The Koine Bible

In those days Mattathias the son of John the son of Simeon, priest of the sons of Joiarib, from Jerusalem, arose and dwelt in Modein.

And he had five sons: John, the one called Gaddi.

Simon, the one called Thassi.

Judas, the one called Maccabaeus

Eleazar, the one called Avaran; Jonathan, the one called Apphus

And he saw the blasphemies that were happening in Judea and in Jerusalem

And he said, Woe is me, why was I born to see the ruin of my people and the ruin of the holy city, and to sit there when it was given into the hand of enemies, the sanctuary into the hand of foreigners?

Her sanctuary became like a man without glory

The vessels of her glory were carried away captive, her infants were killed in her squares, her young men by the sword of the enemy.

What nation has not inherited kingdoms and has not seized her spoils?

All her adornment was taken away; instead of free she became a slave.

And behold, our holy things and our beauty and our glory have been laid waste, and the nations have profaned them.

Why is life still to us?

And Mattathias and his sons tore their garments, and they put on sackcloths, and they mourned greatly.

And the men from the king who were compelling the apostasy came into Modein the city in order that they might sacrifice

And many from Israel came over to them, and Mattathias and his sons gathered together

And those from the king answered and said to Mattathias, saying: You are a ruler and glorious and great in this city, and established by sons and brothers.

Now come forward first and do the king’s command, as all the nations did and the men of Judah and those left in Jerusalem, and you and your sons will be among the king’s friends, and you and your sons will be glorified with silver and gold and many gifts.

And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice: if all the nations that are in the house of the kingdom of the king hear him to depart, each from the service of his fathers, and they chose in his commandments.

And I and my sons and my brothers will walk in the covenant of our fathers

Far be it from us to forsake law and ordinances

We will not listen to the words of the king, to depart from our worship to the right or to the left.

And as he ceased speaking these words, a Jewish man came in the sight of all to sacrifice on the altar in Modein according to the command of the king.

And Mattathias saw and was zealous, and his inward parts trembled, and he brought up wrath according to the judgment, and running, he slaughtered him upon the altar

And the man of the king, the one forcing to sacrifice, he killed at that time, and the altar he pulled down

And he was zealous for the law, as Phinehas did to Zimri son of Salom.

And Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying, Every one who is zealous for the law and upholding the covenant, let him come out after me.

And he fled, he and his sons, into the mountains, and they left behind all that they had in the city.

Then many descended, seeking righteousness and judgment, into the wilderness to dwell there

they and their sons and their wives and their cattle, because the evils had been made hard upon them

And it was reported to the men of the king and to the forces that were in Jerusalem, the city of David, that men had come down who had scattered the command of the king into the hidden places in the wilderness.

And many ran after them, and they overtook them and encamped against them and drew up battle against them on the day of the sabbaths.

And they said to them, Until now; having gone out, do according to the word of the king, and you will live.

And they said, We will not go out, nor will we do the word of the king, to profane the day of the Sabbaths.

And they hastened war upon them.

And they did not answer them, nor did they throw a stone at them, nor did they block up the hiding places.

saying, Let us all die in our simplicity; the heaven and the earth testify against us that you are destroying us unjustly

And they rose against them in war on the sabbaths, and they died, they and their wives and their children and their cattle, to the number of a thousand souls of men

And Mattathias and his friends knew, and they mourned over them greatly.

And a man said to his neighbor, If all do as our brothers did, and do not fight against the nations for our life and for our ordinances, now they will quickly destroy us from the land.

And they took counsel on that day, saying: Every man who should come against us in war on the days of the sabbaths, let us fight against him, and we shall surely not all die, as our brothers died in the hiding places.

Then a gathering of the Hasideans was assembled to them, mighty in strength, from Israel, every one who was willingly devoted to the law.

And all those fleeing away from the evils were added to them, and they became to them for a support

And they assembled a force and struck sinners in their anger and lawless men in their fury, and the rest fled to the nations to be saved.

And Mattathias and his friends went around and they tore down the altars

And they circumcised the uncircumcised boys, as many as they found in the borders of Israel, with force

And they pursued the sons of arrogance, and the work prospered in their hand.

And they took hold of the law out of the hand of the nations and of the kings, and did not give a horn to the sinner.

And the days of Mattathias drew near to die, and he said to his sons: Now arrogance and rebuke have been strengthened, and a time of destruction and wrath of anger.

Now, children, be zealous for the law and give your lives for the covenant of our fathers.

And remember the works of the fathers that they did in their generations, and receive great glory and an everlasting name.

Was not Abraham found faithful in temptation, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness?

Joseph, in a time of his affliction, kept the commandment and became lord of Egypt

Phinehas our father, in his being zealous with zeal, received a covenant of eternal priesthood

Joshua, in fulfilling the word, became judge in Israel

Caleb, when he bore witness in the assembly, received an inheritance of land

David, in his mercy, inherited a throne of kingship forever.

Elijah, in his being zealous with zeal for the law, was taken up into heaven

Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, having believed, were saved from flame

Daniel in his simplicity was delivered out of the mouth of lions

And thus be considered from generation to generation, that all who hope in him will not grow weak

And do not fear the words of a sinful man, because his glory is for dung and for worms.

Today it will be lifted up, and tomorrow it shall not be found, because it has returned to its dust, and its thought will perish

Children, be manly and strengthen yourselves in the law, because in it you will be glorified.

And behold, Simon your brother; I know that he is a man of counsel. Listen to him all the days; he himself shall be your father.

And Judas Maccabeus, mighty in power from his youth, he himself shall be for you a ruler of the army, and he will wage the war of the peoples.

And you shall bring to yourselves all the doers of the law, and avenge the vengeance of your people.

Repay a repayment to the nations, and pay attention to the commandment of the law.

And he blessed them, and he was added to his fathers.

And he died in the one hundred and forty-sixth year, and he was buried in the tombs of his fathers in Modein, and all Israel mourned him with a great lamentation.