1 Maccabees 4 — GMV

4 Verse 1 Then took Gorgias five thousand footmen, and a thousand of the best horsemen, and removed out of the camp by night; ^{Verse 2} to the end he might rush in upon the camp of the Jews, and smite them suddenly. And the men of the fortress were his guides. ^{Verse 3} Now when Judas heard thereof, he himself removed, and the valiant men with him, that he might smite the king’s army which was at Emmaus, ^{Verse 4} while as yet the forces were dispersed from the camp. ^{Verse 5} In the mean season came Gorgias by night into the camp of Judas: and when he found no man there, he sought them in the mountains: for he said, These fellows flee from us. ^{Verse 6} But as soon as it was day, Judas showed himself in the plain with three thousand men, who nevertheless had neither armor nor swords to their minds. ^{Verse 7} And they saw the camp of the heathen, that it was strong and well harnessed, and compassed round about with horsemen; and these were expert of war. ^{Verse 8} Then said Judas to the men that were with him, Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault. ^{Verse 9} Remember how our fathers were delivered in the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with an army. ^{Verse 10} Now therefore let us cry unto heaven, if peradventure the Lord will have mercy upon us, and remember the covenant of our fathers, and destroy this host before our face this day: ^{Verse 11} that so all the heathen may know that there is one who delivereth and saveth Israel. ^{Verse 12} Then the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming over against them. ^{Verse 13} Wherefore they went out of the camp to battle; but they that were with Judas sounded their trumpets. ^{Verse 14} So they joined battle, and the heathen being discomfited, fled into the plain. ^{Verse 15} Howbeit all the hindmost of them were slain with the sword: for they pursued them unto Gazara, and unto the plains of Idumea, and Azotus, and Jamnia, so that there were slain of them as many as three thousand men. ^{Verse 16} This done, Judas returned again with his host from pursuing them, ^{Verse 17} and said to the people, Be not greedy of the spoils, inasmuch as there is a battle before us, ^{Verse 18} and Gorgias and his host are here by us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overcome them, and after this ye may boldly take the spoils. ^{Verse 19} As Judas was yet speaking these words, there appeared a part of them looking out of the mountain: ^{Verse 20} who when they perceived that the Jews had put their host to flight, and were burning the tents; for the smoke that was seen declared what was done: ^{Verse 21} when therefore they perceived these things, they were sore afraid, and seeing also the host of Judas in the plain ready to fight, ^{Verse 22} they fled every one into the land of strangers. ^{Verse 23} Then Judas returned to spoil the tents, where they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches. ^{Verse 24} After this they went home, and sung a song of thanksgiving, and praised the Lord in heaven: because it is good, because his mercy endureth forever. ^{Verse 25} Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day. ^{Verse 26} Now all the strangers that had escaped came and told Lysias what had happened: ^{Verse 27} who, when he heard thereof, was confounded and discouraged, because neither such things as he would were done unto Israel, nor such things as the king commanded him were come to pass. ^{Verse 28} In the following year therefore, Lysias gathered together threescore thousand choice men of foot, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them. ^{Verse 29} So they came into Idumea, and pitched their tents at Beth-zur, and Judas met them with ten thousand men. ^{Verse 30} And when he saw that mighty army, he prayed and said, Blessed art thou, O Savior of Israel, who didst quell the violence of the mighty man by the hand of thy servant David, and gavest the host of strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul, and his armor bearer; ^{Verse 31} shut up this army in the hand of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their power and horsemen: ^{Verse 32} make them to be of no courage, and cause the boldness of their strength to fall away, and let them quake at their destruction: ^{Verse 33} cast them down with the sword of them that love thee, and let all those that know thy name praise thee with thanksgiving. ^{Verse 34} So they joined battle; and there were slain of the host of Lysias about five thousand men, even before them were they slain. ^{Verse 35} Now when Lysias saw his army put to flight, and the manliness of Judas’ soldiers, and how they were ready either to live or die valiantly, he went into Antioch, and gathered together a company of strangers, and having made his army greater than it was, he purposed to come again into Judea. ^{Verse 36} Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary. ^{Verse 37} Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into Mount Zion. ^{Verse 38} And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests’ chambers pulled down; ^{Verse 39} they rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads, ^{Verse 40} and fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven. ^{Verse 41} Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary. ^{Verse 42} So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law: ^{Verse 43} who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place. ^{Verse 44} And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned; ^{Verse 45} they thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down, ^{Verse 46} and laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to show what should be done with them. ^{Verse 47} Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former; ^{Verse 48} and made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts. ^{Verse 49} They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candlestick, and the altar of incense, and the table. ^{Verse 50} And upon the altar they burned incense, and the lamps that were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple. ^{Verse 51} Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they had begun to make. ^{Verse 52} Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Chislev, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning, ^{Verse 53} and offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made. ^{Verse 54} At what time and day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citterns, and harps, and cymbals. ^{Verse 55} Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshiping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success. ^{Verse 56} And so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise. ^{Verse 57} They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them. ^{Verse 58} Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away. ^{Verse 59} Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Chislev, with mirth and gladness. ^{Verse 60} At that time also they built up the Mount Zion with high walls and strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should come and tread it down, as they had done before. ^{Verse 61} And they set there a garrison to keep it, and fortified Beth-zur to preserve it; that the people might have a defense against Idumea.