In those days certain renegades came out from Israel and misled many, saying, “Let us go and make a covenant with the nations around us, for since we separated from them many disasters have come upon us.”

and made foreskins for themselves, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the nations and sold themselves to do evil.

Anyone found possessing the book of the covenant or anyone who adhered to the law was condemned to death by decree of the king.

They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant, and they did die.

I and my sons and my brothers will continue to live by the covenant of our ancestors.

Then Mattathias cried out in the town with a loud voice, saying: “Let every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!”

Now, my children, show zeal for the law and give your lives for the covenant of our ancestors.

Phinehas our ancestor, because he was deeply zealous, received the covenant of everlasting priesthood.

And now, let us cry to heaven to see whether he will favor us and remember his covenant with our ancestors and crush this army before us today.

He sent envoys to King Demetrius, saying, “Come, let us make a covenant with each other, and I will give you in marriage my daughter who was Alexander’s wife, and you shall reign over your father’s kingdom.