CHAPTER 7
1 In the hundred year and one and fifty, Demetrius, son of Seleucus, went out from the city of Rome, and went up with a few men into a city nigh the sea, and reigned there.
2 And it was done, as he entered into the house of the realm of his fathers, the host caught Antiochus, and Lysias, for to bring them to him.
3 And the thing was known to him, and he said, Do not ye show to me the faces of them.
4 And the host slew them. And Demetrius sat on the seat of his realm;
5 and wicked men and unfaithful of Israel came to him, and Alcimus, duke of them, that would be made priest;
6 and accused the people with the king, and said, Judas and his brethren lost thy friends, and diversely lost [or scattered] us from our land.
7 Now therefore send thou a man, to whom thou believest, that he go, and see all the destroying that he hath done to us, and to countries of the king; and he punish all friends of him, and helpers of them.
8 And the king chose of his friends Bacchides, that was lord over the great flood in the realm, and true to the king,
9 and [he] sent him, for to see the destroying that Judas did; and he ordained unfaithful [or unpious] Alcimus into priesthood, and bade him do vengeance on the sons of Israel.
10 And they rose, and came with great host into the land of Judea; and they sent messengers, and spake to Judas and his brethren, with peace-able words in guile.
11 And they gave not attention to their words; for they saw, that they came with great host.
12 And the congregation of scribes came together to Alcimus and Bacchides, for to ask those things that be just;
13 and the first, Hasideans, that were among the sons of Israel, and they asked of them peace.
14 For they said, A man, priest of the seed of Aaron, cometh, he shall not deceive us.
15 And he spake with them peace-able words, and swore to them, and said, We shall not bring into you evils, neither to your friends.
16 And they believed to him. And he caught of them sixty men, and slew them in one day, by [or after] the word that is written,
17 They shed out the fleshes of thy saints, and blood of them in compass of Jerusalem, and there was not that buried.
18 And dread and trembling fell into all the people, for they said, There is not truth and doom in them; for they have broken the statute, or ordinance, and the oath that they swore.
19 And Bacchides moved tents from Jerusalem, and applied into or pitched at Bethzaith; and sent, and caught many of them that fled from him; and he killed some of the people, and casted into a great pit.
20 And he betook the country to Alcimus, and left with him help, into helping of him. And Bacchides went to the king,
21 and Alcimus did enough, for the princehood of his priesthood.
22 And all came together to him, which disturbed or troubled their people, and wielded the land of Judea; and [they] did great vengeance in Israel.
23 And Judas saw all the evils, that Alcimus did, and they that were with him, to the sons of Israel, much more than heathen men.
24 And he went out into all the coasts of Judea in compass, and did vengeance on men forsakers, and they ceased for to go out further into the country.
25 Forsooth Alcimus saw, that Judas had victory, and they that were with him; and he knew that he may not abide them, and he went again to the king, and accused them in many sins.
26 And the king sent Nicanor, one of his nobler princes, that was haunting enmities against Israel, and commanded him for to destroy the people.
27 And Nicanor came into Jerusalem, with great host, and he sent to Judas and his brethren with guile, by peace-able words, saying,
28 Fight be not betwixt me and you; I shall come with few men, for to see your faces with peace.
29 And he came to Judas, and they greeted them together peaceably; and enemies were ready for to ravish Judas.
30 And the word was known to Judas, that with guile he came to him; and he was afeared of him, and he would no more see his face.
31 And Nicanor knew, that his counsel was known, and he went out against Judas into fight, beside Caphar-salama.
32 And there fell down of Nicanor’s host almost five thousand men, and they fled into the city of David.
33 And after these words Nicanor went up into the hill of Zion, and there went out of priests of the people, for to greet him in peace, and for to show to him burnt sacrifices, that were offered for the king.
34 And he scorned and despised them, and defouled, and spake proudly,
35 and swore with wrath, saying, If Judas shall not be taken, and his host, into mine hands, anon when I shall turn again in peace, I shall burn this house. And he went out with great wrath.
36 And priests entered, and stood before the face of the altar and temple, and weeping, they said,
37 Thou, Lord, hast chosen this house, for to call to help [or to in-call] thy name in it, that it should be an house of prayer and beseeching to thy people;
38 do thou vengeance in this man, and his host, and fall they by sword; have mind on their blasphemies, and give not to them that they abide.
39 And Nicanor went out from Jerusalem, and applied tents to or pitched at Bethhoron; and the host of Syria came to him.
40 And Judas applied in or pitched at Adasa, with three thousand men. And Judas prayed, and said,
41 Lord, an angel went out, and smote an hundred thousand fourscore and five thousands of them [or smote an hundred and fourscore and five thousands of them], that were sent from king Sennacherib, for they blasphemed thee;
42 so all-break this host in our sight today, and other men know, that he spake evil on thine holy things; and deem thou him by [or after] the malice of him.
43 And the hosts joined battle in the thirteenth day of the month Adar, that is, February-March; and the tents or host of Nicanor were all-broken, and he fell down first in battle.
44 Soothly as his host saw, that Nicanor fell down, they casted away their arms, and fled.
45 And they pursued them the way of one day, from Adasa till men come into Gazara; and they sung in trumps after them with signifyings.
46 And they went out of all [the] castles of Judea in compass, and winnowed them with horns, and again they were converted or turned back to them; and all falled [or fell] by sword, and there was left of them not one.
47 And they took the spoils of them [in] to prey; and they girded [or cutted] off the head of Nicanor, and his right hand which he stretched forth proudly, and they brought, and hanged against Jerusalem.
48 And the people was glad greatly, and they did that day in great gladness;
49 and ordained this day for to be done in all years, in the thirteenth day of the month Adar.
50 And the land of Judea was still a few days.