his sons buried him in the sepulchres of his fathers at Modin, and all Israel made great lamentation for
him.
1Mac.3
[1] Then his son Judas, called Maccabeus, rose up in his stead.
[2] And all his brethren helped him, and
so did all they that held with his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle of Israel.
[3] So he
gat his people great honour, and put on a breastplate as a giant, and girt his warlike harness about him,
and he made battles, protecting the host with his sword.
[4] In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's
whelp roaring for his prey.
[5] For He pursued the wicked, and sought them out, and burnt up those that
vexed his people.
[6] Wherefore the wicked shrunk for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were
troubled, because salvation prospered in his hand.
[7] He grieved also many kings, and made Jacob
glad with his acts, and his memorial is blessed for ever.
[8] Moreover he went through the cities of Juda,
destroying the ungodly out of them, and turning away wrath from Israel:
[9] So that he was renowned
unto the utmost part of the earth, and he received unto him such as were ready to perish.
[10] Then
Apollonius gathered the Gentiles together, and a great host out of Samaria, to fight against Israel.
[11]
Which thing when Judas perceived, he went forth to meet him, and so he smote him, and slew him: many
also fell down slain, but the rest fled.
[12] Wherefore Judas took their spoils, and Apollonius' sword also,
and therewith he fought all his life long.
[13] Now when Seron, a prince of the army of Syria, heard say
that Judas had gathered unto him a multitude and company of the faithful to go out with him to war;
[14]
He said, I will get me a name and honour in the kingdom; for I will go fight with Judas and them that are
with him, who despise the king's commandment.
[15] So he made him ready to go up, and there went
with him a mighty host of the ungodly to help him, and to be avenged of the children of Israel.
[16] And
when he came near to the going up of Bethhoron, Judas went forth to meet him with a small company:
[17]
Who, when they saw the host coming to meet them, said unto Judas, How shall we be able, being so
few, to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, seeing we are ready to faint with fasting all this
day?
[18] Unto whom Judas answered, It is no hard matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a
few; and with the God of heaven it is all one, to deliver with a great multitude, or a small company:
[19]
For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host; but strength cometh from heaven.
[20]
They come against us in much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and our wives and children, and to spoil
us:
[21] But we fight for our lives and our laws.
[22] Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before
our face: and as for you, be ye not afraid of them.
[23] Now as soon as he had left off speaking, he leapt
suddenly upon them, and so Seron and his host was overthrown before him.
[24] And they pursued them
from the going down of Bethhoron unto the plain, where were slain about eight hundred men of them; and
the residue fled into the land of the Philistines.
[25] Then began the fear of Judas and his brethren, and
an exceeding great dread, to fall upon the nations round about them:
[26] Insomuch as his fame came
unto the king, and all nations talked of the battles of Judas.
[27] Now when king Antiochus heard these
things, he was full of indignation: wherefore he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm,
even a very strong army.
[28] He opened also his treasure, and gave his soldiers pay for a year, commanding
them to be ready whensoever he should need them.
[29] Nevertheless, when he saw that the money
of his treasures failed and that the tributes in the country were small, because of the dissension and
plague, which he had brought upon the land in taking away the laws which had been of old time;
[30]
He feared that he should not be able to bear the charges any longer, nor to have such gifts to give so
liberally as he did before: for he had abounded above the kings that were before him.
[31] Wherefore,
being greatly perplexed in his mind, he determined to go into Persia, there to take the tributes of the
countries, and to gather much money.
[32] So he left Lysias, a nobleman, and one of the blood royal,
to oversee the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates unto the borders of Egypt:
[33] And to bring
up his son Antiochus, until he came again.
[34] Moreover he delivered unto him the half of his forces,
and the elephants, and gave him charge of all things that he would have done, as also concerning them
that dwelt in Juda and Jerusalem:
[35] To wit, that he should send an army against them, to destroy and
root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away their memorial from that
place;
[36] And that he should place strangers in all their quarters, and divide their land by lot.
[37] So
the king took the half of the forces that remained, and departed from Antioch, his royal city, the hundred
forty and seventh year; and having passed the river Euphrates, he went through the high countries.
[38]