1 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.
2 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.
3 Wherefore, when he knew it, he said, Let me not see their faces.
4 So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom,
5 There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain:
6 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.
7 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.
8 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,
9 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.
10 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.
11 But they gave no heed to their words; for they saw that they were come with a great power.
12 Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of scribes, to require justice.
13 Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them:
14 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.
15 So he spake unto them, peaceably, and sware unto them, saying, we will procure the harm neither of you nor your friends.
16 Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them threescore men, and slew them in one day, according to the words which he wrote,
17 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.
18 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.
19 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.
20 Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a power to aid him: so Bacchides went to the king.
21 But Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.
22 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.
23 Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites, even above the heathen,
24 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.
25 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.
26 Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man that bare deadly hate unto Israel, with commandment to destroy the people.
27 So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with friendly words, saying,
28 Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see you in peace.
29 He came therefore to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by violence.
30 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.
31 Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:
32 Where there were slain of Nicanor’s side about five thousand men, and the rest fled into the city of David.
33 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.
34 But he mocked them, and laughed at them, and abused them shamefully, and spake proudly,
35 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.
36 Then the priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple, weeping, and saying,
37 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:
38 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.
39 So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met him.
40 But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men, and there he prayed, saying,
41 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.
42 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.
43 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.
44 Now when Nicanor’s host saw that he was slain, they cast away their weapons, and fled.
45 Then they pursued after them a day’s journey, from Adasa unto Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets.
46 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.
47 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.
48 For this cause the people rejoiced greatly, and they kept that day a day of great gladness.
49 Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day, being the thirteenth of Adar.
50 Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while.
1 anno centesimo quinquagesimo et primo
exiit Demetrius Seleuci filius ab urbe Roma
et ascendit cum paucis viris in civitatem maritimam et regnavit illic
2 et factum est ut ingressus est in domum regni patrum suorum
conprehendit exercitus Antiochum et Lysiam
ut adduceret eos ad eum
3 et res ei innotuit et ait nolite mihi ostendere faciem eorum
4 et occidit eos exercitus et sedit Demetrius super sedem regni sui
5 et venerunt ad eum viri iniqui et impii ex Israhel
et Alchimus dux eorum qui volebat fieri sacerdos
6 et accusaverunt populum apud regem dicentes
perdidit Iudas et fratres eius amicos tuos
et nos disperdit de terra nostra
7 nunc ergo mitte virum cui credis
et eat et videat exterminium omne
quod fecit nobis et regionibus regis
et puniit omnes amicos eius et adiutores eorum
8 et elegit rex ex amicis suis Bacchidem
qui dominabatur trans Flumen
magnum in regno et fidelem regi et misit eum
9 et Alchimum impium constituit in sacerdotio
et mandavit ei facere ultionem in filios
