1 Maccabees 1 — WEBC

1Verse 1After Alexander the Macedonian, the son of Philip, who came out of the land of Chittim, and struck Darius king of the Persians and Medes, it came to pass, after he had struck him, that he reigned in his place, in former time, over⁺Greece.^{Verse 2}He fought many battles, won many strongholds, killed the kings of the earth,^{Verse 3}went through to the ends of the earth, and took spoils of a multitude of nations. The earth was quiet before him. He was exalted. His heart was lifted up.^{Verse 4}He gathered together an exceedingly strong army and ruled over countries, nations, and principalities, and they paid him tribute.^{Verse 5}After these things he fell sick, and perceived that he was going to die.^{Verse 6}He called his honorable servants, which had been brought up with him from his youth, and he divided to them his kingdom while he was still alive.^{Verse 7}Alexander reigned twelve years, then he died.^{Verse 8}Then his servants ruled, each one in his place.^{Verse 9}They all put crowns upon themselves after he was dead, and so did their sons after them many years; and they multiplied evils in the earth.^{Verse 10}There came out of them a sinful root, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the king, who had been a hostage at Rome, and he reigned in⁺the one hundred thirty seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.^{Verse 11}In those days transgressors of the law came out of Israel and persuaded many, saying, “Let’s go make a covenant with the⁺Gentiles around us; for since we were separated from them many evils have befallen us.”^{Verse 12}That proposal was good in their eyes.^{Verse 13}Some of the people eagerly went to the king, and he authorized them to observe the ordinances of the⁺Gentiles.^{Verse 14}So⁺they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the laws of the⁺Gentiles.^{Verse 15}They made themselves uncircumcised, forsook the holy covenant, joined themselves to the⁺Gentiles, and sold themselves to do evil.^{Verse 16}The kingdom was established in the sight of Antiochus, and he planned to reign over Egypt, that he might reign over both kingdoms.^{Verse 17}He entered into Egypt with a⁺great multitude, with chariots, with elephants, with cavalry, and with a great⁺navy.^{Verse 18}He made war against Ptolemy king of Egypt. Ptolemy was put to shame before him, and fled; and many fell wounded to death.^{Verse 19}They took possession of the strong cities in the land of Egypt, and he took the spoils of Egypt.^{Verse 20}Antiochus, after he had defeated Egypt, returned in⁺the one hundred forty third year, and went up against Israel and Jerusalem with a⁺great multitude,^{Verse 21}and entered presumptuously into the sanctuary, and took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils.^{Verse 22}He took the table of the show bread, the cups for the drink offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the veil, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front of the temple. He peeled it all off.^{Verse 23}He took the silver, the gold, and the precious vessels. He took the hidden treasures which he found.^{Verse 24}When he had taken all of these, he went away into his own land. He made a great slaughter, and spoke very arrogantly.^{Verse 25}Great mourning came upon Israel, in every place where they were.^{Verse 26}The rulers and elders groaned. The virgins and young men were made feeble. The beauty of the women was changed.^{Verse 27}Every bridegroom took up lamentation. She who sat in the marriage chamber was mourning.^{Verse 28}The land was moved for its inhabitants, and all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.^{Verse 29+}After two full years, the king sent a chief collector of tribute to the cities of Judah, and he came to Jerusalem with a⁺great multitude.^{Verse 30}He spoke words of peace to them in subtlety, and they believed him. Then he fell upon the city suddenly, struck it very severely, and destroyed many people of Israel.^{Verse 31}He took the spoils of the city, set it on fire, and pulled down its houses and its walls on every side.^{Verse 32}They led captive the women and the children, and seized the livestock.^{Verse 33}Then they fortified the city of David with a large, strong wall and with strong towers, and it became their citadel.^{Verse 34}They put a sinful nation, transgressors of the law, there, and they strengthened themselves in it.^{Verse 35}They stored up weapons and food, and gathering together the spoils of Jerusalem, they stored them there, and they became a great menace.^{Verse 36}It became a place to lie in wait against the sanctuary, and an evil adversary to Israel continually.^{Verse 37}They shed innocent blood on every side of the sanctuary, and defiled the sanctuary.^{Verse 38}The inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them. She became a habitation of foreigners. She became foreign to those who were born in her, and her children forsook her.^{Verse 39}Her sanctuary was laid waste like a wilderness,⁺her feasts were turned into mourning, her Sabbaths into reproach, and her honor into contempt.^{Verse 40}According to her glory, so was her dishonor multiplied, and her exaltation was turned into mourning.^{Verse 41}King Antiochus wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people,^{Verse 42}and that each should forsake his own laws. All the nations agreed according to the word of the king.^{Verse 43}Many of Israel consented to his worship, sacrificed to the idols, and profaned the Sabbath.^{Verse 44}The king sent letters by the hand of messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, that they should follow laws strange to the land,^{Verse 45}and should forbid whole burnt offerings and sacrifice and drink offerings in the sanctuary; and should profane the Sabbaths and feasts,^{Verse 46}and pollute the sanctuary and those who were holy;^{Verse 47}that they should build altars, and temples, and shrines for idols, and should sacrifice swine’s flesh and unclean animals;^{Verse 48}and that they should leave their sons uncircumcised, that they should make their souls abominable with all manner of uncleanness and profanation;^{Verse 49}so that they might forget the law, and change all the ordinances.^{Verse 50}Whoever doesn’t do according to the word of the king, he shall die.^{Verse 51}He wrote according to all these words to his whole kingdom. He appointed overseers over all the people, and he commanded the cities of Judah to sacrifice, city by city.^{Verse 52}From the people were gathered together to them many, everyone who had forsaken the law; and they did evil things in the land.^{Verse 53}They made Israel to hide themselves in every place of refuge which they had.^{Verse 54}On the fifteenth day of Chislev, in⁺the one hundred forty fifth year, they built an abomination of desolation upon the altar,⁺and in the cities of Judah on every side they built idol altars.^{+Verse 55}At the doors of the houses and in the streets they burned incense.^{Verse 56}They tore the books of the law which they found in pieces and set them on fire.^{Verse 57}Anyone who was found with any a book of the covenant, and if any consented to the law, the king’s sentence delivered him to death.^{Verse 58}Thus did they in their might to Israel, to those who were found month by month in the cities.^{Verse 59}On the twenty-fifth day of the month they sacrificed upon the idol altar that was on top of the altar of burnt offering.^{Verse 60+}They put to death women who had circumcised their children, according to the commandment.^{Verse 61}They hung their babies around their necks, and their houses, and those who had circumcised them.^{Verse 62}Many in Israel were fully resolved and confirmed in themselves not to eat unclean things.^{Verse 63+}They chose to die, that they might not be defiled with the food, and that they might not profane the holy covenant; and they died.^{Verse 64}Exceedingly great wrath came upon Israel.