1And Gorgias took five thousand footmen, and a thousand chosen horse, and the army removed by night,

2that it might fall upon the army of the Jews [Praisers] and strike them suddenly: and the men of the fortress were his guides.

3And Judas [Praised] heard thereof, and removed, he and the valiant men, that he might strike the king’s host which was at Emmaus,

4while as yet the forces were dispersed from the camp.

5And Gorgias came into the camp of Judas [Praised] by night, and found no man; and he sought them in the mountains; for he said, These men flee from us.

6And as soon as it was day, Judas [Praised] appeared in the plain with three thousand men: howbeit they had not armor nor swords to their minds.

7And they saw the camp of the Gentiles strong and fortified, and horsemen compassing it round about; and these were expert in war.

8And Judas [Praised] said to the men that were with him, Fear you not their multitude, neither be you afraid of their onset.

9Remember how our fathers were saved in the Red sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with a host.

10And now let us cry to heaven (God), if he will have us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and destroy this army before our face today:

11and all the Gentiles shall know that there is one who redeems and saves Israel [God prevails].

12And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming over against them:

13and they went out of the camp to battle. And they that were with Judas [Praised] sounded their trumpets,

14and joined battle, and the Gentiles were embarrassed, and fled into the plain.

15But all the hindmost fell by the sword: and they pursued them to Gazara, and to the plains of Idumaea and Azotus and Jamnia, and there fell of them about three thousand men.

16And Judas [Praised] and his host returned from pursuing after them,

17and he said to the people, Be not greedy of the spoils, inasmuch as there is a battle before us;

18and Gorgias and his host are near to us in the mountain. But stand you now against our enemies, and fight against them, and afterwards take the spoils with boldness.

19While Judas [Praised] was yet making an end of these words, there appeared a part of them looking out from the mountain:

20and they saw that their host had been put to flight, and that the Jews [Praisers] were burning the camp; for the smoke that was seen declared what was done.

21But when they perceived these things, they were sore afraid; and perceiving also the army of Judas [Praised] in the plain ready for battle,

22they fled all of them into the land of the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)].

23And Judas [Praised] returned to spoil the camp, and they got much gold, and silver, and blue, and sea purple, and great riches.

24And they returned home, and sang a song of thanksgiving, and gave praise to heaven (God); because his mercy is good, because his mercy endures forever.

25And Israel [God prevails] had a great deliverance that day.

26But the strangers, as many as had escaped, came and told Lysias all the things that had happened:

27but when he heard thereof, he was confounded and discouraged, because neither had such things as he would been done to Israel [God prevails], nor had such things as the king commanded him come to pass.

28And in the next year he gathered together sixtieth thousand chosen footmen, and five thousand horse, that he might subdue them.

29And they came into Idumaea, and encamped at Bethsura; and Judas [Praised] met them with ten thousand men.

30And he saw that the army was strong, and he prayed and said, Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel [God prevails], who did quell the onset of the mighty man by the hand of your servant David [Beloved], and did deliver the army of the Philistines [To roll in dust (As an insult)] into the hands of Jonathan [Yah has given] the son of Saul [Asked for], and of his armor bearer:

31shut up this army in the hand of your people Israel [God prevails], and let them be ashamed for their host and their horsemen:

32give them faintness of heart, and cause the boldness of their strength to melt away, and let them quake at their destruction:

33cast them down with the sword of them that love you, and let all that know your name praise you with thanksgiving.

34And they joined battle; and there fell of the army of Lysias about five thousand men, and they fell down over against them.

35But when Lysias saw that his array was put to flight, and the boldness that had come upon them that were with Judas [Praised], and how they were ready either to live or to die nobly, he removed to Antioch, and gathered together hired soldiers, that he might come again into Judea [Praise] with even a greater company.

36But Judas [Praised] and his brethren said, Behold, our enemies are embarrassed: let us go up to cleanse the holy place, and to dedicate it afresh.

37And all the army was gathered together, and they went up to mount Sion.

38And they saw the sanctuary laid desolate, and the altar (of burnt offerings) profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the outer courts as in a forest or as on one of the mountains, and the priests’ chambers pulled down;

39and they tore their clothes, and made great lamentation, and put ashes upon their heads,

40and fell on their faces to the ground, and blew with the solemn trumpets, and cried toward heaven (God).

41Then Judas [Praised] appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he should have cleansed the holy place.

42And he chose blameless priests, such as had pleasure in Torah ·Teaching·:

43and they cleansed the holy place, and bare out the stones of defilement into an unclean place.

44And they took counsel concerning the altar of burnt offerings, which had been profaned, what they should do with it:

45and there came into their mind a good counsel, that they should pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it: and they pulled down the altar (of burnt offerings),

46and laid up the stones in the mountain of the house in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to give an answer concerning them.

47And they took whole stones according to Torah ·Teaching·, and built a new altar (of burnt offerings) after the fashion of the former;

48and they built the holy place, and the inner parts of the temple; and they set apart the outer courts.

49And they made the holy vessels new, and they brought the menorah ·lamp·, and the altar of burnt offerings and altar of incense, and the table, into the temple.

50And they burned incense upon the altar, and they lighted the menorah ·lamp· candles that were upon the menorah ·lamp·, and they gave light in the temple.

51And they set loaves upon the table of the show bread, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they made.

52And they rose up early in the morning, on the twenty fifth day of the ninth month, which is Kislev ·Trust security / Folly, 9·, in ⁵the one hundred forty eighth year,

53and offered sacrifice according to Torah ·Teaching· upon the new altar of burned offerings which they had made.

54At what time and on what day the Gentiles had profaned it, even on that day was it dedicated afresh, with songs and harps and lutes, and with cymbals.

55And all the people fell upon their faces, and worshiped, and gave praise to heaven (God), which had given them good success.

56And they kept the dedication of the altar (of burnt offerings) eight days, and offered burned offerings with gladness, and sacrificed a sacrifice of deliverance and praise.

57And they decked the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold and small shields, and dedicated afresh the gates and the priests’ chambers, and made doors for them.

58And there was exceeding great gladness among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.

59And Judas [Praised] and his brethren and the whole congregation of Israel [God prevails] ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar (of burnt offerings) should be kept in their seasons from year to year by the space of eight days, from the twenty fifth day of the month Chislev [Trust / Security / Folly / 9th month], with gladness and joy.

60And at that season they built up the mount Sion with high walls and strong towers round about, lest haply the Gentiles should come and tread them down, as they had done aforetime.

61And he set there a force to keep it, and they fortified Bethsura to keep it; that the people might have a stronghold over against Idumaea.