The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 10
1 Then Maccabaeus and those who were
with him, the Lord leading them on,
recovered the temple and the city.
2 They pulled down the altars that had
been built in the marketplace by the
foreigners, and also the sacred enclosures.
3 Having cleansed the sanctuary, they
made another altar of sacrifice. †Striking
flint and starting a fire, they offered
sacrifices after they had ceased for two years,
burned incense, lit lamps, and set out the
show bread.
4 When they had done these things, they
fell prostrate and implored the Lord that
they might fall no more into such evils;
but that, if they ever did sin, they might
be chastened by him with forbearance,
and not be delivered to blaspheming and
barbarous heathen.
5 Now on the same day that the sanctuary was
profaned by foreigners, upon that
very day it came to pass that the sanctuary
was cleansed, even on the twenty-fifth day
of the same month, which is Chislev.
6 They observed eight days with gladness
in the manner of the feast of tabernacles,
remembering how ‡not long before,
during the feast of tabernacles, they were
wandering in the mountains and in the
caves like wild animals.
7 Therefore carrying wands wreathed
with leaves, and beautiful branches, and
palm fronds also, they offered up hymns of
thanksgiving to him who had successfully
brought to pass the cleansing of his own
place.
8 They ordained also with a public
statute and decree, for all the nation of the
Jews, that they should observe these days
every year.
9 Such were the events of the end of
Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes.
10 Now we willdeclare what came topass
under Antiochus §Eupator, who proved
himself a son ofthat ungodly man, and will
summarize the main evils of the wars.
11 For this man, when he succeeded
to the kingdom, appointed one Lysias to
be chancellor and supreme governor of
Coelesyria and Phoenicia.
12 For Ptolemy who was called Macron,
setting an example of observing justice
toward the Jews because of the wrong that
had beendone to them, endeavored to deal
with them on peaceful terms.
13 Whereupon being accused by the
king’s †friends before Eupator, and hearing
himself called traitor at every turn
because he had abandoned Cyprus which
Philometor had entrusted to him, and
had withdrawn himself to Antiochus
Epiphanes, and ‡ failing to uphold the
honor of his office, he took poison and did
away with himself.
14 But when Gorgias was made governor
of the district, he maintained a force of
mercenaries, and at every turn kept up
war with the Jews.
15 Together with him the Idumaeans
also, being masters of important
strongholds, harassed the Jews; and
received those who had taken refuge from
Jerusalem, they endeavored to keep up the war.
16 But Maccabaeus and his men, having
made solemn supplication and having
implored God to fight on their side, rushed
upon the strongholds of the Idumaeans.
17 Assaulting them vigorously, they took
control of the positions, and kept off all
who fought upon the wall, and killed those
whom they encountered, killing no fewer
than twenty thousand.
18 Because no fewer than nine thousand
had fled into two very strong towers
having everything needed for a seige,
19 Maccabaeus, having left Simon and
Joseph, and also Zacchaeus and those who
were with him, a force sufficient to besiege
them, departed himself to places where he
was most needed.
20 But Simon and those who were with
him, yielding to covetousness, were bribed
by some of those who were in the towers,
and receiving seventy thousand drachmas,
let some of them slip away.
21 But when word was brought to Maccabaeus
of what was done, he gathered
the leaders of the people together, and
accusedthosemenofhaving soldtheir
kindred for money by setting their enemies
free to fight against them.
22 So he killed these men for having
turned traitors, and immediately
took possession of the two towers.
23 Prospering with his weapons in
everything he undertook, he destroyed
more than twenty thousand in the two
strongholds.
24 Now Timotheus, who had been
defeated by the Jews before,
having gathered together foreign
forces in great multitudes,
and having collected the cavalry
which belonged to Asia, not a few, came
as though he would take Judea by force of weapons.
25 But as he drew near, Maccabaeus and
his men sprinkled dirt on their heads and
girded their loins with sackcloth, in supplication to God,
26 and falling down upon the step in
front of the altar, implored him to become
§gracious to them, and †be an enemy to
their enemies and an adversary to their
adversaries, as the law declares.
27 Rising from their prayer they took up
their weapons, and advanced some distance
from the city. When they had come
near to their enemies, they‡ halted.
28 When the dawn was now breaking,
the two armies joined in battle, the one
part having this, beside virtue,for a pledge
of success and victory, that they had fled
to the Lord for refuge, the others making
their passion their leader in the fight.
29 When the battle became strong, there
appeared out of heaven to their adversaries
five splendid men on horses with
bridles of gold, §and two of them, leading
on the Jews,
30 and taking Maccabaeus in the midst
of them, and covering him with their
own armor, guarded him from wounds,
while they shot arrows and thunderbolts
at the enemies. For this reason, they were
blinded and thrown into confusion, and
were cut to pieces, filled with bewilderment.
31 Twenty thousand five hundred were
slain, beside six hundred cavalry.
32 Timotheus himself fled into a
stronghold called Gazara, a fortress of
great strength, †where Chaereas was in
command.
33 Then Maccabaeus and his men were
glad and laid siege to the fortress for four days.
34Those who were within,trusting in the
strength of the place, blasphemed exceedingly,
and hurled out impious words.
35 But at dawn of the fifth day, certain
young men of Maccabaeus’ company,
inflamed with anger because of the
blasphemies, assaulted the wall with
masculine force and with ‡furious anger, and cut
down whoever came in their way.
36 Others climbing up in the same way,
while the enemies were distracted with
those who had made their way within, set
fire to the towers, and kindled fires that
burned the blasphemers alive, while others
broke openthe gates, and, having given
entrance to the rest of the band, occupied
the city.
37 They killed Timotheus, who was
hidden in a cistern, and his brother Chaereas,
and Apollophanes.
38 When they had accomplished these
things, they blessed the Lord with hymns
and thanksgiving, blessing him who
provides great benefits to Israel
and gives them the victory.