1 Maccabees 7:33-50
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Nicanor Threatens the Temple
33 After these events Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests from the sanctuary and some of the elders of the people came out to greet him peaceably and to show him the burnt offering that was being offered for the king.(A) 34 But he mocked them and derided them and defiled them and spoke arrogantly, 35 and in anger he swore this oath, “Unless Judas and his army are delivered into my hands this time, then if I return safely I will burn up this house.” And he went out in great anger.(B) 36 At this the priests went in and stood before the altar and the temple; they wept and said,(C)
37 “You chose this house to be called by your name
and to be for your people a house of prayer and supplication.(D)
38 Take vengeance on this man and on his army,
and let them fall by the sword;
remember their blasphemies,
and let them live no longer.”
The Death of Nicanor
39 Now Nicanor went out from Jerusalem and encamped in Beth-horon, and the Syrian army joined him.(E) 40 Judas encamped in Adasa with three thousand men. Then Judas prayed and said, 41 “When the messengers from the king spoke blasphemy, your angel went out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians.[a](F) 42 So also crush this army before us today; let the rest learn that Nicanor[b] has spoken wickedly against the sanctuary, and judge him according to this wickedness.”(G)
43 So the armies met in battle on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. The army of Nicanor was crushed, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle.(H) 44 When his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw down their arms and fled. 45 The Jews[c] pursued them a day’s journey, from Adasa as far as Gazara, and as they followed they kept sounding the battle call on the trumpets.(I) 46 People came out of all the surrounding villages of Judea, and they outflanked the enemy[d] and drove them back to their pursuers,[e] so that they all fell by the sword; not even one of them was left. 47 Then the Jews[f] seized the spoils and the plunder; they cut off Nicanor’s head and the right hand that he had so arrogantly stretched out and brought them and displayed them just outside Jerusalem.(J) 48 The people rejoiced greatly and celebrated that day as a day of great gladness. 49 They decreed that this day should be celebrated each year on the thirteenth day of Adar.(K) 50 So the land of Judah had rest for a few days.(L)
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