King James Version · Under the Greeks
1 Maccabees 9
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1Furthermore, when heard the and his host were slain in battle, he sent and into the land of the second time, and with them the chief strength of his host: 2Who went forth by that leadeth to Galgala, and pitched their tents before Masaloth, which is in Arbela, and after they had won it, they slew much people. 3Also the first month of the hundred fifty and second year they encamped before : 4From whence they removed, and went to , with twenty thousand footmen and two thousand horsemen. 5Now had pitched his tents at Eleasa, and three thousand chosen men with him: 6Who seeing of the other army to he so great were sore afraid; whereupon many conveyed themselves out of the host, insomuch as abode of them no more but eight hundred men. 7When therefore saw that his host slipt away, and that the battle pressed upon him, he was sore troubled in , and much distressed, for that he had no time to gather them together. 8Nevertheless unto them that remained he said, Let us arise and go up against our , if peradventure we may be able to fight with them. 9But they dehorted him, saying, We shall never be able: let us now rather our lives, and hereafter we will return with our brethren, and fight against them: for we are but few. 10Then said, forbid that I should do this thing, and flee away from them: if our time be come, let us manfully for our brethren, and let us not stain our . 11With that the host of removed out of their tents, and stood over against them, their horsemen being divided into two troops, and their slingers and archers going before the host and they that marched in the foreward were all . 12As for , he was in the right : so the host drew near on the two parts, and sounded their . 13They also of ’ side, even they sounded their also, so that the earth shook at the noise of the armies, and the battle continued from morning till night. 14Now when perceived that and the strength of his army were on the right side, he took with him all the hardy men, 15Who discomfited the right , and pursued them unto the mount . 16But when they of the left saw that they of the right were discomfited, they followed upon and those that were with him hard at the heels from behind: 17Whereupon there was a sore battle, insomuch as many were slain on both parts. 18 also was killed, and fled. 19Then and took their brother, and in the of his fathers in . 20Moreover they bewailed him, and all Israel made great for him, and mourned many days, saying, 21How is the valiant man fallen, that Israel! 22As for the other things concerning and his wars, and the noble acts which he did, and his greatness, they are not written: for they were very many. 23Now after the of began to put forth their heads in all the coasts of Israel, and there arose up all such as wrought . 24In those days also was there a very great , by reason whereof the country revolted, and went with them. 25Then chose men, and made them lords of the country. 26And they made enquiry and search for ’ friends, and brought them unto , who took of them, and used them despitefully. 27So was there a great affliction in Israel, the like whereof was not since the time that a was not seen among them. 28For this cause all ’ friends came together, and said unto , 29Since thy brother , we have no man like him to go forth against our , and , and against them of our nation that are to us. 30Now therefore we have chosen thee this day to be our prince and captain in his stead, that thou mayest fight our battles. 31Upon this took the governance upon him at that time, and rose up instead of his brother . 32But when gat knowledge thereof, he sought for to him 33Then , and his brother, and all that were with him, perceiving that, fled into of Thecoe, and pitched their tents by the water of the pool Asphar. 34Which when understood, he came near to Jordan with all his host upon the . 35Now had sent his brother , a captain of the people, to his friends the Nabathites, that they might leave with them their carriage, which was much. 36But the children of Jambri came out of Medaba, and took , and all that he had, and went their way with it. 37After this came word to and his brother, that the children of Jambri made a great marriage, and were bringing the from Nadabatha with a great train, as being the daughter of one of the great princes of . 38Therefore they remembered their brother, and went up, and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain: 39Where they lifted up their eyes, and looked, and, behold, there was much ado and great carriage: and the came forth, and his friends and brethren, to meet them with drums, and instruments of musick, and many weapons. 40Then and they that were with him rose up against them from the place where they lay in ambush, and made a slaughter of them in such sort, as many fell down , and fled into the mountain, and they took all their spoils. 41Thus was the marriage turned into , and the noise of their melody into . 42So when they had fully of their brother, they turned again to the marsh of Jordan. 43Now when heard hereof, he came on the unto the banks of Jordan with a great . 