¹¹ We thank God because he saved us from great danger. We were like men ready to fight against a king, ¹² but God drove the enemy from our holy city. ^13 (A)When King Antiochus arrived in Persia, his army seemed impossible to defeat, but they were cut to pieces in the temple of the goddess Nanea by an act of treachery on the part of her priests. ¹⁴ King Antiochus had gone to the temple with some of his most trusted advisers, so that he might marry the goddess and then take away most of the temple treasures as a wedding gift. ¹⁵ After the priests had laid out the treasure, he and a few of his men went into the temple to collect it. But the priests closed the doors behind him ¹⁶ and stoned him and his men from trap doors hidden in the ceiling. Then they cut up the bodies and threw the heads to the people outside. ¹⁷ Praise God for punishing those evil men! Praise him for everything!

The Death of Judas

9 When Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had been annihilated, he again sent Bacchides and Alcimus to the land of Judea, this time with the Syrian wing of the army. ² They moved along Gilgal Road, laid siege to Mesaloth in Arbela, captured it, and killed many people. ³ In the first month of the year 152,^[a] they set up camp opposite Jerusalem. ⁴ From there they marched to Berea with 20,000 infantry and 2,000 cavalry.

⁵ Judas had camped at Elasa, with 3,000 experienced soldiers. ⁶ But when they saw the enormous size of the enemy army, they were terrified. So many men deserted that only 800 Jewish soldiers were left. ⁷ When Judas saw that his army was dwindling away and that the battle was about to begin, he was worried because there was not enough time to bring his army together. ⁸ He was discouraged, but he said to those who were still with him,

¹¹ The Syrian army came out of the camp and took up battle positions against the Jews. The cavalry was divided into two parts. The shock troops were in the front lines, but the archers and those who used slings went ahead of the main formation. ¹² Bacchides took his position on the right. The infantry advanced, protected on both sides by the cavalry, and the war trumpets were blown. The soldiers of Judas also sounded their trumpets. ¹³ The ground shook from the noise when the two armies met, and they fought from morning until evening.

¹⁴ When Judas saw that Bacchides and the main force of the Syrian army was on the right, all his bravest men joined him, ¹⁵ and they crushed the Syrians' right wing. They pursued them as far as the foothills.^{[b] 16} But when the Syrians on the left wing saw that their right wing had been crushed, they turned to attack Judas and his men from the rear. ¹⁷ The fighting became very fierce, and many on both sides were killed. ¹⁸ Finally Judas himself was killed. Then all his men fled. ¹⁹ Jonathan and Simon took their brother's body and buried it in the family tomb at Modein, ²⁰ and there at the tomb they wept for him. All Israel mourned for him in great sorrow for many days. They said,

²² The other deeds of Judas, his battles, his courageous deeds, and his great accomplishments, were too many to write down.

Jonathan Succeeds Judas

²³ After the death of Judas, the lawless traitors began to reappear everywhere in Judea, and all the wicked people returned. ²⁴ Also at that time there was a severe famine, and the whole country went over to the side of the renegades. ²⁵ Bacchides deliberately appointed some renegade Jews as rulers over the country. ²⁶ These men hunted down the friends of Judas and brought them all before Bacchides, and he subjected them to torture and humiliation. ²⁷ It was a time of great trouble for Israel, worse than anything that had happened to them since the time prophets ceased to appear among them.

⁹ They handed the hostages over to him, and he returned them to their parents.

¹⁰ Jonathan set up headquarters in Jerusalem and began to rebuild and restore the city. ¹¹ He ordered the builders to use squared stones for the city walls and for the protecting wall around Mount Zion. This was done.