1 Sob a proteção do Senhor, Macabeu e seus com­pa­nheiros retomaram o templo e a cidade.

2 Destruíram os alta­res que os estrangeiros haviam edificado na praça pública, como também os troncos sagrados.

3 Após terem purificado o templo, erigiram outro altar para os holocaustos. Utilizaram uma pedra para tirar faíscas das quais eles se serviram para oferecer os sacrifícios, após dois anos de interrupção. Queimaram o incenso, reacenderam as lâmpadas e recoloca­ram os pães da proposição.

4 Feitas essas coisas, prostraram-se por terra e suplicaram ao Senhor que não mais os entregasse a semelhantes calamidades; mas, se recaíssem nas ofensas, que corrigisse com brandura, sem entregá-los às mãos das nações ímpias e bárbaras.

5 Foi no dia do aniversário da profanação do templo pelos estrangeiros, isto é, no dia vinte e cinco do mês de Casleu, que eles o purificaram.

6 Prolongaram as cerimônias e os festejos por oito dias, como na ocasião da festa dos Taberná­culos, recordando-se de que, pouco antes, na ocasião dessa festa, habitavam nas montanhas e nas cavernas como animais selvagens.

7 Foi assim que, levando ramalhetes, ramos verdejan­tes e palmas, cantavam hinos àquele que lhes havia concedido a dita de purificar o seu templo.

8 Decretaram por um edito pú­blico a toda a nação judia, que esses mesmos dias fossem solenizados em cada ano.

9 Acabamos de narrar as circunstâncias da morte de Antíoco, cognominado Epí­fanes.

10 Vamos agora proceder à narrativa dos acontecimentos sucedidos sob Antíoco Eupátor, filho desse sacrílego, resumindo o que se refere aos males da guerra.

11 Assim que subiu ao trono, esse príncipe pôs à frente dos negócios do reino um certo Lísias, ao qual nomeou também governador militar e chefe da Celessíria e da Fenícia,

12 porque Ptolo­meu, apelidado Macron, tomando a iniciativa de se mostrar justo para com os judeus, em vista da perseguição movida contra eles, procurou governá-los na paz;

13 mas, pelos favoritos do rei, ele havia sido denuncia­do a Eupátor. Por outro lado, tachado muitas vezes de traidor, por ter deixado Chipre, que lhe fora confiada por Filométor e se ter posto a serviço de Antíoco Epífa­nes. Assim, não podendo exercer com honra seu alto posto, envenenou-se e morreu.

14 Mas Górgias, tornado comandante do exército nessas paragens, tomava consigo tropas estrangeiras e aproveitava-se de todas as ocasiões para guerrear os judeus.

15 Os idumeus, senhores de várias for­talezas importantes, em combinação com ele, molestavam os judeus, acolhiam os exilados de Jerusalém e mantinham um estado de guerra contínuo.

16 Então, Maca­beu com seus companheiros atacaram as fortalezas da Idumeia, após haver rezado e invocado o auxílio de Deus.

17 Atacaram-nas vigorosamente, apoderaram-se de todas, repeliram os que combatiam sobre as muralhas e massacraram os que caíam em suas mãos. Mataram não menos de vinte mil homens.

18 Nove mil fugitivos pelo menos haviam procurado abrigo em duas fortalezas, equipadas com o necessário para resistir ao cerco.

19 Maca­beu deixou Simão, José, e também Zaqueu e seus companheiros, para expugná-los e dirigiu-se para onde se exigia mais a sua presença.

20 Todavia, os companheiros de Simão, seduzidos pelo dinheiro, deixaram-se corromper por alguns dos que se achavam nas torres da fortaleza, e, mediante a soma de setenta mil dracmas, deixaram escapar muitos deles.

21 Ouvindo essas notícias, Macabeu acusou-os dian­te da assembleia dos chefes de terem vendido seus irmãos a troco de dinheiro, entregando os inimigos à liberdade.

