1 Maccabees 2 — ASVBT
2Verse 1In those days rose up Mattathias the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem; and he dwelt at Modein.Verse 2And he had five sons, John, who was surnamed Gaddi;Verse 3Simon, who was called Thassi;Verse 4Judas, who was called Maccabeus;Verse 5Eleazar, who was called Avaran; Jonathan, who was called Apphus.Verse 6And he saw the blasphemies that were committed in Judah and in Jerusalem,Verse 7and he said, Woe is me! wherefore was I born to see the destruction of my people, and the destruction of the holy city, and to dwell there, when it was given into the hand of the enemy, the sanctuary into the hand of aliens?Verse 8Her temple is become as a man that was glorious:Verse 9her vessels of glory are carried away into captivity, her infants are slain in her streets, her young men with the sword of the enemy.Verse 10What nation hath not inherited her palaces, and gotten possession of her spoils?Verse 11her adorning is all taken away; instead of a free woman she is become a bond woman:Verse 12and, behold, our holy things and our beauty and our glory are laid waste, and the Gentiles have profaned them.Verse 13Wherefore should we live any longer?Verse 14And Mattathias and his sons rent their clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourned exceedingly.Verse 15And the king’s officers, that were enforcing the apostasy, came into the city Modein to sacrifice.Verse 16And many of Israel came unto them, and Mattathias and his sons were gathered together.Verse 17And the king’s officers answered and spake to Mattathias, saying, Thou art a ruler and an honorable and great man in this city, and strengthened with sons and brethren:Verse 18now therefore come thou first and do the commandment of the king, as all the nations have done, and the men of Judah, and they that remain in Jerusalem: and thou and thy house shall be in the number of the king’s Friends, and thou and thy sons shall be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.Verse 19And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice, If all the nations that are in the house of the king’s dominion hearken unto him, to fall away each one from the worship of his fathers, and have made choice to follow his commandments,Verse 20yet will I and my sons and my brethren walk in the covenant of our fathers.Verse 21Heaven forbid that we should forsake the law and the ordinances.Verse 22We will not hearken to the king’s words, to go aside from our worship, on the right hand, or on the left.Verse 23And when he had left speaking these words, there came a Jew in the sight of all to sacrifice on the altar which was at Modein, according to the king’s commandment.Verse 24And Mattathias saw it, and his zeal was kindled, and his heart was stirred, and he showed forth his wrath according to judgment, and ran, and slew him upon the altar.Verse 25And the king’s officer, who compelled men to sacrifice, he killed at that time, and pulled down the altar.Verse 26And he was zealous for the law, even as Phinehas did unto Zimri the son of Salu.Verse 27And Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying, Whosoever is zealous for the law, and maintaineth the covenant, let him come forth after me.Verse 28And he and his sons fled into the mountains, and forsook all that they had in the city.Verse 29Then many that sought after justice and judgment went down into the wilderness, to dwell there,Verse 30they, and their sons, and their wives, and their cattle; because evils were multiplied upon them.Verse 31And it was told the king’s officers, and the forces that were in Jerusalem, the city of David, that certain men, who had broken the king’s commandment, were gone down into the secret places in the wilderness;Verse 32and many pursued after them, and having overtaken them, they encamped against them, and set the battle in array against them on the Sabbath day.Verse 33And they said unto them, Thus far. Come forth, and do according to the word of the king, and ye shall live.Verse 34And they said, We will not come forth, neither will we do the word of the king, to profane the Sabbath day.Verse 35And they hastened to give them battle.Verse 36And they answered them not, neither cast they a stone at them, nor stopped up the secret places,Verse 37saying, Let us die all in our innocency: heaven and earth witness over us, that ye put us to death without trial.Verse 38And they rose up against them in battle on the Sabbath, and they died, they and their wives and their children, and their cattle, to the number of a thousand souls.Verse 39And Mattathias and his friends knew it, and they mourned over them exceedingly.Verse 40And one said to another, If we all do as our brethren have done, and fight not against the Gentiles for our lives and our ordinances, they will now quickly destroy us from off the earth.Verse 41And they took counsel on that day, saying, whosoever shall come against us to battle on the Sabbath day, let us fight against him, and we shall in no wise all die, as our brethren died in the secret places.Verse 42Then were gathered together unto them a company of Hasideans, mighty men of Israel, every one that offered himself willingly for the law.Verse 43And all they that fled from the evils were added to them, and became a stay unto them.Verse 44And they mustered a host, and smote sinners in their anger, and lawless men in their wrath: and the rest fled to the Gentiles for safety.Verse 45And Mattathias and his friends went round about, and pulled down the altars;Verse 46and they circumcised by force the children that were uncircumcised, as many as they found in the borders of Israel.Verse 47And they pursued after the sons of pride, and the work prospered in their hand.Verse 48And they rescued the law out of the hand of the Gentiles, and out of the hand of the kings, neither suffered they the sinner to triumph.Verse 49And the days of Mattathias drew near that he should die, and he said unto his sons, Now have pride and rebuke gotten strength, and a season of overthrow, and wrath of indignation.Verse 50And now, my children, be ye zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers.Verse 51And call to remembrance the deeds of our fathers which they did in their generations; and receive great glory and an everlasting name.Verse 52Was not Abraham found faithful in temptation, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness?Verse 53Joseph in the time of his distress kept the commandment, and became lord of Egypt.Verse 54Phinehas our father, for that he was zealous exceedingly, obtained the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.Verse 55Joshua for fulfilling the word became a judge in Israel.Verse 56Caleb for bearing witness in the congregation obtained a heritage in the land.Verse 57David for being merciful inherited the throne of a kingdom forever and ever.Verse 58Elijah, for that he was exceeding zealous for the law, was taken up into heaven.Verse 59Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, believed, and were saved out of the flame.Verse 60Daniel for his innocency was delivered from the mouth of lions.Verse 61And thus consider ye from generation to generation, that none that put their trust in him shall want for strength.Verse 62And be not afraid of the words of a sinful man; for his glory shall be dung and worms.Verse 63Today he shall be lifted up, and tomorrow he shall in no wise be found, because he is returned unto his dust, and his thought is perished.Verse 64And ye, my children, be strong, and show yourselves men in behalf of the law; for therein shall ye obtain glory.Verse 65And, behold, Simon your brother, I know that he is a man of counsel; give ear unto him always: he shall be a father unto you.Verse 66And Judas Maccabeus, he hath been strong and mighty from his youth: he shall be your captain, and shall fight the battle of the people.Verse 67And take ye unto you all the doers of the law, and avenge the wrong of your people.Verse 68Render a recompense to the Gentiles, and take heed to the commandments of the law.Verse 69And he blessed them, and was gathered to his fathers.Verse 70And he died in the hundred and forty and sixth year, and his sons buried him in the sepulchers of his fathers at Modein, and all Israel made great lamentation for him.