The Second Book of Maccabees

⭑ King James Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 8 -

Judas Machabeus gathering an army gains divers victories.

Then Judas Maccabeus, and they that were with him, went privily into the towns, and called their kinsfolks together, and took unto them all such as continued in the Jews’ religion, and assembled about six thousand men.

And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon the people that was trodden down of all; and also pity the temple profaned of ungodly men;

And that he would have compassion upon the city, sore defaced, and ready to be made even with the ground; and hear the blood that cried unto him,

And remember the wicked slaughter of harmless infants, and the blasphemies committed against his name; and that he would shew his hatred against the wicked.

Now when Maccabeus had his company about him, he could not be withstood by the heathen: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.

Therefore he came at unawares, and burnt up towns and cities, and got into his hands the most commodious places, and overcame and put to flight no small number of his enemies.

But specially took he advantage of the night for such privy attempts, insomuch that the fruit of his holiness was spread every where.

So when Philip saw that this man increased by little and little, and that things prospered with him still more and more, he wrote unto Ptolemeus, the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, to yield more aid to the king’s affairs.

Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends, he sent him with no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations under him, to root out the whole generation of the Jews; and with him he joined also Gorgias a captain, who in matters of war had great experience.

So Nicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive Jews, as should defray the tribute of two thousand talents, which the king was to pay to the Romans.

Wherefore immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast, proclaiming a sale of the captive Jews, and promising that they should have fourscore and ten bodies for one talent, not expecting the vengeance that was to follow upon him from the Almighty God.

Now when word was brought unto Judas of Nicanor’s coming, and he had imparted unto those that were with him that the army was at hand,

They that were fearful, and distrusted the justice of God, fled, and conveyed themselves away.

Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord to deliver them, sold by the wicked Nicanor before they met together:

And if not for their own sakes, yet for the covenants he had made with their fathers, and for his holy and glorious name’s sake, by which they were called.

So Maccabeus called his men together unto the number of six thousand, and exhorted them not to be stricken with terror of the enemy, nor to fear the great multitude of the heathen, who came wrongly against them; but to fight manfully,

And to set before their eyes the injury that they had unjustly done to the holy place, and the cruel handling of the city, whereof they made a mockery, and also the taking away of the government of their forefathers:

For they, said he, trust in their weapons and boldness; but our confidence is in the Almighty who at a beck can cast down both them that come against us, and also all the world.

Moreover, he recounted unto them what helps their forefathers had found, and how they were delivered, when under Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand perished.

And he told them of the battle that they had in Babylon with the Galatians, how they came but eight thousand in all to the business, with four thousand Macedonians, and that the Macedonians being perplexed, the eight thousand destroyed an hundred and twenty thousand because of the help that they had from heaven, and so received a great booty.

Thus when he had made them bold with these words, and ready to die for the law and the country, he divided his army into four parts;

And joined with himself his own brethren, leaders of each band, to wit Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving each one fifteen hundred men.

Also he appointed Eleazar to read the holy book: and when he had given them this watchword, The help of God; himself leading the first band,

And by the help of the Almighty they slew above nine thousand of their enemies, and wounded and maimed the most part of Nicanor’s host, and so put all to flight;

And took their money that came to buy them, and pursued them far: but lacking time they returned:

For it was the day before the sabbath, and therefore they would no longer pursue them.

So when they had gathered their armour together, and spoiled their enemies, they occupied themselves about the sabbath, yielding exceeding praise and thanks to the Lord, who had preserved them unto that day, which was the beginning of mercy distilling upon them.

And after the sabbath, when they had given part of the spoils to the maimed, and the widows, and orphans, the residue they divided among themselves and their servants.

When this was done, and they had made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord to be reconciled with his servants for ever.

Moreover of those that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who fought against them, they slew above twenty thousand, and very easily got high and strong holds, and divided among themselves many spoils more, and made the maimed, orphans, widows, yea, and the aged also, equal in spoils with themselves.

And when they had gathered their armour together, they laid them up all carefully in convenient places, and the remnant of the spoils they brought to Jerusalem.

They slew also Philarches, that wicked person, who was with Timotheus, and had annoyed the Jews many ways.

Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the victory in their country they burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire upon the holy gates, who had fled into a little house; and so he received a reward meet for his wickedness.

As for that most ungracious Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to buy the Jews,

He was through the help of the Lord brought down by them, of whom he made least account; and putting off his glorious apparel, and discharging his company, he came like a fugitive servant through the midland unto Antioch having very great dishonour, for that his host was destroyed.

Thus he, that took upon him to make good to the Romans their tribute by means of captives in Jerusalem, told abroad, that the Jews had God to fight for them, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws that he gave them.

Judas Machabeus gathering an army gains divers victories.

But Judas, who is also called Maccabaeus, and those who were with him, making their way secretly into the villages, called to them their kindred. Taking to them those who had continued in the Jews’ religion, gathered together about six thousand.

They called upon the Lord to look at the people who were oppressed by all, and to have compassion on the sanctuary that had been profaned by the ungodly men,

and to have pity on the city that was suffering ruin and ready to be leveled to the ground, and to listen to the blood that cried out to him,

and to remember the lawless destruction of the innocent infants, and concerning the blasphemies that had been committed against his name, and to show his hatred of wickedness.

When Maccabaeus had trained his men for service, the heathen at once found him irresistible, for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.

(a)Coming without warning, he set fire to cities and villages. And in winning back the most important positions, putting to flight no small number of the enemies,

he especially took advantage of the nights for such assaults. His courage was loudly talked of everywhere.

But when Philip saw the man gaining ground little by little, and increasing more and more in his success, he wrote to Ptolemy, the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, that he should support the king’s cause.

