this news, he was stunned and badly shaken. He took to his bed, sick from grief. Things hadn’t turned out for him as he had planned. ⁹ He lay there for many days because he was deeply depressed. He realized that he was dying. ¹⁰ He called his closest political advisors^[f] and said to them, “Sleep has left my eyes. I’m depressed from worrying. ¹¹ I say to myself, What distress I’ve come to! What a great flood I’ve now been plunged into! Once I was kind and was loved in my power. ¹² But now I recall the wrongs I did in Jerusalem. I seized all its silver and gold equipment. I ordered the destruction of the inhabitants of Judah without good reason. ¹³ I know it’s because of all this that these misfortunes have come on me. I’m here, dying of bitter disappointment, in a foreign land.”

¹⁴ Then he called for one of his advisors named Philip and made him ruler over all of his kingdom. ¹⁵ He gave him the crown, his robe, and the seal so that he might guide his son Antiochus and prepare him to be king. ¹⁶ Then King Antiochus died there in the year 149. ¹⁷ When Lysias found out that the king had died, he arranged for the king’s son Antiochus, whom he had brought up from childhood, to rule. Lysias named him Eupator.

Renewed attacks from Syria

¹⁸ Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the elevated fortress kept surrounding the Israelites in the sanctuary. They were trying every way they could to harm them and strengthen the Gentiles. ¹⁹ Judas decided to destroy them. He brought all the people together to besiege them. ²⁰ They assembled together, built siege towers and other war engines, and attacked the Gentiles in the year 150. ²¹ However, some of the enemy forces escaped from the blockade, joined by a number of sinful Israelites. ²² They went to the king and said: “How long will you hold back from acting justly to avenge our people? ²³ We happily served your father. We did what he said, obeying his commands. ²⁴ Because of this, some of our people have laid siege to the citadel and are hostile to us. Furthermore, they’ve killed as many of us as they could catch. Now they’ve taken our wealth. ²⁵ Judas and his forces haven’t lifted their hands against us alone. They’ve also attacked all the neighboring lands. ²⁶ Look, today they’ve camped against the elevated fortress in Jerusalem to capture it. They’ve fortified both the sanctuary and Beth-zur. ²⁷ Unless you do something soon to prevent them, they’ll do even worse things. Then you won’t be able to stop them.”

²⁸ The king was enraged when he heard this. He gathered all his chief political advisors,^[g] the commanders of his troops, and those with authority. ²⁹ Mercenary forces from other kingdoms and the Mediterranean islands also joined him. ³⁰ The total number of his forces was one hundred thousand army troops and twenty thousand cavalry, with thirty-two elephants trained for war. ³¹ They came through Idumea and camped against Beth-zur. For many days, they fought and constructed war engines. But the Jews would go out and burn the war engines with fire and continued to fight bravely.

Battle at Beth-zechariah

³² Then Judas marched away from the elevated fortress and camped at Beth-zechariah, opposite the king’s camp. ³³ Early in the morning the king marched out, taking his army on a forced march along the road to Beth-zechariah. His troops readied themselves for battle, and they sounded their trumpets. ³⁴ They aroused the elephants using grape and mulberry juices, to get them ready for battle. ³⁵ They distributed the animals among groups of soldiers. With each elephant, they stationed one thousand infantry wearing armor and brass helmets. Five hundred select cavalry were also assigned to each animal. ³⁶ The troops positioned themselves wherever the animal was. Wherever it went, they went; and they never left it. ³⁷ Strong covered wooden towers were set on top of the elephants. Special harnesses were fastened on each animal. On each were four armed men who fought from there, and an Indian driver also. ³⁸ The remaining cavalry were stationed on either side of the elephants, to harass the enemy while being protected inside the two flanks of the army. ³⁹ When the sun shone on the gold and brass shields, the hills looked like they were on fire from their reflection and glowed like burning torches.

⁴⁰ Part of the king’s army was spread out on the high hills, and some troops were on the plain. They held their ranks and steadily moved forward. ⁴¹ Everyone who heard the noise of marching feet and clanking arms trembled because the army was very large and powerful. ⁴² Nevertheless, Judas and his army went forth to do battle. Six hundred of the king’s soldiers died. ⁴³ Eleazar, called Avaran, saw that one of the animals was taller than all the others and was equipped with royal armor. He figured that the king must be on it. ⁴⁴ So he gave his life to save his people and to secure an everlasting name for himself. ⁴⁵ He ran courageously into the midst of a group of soldiers to reach it, killing men right and left so that they had to give way to him on both sides. ⁴⁶ He got under the elephant and stabbed it from underneath. He killed it, but it fell to the ground on top of him, and he died there. ⁴⁷ As the Jews experienced the might and the fierce attack of the king’s forces, they turned away and fled.

