The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 14
1 Three years later, news was brought
to Judas and his company that Demetrius
the son of Seleucus, having sailed into the
harbor of Tripolis with a mighty army and
a fleet,
2 had taken possession of the country,
having made away with Antiochus and his
guardian Lysias.
3 But one Alcimus, who had formerly
been high priest, and had willfully polluted
himself in the times when there was
no mingling with the Gentiles, considering
that there was no deliverance for him in
any way, nor any more access to the holy altar,
4 came to King Demetrius in about the
one hundred fifty-first year, presenting to
hima crownof gold and a palm, and beside
these some of the festal olive boughs of the
temple. For that day, he held his peace;
5 but having gotten opportunity to further
his own madness, being called by
Demetrius into a meeting of his council,
and asked how the Jews stood affected and
what they intended, he answered:
6 “Those of the Jews called †Hasidaeans,
whose leader is Judas Maccabaeus, keep
up war and are seditious, not allowing the
kingdom to find tranquillity.
7 Therefore, having laid aside my
ancestral glory—I mean the high priesthood—I
have now come ‡here,
8 first for the genuine care I have for the
things that concern the king, and secondly
because I have regard also to my own fellow
citizens. For through the unadvised
dealing of those of whom I spoke before,
our whole race is in no small misfortune.
9 O king, having informed yourself of
these things, take thought both for our
country and for our race, which is surrounded
by enemies, according to the gracious kindness
with which you receive all.
10 For as long as Judas remains alive, it
is impossible for the government to find
peace.
11 When he had spoken such words
as these, at once §the rest of the king’s
†friends, having ill will against Judas,
inflamed Demetrius yet more.
12 He immediately appointed Nicanor,
who had been master ofthe elephants, and
made him governor of Judea. He sent him
out,
13 giving him written instructions to kill
Judas himself and to scatter those who
were with him, and to set up Alcimus as
high priest of the ‡great temple.
14 Those in Judea who §had driven Judas into
exile thronged to Nicanor in flocks, supposing
that the misfortunes and calamities of the
Jews would be successes to themselves.
15 But when the Jews heard of Nicanor’s
advance and the assault of the heathen,
they sprinkled dirt on their heads and
made solemn prayers to him who had
established his own people for evermore,
and who always, making manifest his
presence, upholds those who are his own
heritage.
16 †When the leader had given orders, he
immediately set out from there and joined
battle with them at a village called Lessau.
17 But Simon, the brother of Judas, had
encountered Nicanor, yet not till late,
having been delayed by reason of the sudden
consternation caused by his adversaries.
18 Nevertheless Nicanor, hearing of the
valor of those who were with Judas, and
their courage in fighting for their
country, shrank from bringing the matter to the
decision of the sword.
19 Therefore he sent Posidonius,
Theodotus, and Mattathias to give and
receive pledges of friendship.
20 So when these proposals had been
long considered, and the leader had made
the ‡troops acquainted with them, and it
appeared that they were all of like mind,
they consented to the covenants.
21 They appointed a day on which to
meet together by themselves. A chariot
came forward from each army. They set
up seats of honor.
22 Judas stationed armed men ready
in convenient places, lest perhaps there
should suddenly be treachery on the part
of the enemy. They held a conference as
was appropriate.
23 Nicanor waited in Jerusalem, and
did nothing to cause disturbance,
but dismissed the flocks of people
that had gathered together.
24 He kept Judas always in his presence.
He had gained a hearty affection for the man.
25 He urged him to marry and have children.
He married, settled quietly, and took
part in common life.
26 But Alcimus, perceiving the good will
that was between them, §and having taken
possession of the covenants that had been
made, came to Demetrius and told him
that Nicanor was disloyal to the government,
for he had appointed that conspirator
against his kingdom, Judas, to be his successor.
27 The king, falling into a rage, and being
exasperated by the false accusations of
that most wicked man, wrote to Nicanor,
signifying that he was displeased at the
covenants, and commanding him to send
Maccabaeus prisoner to Antioch in all haste.
28 When this message came to Nicanor,
he was confounded, and was very troubled
atthe thought of annulling the articles that
had been agreed upon, the man having
done no wrong;
29 but because there was no opposing the
king, he watched his time to execute this
purpose by strategy.
30 But Maccabaeus, when he perceived
that Nicanor was behaving more harshly
in his dealings with him, and that he had
become ruler in his customary bearing,
understanding that this harshness came
not of good, gathered together not a few
of his men, and concealed himself from
Nicanor.
31 But the other,† when he became aware
that he had been bravely defeated by the
strategy of Judas,‡ came to the great§ and
holy temple, while the priests were offering
the usual sacrifices, and commanded
them to hand over the man.
32 When they declared with oaths that
they had no knowledge where the man
was whom he sought,
33 he stretched out his right hand toward
the sanctuary, and swore this oath: “If you
won’t deliver up to me Judas as a prisoner,
I will level this †temple of God even with
the ground, break down the altar, and I
will erect here a temple to Dionysus for all
to see.
34 And having said this, he departed. But
the priests, stretching forth their hands
toward heaven, called upon him who always
fights for our nation, in these words:
35 “You, O Lord of the universe, who in
yourself have need of nothing, were well
pleased that a sanctuary of your habitation‡
should be set among us.
36 So now, O holy Lord of all holiness,
keep undefiled forever this house that has
been recently cleansed.”
37 Now information was given to
Nicanor against one Razis, an elder of
Jerusalem, who was a lover of his countrymen
and a man of very good report, and
one called Father of the Jews for his good will.
38 For in the former times when there
was no mingling with the Gentiles, he had
been accused of following the Jews’ religion,
and had risked body and life with all
earnestness for the religion of the Jews.
39 Nicanor, wishing to make evident the
ill will that he bore against the Jews, sent
above five hundred soldiers to seize him;
40 for he thought by seizing him to inflict
an injury on them.
41 But when the §troops were atthe point
of taking the tower, and were forcing the
door ofthe court, and asked forfire to burn
the doors, he, being surrounded on every
side, fell upon his sword,
42 choosing rather to die nobly than to
fall into the hands of the wicked wretches,
and suffer outrage unworthy of his own
nobleness.
43 But since he missed his stroke through
the excitement of the struggle, and the
crowds were now rushing within the door,
he ran bravely up to the wall and cast
himself down bravely among the crowds.
44 But as they quickly gave back, a space
was made, and he fell on the middle of †his
side.
45 Still having breath within him, and
being inflamed with anger, he rose up, and
though his blood gushed out in streams
and his wounds were grievous, he ran
through the crowds, and standing upon a
steep rock,
46 when as his blood was now well near
spent, he drew forth his bowels through
the wound, and taking them in both his
hands he shook them at the crowds.
Calling upon him who is Lord of life and spirit
to restore him ‡these again, he died like
this.