1 Maccabees 4 — WBMS
4Verse 1And Gorgias took five thousand of men, and a thousand chosen horse-men; and they moved tents by night,Verse 2for to apply to or pitch by the tents of Jews, and for to smite them suddenly; and sons that were of the high tower, were leaders of them.Verse 3And Judas heard, and he rose, and mighty men, for to smite the power of hosts of the king, that was in Emmaus;Verse 4for yet the host was scattered from tents.Verse 5And Gorgias came into the tents of Judas by night, and found no man; and they sought them in hills, for he said, These flee from us.Verse 6And when day was made, Judas appeared in the field with three thousands of men only, which had not coverings and swords.Verse 7And they saw the tents of heathen men strong, and men habergeoned, and the multitude of horsemen in compass of them, and these were taught to battle.Verse 8And Judas said to his men, that were with him, Dread ye not the multitude of them, and dread ye not inwardly the fierceness of them.Verse 9Bethink ye how our fathers were made safe in the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with much host.Verse 10And now cry we to heaven, and the Lord shall have mercy on us, and shall be mindful of the testament of our fathers, and shall all-break this host before our face today.Verse 11And all folks shall know, that it is God, that shall again-buy, and deliver Israel.Verse 12And aliens raised their eyes, and saw them coming of the contrary part,Verse 13and went out of tents into battle. And they that were with Judas, sang in trumps.Verse 14And they went together, and heathen men were all-broken, and fled into the field;Verse 15forsooth the last fell down by sword. And they pursued them till to Gazara, and till into the fields of Idumea, and Azotus, and Jamnia; and there fell down of them till to three thousands of men.Verse 16And Judas turned again, and his host pursuing him.Verse 17And he said to the people, Covet ye not preys, for battle is against us,Verse 18and Gorgias and his host be in the hill nigh us; but stand ye now against our enemies, and overcome them, and after these things ye shall take preys securely [or ye securely shall take preys].Verse 19And yet while Judas spake these things, lo! some part appeared, beholding forth from the hill.Verse 20And Gorgias saw, that his helpers were altogether turned into flight, and tents were burnt; for smoke that was seen, declared that that was done.Verse 21And when they beheld these things, they dreaded greatly, beholding together both Judas and the host, ready to battle in the field, [or in the field, ready to battle].Verse 22And they fled all in the field of aliens,Verse 23and Judas turned again to preys of the tents; and they took much gold, and silver, and jacinth, and purple of the sea, and great riches.Verse 24And they converted, and sung an hymn, or praising, and blessed God into heaven; for he is good, for the mercy of him is into the world.Verse 25And great health was made in Israel in that day.Verse 26Forsooth whoever of aliens escaped, came, and told to Lysias all things that befell.Verse 27And when he heard these things, he was astonied in soul, and failed; for not what manner things he would, such befell in Israel, and what manner things the king commanded.Verse 28And in the year pursuing, Lysias gathered of chosen men sixty thousand, and of horsemen five thousand, for to overcome them.Verse 29And they came into Judea (or Idumea), and setted tents in Bethhoron (or Bethsura); and Judas ran to them with ten thousand of men.Verse 30And they saw [a] strong host, and he prayed, and said, Blessed art thou, Saviour of Israel, that hast all-broken the fierceness of the mighty Goliath in the hand of thy servant David, and betookest the castles [or tents], or hosts, of aliens into the hands of Jonathan, son of Saul, and of his squire.Verse 31Enclose thou altogether also this host in the hand of thy people Israel, and be they confounded in their host, and horsemen.Verse 32Give thou to them inward dread, and make the hardiness of their virtue to fail, and be they moved altogether in their breaking altogether.Verse 33Cast down them by the sword of men loving thee, and all that know thy name, altogether praise thee in hymns.Verse 34And they joined together battle, and five thousand of men fell down of the host of Lysias.Verse 35Lysias forsooth saw the flight of his men, and the hardiness of Jews; and that they were ready either for to live, either for to die strongly. And he went to Antioch, and chose knights, that they multiplied should come again into Judea.Verse 36Forsooth Judas said to his brethren, [or Judas said, and his brethren], Lo! our enemies be all-broken; go we up now, for to cleanse holy things, and make new.Verse 37And all the host was gathered, and they went up into the hill of Zion.Verse 38And they saw the hallowing deserted, either forsaken, and the altar unhallowed, or defouled by idolatry, and the gates burnt, and in the porches tender trees grown, as in wild wood, or mountains, and [the] little cells destroyed.Verse 39And they rent their clothes, and wailed with great wailing; and putted ashes on their heads,Verse 40and fell on the face of the earth, and cried in trumps of signs, and cried into heaven.Verse 41Then Judas ordained men, for to fight against them that were in the high tower, as long as they cleansed holy things.Verse 42And he chose priests without wem, having will in the law of God;Verse 43and they cleansed holy things, and took away stones of defouling into an unclean place.Verse 44And he thought on the altar of burnt sacrifices, that was unhallowed, what he should do thereof.Verse 45And a good counsel fell into him, for to destroy it, lest it were to them into shame, for heathen men defouled it.Verse 46And they destroyed it, and kept [or putted] stones in the hill of the house, in covenable place, till that a prophet came, and answered [or should answer] of them.Verse 47And they took whole stones, by [or after] the law, and builded a new altar, like that that was before.Verse 48And they builded holy things, and the things that were within the house withinforth; and they hallowed the house, and the porches.Verse 49And they made new holy vessels, and brought in a candlestick, and altar of incenses, and a board into the temple.Verse 50And [they] putted incense on the altar, and tended lanterns, that were on the candlestick, and gave light in the temple.Verse 51And they putted loaves on the board, and hanged veils, and ended all works that they made.Verse 52And before morrowtide they rose, in the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, this is the month Kislev, that is, November-December, of the hundred and eight and fortieth year.Verse 53And they offered sacrifice by [or after] the law, on the new altar of burnt sacrifices, which they made by [or after] time.Verse 54And by the day in which heathen men defouled it, in that it was made new, in songs, and harps, and citherns, that be instruments of music, either gitterns, and cymbals.Verse 55And all the people fell on their faces, and worshipped God, and blessed into heaven him that made prosperity to them.Verse 56And they made hallowing of the altar in eight days, and offered burnt sacrifices with gladness, and helpful things of praising.Verse 57And they adorned the face of the temple with golden crowns, and small shields; and hallowed gates, and little houses, either small cells, and putted to them gates.Verse 58And full great gladness was made in the people, and the shame of heathen men was turned away.Verse 59And Judas ordained, and his brethren, and all the church of Israel, that the day of hallowing of the altar be done in his times, from year into year, by eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Kislev, with gladness and joy.Verse 60And they builded in that time the hill of Zion, and by compass high walls, and firm towers, lest any time heathen men would come, and defoul it, as they did before.Verse 61And he set there an host [or a company], for to keep it; and he warded it, for to keep Bethsura, that the people should have strengthening [or warding] against the face of Idumea.