22 Comprovada a sua traição, mandou executá-los e, em seguida, tomou conta das duas cidadelas.

23 Coroadas de êxito as lutas de ambos os lados, ele matou mais de vinte mil homens nas duas fortalezas.

24 Anteriormente vencido pelos judeus, Timóteo coligou copiosas tropas estrangeiras e reuniu na Ásia uma numerosa cavalaria, indo em direção à Judeia com a intenção de conquistá-la pelas armas.

25 Com a sua chegada, Macabeu e seus companheiros cobriram a cabeça com terra e cingiram os rins com sacos, em sinal de prece.

26 Em seguida, prostrados aos pés do altar, rogaram a Deus piedade para com eles, pedindo que se declarasse inimigo de seus inimigos e adversário de seus adversários, conforme a promessa formal da Lei.

27 Terminada a oração, empunharam as armas, retiraram-se para bem longe da cidade e detiveram-se ao chegar perto do inimigo.

28 Ao despontar a aurora, travaram combate os dois lados, contando uns com o êxito e a vitória, por causa de sua valentia e do socorro do Senhor, e os outros entregando-se ao combate, apoiados no próprio furor.

29 No auge do combate, viram os inimigos aparecer no céu cinco magníficos guerreiros, montados em cavalos ajaezados com freios de ouro, que se colocaram à frente dos judeus.

30 Postando Macabeu no meio deles e, protegendo-o com suas armas, tornavam-no invulne­rável. Ao mesmo tempo, lançavam dardos e raios sobre os inimigos, cegando-os, gerando entre eles a confusão, pondo-os em desordem.

31 Foram, pois, mortos vinte mil e quinhentos soldados e seiscentos cavaleiros.

32 O próprio Timóteo fugiu para uma praça muito forte, chamada Gazara, cujo comandante era Quéreas.

33 Macabeu e os que se achavam com ele cercaram a fortaleza durante quatro dias,

34 enquanto os que se encontravam nela não cessavam de blasfemar e injuriar, confiados em seus muros.

35 Amanhecendo, porém, o quinto dia, um grupo de vinte jovens do exército de Maca­beu, inflamado de cólera por causa dessas blasfêmias, atirou-se corajosamente contra a muralha e massacrou todos os que apareciam à sua frente.

36 Outros subiram do mesmo modo o muro, atearam fogo às torres, acenderam fogueiras, nas quais queimaram vivos os blasfe­ma­dores. Outros, ainda, arrombaram as portas, fizeram entrar o restante do exército e ocuparam a cidade.

37 Mataram Timóteo, que se escondera em uma cisterna, e também seu irmão Quéreas e Apolófanes.

38 Após essa façanha, cantaram hinos e cânticos ao Senhor, que havia operado grandes prodígios em favor de Israel, concedendo-lhe a vitória.

1 Now Maccabeus and his company, the Lord guiding them, recovered the temple and the city:

2 But the altars which the heathen had built in the open street, and also the chapels, they pulled down.

3 And having cleansed the temple they made another altar, and striking stones they took fire out of them, and offered a sacrifice after two years, and set forth incense, and lights, and shewbread.

4 When that was done, they fell flat down, and besought the Lord that they might come no more into such troubles; but if they sinned any more against him, that he himself would chasten them with mercy, and that they might not be delivered unto the blasphemous and barbarous nations.

5 Now upon the same day that the strangers profaned the temple, on the very same day it was cleansed again, even the five and twentieth day of the same month, which is Casleu.

6 And they kept the eight days with gladness, as in the feast of the tabernacles, remembering that not long afore they had held the feast of the tabernacles, when as they wandered in the mountains and dens like beasts.

7 Therefore they bare branches, and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms unto him that had given them good success in cleansing his place.

8 They ordained also by a common statute and decree, That every year those days should be kept of the whole nation of the Jews.