Siege of the temple

⁴⁸ The king’s army went up to Jerusalem against them. The king camped in Judea and at Mount Zion. ⁴⁹ He made peace with the people of Beth-zur. They evacuated the town because they lacked sufficient resources there to withstand a siege (it was a sabbatical year for the land). ⁵⁰ So the king took Beth-zur and positioned a guard unit there to hold it. ⁵¹ Then he camped in front of the sanctuary for many days. He set up siege towers, war engines that threw fire and rocks, machines to shoot darts, and catapults. ⁵² The Jews made war engines to match theirs, and they battled for many days. ⁵³ But they had no food in storage since it was the seventh year. Those people who had found safe haven in Judea from the Gentiles had eaten the last of the food. ⁵⁴ Only a few people remained in the sanctuary. The famine was so intense that the others had scattered to their own homes.

Syria offers terms

⁵⁵ Then Lysias heard that King Antiochus, before he died, had appointed Philip to bring up Antiochus his son to be king. ⁵⁶ Philip had returned from Persia and Media with the forces that had gone with the king, and he was trying to seize control of the government. ⁵⁷ So Lysias quickly gave orders to withdraw and told the king, the commanders of the forces, and the troops, “We’re growing weaker every day because our food supply is scarce. The place we’re fighting against is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom are pressing urgently on us. ⁵⁸ Let’s come to terms now with these people and make peace with them and their nation. ⁵⁹ Let’s agree to let them live by their laws like they used to do. It was because of their laws, which we abolished, that they got angry and did all these things.”

⁶⁰ This speech pleased the king and the commanders, so he sent the Jews an offer of peace, which they accepted. ⁶¹ The king and his commanders gave their word, so the Jews left the fortress. ⁶² However, when the king went into Mount Zion and saw how securely the place was built, he went back on his word and ordered that the wall be torn down all around. ⁶³ Then he set off in a hurry to return to Antioch. He found that Philip was in control of the city, so he fought against him and took the city by force.

Expedition of Bacchides and Alcimus

7 In the year 151,^[h] Demetrius the son of Seleucus set out from Rome. He sailed with a small group to a town by the sea and claimed the kingship there. ² As he entered the royal palace of his ancestors, the army seized Antiochus and Lysias, intending to bring them to him. ³ But when he learned about this act, he said, “Don’t let me see their faces!” ⁴ So the soldiers killed them. Demetrius then took his seat on the throne of the kingdom.

⁵ All the immoral and sinful Israelites came to him. Alcimus, who wanted to be high priest, led them. ⁶ They made an accusation to King Demetrius against the people, “Judas and his brothers have destroyed all your political advisors^[i] and have driven us out of our land. ⁷ Now send someone that you trust to go and see all the ruin that Judas has brought on us and on the king’s land. Let that person punish them and all who help them.”

⁸ The king selected Bacchides, one of the king’s chief political advisors and governor of the province called Beyond the River. He was a powerful man in the kingdom and was loyal to the king. ⁹ The king sent him and sent the wicked Alcimus along with him. He made Alcimus high priest and authorized him to take vengeance on the Israelites. ¹⁰ So they marched forward and came with a large force into the land of Judah. Bacchides sent messengers to Judas and his brothers using peaceful but deceitful words. ¹¹ But they ignored the messengers because they saw that they had come with a large military force.

¹² Then a group of legal experts came before Alcimus and Bacchides to ask for just terms. ¹³ The Hasideans were the first among the Israelites to seek peace with them. ¹⁴ They said, “A priest who is descended from Aaron has come with the army, and he won’t harm us.”

¹⁵ Alcimus spoke peaceably to them and made a pledge to them: “We won’t seek to injure you or your friends.” ¹⁶ So they trusted him. But he seized sixty of them and killed them in one day. This was in keeping with the written word:

¹⁸ Then fear and dread came over all the people. They said, “They are not truthful or just, because they broke the promise they made.”

