1In the one hundred forty-ninth year, news was brought to Judas and his company that Antiochus Eupator was coming with multitudes against Judea,
2and with him Lysias his guardian and chancellor, each having a Greek force of one hundred ten thousand infantry, five thousand three hundred cavalry, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with scythes.
3And Menelaus also joined himself with them, and with great hypocrisy encouraged Antiochus, not for the saving of his country, but because he thought that he would be set over the government.
4But the King of kings stirred up the anger of Antiochus against the wicked wretch. When Lysias informed him that this man was the cause of all the evils, the king commanded to bring him to Beroea, and to put him to death in the way customary in that place.
5Now there is in that place a tower that is fifty cubits high, full of ashes, and it had all around it a circular rim sloping steeply on every side into the ashes.
6Here one who is guilty of sacrilege or notorious for other crimes is pushed down to destruction.
7By such a fate it happened that the breaker of the law, Menelaus, died, without obtaining so much as a grave in the earth, and that justly;
8for inasmuch as he had perpetrated many sins against the altar, whose fire and whose ashes were holy, he received his death in ashes.
9Now the king, infuriated in spirit, was coming with intent to inflict on the Jews the very worst of the sufferings that had been done in his father’s time.
10But when Judas heard of these things, he commanded the multitude to call upon the Lord day and night, if ever at any other time, so now to help those who were at the point of being deprived of the law, their country, and the holy temple,
11and not to allow the people who had just begun to be revived to fall into the hands of those profane heathen.
12So when they had all done the same thing together, begging the merciful Lord with weeping and fastings and prostration for three days without ceasing, Judas exhorted them and commanded they should join him.
13Having consulted privately with the elders, he resolved that before the king’s army entered into Judea and made themselves masters of the city, they should go out and decide the matter by the help of God.
14And committing the decision to the Lord of the world, and exhorting those who were with him to contend nobly even to death for laws, temple, city, country, and way of life, he pitched his camp by Modin.
15He gave out to his men the watchword, “VICTORY IS GOD’S”, with a chosen force of the bravest young men he attacked the king’s pavilion by night, and killed of his army as many as two thousand men, and brought down the leading elephant with him who was in the tower on him.
16At last they filled the army with terror and alarm, and departed with good success.
17This had been accomplished when the day was just dawning, because of the Lord’s protection that gave Judas help.
18But the king, having had a taste of the exceeding boldness of the Jews, made strategic attacks on their positions,
19and on a strong fortress of the Jews at Bethsura. He advanced, was turned back, failed, and was defeated.
20Judas sent the things that were necessary to those who were within.
21But Rhodocus, from the Jewish ranks, made secrets known to the enemy. He was sought out, arrested, and shut up in prison.
22The king negotiated with them in Bethsura the second time, gave his hand, took theirs, departed, attacked the forces of Judas, was put to the worse,
23heard that Philip who had been left as chancellor in Antioch had become reckless, was confounded, made to the Jews an overture of peace, submitted himself and swore to acknowledge all their rights, came to terms with them and offered sacrifice, honored the sanctuary and the place,
24showed kindness and graciously received Maccabaeus, left Hegemonides governor from Ptolemais even to the Gerrenians,
25and came to Ptolemais. The men of Ptolemais were displeased at the treaty, for they had exceedingly great indignation against the Jews. They desired to annul the articles of the agreement.
26Lysias came forward to speak, made the best defense that was possible, persuaded, pacified, gained their good will, and departed to Antioch. This was the issue of the attack and departure of the king.