Ptolemy quickly appointed Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of the king’s (b) chief friends, and sent him, in command of no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations, to destroy the whole race of Judea. With him he joined Gorgias also, a captain and one who had experience in matters of war.

Nicanor resolved by the sale of the captive Jews to make up for the king the tribute of two thousand talents which he was to pay to the Romans.

Immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast, inviting them to buy Jewish (c)slaves, promising to deliver seventy (d)slaves for a talent, not expecting the judgment that was to overtake him from the Almighty.

News came to Judas concerning Nicanor’s invasion. When he communicated to those who were with him the presence of the army,

those who were cowardly and distrustful of God’s judgment (e)ran away and left the country.

Others sold all that they had left, and at the same time implored the Lord to deliver those who had been sold as slaves by the impious Nicanor before he ever met them,

if not for their own sakes, then for the covenants made with their ancestors, and because he had called them by his holy and glorious name.

So Maccabaeus gathered his men together, six thousand in number, and exhorted them not to be frightened by the enemy, nor to fear the great multitude of the heathen who came wrongfully against them, but to fight nobly,

setting before their eyes the outrage that had been lawlessly perpetrated upon the holy place, and the torture of the city that had been turned to mockery, and further the overthrow of the way of life received from their ancestors.

“For they,” he said, “trust their weapons and daring deeds, but we trust in the almighty God, since he is able at a nod to cast down those who are coming against us, and even the whole world.”

Moreover, he recounted to them the help given from time to time in the days of their ancestors, both in the days of Sennacherib, when one hundred eighty-five thousand perished,

and in the land of Babylon, in the battle that was fought against the(f) Gauls, how they came to the battle with eight thousand in all, with four thousand Macedonians, and how, the Macedonians being hard pressed, the (g)six thousand destroyed the hundred and twenty thousand because of the help which they had from heaven, and took a great deal of plunder.

And when he had with these words filled them with courage and made them ready to die for the laws and their country, he divided his army into four parts.

He appointed his brothers, Simon, Joseph, and Jonathan, to be leaders of the divisions with him, giving each the command of one thousand five hundred men.

Moreover Eleazer also, having read aloud the sacred book, and having given as watchword, “THE HELP OF GOD”, leading the first band himself, joined battle with Nicanor.

Since the Almighty fought on their side, they killed more than nine thousand of the enemy, and wounded and(h) disabled most of Nicanor’s army, and compelled them all to flee.

They took the money of those who had come there to buy them as slaves. After they had pursued them for some (i)distance, they returned, being constrained by the time of the day;

for it was the day before the Sabbath, and for this reason they made no effort to chase them far.

(j) When they had gathered (k)the weapons of the enemy together, and had stripped off their spoils, they kept the Sabbath, greatly blessing and thanking the Lord who had saved them to this day, because he had begun to show mercy to them.

After the Sabbath, when they had given some of the spoils to the (l) maimed, and to the widows and orphans, they distributed the rest among themselves and their children.

When they had accomplished these things and had made a common supplication, they implored the merciful Lord to be wholly reconciled with his servants.

Having had an encounter with the forces of Timotheus and Bacchides, they killed more than twenty thousand of them, and made themselves masters of exceedingly high strongholds, and divided very much plunder, giving the (m)maimed, orphans, widows, and the aged an equal share with themselves.

(n) When they had gathered the weapons (o) of the enemy together, they stored them all up carefully in the most strategic positions, and they carried the rest of the spoils to Jerusalem.

They killed the (p)phylarch of Timotheus’s forces, a most unholy man, and one who had done the Jews much harm.

(q) As they celebrated the feast of victory in the (r) city of their fathers, they burned those who had set the sacred (s)gates on fire, including Callisthenes, who had fled into (t)a little house. So they received the proper reward for their impiety.

The thrice-accursed Nicanor, who had brought the thousand merchants to buy the Jews as slaves,

being through the help of the Lord humbled by them who in his eyes were held to be of least account, took off his glorious apparel, and passing through the country, (u)shunning all company like a fugitive slave, arrived at Antioch, (v) having, as he thought, had the greatest possible good fortune, though his army was destroyed.

He who had taken upon himself to make tribute sure for the Romans by the captivity of the men of Jerusalem published abroad that the Jews had One who fought for them, and that (w)because this was so, the Jews were invulnerable, because they followed the laws ordained by him.

Footnotes

(a)8:6 The Greek text of verses 6 and 7 is uncertain.

(b)8:9 See 1 Maccabees 10:65 . Compare 2 Maccabees 1:14 ; 2 Maccabees 7:24 ; 2 Maccabees 10:13 ; 2 Maccabees 14:11 ; 1 Maccabees 2:18 .

(d)8:11 Gr. bodies.

(e)8:13 The Greek text here is uncertain.

(f)8:20 Gr. Galatians.

(g)8:20 Some authorities read eight.

(h)8:24 Gr. disabled in their limbs.

(i)8:25 Or, while

(j)8:27 The exact meaning of this clause is uncertain.

(k)8:27 Gr. their weapons...the spoils of the enemy.

(l)8:28 Or, woundedGr. shamefully handled.

(m)8:30 Or, woundedGr. shamefully handled.

(n)8:31 The exact meaning of this clause is uncertain.

(o)8:31 Gr. of them.

(p)8:32 That is, probably, the captain of an irregular auxiliary force. Some write Phylarches,as a proper name.

(q)8:33 The Greek text here is perhaps corrupt.

(r)8:33 Or, country

(s)8:33 Or, porches

(t)8:33 Or, a solitary hut

(u)8:35 Gr. having made himself solitary.

(v)8:35 Or, having won the greatest possible favor by reason of the destruction of his army

(w)8:36 Or, because of thistheir way of lifeGr. because of this manner.