¹⁹ Bacchides retreated from Jerusalem and camped in Beth-zaith. He captured many of the soldiers and some of the people who had deserted to his side. He killed them and threw them into a great pit. ²⁰ He put Alcimus in charge of the country and left a force to assist him. Then Bacchides went back to the king.

²¹ Alcimus struggled to maintain the high priesthood. ²² All the troublemakers joined him. They gained control of Judah and did great damage in Israel. ²³ Judas saw all the wrongs that Alcimus and those with him had done among the Israelites, exceeding what the Gentiles had done. ²⁴ So Judas went into the surrounding Judean highlands and took vengeance on those who had deserted. He prevented them from going out into the country. ²⁵ When Alcimus saw that Judas and his companions had grown strong, he knew he couldn’t resist them. So he returned to the king and brought spiteful charges against them.

Nicanor in Judea

²⁶ Then the king sent for Nicanor, one of his honored princes who hated and despised Israel, and the king commanded him to destroy the people. ²⁷ So Nicanor went to Jerusalem with a large force. He deceitfully sent a peaceful message to Judas and his brothers: ²⁸ “Let there be no fighting between you and me. I’ll come with a few men to see you personally in peace.”

²⁹ So he came to Judas, and they greeted each other peaceably. But the enemy was preparing to kidnap Judas. ³⁰ Judas found out that Nicanor had come to him with treacherous intentions. He was afraid of him and wouldn’t meet with Nicanor again. ³¹ When Nicanor learned that his plan had been discovered, he went out to meet Judas in battle near Caphar-salama. ³² About five hundred of Nicanor’s soldiers died. The rest fled into David’s City.

Nicanor threatens the temple

³³ After these events, Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some priests from the sanctuary and some of the elders of the people came out to greet him peacefully. They pointed out to him the entirely burned offering that was being offered on behalf of the king. ³⁴ But he mocked, ridiculed, and defiled them, and spoke in an arrogant way. ³⁵ Angrily, he swore, “Unless Judas and his army are handed over to me this time, I will burn down this house if I return safely in the future.” And he departed in great fury.

³⁶ Then the priests went inside and stood before the altar and the temple. They wept out loud and said:

Death of Nicanor

³⁹ Now Nicanor, along with the Syrian army, left Jerusalem and camped in Beth-horon. ⁴⁰ Judas camped in Adasa with three thousand men. Then Judas prayed:

⁴³ So the armies met in battle on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar.^[k] Nicanor’s army was crushed, and he himself was the first to die in the battle. ⁴⁴ When his army saw that Nicanor had died, they threw down their weapons and fled. ⁴⁵ The Jews pursued them a day’s journey, from Adasa to Gazara. As they followed them, they kept blasting the battle call on the trumpets. ⁴⁶ People came out of the surrounding Judean villages. They outflanked the enemy and drove them back toward their pursuers so that they all died by the sword. Not a single one of them was left alive. ⁴⁷ Then the Jews seized the spoils and the goods left behind. They cut off Nicanor’s head and his right hand, which he had arrogantly stretched out. They brought them and displayed them just outside Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ The people rejoiced greatly and celebrated that day as a day of great happiness. ⁴⁹ They established this day as a day of annual celebration on the thirteenth day of Adar.^{[l] 50} And the land of Judah enjoyed peace for a while.

Praise for the Romans

8 Now Judas heard about the Romans’ reputation for being strong and loyal to all who made an alliance with them. They pledged friendship to those who came to them. ² They were very powerful. Judas had been told of their wars and of the brave deeds that they were doing among the Gauls—how they had defeated them and forced them to pay tribute. ³ He was told what they had done in Spain to get control of the silver and gold mines there. ⁴ They gained control over the entire region through their planning and patience, even though the place was a great distance from them. They also subdued the kings from the ends of the earth who fought against them, until they crushed them and inflicted heavy casualties on them. The rest paid annual fines to them. ⁵ They crushed in battle and conquered Philip and King Perseus of the Macedonians,^[m] as well as others who rose up against them. ⁶ They also defeated Antiochus the Great, king of Asia, who went to fight against them with one hundred twenty elephants, with cavalry, chariots, and a very large army. They crushed him, ⁷ but they took him alive. They declared that he, and those who succeeded him, should pay a heavy fine and turn over hostages as well as some of their best territories. ⁸ These included the countries of India, Media, and Lydia. They took them from Antiochus and gave them to King Eumenes.

