The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 06
1 King Antiochus was traveling through
the upper countries; and he heard that
in Elymais in Persia there was a city
renowned for riches, for silver and gold,
2 and that the temple which was in it was
exceedingly rich, andthatinit were golden
shields, breastplates, and weapons which
Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian
king, who reigned first among the Greeks,
left behind there.
3 Sohe came andtriedto take the city and
to pillage it; and he was not able, because
his plan was known to them of the city,
4 and they rose up against him in battle.
He fled and returned to Babylon with great
disappointment.
5 Then someone came into Persia bringing him
news that the armies which went against the land
of Judah had been put to flight,
6 and that Lysias went first with a strong
army and was put to shame before them,
and that they had grown strong because of
weapons, power, and a supply of plunder
which they took from the armies that they
had cut off,
7 and that they had pulled down the
abomination which he had built upon the
altar that was in Jerusalem, and that they
had surrounded the sanctuary with high
walls, as before, and also Bethsura, his city.
8 It came to pass, when the king heard
these words, he was astonished and
moved exceedingly. He laid himself down
on his bed, and fell sick for grief, because
it had not turned out for him as he had
planned.
9 He was there many days, because great
grief continually gripped him, and he
realized that he would die.
10 He called for all his† friends, and said
to them, “Sleep departs from my eyes, and
my heart fails because of worry
11 I said in my heart, ‘To what suffering
I have come! How great a flood it is that
I’m in, now! For I was gracious and
love dinmy power.’
12 But now I remember the evils which
I did at Jerusalem, and that I took all the
vessels of silver and gold that were in it,
and sent out to destroy the inhabitants of
Judah without a cause.
13 I perceive that it is because of this that
these evils have come upon me. Behold,
I am perishing through great grief in a
strange land.”
14 Then he called for Philip, one of his‡
friends, and set him over all his kingdom.
15 He gave him his crown, his robe, and
his signet ring, so that he could guide
Antiochus his son, and nourish him up that he
might be king.
16 Then King Antiochus died there in the
one hundred forty-ninth year.§
17 When Lysias learned thatthe king was
dead, he set up Antiochus his son to reign,
whom he had nourished up being young,
and he called his name Eupator.
18 Those who were in the citadel kept
hemming Israel in around the sanctuary,
and always sought to harm them and to
strengthen the Gentiles.
19 Judas planned to destroy them, and
called all the people together to besiege them.
20 They were gathered together, and besieged
them in† the one hundred fiftieth
year, and he made mounds to shoot from,
and engines of war.
21 Some of those who were hemmed in
came out, and some of the ungodly men of
Israel were joined to them.
22 They went to the king, and said, “How
long will you not execute judgment, and
avenge our kindred?
23 We were willing to serve your father
and to live by his words, and to follow his
commandments.
24 Because of this, the children of our
people besieged the citadel‡ and were
alienated from us; but as many of us as
they could catch, they killed, and plundered
our inheritances.
25 Not against us only did they stretch
out their hand, but also against all their
borders.
26 Behold, they are encamped this day
against the citadel at Jerusalem to take
it. They have fortified the sanctuary and
Bethsura.
27 If you don’t quickly prevent them,they
will do greater things than these, and you
won’t be able to control them.
28 When the king heard this, he was angry,
and gathered together all his§ friends,
the rulers of his army, and those who were
over the cavalry.
29 Bands of hired soldiers came to him
from other kingdoms and from islands of
the sea.
30 The number of his forces was one hundred
thousand infantry, and twenty thousand cavalry,
and thirty-two elephants trained for war.
31 They went through Idumaea, and
encamped against Bethsura, and fought
against it many days, and made engines of
war. The Jews came out and burned them
with fire, and fought valiantly.
32 Judas marched away from the citadel
and encamped at Bethzacharias, near the
king’s camp.
33 The king rose early in the morning,
and marched his army† at full speed along
the road toBethzacharias. His forces made
themselves ready to battle and sounded
their trumpets.
34 They offered the elephants the juice
of grapes and mulberries, that they might
prepare them for the battle.
35 They distributed the animals among
the phalanxes. They set by each elephant
a thousand men armed with coats of mail
and helmets of brass on their heads. Five
hundred chosen cavalry were appointed
for each elephant.
36 These were ready beforehand, wherever the
elephant was. Wherever the elephant went,
they went with it. They didn’t leave it.
37 Strong, covered wooden towers were
upon them, one upon each elephant, fastened upon
it with secure harnesses. Upon
each were four valiant men who fought
upon them, beside his Indian driver.
38 The rest of the cavalry he set on this
side and that side on the two flanks of the
army, striking terror into the enemy, and
protected by the phalanxes.
39 Now when the sun shone upon the
shields of gold and brass, the mountains lit
up, and blazed like flaming torches.
40 A part of the king’s army was spread
upon the high hills and some on the low
ground, and they went on firmly and in
order.
41 All who heard the noise of their multitude,
the marching of the multitude,
and the rattling of the weapons trembled;
for the army was exceedingly great and
strong.
42 Judas and his army drew near for battle,
and six hundred men of the king’s army fell.
43 Eleazar, who was called Avaran, saw
one of the animals armed with royal
breastplates, and it was taller than all the
animals, and the king seemed to be on it.
44 He gave his life to deliver his people,
and to get himself an everlasting name.
45 He ran upon him courageously into
the midst of the phalanx, and killed on the
right hand and on the left, and they parted
away from him on this side and on that.
46 He crept under the elephant, and
stabbed it from beneath, and killed it. The
elephant fell to the earth upon him, and he
died there.
47 They saw the strength of the kingdom
and the fierce attack of the army, and
turned away from them.
48 But the soldiers of the king’s army
went up to Jerusalem to meet them, and
the king encamped toward Judea and toward mount Zion.
49 He made peace with the people of
Bethsura. He came out of the city because
they had no food there to endure the siege,
because it was a Sabbath to the land.
50 The king tookBethsura, andappointed
a garrison there to keep it.
51 He encamped against the sanctuary
many days; and set there mounds to shoot
from, and engines of war, and machines
for throwing fire and stones, and weapons
to throw darts, and slings.
52 The Jews also made engines of war
against their engines, and fought
for many days.
53 Butthere wasno food inthe sanctuary,
because it was the seventh year, and those
who fled for safety into Judea from among
the Gentiles had eaten up the rest of the
stores.
54 There were only a few people left in
the sanctuary, because the famine prevailed
against them, and they were scattered, each
man to his own place.
55 Lysias heard that Philip, whom Antiochus
the king, while he was yet alive,
appointed to raise his son Antiochus
to be king,
56 had returned from Persia and Media,
and with him the forces that went with
the king, and that he was seeking to take
control of the government.
57 He made haste, and gave orders to depart.
He said to the king and the leaders of
the army and to the men, “We get weaker
daily, our food is scant, the place where
we encamp is strong, and the affairs of the
kingdom lie upon us.
58 Now therefore let’s negotiate with
these men, and make peace with them and
with all their nation,
59 and covenant with them, that they
may walk after their own laws, as before;
for because of their laws which we abolished
they were angered, and did all these things.
60 The speech pleased the king and the
princes, and he sent to them to make
peace; and they accepted it.
61 The king and the princes swore to
them. On these conditions, they came out
from the stronghold.
62 Then the king entered into mount
Zion. He saw the strength of the place,
and broke the oath which he had sworn,
and gave orders to pull down the wall all
around.
63 Then he left in haste and returned to
Antioch, and found Philip master of the
city. He fought against him, and took the
city by force.