The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 09
1 Demetrius heard that Nicanor had
fallen with his forces in battle, and he sent
Bacchides and Alcimus again into the land
of Judah a second time, and the right wing
of his army with them.
2 They went by the way that leads to
Gilgal, and encamped against Mesaloth,
which is in Arbela, and took possession of
it, and killed many people.
3 The first month of the one hundred
fifty-second year, † they encamped against
Jerusalem.
4 Then they marched away and went to
Berea with twenty thousand infantry and
two thousand cavalry.
5 Judas was encamped at Elasa with
three thousand chosen men.
6 They saw the multitude of the forces,
that they were many, and they were terrified.
Many slipped away out of the army.
There were not left of them more than
eight hundred men.
7 Judas saw that his army slipped away
and that the battle pressed upon him, and
he was very troubled in spirit, because he
had no time to gather them together, and
he became faint.
8 He said to those who were left, “Let’s
arise and go up against our adversaries,
if perhaps we may be able to fight with
them.”
9 They tried to dissuade him, saying,
“There is no way we are able; but let’s
rather save our lives now. Let’s return
again with our kindred, and fight against
them; but we are too few.”
10 Judas said, “Let it not be so that I
should do this thing, to flee from them.
If our time has come, let’s die in a manly
way for our kindred’s sake, and not leave a
cause of reproach against our honor.”
11 The army marched outfrom the camp,
and stood to encounter them. The cavalry
was divided into two companies, and the
slingers and the archers went before the
army, and all the mighty men that fought
in the front of the battle.
12 Bacchides was in the right wing. The
phalanx advanced on the two parts, and
they blew with their trumpets.
13 The men by Judas’ side sounded with
their trumpets, and the earth shook with
the shout of the armies, and the battle was
joined, and continued from morning until
evening.
14 Judas saw that Bacchides and the
strength of his army were on the right side,
and all that were brave in heart went with him,
15 and the right wing was defeated by
them, and he pursued after them to the
mount Azotus.
16 Those who were on the left wing saw
that the right wing was defeated, and they
turned and followed in the footsteps of
Judas and of those who were with him.
17 The battle became desparate, and
many on both sides fell wounded to death.
18 Judas fell, and the rest fled.
19 Jonathan and Simon took Judas their
brother, and buried him in the tomb of his
ancestors at Modin.
20 They wept for him. All Israel made
great lamentation for him, and mourned
many days, and said,
21 “How is the mighty fallen, the savior of
Israel!”
22 The rest of the acts of Judas, and his
wars, and the valiant deeds which he did,
and his greatness, are not written; for they
were exceedingly many.
23 It came to pass after the death of Judas,
that the lawless emerged within all
the borders of Israel. All those who did
iniquity rose up.
24 Inthosedays there was anexceedingly
greatfamine, and the country went over to
their side.
25 Bacchides chose the ungodly men and
made them rulers of the country.
26 They inquired and searched for the
friends of Judas, and brought them to
Bacchides, and he took vengeance on them
and used them despitefully.
27 There was great suffering in Israel,
such as was not since the time prophets
stopped appearing to them.
28 All the friends of Judas were gathered
together, and they said to Jonathan,
29 “Since your brother Judas has died, we
have no man like him to go out against our
enemies and Bacchides, and among those
of our nation who hate us.
30 Now therefore we have chosen you
this day to be our prince and leader in his
place, that you may fight our battles.”
31 So Jonathantook the governanceupon
him atthattime, and rose up in the place of
his brother Judas.
32 When Bacchides found out, he tried to
kill him.
33 Jonathan, and Simon his brother, and
all who were with him, knew it; and they
fled into the wilderness of Tekoah, and
encamped by the water of the pool of Asphar.
34 Bacchides found this out on the Sabbath
day, and came—he and all his army—
over the Jordan.
35 Jonathan sent his brother, a leader of
the multitude, and implored his friends
the Nabathaeans, that they might store
their baggage, which was much, with them.
36 The children of Jambri came out of
Medaba, and seized John and all that he
had, and went their way with it.
37 But after these things, they brought
word to Jonathan and Simon his brother
that the children of Jambri were celebrating
a great wedding, and were bringing
the bride, a daughter of one of the great
nobles of Canaan, from Nadabath with a large escort.
