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1 In the hundred and one and fiftieth year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came up
with a few men unto a city of the sea coast, and reigned there.
2 And as he entered into the palace of his ancestors, so it was, that his forces had taken Antiochus and
Lysias, to bring them unto him.
5 There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be
high priest, for their captain:
6 And they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and his brethren have slain all thy friends, and
driven us out of our own land.
7 Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go and see what havock he hath made among
us, and in the king’s land, and let him punish them with all them that aid them.
8 Then the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who ruled beyond the flood, and was a great man
in the kingdom, and faithful to the king,
9 And him he sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and commanded that he should take
vengeance of the children of Israel.
10 So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Judea, where they sent messengers to Judas
and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.
14 For said they, One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army, and he will do us no
wrong.
15 So he spake unto them, peaceably, and sware unto them, saying, we will procure the harm neither of you
nor your friends.
16 Whereupon they believed him: howbeit he took of them threescore men, and slew them in one day, according
to the words which he wrote,
17 The flesh of thy saints have they cast out, and their blood have they shed round about Jerusalem, and
there was none to bury them.
18 Wherefore the fear and dread of them fell upon all the people, who said, There is neither truth nor righteousness
in them; for they have broken the covenant and oath that they made.
19 After this, removed Bacchides from Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bezeth, where he sent and took
many of the men that had forsaken him, and certain of the people also, and when he had slain them, he
cast them into the great pit.
20 Then committed he the country to Alcimus, and left with him a power to aid him: so Bacchides went to
the king.
22 And unto him resorted all such as troubled the people, who, after they had gotten the land of Juda into
their power, did much hurt in Israel.
23 Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites, even
above the heathen,
24 He went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance of them that had revolted from
him, so that they durst no more go forth into the country.
25 On the other side, when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had gotten the upper hand, and knew that
he was not able to abide their force, he went again to the king, and said all the worst of them that
he could.
26 Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honourable princes, a man that bare deadly hate unto Israel, with
commandment to destroy the people.
27 So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force; and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with
friendly words, saying,
28 Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see you in peace.
29 He came therefore to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. Howbeit the enemies were prepared
to take away Judas by violence.
30 Which thing after it was known to Judas, to wit, that he came unto him with deceit, he was sore afraid
of him, and would see his face no more.
31 Nicanor also, when he saw that his counsel was discovered, went out to fight against Judas beside Capharsalama:
32 Where there were slain of Nicanor’s side about five thousand men, and the rest fled into the city of
David.
33 After this went Nicanor up to mount Sion, and there came out of the sanctuary certain of the priests
and certain of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the burnt sacrifice
that was offered for the king.
35 And sware in his wrath, saying, Unless Judas and his host be now delivered into my hands, if ever I come
again in safety, I will burn up this house: and with that he went out in a great rage.
37 Thou, O Lord, didst choose this house to be called by thy name, and to be a house of prayer and petition
for thy people:
38 Be avenged of this man and his host, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and
suffer them not to continue any longer.
39 So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem, and pitched his tents in Bethhoron, where an host out of Syria met
him.
41 O Lord, when they that were sent from the king of the Assyrians blasphemed, thine angel went out, and
smote an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them.
42 Even so destroy thou this host before us this day, that the rest may know that he hath spoken blasphemously
against thy sanctuary, and judge thou him according to his wickedness.
43 So the thirteenth day of the month Adar the hosts joined battle: but Nicanor’s host was discomfited,
and he himself was first slain in the battle.
45 Then they pursued after them a day’s journey, from Adasa unto Gazera, sounding an alarm after them with
their trumpets.
46 Whereupon they came forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and closed them in; so that they,
turning back upon them that pursued them, were all slain with the sword, and not one of them was left.