1 Then took Gorgias five thousand footmen, and a thousand of the best horsemen, and removed out of the camp by night;
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.
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,
4 While as yet the forces were dispersed from the camp.
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 said he, These fellows flee from us
6 But as soon as it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men, who nevertheless had neither armour nor swords to their minds.
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.
8 Then said Judas to the men that were with him, Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.
9 Remember how our fathers were delivered in the Red sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with an army.
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:
11 That so all the heathen may know that there is one who delivereth and saveth Israel.
12 Then the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming over against them.
13 Wherefore they went out of the camp to battle; but they that were with Judas sounded their trumpets.
14 So they joined battle, and the heathen being discomfited fled into the plain.
15 Howbeit all the hindmost of them were slain with the sword: for they pursued them unto Gazera, and unto the plains of Idumea, and Azotus, and Jamnia, so that there were slain of them upon a three thousand men.
16 This done, Judas returned again with his host from pursuing them,
17 And said to the people, Be not greedy of the spoil inasmuch as there is a battle before us,
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.
19 As Judas was yet speaking these words, there appeared a part of them looking out of the mountain:
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:
21 When therefore they perceived these things, they were sore afraid, and seeing also the host of Judas in the plain ready to fight,
22 They fled every one into the land of strangers.
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.
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.
25 Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.
26 Now all the strangers that had escaped came and told Lysias what had happened:
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.
28 The next year therefore following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand choice men of foot, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.
29 So they came into Idumea, and pitched their tents at Bethsura, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.
30 And when he saw that mighty army, he prayed and said, Blessed art thou, O Saviour 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 armourbearer;
31 Shut up this army in the hand of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their power and horsemen:
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:
33 Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee, and let all those that know thy name praise thee with thanksgiving.
34 So they joined battle; and there were slain of the host of Lysias about five thousand men, even before them were they slain.
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 Antiochia, and gathered together a company of strangers, and having made his army greater than it was, he purposed to come again into Judea.
36 Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary.
37 Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion.
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;
39 They rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads,
40 And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven.
41 Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary.
42 So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law:
43 Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place.
44 And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned;
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,
46 And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them.
47 Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former;
48 And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts.
49 They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the table.
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.
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.
52 Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning,
53 And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.
54 Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals.
55 Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success.
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.
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.
58 Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away.
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 Casleu, with mirth and gladness.
60 At that time also they builded up the mount Sion with high walls and strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should come and tread it down as they had done before.
61 And they set there a garrison to keep it, and fortified Bethsura to preserve it; that the people might have a defence against Idumea.
1 et adsumpsit Gorgias quinque milia virorum et mille equites electos
et moverunt castra nocte
2 ut adplicarent ad castra Iudaeorum et percuterent eos subito
et filii qui erant ex arce erant illi duces
3 et audivit Iudas et surrexit ipse et potentes
percutere virtutem exercituum regis
quae erat in Ammaum
4 adhuc enim dispersus erat exercitus a castris
5 et venit Gorgias in castra Iudae noctu et neminem
invenit
et quaerebant eos in montibus
quoniam dixit fugiunt hii a nobis
6 et cum dies factus esset apparuit Iudas in campo
cum tribus milibus virorum tantum
quia tegumenta et gladios non habebant
7 et viderunt castra gentium valida
et loricatos et equitatus in circuitu eorum