38 They remembered John their brother,
and went up, and hid themselves under
the cover of the mountain.
39 They lifted up their eyes and looked,
and saw a great procession with much baggage.
The bridegroom came out with his
friends and his kindred to meet them with
timbrels, musicians, and many weapons.
40 They rose up against them from their
ambush and killed them, and many fell
wounded to death. The remnant fled into
the mountain, and the Jews took all their
spoils.
41 So the wedding was turned into
mourning, andthe voice oftheirmusicians
into lamentation.
42 They avenged fully the blood of their
brother, and turned back to the marshes of
the Jordan.
43 Bacchides heard it, and he came on the
Sabbath day to the banks of Jordan with a
great army.
44 Jonathan said to his company, “Let’s
stand up now and fight for our lives, for
things are different today than they were
yesterday and the day before.
45 For, behold, the battle is before us
and behind us. Moreover the water of the
Jordan is on this side and on that side, and
marsh and thicket. There is no place to
escape.
46 Now therefore cry to heaven, that you
may be delivered out of the hand of your
enemies.”
47 So the battle was joined, and Jonathan
stretched out his hand to strike Bacchides,
and he turned away back from him.
48 Jonathan and those who were with
him leapt into the Jordan, and swam over
to the other side. The enemy didn’t pass
over the Jordan against them. 49 About a
thousand men of Bacchides’
company fell that day;
50 and he returned to Jerusalem. They
built strong cities in Judea, the stronghold
that was in Jericho, and Emmaus, Bethhoron,
Bethel, Timnath, Pharathon, and Tephon, with
high walls and gates and bars.
51 He set garrisons in them to harass
Israel.
52 He fortified the city Bethsura, Gazara,
and the citadel, and put troops and stores
of food in them.
53 He took the sons ofthe chief menofthe
country for hostages, and put them under
guard in the citadel at Jerusalem.
54 And in the one hundred fifty-third
year,‡ in the second month, Alcimus gave
orders to pull down the wall of the inner
court of the sanctuary. He also pulled
down the works of the prophets.
55 He began to pull down. At that time
was Alcimus stricken, and his works were
hindered; and his mouth was stopped, and
he was taken with a palsy, and he could
no more speak anything and give orders
concerning his house.
56 Alcimus died at that time with great
torment.
57 Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead,
and he returned to the king. Then the land
of Judah had rest for two years.
58 Then all the lawless men took counsel,
saying, “Behold, Jonathan and his men are
dwelling at ease and in security. Now
therefore we will bring Bacchides, and he
will capture them all in one night.
59 They went and consulted with him.
60 He marched out and came with a great
army, and sent letters secretly to all his
allies who were in Judea, that they should
seize Jonathan and those who were with
him; but they couldn’t, because their plan
was known to them.
61 Jonathan’s men seized about fifty of
the men of the country who were authors
of the wickedness, and he killed them.
62 Jonathan, Simon, and those who were
with him, went away to Bethbasi, which
is in the wilderness, and he built up that
which had been pulled down, and they
made it strong.
63 Bacchides found out about it, and he
gathered together all his multitude, and
sent orders to those who were of Judea.
64 He went and encamped against Bethbasi and
fought against it many days, and
made engines of war.
65 Jonathan left his brother Simon in the
city, and went out into the country, and he
went with a few men.
66 He struck Odomera and his kindred,
and the children of Phasiron in their tents.
67 They began to strike them, and to go
up withtheir forces. ThenSimonandthose
who were with him went out of the city,
and set the engines of war on fire,
68 and fought against Bacchides, and he
was defeated by them. They afflicted him
severely; for his counsel and expedition
was in vain.
69 They were very angry with the lawless
men who gave him counsel to come into
the country, and they killed many of them.
Then he decided to depart into his own land.
70 Jonathan learned of this and sent ambassadors
to him, to the end that they should make peace
with him, and that he should restore to
them the captives.
71 He accepted the thing, and did according to his
words, and swore to him that he would not seek his
harm all the days of his life.
72 He restored to him the captives which
he had taken before out of the land of
Judah, and he returned and departed into
his own land, and didn’t come any more
into their borders.
73 Thus the sword ceased from Israel.
Jonathan lived at Michmash. Jonathan
began to judge the people; and he
destroyed the ungodly out of Israel.