Israhel
10 et surrexerunt et venerunt cum exercitu magno in terram Iuda
et miserunt nuntios et locuti sunt ad Iudam et fratres
eius
verbis pacificis in dolo
11 et non intenderunt sermonibus eorum
viderunt enim quia venerunt cum exercitu magno
12 et convenerunt ad Alchimum et Bacchidem
congregatio scribarum requirere quae iusta sunt
13 et primi Asidei qui erant in filiis Israhel
et exquirebant ab eis pacem
14 dixerunt enim homo sacerdos de semine Aaron venit
non decipiet nos
15 et locutus est cum eis verba pacifica et iuravit illis dicens
non inferemus vobis malum neque amicis
vestris
16 et crediderunt ei
et conprehendit ex eis sexaginta viros
et occidit eos in una die
secundum verbum quod scriptum est
17 carnes sanctorum tuorum et sanguinem ipsorum effuderunt in circuitu
Hierusalem
et non erat qui sepeliret
18 et incubuit timor et tremor in omnem populum
quia dixerunt non est ei veritas et iudicium
transgressi sunt enim constitutum et iusiurandum quod iuraverunt
19 et movit Bacchides castra ab Hierusalem
et adplicuit in Bethzetha
et misit et conprehendit multos ex eis qui a se refugerant
et quosdam de populo mactavit et in puteum magnum proiecit
20 et commisit regionem Alchimo
et reliquit cum eo auxilium in adiutorium ipsi
et abiit Bacchides ad regem
21 et satis agebat Alchimus pro principatu sacerdotii sui
22 et convenerunt ad eum omnes qui perturbabant populum suum
et obtinuerunt terram Iuda
et fecerunt plagam magnam in Israhel
23 et vidit Iudas omnia mala
quae fecit Alchimus et qui cum eo erant in filios
Israhel
plus multo quam gentes
24 et exiit in omnes fines Iudae in circuitu
et fecit vindictam in viros desertores
et cessaverunt ultra exire in regionem
25 vidit autem Alchimus
quod praevaluit Iudas et qui cum eo sunt
et cognovit quia non potest sustinere eos
et regressus est ad regem et accusavit eos multis criminibus
26 et misit rex Nicanorem unum ex principibus suis nobilioribus
qui erat inimicitias exercens contra Israhel
et mandavit ei evertere populum
27 et venit Nicanor in Hierusalem cum exercitu magno
et misit ad Iudam et ad fratres eius
cum dolo verbis pacificis
28 dicens
non sit pugna inter me et vos
veniam cum viris paucis et videam facies vestras cum pace
29 et venit ad Iudam et salutaverunt se invicem pacifice
et hostes parati erant rapere Iudam
30 et innotuit sermo Iudae quoniam cum dolo venerat ad eum
et conterritus est ab eo et amplius noluit videre faciem eius
31 et cognovit Nicanor quoniam denudatum est consilium eius
et exivit obviam Iudae in pugnam iuxta Capharsalama
32 et ceciderunt de Nicanoris fere quinque milia viri
et fugerunt in civitatem David
33 et post haec verba ascendit Nicanor in montem Sion
et exierunt de sacerdotibus populi salutare eum in pace
et demonstrare ei holocaustomata quae offerebantur pro rege
34 et inridens sprevit eos et polluit et locutus est superbe
35 et iuravit cum ira dicens
nisi traditus fuerit Iudas et exercitus eius in manus meas
continuo cum regressus fuero in pace succendam domum istam
et exiit cum ira magna
36 et intraverunt sacerdotes et steterunt ante faciem altaris et templi
et flentes dixerunt
37 tu elegisti domum istam Domine
ad invocandum nomen tuum in ea
ut esset domus orationis et obsecrationis populo tuo
38 fac vindictam in homine isto et exercitu
eius
et cadant gladio
memento blasphemias eorum et ne dederis eis ut permaneant
39 et exiit Nicanor ab Hierusalem et castra adplicuit ad Bethoron
et occurrit illi exercitus Syriae
40 et Iudas adplicuit in Adarsa cum tribus milibus viris
et oravit Iudas et dixit
41 qui missi erant a rege Sennacherib
Domine qui blasphemaverunt te
exiit angelus et percussit ex eis centum octoginta quinque milia
42 sic percute exercitum istum in conspectu nostro hodie
et sciant ceteri quia male locutus est super sancta tua
et iudica illum secundum malitiam illius
43 et commiserunt exercitus proelium tertiadecima die mensis adar
et contrita sunt castra Nicanoris et cecidit ipse primus in proelio
44 ut vidit autem exercitus eius quia cecidit
Nicanor
proiecerunt arma sua et fugerunt
45 et persecuti sunt eos viam diei unius
ab Adasor usquequo veniatur Gazera
et tubis cecinerunt post eos cum significationibus
46 et exierunt de omnibus castellis Iudae in circuitu
et ventilabant eos cornibus et convertebantur iterum ad eos
et ceciderunt omnes gladio
et non est relictus ex eis nec unus
47 et acceperunt spolia eorum et praedam
et caput Nicanoris amputaverunt
et dexteram eius quam extenderat superbe
et adtulerunt et suspenderunt contra Hierusalem
48 et laetatus est populus valde
et egerunt diem illam in laetitia magna
49 et constituit agi omnibus annis diem istam
tertiadecima die mensis adar
50 et siluit terra Iuda dies paucos