The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 13
1 In the one hundred forty-ninth year,
news was brought to Judas and his
company that Antiochus Eupator was coming
with multitudes against Judea,
2 and with him Lysias his guardian and
chancellor, each having a Greek force of
one hundred ten thousand infantry, five
thousand three hundred cavalry, twenty
two elephants, and three hundred chariots
armed with scythes.
3 And Menelaus also joined himself with
them, and with great hypocrisy encouraged
Antiochus, not for the saving of his
country, but because he thought that he
would be set over the government.
4 But the King of kings stirred up the
anger of Antiochus against the wicked
wretch. When Lysias informed him that
this man was the cause of all the evils, the
king commanded to bring him to Beroea,
and to put him to death in the way
customary in that place.
5 Now there is in that place a tower that
is fifty cubits high, full of ashes, and it had
all around it a †circular rim sloping steeply
on every side into the ashes.
6 Here one who is guilty of sacrilege or
notorious for other crimes is pushed down
to destruction.
7 By such a fate it happened that the
breaker of the law, Menelaus, died,
without obtaining so much as a grave in the
earth, and that justly;
8 for inasmuch as he had perpetrated
many sins ‡ against the altar, whose fire
and whose ashes were holy, he received
his death in ashes.
9 Now the king,§ infuriated in spirit, was
coming with intent to inflict on the Jews
the very worst of the sufferings that had
been done in his father’s time.
10 But when Judas heard of these things,
he commanded the multitude to call upon
the Lord day and night, if ever at any other
time, so now to help those who were at the
point of being deprived of the law, their
country, and the holy temple,
11 and not to allow the people who had
just begun to be revived to fall into the
hands of those profane heathen.
12 So when they had all done the same
thing together, † begging the merciful Lord
with weeping and fastings and prostration
for three days without ceasing, Judas exhorted
them and commanded they should join him.
13 Having consulted privately with the
elders, he resolved that before the king’s
army entered into Judea and made themselves
masters of the city, they should go
out and decide the matter by the help of ‡God.
14 And committing the decision to the
§Lord of the world, and exhorting those
who were with him to contend nobly even
to death for laws, temple, city, country,
and way of life, he pitched his camp by Modin.
15 He gave outto his men the watchword,
“VICTORY IS GOD’S”, with a chosen force of
the bravest young men he attacked by the
king’s pavilion by night, and killed of his
army as many as two thousand men, and
†brought down the leading elephant with
him who was in the ‡tower on him.
16 At last they filled the §army withterror
and alarm, and departed with good success.
17 This had been accomplished when
the day was just dawning, because of the
Lord’s protection that gave †Judas help.
18 But the king, having had a taste of
the exceeding boldness of the Jews, made
strategic attacks on their positions,
19 and on a strong fortress of the Jews at
Bethsura. He advanced, was turned back,
failed, and was defeated.
20 Judas sent the things that were necessary
to those who were within.
21 But Rhodocus, from the Jewish ranks,
made secrets known to the enemy. He was
sought out, arrested, and shut up in prison.
22 The kingnegotiated with them in Bethsura
the second time, gave his hand, took
theirs, departed, attacked the forces
of Judas, was put to the worse,
23 heard that Philip who had been left
as chancellor in Antioch had become
reckless, was confounded, made to the Jews
an overture of peace, submitted himself
and swore to acknowledge all their rights,
came to terms with them and offered sacrifice,
honored the sanctuary and the place,
24 showed kindness and graciously received
Maccabaeus, leftHegemonides governor
from Ptolemais even to the ‡ Gerrenians,
25 and came to Ptolemais. The men of Ptolemais
were displeased at the treaty,
for they had exceedingly great indignation
againstthe Jews. They desired to annulthe
articles of the agreement.
26 Lysias §came forward to speak, made
the best defense that was possible,
persuaded, pacified, gained their good will,
and departed to Antioch. This was the
issue of the attack and departure of the
king.