1 Maccabees 6:18-31

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

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)