The First Book of Maccabees

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

Demetrius is made king, and sends Bacchides and Alcimus the priest into Judea, and after them Nicanor, who is slain by Judas with all his army.

In the one hundred fifty first year,(a) Demetrius the son of Seleucus came out of Rome, and went up with a few men to a city by the sea, and reigned there.

It came to pass, when he would go into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army laid hands on Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him.

The thing became known to him, and he said, “Don’t show me their faces!”

So the army killed them. Then Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom.

All the lawless and ungodly men of Israel came to him. Alcimus was their leader, desiring to be high priest.

They accused the people to the king, saying, “Judas and his kindred have destroyed all your friends, and have scattered us from our own land.

Now therefore send a man whom you trust, and let him go and see all the destruction which he has brought on us and the king’s country, and how he has punished them and all who helped them.”

So the king chose Bacchides, one of the king’s(b) friends, who was ruler in the country beyond the river, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king.

He sent him and that ungodly Alcimus, whom he made the high priest; and he commanded him to take vengeance upon the children of Israel.

They marched away and came with a great army into the land of Judah. He sent messengers to Judas and his kindred with words of peace deceitfully.

They paid no attention to their words; for they saw that they had come with a great army.

A group of scribes gathered together to Alcimus and Bacchides to seek just terms.

The(c) Hasidaeans were the first among the children of Israel who sought peace from them,

for they said, “One who is a priest of the seed of Aaron has come with the army, and he will do us no wrong.”

He spoke with them words of peace, and swore to them, saying, “We won’t seek to harm you or your friends.”

They trusted him. Then he seized sixty men of them, and killed them in one day, according to the word which was written,

(d) The flesh of your saints and their blood was shed all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.

The fear and the dread of them fell upon all the people, for they said, “There is neither truth nor justice in them; for they have broken the covenant and the oath which they swore.”

Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem, and encamped in Bezeth. He sent and seized many of the deserters who were with him, and some of the people, and he killed them, throwing them into a large pit.

He placed Alcimus in charge of the country and left with him a force to aid him. Then Bacchides went away to the king.

Alcimus struggled to maintain his high priesthood.

All those who troubled their people joined him, and they took control of the land of Judah, and did great damage in Israel.

Judas saw all the wrongs that Alcimus and his company had done among the children of Israel, even more than the Gentiles.

He went out into all the borders of Judea and took vengeance on the men who had deserted from him, and they were restrained from going out into the country.

But when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had grown strong, and knew that he was not able to withstand them, he returned to the king, and brought evil accusations against them.

(e)Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honorable princes, a man who hated Israel and was their enemy, and commanded him to destroy the people.

Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army. He sent to Judas and his kindred deceitfully with words of peace, saying,

“Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see your faces in peace.”

He came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. The enemies were ready to seize Judas by violence.

This was known to Judas, that he came to him with deceit, and he was very afraid of him, and would see his face no more.

Nicanor found out that his plan was disclosed; and he went out to meet Judas in battle beside Capharsalama.

About five hundred men of Nicanor’s army fell, and the rest fled into the city of David.

After these things, Nicanor went up to mount Zion. Some of the priests came out of the sanctuary, with some of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to show him the whole burned sacrifice that was being offered for the king.

He mocked them, laughed at them, derided them shamefully,(f) spoke arrogantly,

and swore in a rage, saying, “Unless Judas and his army are now delivered into my hands, it shall be that, if I return safely, I will burn up this house!” And he went out in a great rage.

The priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple; and they wept, and said,

“You chose this house to be called by your name, to be a house of prayer and supplication for your people.

Take vengeance on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and don’t allow them to live any longer.”

Then Nicanor went out from Jerusalem and encamped in Bethhoron, and there the Syrian army met him.

Judas encamped in Adasa with three thousand men. Judas prayed and said,

“When those who came from the king blasphemed, your angel went out, and struck among them one hundred eighty-five thousand.

Even so, crush this army before us today, and let all the rest know that he has spoken wickedly against your sanctuary. Judge him according to his wickedness.”

On the thirteenth day of the month Adar, the armies met in battle. Nicanor’s army was defeated, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle.

Now when his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw away their weapons and fled.

They pursued them a day’s journey from Adasa until you come to(g) Gazara, and they sounded an alarm after them with the signal trumpets.