⁹ The Greeks thought about coming to destroy them. ¹⁰ But the Romans became aware of this, so they sent a general against the Greeks and attacked them. Many Greeks were wounded and died. The Romans took their wives and children captive. They plundered them, conquered their land, tore down their fortresses, and enslaved them to this day. ¹¹ They destroyed and enslaved many of the remaining kingdoms and islands that opposed them. ¹² But the Romans have kept friendship with their allies and those who rely on them. They have subdued kings far and near, and as many as have heard of their reputation have feared them. ¹³ Those whom they wish to help come to power, they make kings. Those whom they wish, they bring down. The Romans have been greatly exalted. ¹⁴ Yet even with all this, not one of them has put on a crown or worn purple as a mark of pride. ¹⁵ Instead, they built for themselves a senate chamber. Daily, three hundred twenty senators plan constantly concerning their people in order to govern them well. ¹⁶ They trust one man each year to rule over them and to control all their land. All listen to this one man, and there is no envy or jealousy among the Romans.

An alliance with Rome

¹⁷ So Judas chose Eupolemus son of John and grandson of Accos, and also Jason, Eleazar’s son. He sent them to Rome to establish friendship, alliance, ¹⁸ and also to free the Jewish people from oppression. They observed that the Greek kingdom was completely enslaving Israel.

¹⁹ They took the long journey to Rome. They entered the senate chamber, and they spoke: ²⁰ “Judas, called Maccabeus, along with his brothers and the Jewish people, has sent us to you to establish alliance and peace with you. We seek to be enrolled as your allies and friends.” ²¹ This proposal pleased the Romans. ²² This is a copy of the letter that they wrote in reply on bronze tablets, which they sent to Jerusalem to remain with them there as a memorial of peace and alliance:

Bacchides returns to Judea

9 When Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had been defeated in battle, he sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judah a second time. The right wing of the army was with them. ² They went by the road that leads to Gilgal^[n] and prepared for battle against Mesaloth in Arbela. They captured it and killed many people. ³ In the first month^[o] of the year 152,^[p] they camped against Jerusalem. ⁴ Then they marched off and went to Berea with twenty thousand infantry and two thousand cavalry.

⁵ Now Judas was camped at Elasa with three thousand handpicked soldiers. ⁶ When they saw the huge number of enemy forces, they became afraid. Many of them slipped away from the camp, until no more than eight hundred of them remained.

⁷ When Judas saw that members of his army had slipped away and the battle was coming close, he was dejected because he had no time to assemble more troops. ⁸ He felt weak, but he said to those who stayed, “Let’s get up and move against our enemies. We may be able to fight them.”

⁹ They tried to change his mind: “We don’t have the strength. Let’s save ourselves now and come back later with our people to fight them. We are too few.”

¹⁰ But Judas replied, “Don’t even consider running from them. If our time has come, then let’s die bravely for our people. Let’s leave no reason to question our honor.”

Final battle of Judas

¹¹ Then the enemy army marched out from the camp and took its positions to fight. The cavalry was divided into two companies. The slingers and the archers went ahead of the army, as did all the best warriors. ¹² Bacchides was on the right wing. Flanked by the two companies, the military force advanced to the sound of the trumpets. Those with Judas also blew their trumpets. ¹³ The earth shook from the noise of the armies. And the battle raged from morning till evening.

¹⁴ Judas saw that Bacchides and the strength of his army were on the right. Then Judas’ most courageous soldiers went with him. ¹⁵ They crushed the right wing and pursued them as far as Mount Azotus. ¹⁶ When those on the left wing saw that the right wing had been crushed, they turned and followed close behind Judas and his men. ¹⁷ The battle became frantic, and many on both sides were wounded and died. ¹⁸ Judas himself died, and the rest fled.

¹⁹ Then Jonathan and Simon took their brother Judas, buried him in their ancestral tomb at Modein, ²⁰ and wept for him. All Israel expressed deep sorrow for him and mourned for many days. They said, ²¹ “What a mighty one has fallen, saving Israel!” ²² Now the rest of Judas’ achievements—his wars, the brave things that he did, his greatness—haven’t been recorded, but they were many.

Jonathan succeeds Judas

²³ After Judas’ death, renegades appeared throughout Israel. All the immoral people reappeared. ²⁴ There was also a very great famine at that time, and the country went over to the enemy’s side. ²⁵ Bacchides chose the godless and put them in charge of the country. ²⁶ They hunted down Judas’ friends and brought them to Bacchides. He took vengeance on them and treated them terribly. ²⁷ So there was great distress in Israel, the worst since the time when prophets ceased to appear among them.