9 And this was the end of Antiochus, called Epiphanes.

10 Now will we declare the acts of Antiochus Eupator, who was the son of this wicked man, gathering briefly the calamities of the wars.

11 So when he was come to the crown, he set one Lysias over the affairs of his realm, and appointed him his chief governor of Celosyria and Phenice.

12 For Ptolemeus, that was called Macron, choosing rather to do justice unto the Jews for the wrong that had been done unto them, endeavoured to continue peace with them.

13 Whereupon being accused of the king’s friends before Eupator, and called traitor at every word because he had left Cyprus, that Philometor had committed unto him, and departed to Antiochus Epiphanes, and seeing that he was in no honourable place, he was so discouraged, that he poisoned himself and died.

14 But when Gorgias was governor of the holds, he hired soldiers, and nourished war continually with the Jews:

15 And therewithall the Idumeans, having gotten into their hands the most commodious holds, kept the Jews occupied, and receiving those that were banished from Jerusalem, they went about to nourish war.

16 Then they that were with Maccabeus made supplication, and besought God that he would be their helper; and so they ran with violence upon the strong holds of the Idumeans,

17 And assaulting them strongly, they won the holds, and kept off all that fought upon the wall, and slew all that fell into their hands, and killed no fewer than twenty thousand.

18 And because certain, who were no less than nine thousand, were fled together into two very strong castles, having all manner of things convenient to sustain the siege,

19 Maccabeus left Simon and Joseph, and Zaccheus also, and them that were with him, who were enough to besiege them, and departed himself unto those places which more needed his help.

20 Now they that were with Simon, being led with covetousness, were persuaded for money through certain of those that were in the castle, and took seventy thousand drachms, and let some of them escape.

21 But when it was told Maccabeus what was done, he called the governors of the people together, and accused those men, that they had sold their brethren for money, and set their enemies free to fight against them.

22 So he slew those that were found traitors, and immediately took the two castles.

23 And having good success with his weapons in all things he took in hand, he slew in the two holds more than twenty thousand.

24 Now Timotheus, whom the Jews had overcome before, when he had gathered a great multitude of foreign forces, and horses out of Asia not a few, came as though he would take Jewry by force of arms.

25 But when he drew near, they that were with Maccabeus turned themselves to pray unto God, and sprinkled earth upon their heads, and girded their loins with sackcloth,

26 And fell down at the foot of the altar, and besought him to be merciful to them, and to be an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law declareth.

27 So after the prayer they took their weapons, and went on further from the city: and when they drew near to their enemies, they kept by themselves.

28 Now the sun being newly risen, they joined both together; the one part having together with their virtue their refuge also unto the Lord for a pledge of their success and victory: the other side making their rage leader of their battle.

29 But when the battle waxed strong, there appeared unto the enemies from heaven five comely men upon horses, with bridles of gold, and two of them led the Jews,

30 And took Maccabeus betwixt them, and covered him on every side with their weapons, and kept him safe, but shot arrows and lightnings against the enemies: so that being confounded with blindness, and full of trouble, they were killed.

31 And there were slain of footmen twenty thousand and five hundred, and six hundred horsemen.

32 As for Timotheus himself, he fled into a very strong hold, called Gawra, where Chereas was governor.

33 But they that were with Maccabeus laid siege against the fortress courageously four days.

34 And they that were within, trusting to the strength of the place, blasphemed exceedingly, and uttered wicked words.

35 Nevertheless upon the fifth day early twenty young men of Maccabeus’ company, inflamed with anger because of the blasphemies, assaulted the wall manly, and with a fierce courage killed all that they met withal.

36 Others likewise ascending after them, whiles they were busied with them that were within, burnt the towers, and kindling fires burnt the blasphemers alive; and others broke open the gates, and, having received in the rest of the army, took the city,

37 And killed Timotheus, that was hid in a certain pit, and Chereas his brother, with Apollophanes.

38 When this was done, they praised the Lord with psalms and thanksgiving, who had done so great things for Israel, and given them the victory.