The Koine Bible

Now in the one hundred and forty-ninth year, it befell the men around Judas that Antiochus Eupator came with multitudes against Judea.

and with him Lysias, the steward and over the affairs, each having Greek power: eleven myriads of infantry and five thousand three hundred horsemen and twenty-two elephants, and three hundred scythe-bearing chariots

And Menelaus also joined with them and appealed to Antiochus with much insincerity, not thinking for the safety of the homeland, but expecting to be established in authority

And the King of kings roused the wrath of Antiochus against the lawless man, and Lysias indicating that this man was the cause of all the evils, he ordered, as is the custom in the place, to destroy him after bringing him to Beroea.

And in the place there is a tower of fifty cubits, full of ashes; and this had a round engine on every side, steep down into the ashes

Here they all thrust to destruction the one guilty of sacrilege, or also having committed some other outstanding evils.

In such a death it happened that the lawless Menelaus died, not even having obtained the earth.

very justly, for since he had committed many sins concerning the altar, whose fire was pure and whose ashes were in ashes, he met death

But with his thoughts the king, made savage, was coming intending to show to the Jews the worst of the things that had happened in the time of his father.

And Judas, after sharing these things, ordered the multitude to call on the Lord by day and by night, if ever and at another time also, and now, to help those who are about to be deprived of the law and fatherland and holy temple

and not to allow the people, who had just now recovered a little, to become subject to the slanderous nations

And when all had done the same together and had deemed the merciful Lord worthy, with weeping and fastings and prostration for three days without ceasing, Judas, having exhorted them, ordered them to come near.

But having come apart by himself with the elders, he planned before the king’s army invaded Judea and before they became masters of the city, to go out and decide the matters with the help of God.

And having committed the charge to the Creator of the world, after exhorting those with him to fight nobly to death for the laws, the holy city, the homeland, the polity, and having made his camp at Modein.

And having given to those around him the watchword of God’s victory, with selected young men, having made a night attack upon the royal court, he killed as many as two thousand of the camp, and the chief of the elephants together with the one who was over the house he pierced through with spears.

And the end filled the camp with fear and confusion, and they broke up and departed prospering.

And when the day was already dawning, this had happened through the shelter of the Lord that was helping him

But the king, having tasted the boldness of the Jews, attempted the places by stratagems

And against Beth-zur, a strong fortress of the Jews, he advanced; he was put to flight, he was repulsed, he was weakened.

But Judas sent in the necessary things to those within.

But Rhodokos, from the Jewish rank, reported the secrets to the enemies; he was searched for and seized and shut up in prison.

The king spoke a second time to those in Bethsura; he gave his right hand, he received it, he went away, he attacked those around Judas, he became inferior in strength.

When he learned that Philip, the one left behind over the affairs in Antioch, had despaired, he was troubled; he exhorted the Jews, submitted, and swore to all the righteous things; he was reconciled, and he brought a sacrifice, honored the temple and the place, and showed kindness.

and he accepted Maccabeus, he left him as general from Ptolemais to the Gerenians as ruler

He came to Ptolemais; the Ptolemies were vexed about the agreements, for they were indignant at what they had wanted to abolish, the arrangements.

Then Lysias came forward to the tribunal, made his defense as well as possible, persuaded them, soothed them, made them well disposed, and withdrew to Antioch; so the matters of the king concerning the expedition and the withdrawal proceeded.