²⁸ Then the other friends of Judas assembled and said to Jonathan, ²⁹ “Since your brother Judas died, there hasn’t been anyone like him to fight against our enemies and Bacchides, and to deal with those among our people who hate us. ³⁰ So we’ve chosen you today to take his place as our ruler and leader to fight our battle.” ³¹ Jonathan accepted the leadership at that time in place of his brother Judas.

Campaigns of Jonathan

³² When Bacchides learned about this development, he tried to kill Jonathan. ³³ But Jonathan, his brother Simon, and all those with him heard about it and fled into the Tekoa wilderness. They camped beside the water of the pool of Asphar. ³⁴ Bacchides found out about this on a Sabbath day, and he and his army crossed the Jordan River.

³⁵ Jonathan sent his brother John, as leader of a large contingent, to beg his friends the Nabateans for permission to store with them the large amount of baggage that they had. ³⁶ But the family of Jambri from Medeba came out and captured John and everything he had. And they left with it.

³⁷ After this Jonathan and his brother Simon were told, “The family of Jambri is celebrating a great wedding. They are bringing the bride, a daughter of one of the great officials of Canaan, from Nadabath with a large escort.” ³⁸ Remembering how their brother John had been killed, they went out and hid under cover of the mountain. ³⁹ They looked out and saw a rowdy procession with a large amount of baggage. The bridegroom came out with his friends and his brothers to meet them with tambourines, musicians, and many weapons. ⁴⁰ Then those who were with Jonathan ambushed them and began killing them. They wounded and killed many. The rest fled to the mountain, and the Jews took all their goods. ⁴¹ So the wedding turned into mourning, and the sound of their musicians into a funeral hymn. ⁴² After they had fully avenged their brother’s death, they returned to the marshes of the Jordan.

⁴³ When Bacchides heard about this, he came with a large force to the banks of the Jordan on the Sabbath. ⁴⁴ Jonathan said to his companions, “Let’s get up now and fight for our lives. Today things are not like they were before. ⁴⁵ Look! The battle is in front of us and behind us. The water of the Jordan is on this side and on that, with marsh and thicket. There’s no place to turn. ⁴⁶ Cry out now to heaven so that you may be rescued from our enemies.” ⁴⁷ So the battle began. Jonathan reached out his hand to strike Bacchides, but he escaped and went to the rear. ⁴⁸ Then Jonathan and his forces jumped into the Jordan and swam to the other side. The enemy didn’t cross the Jordan to attack them. ⁴⁹ About one thousand of Bacchides’ soldiers died that day.

Bacchides builds fortifications

⁵⁰ Then Bacchides returned to Jerusalem and built strong cities in Judea: the fortress in Jericho, Emmaus, Beth-horon, Bethel, Timnath, Pharathon, and Tephon, all with high walls and gates and bars. ⁵¹ He placed soldiers in each of them to harass Israel. ⁵² He also fortified Beth-zur, Gazara, and the elevated fortress. He put soldiers and stores of food in them. ⁵³ He took hostage the sons of the leading citizens and put them under guard in the elevated fortress at Jerusalem.

⁵⁴ In the second month of the year 153,^[q] Alcimus gave orders to tear down the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary—to tear down the work of the prophets. But he only initiated the project. ⁵⁵ Right at that moment Alcimus had a stroke, and his work was stalled. He was paralyzed and couldn’t speak or give commands concerning his house. ⁵⁶ Alcimus died a painful death shortly thereafter. ⁵⁷ When Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead, he returned to the king. The land of Judah was quiet for two years.

End of the war

⁵⁸ Then all the people who did not live by the Law developed a plan and said, “Look! Jonathan and his people are living in quiet and confidence. Now let’s bring Bacchides back—he’ll capture them all in one night.” ⁵⁹ They went and talked it over with him. ⁶⁰ He came with a large military force. Secretly, he sent letters to all his allies in Judea. He told them to seize Jonathan and his followers. But they weren’t able to do it because their plan was discovered. ⁶¹ Instead, Jonathan’s followers captured approximately fifty people who were leaders in this treachery and killed them.