Men came out of all the surrounding villages of Judea, and outflanked them. These turned them back on those, and they all fell by the sword. There wasn’t one of them left.

The Jews took the spoils and the booty, and they cut off Nicanor’s head and his right hand, which he had stretched out so arrogantly, and brought them, and hung them up beside Jerusalem.

The people were exceedingly glad, and they kept that day as a day of great gladness.

(h)They ordained to keep this day year by year on the thirteenth day of Adar.

So the land of Judah had rest a few days.

Footnotes

(a)7:1 circa B.C. 162.

(b)7:8 See 1 Maccabees 2:18 .

(d)7:17 Psalm 79:2 3.

(e)7:26 See 2 Maccabees 14:12 .

(f)7:34 Gr. polluted them.

(g)7:45 Gr. Gazera.

(h)7:49 See 2 Maccabees 15:36 .

Demetrius is made king, and sends Bacchides and Alcimus the priest into Judea, and after them Nicanor, who is slain by Judas with all his army.

In the hundred and one and fiftieth year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came up with a few men unto a city of the sea coast, and reigned there.

And as he entered into the palace of his ancestors, so it was, that his forces had taken Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them unto him.

Wherefore, when he knew it, he said, Let me not see their faces.

So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom,

There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain:

And they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and his brethren have slain all thy friends, and driven us out of our own land.

Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go and see what havock he hath made among us, and in the king’s land, and let him punish them with all them that aid them.

Then the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who ruled beyond the flood, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king,

And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel.

So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Judea, where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.

But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great power.

Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to require justice.

Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them:

For said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army, and he will do us no wrong.

So he spake unto them, peaceably, and sware unto them, saying, we will procure the harm neither of you nor your friends.

Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them threescore men, and slew them in one day, according to the words which he wrote,

The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

Wherefore the fear and dread of them fell upon all the people, who said, There is neither truth nor righteousness in them; for they have broken the covenant and oath that they made.

After this, removed Bacchides from Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bezeth, where he sent and took many of the men that had forsaken him, and certain of the people also, and when he had slain them, he cast them into the great pit.

Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a power to aid him: so Bacchides went to the king.

But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.

And unto him resorted all such as troubled the people, who, after they had gotten the land of Juda into their power, did much hurt in Israel.

Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites, even above the heathen,

He went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance of them that had revolted from him, so that they durst no more go forth into the country.

On the other side, when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had gotten the upper hand, and knew that he was not able to abide their force, he went again to the king, and said all the worst of them that he could.

Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man that bare deadly hate unto Israel, with commandment to destroy the people.

So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with friendly words, saying,

Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see you in peace.

He came therefore to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by violence.

Which thing after it was known to Judas, to wit, that he came unto him with deceit, he was sore afraid of him, and would see his face no more.

Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:

Where there were slain of Nicanor’s side about five thousand men, and the rest fled into the city of David.

After this went Nicanor up to mount Sion, and there came out of the sanctuary certain of the priests and certain of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the burnt sacrifice that was offered for the king.

But he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused them shamefully, and spake proudly,

And sware in his wrath, saying, Unless Judas and his host be now delivered into my hands, if ever I come again in safety, I will burn up this house: and with that he went out in a great rage.

Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple, weeping, and saying,

Thou, O Lord, didst choose this house to be called by thy name, and to be a house of prayer and petition for thy people:

Be avenged of this man and his host, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continue any longer.

So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met him.

But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying,

O Lord, when they that were sent from the king of the Assyrians blasphemed, thine angel went out, and smote an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them.

Even so destroy thou this host before us this day, that the rest may know that he hath spoken blasphemously against thy sanctuary, and judge thou him according to his wickedness.

So the thirteenth day of the month Adar the hosts joined battle: but Nicanor’s host was discomfited, and he himself was first slain in the battle.

Now when Nicanor’s host saw that he was slain, they cast away their weapons, and fled.

Then they pursued after them a day’s journey, from Adasa unto Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.

Whereupon they came forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and closed them in; so that they, turning back upon them that pursued them, were all slain with the sword, and not one of them was left.

Afterwards they took the spoils, and the prey, and smote off Nicanors head, and his right hand, which he stretched out so proudly, and brought them away, and hanged them up toward Jerusalem.

For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day of great gladness.

Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of Adar.

Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while.