44Then said to his company, Let us go up now and fight for our lives, for it standeth not with us to day, as in time past: 45For, behold, the battle is before us and behind us, and the water of Jordan on this side and that side, the marsh likewise and wood, neither is there place for us to turn aside. 46Wherefore cry ye now unto , that ye may be from the hand of your . 47With that they joined battle, and stretched forth his hand to smite , but he turned back from him. 48Then and they that were with him leapt into Jordan, and swam over unto the other bank: howbeit the other passed not over Jordan unto them. 49So there were slain of ’ side that day about a thousand men. 50Afterward returned to and repaired the strong cites in ; the fort in , and , and , and , and Thamnatha, Pharathoni, and Taphon, these did he strengthen with high walls, with and with bars. 51And in them he set a garrison, that they might work malice upon Israel. 52He fortified also the city , and , and the tower, and put forces in them, and provision of victuals. 53Besides, he took the chief men’s sons in the country for hostages, and put them into the tower at to be kept. 54Moreover in the hundred fifty and third year, in the second month, commanded that the wall of the inner court of should be pulled down; he pulled down also the works of 55And as he began to pull down, even at that time was plagued, and his enterprizes hindered: for his was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, so that he could no more speak any thing, nor give order concerning his house. 56So at that time with great torment. 57Now when saw that was , he returned to the king: whereupon the land of was in rest two years. 58Then all the ungodly men held a council, saying, Behold, and his company are at ease, and without care: now therefore we will bring hither, who shall take them all in one night. 59So they went and consulted with him. 60Then removed he, and came with a great host, and sent letters privily to his adherents in , that they should take and those that were with him: howbeit they could not, because their was known unto them. 61Wherefore they took of the men of the country, that were authors of that mischief, about fifty persons, and slew them. 62Afterward , and , and they that were with him, got them away to , which is in , and they repaired the decays thereof, and made it strong. 63Which thing when knew, he gathered together all his host, and sent word to them that were of . 64Then went he and laid siege against ; and they fought against it a long season and made engines of war. 65But left his brother in the city, and went forth himself into the country, and with a certain number went he forth. 66And he smote Odonarkes and his brethren, and the children of Phasiron in their tent. 67And when he began to smite them, and came up with his forces, and his company went out of the city, and burned up the engines of war, 68And fought against , who was discomfited by them, and they afflicted him sore: for his and travail was in . 69Wherefore he was very wroth at men that gave him to come into the country, inasmuch as he slew many of them, and purposed to return into his own country. 70Whereof when had knowledge, he sent ambassadors unto him, to the end he should make peace with him, and them the prisoners. 71Which thing he accepted, and did according to his demands, and sware unto him that he would never do him harm all the days of his life. 72When therefore he had restored unto him the prisoners that he had taken aforetime out of the land of , he returned and went his way into his own land, neither came he any more into their borders. 73Thus ceased from Israel: but dwelt at Machmas, and began to govern the people; and he destroyed the ungodly men out of Israel.
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under the Greeks, 332 BC to 63 BC ›
Alexander's conquest and the kingdoms of his successors. Greek language and custom press in everywhere, and the crisis under Antiochus IV provokes the Maccabean revolt.
- The successors
- Alexander dies at thirty-two and his generals carve up the empire. Judea sits on the border between the Ptolemies in Egypt and the Seleucids in Syria, and is fought over by both for a century and a half, which is the ordinary condition of the corridor.
- Hellenism
- Not just conquest but a culture: the gymnasium, the theatre, Greek names, Greek dress, Greek as the language of anyone with ambitions. Some Jews embraced it, some resisted it, and the argument between them is the real subject of the Maccabean books. In Alexandria the Hebrew scriptures are translated into Greek, producing the Septuagint, which is the Bible most New Testament writers quote.
- The crisis
- Antiochus IV bans the practice of Judaism, plunders the temple, and sets up a pagan altar in it in 167 BC. The revolt under the Maccabees wins, the temple is rededicated in 164 BC, which is the origin of Hanukkah, and Judea has about eighty years of independence under the Hasmoneans before Rome arrives.
- Further afield
- Rome fights Carthage three times and ends up master of the Mediterranean. Euclid writes the Elements and Archimedes does his work at Syracuse. In China the Qin unify the country in 221 BC and the Han follow, opening what becomes the Silk Road.