et hii docti proelium
8 et ait Iudas viris qui secum erant
ne timueritis multitudinem eorum et impetum eorum ne formidetis
9 mementote qualiter salvi facti sunt patres nostri in mari Rubro
cum sequeretur eos Pharao cum exercitu
10 et nunc clamemus in caelum
et miserebitur nostri et testamenti patrum
nostrorum
et conteret exercitum istum ante faciem nostram hodie
11 et scient omnes gentes quia est qui redimat et liberet Israhel
12 et levaverunt alienigenae oculos suos
et viderunt eos venientes ex adverso
13 et exierunt de castris in proelium
et tuba cecinerunt hii qui fuerant cum Iuda
14 et congressi sunt et contritae sunt gentes et fugerunt in campum
15 novissimi autem ceciderunt gladio
et persecuti sunt eos usque Gesoron
et usque in campos Idumeae et Azoti et Iamniae
et ceciderunt ex illis ad tria milia virorum
16 et reversus est Iudas et exercitus eius sequens eum
17 et dixit ad populum
non concupiscatis spolia quia bellum contra nos est
18 et Gorgias et exercitus eius in monte prope nos
sed state contra inimicos nostros et expugnate eos
et post hoc sumetis spolia
19 et adhuc loquente Iuda haec apparuit pars quaedam
prospiciens de monte
20 et vidit quod in fugam conversi sunt
et succensa sunt castra
fumus enim qui videbatur declarabat quod factum est
21 quibus illi conspectis timuerunt valde
aspicientes simul et Iudam et exercitum in campo paratum ad proelium
22 et fugerunt omnes in campo alienigenarum
23 et Iudas reversus est ad spolia castrorum
et acceperunt aurum multum et argentum
et hyacinthum et purpuram marinam et opes magnas
24 et conversi hymnum canebant
et benedicebant in caelum
quoniam bonum est
quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius
25 et facta est salus magna in Israhel in illa die
26 quicumque autem alienigenarum evaserunt
venerunt et nuntiaverunt Lysiae universa quae acciderant
27 quibus auditis ille consternatus est animo deficiebat
quod non qualia voluit talia contigerunt in Israhel
et qualia mandavit rex
28 et sequenti anno
congregavit electorum virorum sexaginta milia
et equitum quinque milia
ut debellaret eos
29 et venerunt in Iudaeam et castra posuerunt in Bethoron
et occurrit illis Iudas cum decem milibus viris
30 et viderunt exercitum fortem et oravit et dixit
benedictus es salvator Israhel
qui contrivisti impetum potentis in manu servi tui David
et tradidisti castra alienigenarum in manus Ionathae
filii Saul et armigeri eius
31 conclude exercitum istum in manu populi tui Israhel
et confundantur in exercitu suo et equitibus
32 da illis formidinem et tabefac audaciam virtutis eorum
et commoveantur contritione sua
33 deice eos gladio diligentium te
et conlaudent te omnes qui noverunt nomen tuum in hymnis
34 et commiserunt
et ceciderunt de exercitu Lysiae quinque milia virorum
35 videns autem Lysias suorum fugam et Iudaeorum audaciam
et quod parati sunt aut vivere aut mori fortiter
abiit Antiochiam et elegit milites
ut multiplicatus rursus veniret in Iudaeam
36 dixit autem Iudas et fratres eius ecce contriti sunt inimici nostri
ascendamus nunc mundare sancta et renovare
37 et congregatus est omnis exercitus et ascenderunt in montem Sion
38 et viderunt sanctificationem desertam
et altare profanatum et portas exustas
et in atriis virgulta nata sicut in saltu vel montibus
et pastoforia diruta
39 sciderunt vestimenta sua et planxerunt planctu magno
et inposuerunt cinerem
40 et ceciderunt in faciem super terram
et exclamaverunt tubis signorum et clamaverunt in caelum
41 tunc ordinavit Iudas viros
ut pugnarent adversus eos qui erant in arce
donec emundarent sancta
42 et elegit sacerdotes sine macula voluntatem habentes in lege Dei
43 et mundaverunt sancta
et tulerunt lapides contaminationis in locum inmundum
44 et cogitavit de altare holocaustorum quod profanatum erat
quid de eo faceret
45 et incidit illi consilium bonum ut destrueret
illud
ne forte esset illis in obprobrium
quia contaminaverunt illud gentes
et demoliti sunt illud
46 et reposuerunt lapides in monte domus in loco apto
quoadusque veniret propheta et responderet de eis
47 et acceperunt lapides integros secundum legem
et aedificaverunt altare novum secundum illud quod fuit prius
48 et aedificaverunt sancta et quae intra domum intrinsecus
et aedem et atria sanctificaverunt
49 et fecerunt vasa sancta nova
et intulerunt candelabrum et altare incensorum et mensam in templum
50 et incensum posuerunt super altare
et accenderunt lucernas quae super candelabrum erant
et lucebant in templo
51 et posuerunt super mensam panes et adpenderunt vela
et consummaverunt omnia opera quae fecerunt
52 et ante matutinum surrexerunt
quinta et vicesima mensis noni hic mensis casleu
centesimi quadragesimi octavi anni
53 et obtulerunt sacrificium secundum legem
super altare holocaustorum novum quod fecerunt
54 secundum tempus et secundum diem
in qua contaminaverunt illud gentes
in ipsa renovatum est in canticis et citharis et cinyris et
cymbalis
55 et cecidit omnis populus et adoraverunt
et benedixerunt in caelum ei qui
prosperavit eis
56 et fecerunt dedicationem altaris diebus octo
et obtulerunt holocausta cum laetitia
et salutaria laudis
57 et ornaverunt faciem templi coronis aureis et scutulis
et dedicaverunt portas et pastoforia
et inposuerunt eis ianuas
58 et facta est laetitia in populo magna valde
et aversum est obprobrium gentium
59 et statuit Iudas et fratres eius et universa ecclesia Israhel
ut agatur dies dedicationis altaris in temporibus suis ab anno in annum per dies octo
a quinta et vicesima mensis casleu cum laetitia et gaudio
60 et aedificaverunt in tempore illo montem Sion
et per circuitum muros altos et turres firmas
nequando venirent gentes et conculcarent eam sicut antea fecerunt
61 et conlocavit illic exercitum ut servarent eam
et munivit eam ad custodiendam Bethsuram
ut haberet populus munitionem contra faciem Idumeae