1 Maccabees 7
A Threat Against the House, and the Answer to It
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Demetrius Becomes King
7:1In the one hundred and fifty-first year, Demetrius son of Seleucus departed from Rome, came up with a few men to a coastal city, and reigned there.
7:2As he was entering the royal house of his fathers, the forces seized Antiochus and Lysias to bring them to him.
7:3The matter became known to him, and he said, “Do not show me their faces.”
7:4The forces killed them, and Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom.
Alcimus Accuses the People
7:5All the lawless and ungodly men from Israel came to him. Alcimus, who wished to serve as priest, was their leader.
7:6They accused the people before the king, saying, “Judas and his brothers have destroyed all your Friends and scattered us from our land.
7:7Now, therefore, send a man whom you trust. Let him go and see all the devastation he has brought upon us and the king’s country, and let him punish them and all who help them.”
7:8The king chose Bacchides, one of the king’s Friends, who ruled Beyond the River, was great in the kingdom, and was faithful to the king.
7:9He sent him and the ungodly Alcimus, confirmed Alcimus in the priesthood, and commanded Bacchides to exact vengeance among the sons of Israel.
7:10They set out and came with a large force into the land of Judah. He sent messengers to Judas and his brothers with peaceful words, deceitfully.
7:11They paid no attention to their words, for they saw that they had come with a large force.
The Sixty Hasideans Killed
7:12A company of scribes gathered to Alcimus and Bacchides to seek just terms.
7:13The Hasideans were the first among the sons of Israel to seek peace from them,
7:14for they said, “A man who is a priest of Aaron’s line has come with the forces, and he will not wrong us.”
7:15He spoke peaceful words with them and swore to them, saying, “We will not seek harm for you or your friends.”
7:16They trusted him. But he seized sixty men from among them and killed them in one day, according to the word that was written:
7:17“The flesh of Your holy ones and their blood they poured out around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.”
7:18Fear and trembling because of them fell upon all the people, for they said, “There is no truth or justice in them; they have violated the agreement and the oath they swore.”
7:19Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-zaith. He sent and seized many of the men who had deserted to him and some of the people, and slaughtered them into the great pit.
7:20He placed the country under Alcimus and left a force with him to help him. Then Bacchides went to the king.
Alcimus Contends for the High Priesthood
7:21Alcimus contended for the high priesthood.
7:22All who troubled their people gathered to him, took control of the land of Judah, and inflicted a great blow upon Israel.
7:23Judas saw all the evil that Alcimus and those with him had committed among the sons of Israel, beyond that of the nations.
7:24He went out throughout all the territory of Judea and exacted vengeance on the deserters. They were prevented from going out into the country.
7:25Alcimus saw that Judas and those with him had grown strong and knew that he could not stand against them. He returned to the king and brought evil accusations against them.
Nicanor Sent Against Judas
7:26The king sent Nicanor, one of his distinguished commanders, who hated Israel and was hostile to them, and commanded him to destroy the people.
7:27Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a large force. He sent deceitfully to Judas and his brothers with peaceful words, saying,
7:28“Let there be no battle between me and you. I will come with a few men so that I may see your faces in peace.”
7:29He came to Judas, and they greeted one another peacefully, but the enemies were ready to seize Judas.
7:30Judas learned that he had come against him deceitfully. He became wary of him and would no longer see his face.
7:31Nicanor knew that his plan had been revealed and went out to meet Judas in battle near Caphar-salama.
7:32About five hundred of Nicanor’s men fell, and they fled into the city of David.
Nicanor Threatens the Sanctuary
7:33After these events Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests came out of the holy places, together with some elders of the people, to greet him peacefully and show him the whole burnt offering being presented for the king.
7:34He sneered at them, mocked them, defiled them, and spoke arrogantly.
7:35He swore in anger, saying, “Unless Judas and his army are handed over into my hands now, if I return safely, I will burn this house.” He went out in great anger.
7:36The priests went in and stood before the altar and the temple. They wept and said,
7:37“You chose this house for Your name to be called upon it, to be a house of prayer and petition for Your people.
7:38Exact vengeance upon this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their insults, and grant them no continuance.”
The Battle at Adasa and the Death of Nicanor
7:39Nicanor went out from Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-horon, and a Syrian force met him.
7:40Judas encamped at Adasa with three thousand men. Judas prayed and said,
7:41“When the king’s men spoke blasphemously, Your angel went out and struck a hundred and eighty-five thousand among them.
7:42In this way crush this army before us today. Let the survivors know that he has spoken wickedly against Your holy places, and judge him according to his wickedness.”
7:43The armies joined battle on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. Nicanor’s army was crushed, and he himself fell first in the battle.
7:44When his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw down their weapons and fled.
7:45They pursued them a day’s journey from Adasa until they came to Gazera, sounding the signal trumpets behind them.
7:46People came out from all the surrounding villages of Judea and outflanked them. They turned against one another and all fell by the sword; not even one of them remained.
7:47They took the spoils and plunder, cut off Nicanor’s head and his right hand, which he had stretched out arrogantly, and brought and displayed them beside Jerusalem.
The Day of Nicanor
7:48The people rejoiced greatly and celebrated that day as a day of great gladness.
7:49They established that this day should be celebrated every year, on the thirteenth of Adar.
7:50The land of Judah was quiet for a few days.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.