⁶² Then Jonathan, his followers, and Simon withdrew to Bethbasi in the wilderness. He rebuilt the parts of it that had been demolished and fortified it. ⁶³ When Bacchides found out about this, he assembled all his forces and gave orders to the Judeans. ⁶⁴ Then he came and camped against Bethbasi. He made war machines and fought against it for many days.

⁶⁵ But Jonathan left his brother Simon in the town while he went out into the country. He took only a few men and ⁶⁶ struck down Odomera and his people, as well as the people of Phasiron in their tents. Then he began to attack and went into battle with his forces. ⁶⁷ Simon and his group left the town and set fire to the war machines. ⁶⁸ They fought Bacchides, and he was crushed by them. They put so much pressure on him that his plan and invasion came to nothing. ⁶⁹ So he was very angry at the renegade Jews who had advised him to return to the country. He killed many of them before he decided to go back to his own land.

⁷⁰ When Jonathan learned about this, he sent ambassadors to make peace with him and to gain release of captives. ⁷¹ Bacchides agreed and kept his word. He swore to Jonathan that he wouldn’t try to harm him for the rest of his life. ⁷² He returned the captives he had taken previously from the land of Judah. Then he turned and went back to his own land and didn’t come again into their territory. ⁷³ So war had ended for Israel. Jonathan settled in Michmash and began to govern the people. He destroyed the godless who were in Israel.

Revolt of Alexander Epiphanes

10 In the year 160,^[r] Alexander Epiphanes, Antiochus’ son, landed and occupied Ptolemais. They welcomed him there, and he began to rule.

² When King Demetrius heard about it, he assembled a very large army. He marched out to meet Alexander in battle. ³ Demetrius sent a friendly letter to Jonathan to honor him. ⁴ Demetrius thought to himself, We should make peace with Jonathan before he aligns with Alexander against us. ⁵ If we don’t do so, he will recall all the wrongs that we did to him, his brothers, and his nation.

⁶ So Demetrius gave Jonathan authority to recruit troops, to arm them, and to become his ally. He ordered that the hostages in the elevated fortress be released to Jonathan.

⁷ Then Jonathan came to Jerusalem and read the letter in front of all the people and those inside the elevated fortress. ⁸ These people were very concerned when they heard that the king had given him authority to recruit troops. ⁹ The inhabitants in the elevated fortress released the hostages to Jonathan, and he returned them to their parents.

¹⁰ Jonathan took up residence in Jerusalem and began to rebuild and restore the city. ¹¹ He directed the workers to build the walls and encircle Mount Zion with squared stones for better reinforcement, which they did.

¹² Then from the fortress that Bacchides had built, the foreigners fled. ¹³ All of them left their places and returned to their own lands. ¹⁴ Only in Beth-zur did some Jews remain who had neglected the Law and the commandments, because Beth-zur was a place of refuge.

Jonathan becomes high priest

¹⁵ Now King Alexander heard about all the promises that Demetrius made to Jonathan. He also heard about the battles that Jonathan and his brothers had fought, the brave deeds they had done, and the troubles they had endured. ¹⁶ He said to himself, Will we find another man like this? We should make him our friend and ally. ¹⁷ So he wrote a letter to Jonathan:

He sent also a purple robe and a gold crown.

²¹ So Jonathan put on the sacred garments in the seventh month of the year 160^[t] at the Festival of Booths. He recruited troops and equipped them with abundant weapons.

Demetrius’ letter to Jonathan

²² When Demetrius heard about these things he was distressed. He said, ²³ “What have we done? Alexander has moved more quickly in forming a friendship with the Jews to strengthen himself. ²⁴ I’ll also write them words of encouragement and promise them honor and gifts so that I may gain their help.” ²⁵ So he sent a message to them:

Death of Demetrius

⁴⁶ When Jonathan and the people heard these words, they didn’t believe or accept them. They remembered vividly the great wrongs Demetrius had done in Israel and how much he had oppressed them. ⁴⁷ They preferred Alexander because he had been the first to speak peaceful words to them. So they remained his allies all of his days.

⁴⁸ Now King Alexander assembled large forces and camped opposite Demetrius. ⁴⁹ The two kings met in battle, and the army of Demetrius fled. Alexander pursued him and outmaneuvered them. ⁵⁰ He pressed the battle hard until sunset, and on that day Demetrius died.

