Judas Maccabeus Wins Many Victories

1Judas Maccabeus took his father's place as leader. 2His four brothers and his father's soldiers eagerly helped him fight for Israel.

3Judas was a mighty warrior

and made Israel more glorious

than ever.

When he put on his armor

and took up his sword,

he marched into battle

and protected his troops.

4He roared and attacked

like a hungry lion.

5He went after those Jews

who disobeyed God's Law,

and he burned to death those

who abused his people.

6Judas confused and terrified

everyone who broke God's Law,

but he kept his people safe.

7Kings were furious

because of his victories,

but Israel rejoiced.

Judas will be remembered

and praised forever.

8After Judas had killed

the unfaithful Jews

in the towns of Judea,

God was no longer angry.

9Now the whole world knew

that Judas had rescued those

who were to be slaughtered.

Apollonius Is Defeated

10A man by the name of Apollonius decided to invade Israel. So he got together an army of Gentiles and many Samaritans. 11When Judas learned about this, he attacked, killing Apollonius and a large number of his soldiers. The others ran for their lives. 12Then everyone took what they wanted from the dead soldiers. Judas himself took Apollonius' sword and used it from then on.

The Battle of Beth-Horon

13Seron, the commander of the Syrian forces, heard about Judas and the many loyal troops who were always ready to fight for him. 14Seron thought, "Judas and his soldiers are rebels. So I'll destroy them and make a name for myself everywhere in the kingdom!" 15Then Seron led his soldiers and a large number of unfaithful Jews out of his camp to attack them.

16While Seron and his army were going through the hills toward the town of Beth-Horon, Judas and a small force went out to attack. 17But when they saw the enemy closing in, they said, "There are only a few of us. How can we fight against such a strong army? And besides, we feel weak, because we haven't had anything to eat all day long."

18Judas said to his soldiers:

God doesn't care how many soldiers Seron has or how few we have. Our small army can easily destroy his forces. 19It isn't the size of the army, it is the power of God that wins battles.

20Seron and his troops are arrogant sinners who want to kill us and our families, so they can steal everything we own. 21But we're fighting for our faith as much as for ourselves. 22God will let us wipe out Seron's army. So don't be afraid!

23Judas and his soldiers struck quickly. They defeated Seron and his army 24and chased them to the valley below the hills of Beth-Horon. Eight hundred enemy soldiers were killed, and the rest ran away to the country of the Philistines.

King Antiochus Makes War Plans

25The Gentiles in this whole region were now terrified of Judas and his brothers. 26In fact, everyone talked about his victories so much that even King Antiochus finally heard about Judas.

27Antiochus was furious and brought his troops together from everywhere in his kingdom to build up a powerful army. 28He took money from his treasury and gave each soldier a year's pay. Then he told them, "Be ready to fight at a moment's notice!"

29Soon Antiochus ran out of money, and it became difficult to collect taxes, because of the hard feelings and trouble he had caused by doing away with the ancient customs of the land.

30Once again Antiochus started worrying about how he would pay his bills and outdo the other kings before him who gave expensive gifts. 31He was so upset that he decided to take his army and collect all the taxes he could from Persia and the other countries nearby.

Antiochus Puts Lysias in Charge

32A man by the name of Lysias was a respected member of the royal family and King Antiochus put him in charge of the land from the Euphrates River to the border of Egypt. 33Then Antiochus told him:

Look after my son until I get back. 34I am placing half of my army and all of my elephants under your command. Obey my orders, especially concerning the people of Judea and Jerusalem. 35Destroy the army of Judas and kill anyone you find in Jerusalem. Make the whole world forget that those Jews ever lived 36and give their land to Gentiles.

37In the year 147 of the Syrian Kingdom, Antiochus and the rest of his army set out from the capital city of Antioch. They crossed the Euphrates River and started through Mesopotamia.

Judas and His Brothers

38Nicanor, Gorgias, and Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes were three important and trusted friends of Antiochus. So Lysias chose them as army commanders. 39He told them what the king had commanded and gave them 40,000 soldiers and 7,000 cavalry troops to invade and destroy the land of Judea. 40Nicanor, Gorgias, and Ptolemy then led the whole army to Judea and set up camp in the valley near the town of Emmaus.

41Local slave traders heard about these three commanders and went to their camp, taking with them chains and plenty of silver and gold to buy Israelite prisoners as slaves. Armies from Syria and the land of the Philistines also came.

42Judas and his brothers realized things were worse now than ever, because their enemies had invaded Judea with orders from the king to wipe out the Jewish people. 43But Judas and his brothers were determined to make their nation strong again and to defend their people and temple. 44So Judas organized an army, and when his troops were ready, they prayed for God's mercy and kindness.

45Jerusalem was a barren desert

that no one could enter

or leave.

The temple was trampled down,

and foreign troops

took over the fortress.

Everyone in Israel was sad;

their flutes and harps

were silent.

46Judas led his army a short distance from Jerusalem to the town of Mizpah, which had been a place of worship. 47That day Judas and his troops went without eating; they put on sackcloth, then rubbed ashes on their heads and tore their clothes.

48Instead of praying to idols, as the Gentiles do, they read in their Jewish Law to find what God wanted them to do. 49They also brought together a tenth of their crops and the best part of their harvest, as well as the clothes of the priests.

Judas also called together those who had completed their time of special service to God and now had to offer sacrifices.

50Then everyone prayed out loud:

Where can we take these people

to offer their sacrifices?

51Your temple has been disgraced

and made unfit for worship;

the priests are humiliated

and brokenhearted.

52Our God, you know these Gentiles

are here to destroy us,

53and there is nothing we can do

without your help.

54Then trumpets were blown, and everyone shouted. 55Judas divided his army into groups of 1,000, groups of 100, groups of 50, and groups of 10, and he put an officer in charge of each group. 56 He obeyed the Law of Moses by sending home any soldier who was either building a house or engaged to get married or who was planting a vineyard or was simply afraid to fight.

57Judas and his troops left Mizpah and set up camp south of the town of Emmaus, 58where he said to them:

Our enemies have come together to destroy us and our temple. So get your weapons ready and be brave! We'll attack early tomorrow morning. 59It's better to die in battle than to watch our country and temple crumble. 60But God will do whatever he has decided.