Treaty of Ptolemy and Alexander

⁵¹ Then Alexander sent ambassadors to Egypt’s King Ptolemy, and they delivered the following message:

⁵⁵ Ptolemy the king replied,

⁵⁷ So Ptolemy set out from Egypt—he and his daughter Cleopatra—and came to Ptolemais in the year 162.^{[u] 58} King Alexander met Ptolemy, who gave him his daughter Cleopatra in marriage. He celebrated her wedding at Ptolemais with much ceremony, as kings do.

⁵⁹ King Alexander then wrote to Jonathan to come and meet him. ⁶⁰ So he went with majestic apparel to Ptolemais and met the two kings. He gave silver and gold and many other gifts to them and their chief political advisors,^[v] and he found favor with them. ⁶¹ A group of troublemakers from Israel gathered together to slander him, but the king paid no attention to them. ⁶² Instead, he gave orders to take off Jonathan’s garments and to clothe him in purple. And they did so. ⁶³ The king also seated him at his side, and he spoke to his officers: “Go with him into the middle of the city and announce that no one should bring charges against him about any matter. Furthermore, let no one annoy him for any reason.” ⁶⁴ His accusers saw the honor that was paid Jonathan in keeping with the proclamation. They saw him clothed in purple, so they all fled. ⁶⁵ In this way, the king honored him and enrolled him among his chief political advisors, and made him general and governor of the province. ⁶⁶ And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem in peace and gladness.

Apollonius is defeated by Jonathan

⁶⁷ In the year 165,^[w] Demetrius the son of Demetrius came from Crete to the land of his ancestors. ⁶⁸ When King Alexander heard, he was greatly distressed and returned to Antioch. ⁶⁹ Demetrius appointed Apollonius the governor of Coele-Syria, who assembled a large force and camped against Jamnia. Then Apollonius sent the following message to the high priest Jonathan:

⁷⁴ When Jonathan heard Apollonius’ words, a fire was lit under him. He chose ten thousand men and set out from Jerusalem. His brother Simon met him to assist. ⁷⁵ He camped in front of Joppa. But the people of the city closed its gates because Apollonius had a defense force there. So they fought against it. ⁷⁶ And the people of the city became frightened and opened the gates. So Jonathan gained possession of Joppa.

⁷⁷ When Apollonius heard the news, he assembled three thousand cavalry and a large army. He went to Azotus and acted as if he were going farther. At the same time, he advanced into the plain, because he had a large troop of cavalry and had confidence in it. ⁷⁸ Jonathan pursued him to Azotus, and their armies engaged in battle. ⁷⁹ Apollonius had secretly left one thousand cavalry to the rear. ⁸⁰ Jonathan found out that there was an ambush behind him. They surrounded his army and shot arrows at his soldiers from early in the morning until late in the afternoon. ⁸¹ But his soldiers stood steady, as he had commanded. Eventually, the horses of the enemy got tired.

⁸² Simon led his force forward and engaged the foreign enemy in battle since the cavalry was exhausted. He overwhelmed them, and they fled. ⁸³ The cavalry was dispersed in the plain. They fled to Azotus and entered Beth-dagon, the temple of their idol, to seek safety. ⁸⁴ But Jonathan burned Azotus and the surrounding towns and plundered them. He burned down the temple of Dagon and those who had taken refuge in it. ⁸⁵ The number of those who died, either by the sword or by fire, came to eight thousand.

⁸⁶ Then Jonathan left there and camped against Ashkelon, and the people of the city came out to meet him with great ceremony.

⁸⁷ He and his companions returned to Jerusalem with a large treasure. ⁸⁸ When King Alexander heard about all this, he honored Jonathan even more. ⁸⁹ He sent to him a gold buckle, such as is the custom to give to the king’s kindred. He also gave him Ekron and all its surroundings as his possession.

Ptolemy invades Syria

11 Then King Ptolemy of Egypt gathered a great army, numbering like the sand by the seashore, and many ships. He tried to gain possession of Alexander’s kingdom by trickery to add it to his own kingdom. ² Ptolemy set out for Syria, speaking peaceful words. The people of the towns opened their gates to him. They went to meet him because King Alexander had commanded them to do so, since Ptolemy was his father-in-law. ³ But when Ptolemy entered the towns, he stationed forces as a garrison in each one.

⁴ When he approached Azotus, they showed him that Dagon’s temple had been burned. Azotus and its suburbs had been destroyed. Corpses were lying about, the charred bodies of those whom Jonathan had burned in the war. They had piled them in heaps along his route.