Menelaus Is Put to Death
1 In the year 149 Judas Maccabeus and his followers found out that Antiochus Eupator was marching against Judea with a large army 2 and that Lysias, the young king's guardian and the head of his government, was with him. They had a force of Greek troops consisting of 110,000 infantry, 5,300 cavalry, 22 elephants, and 300 chariots with sharp blades attached to their wheels.
3 Menelaus, trying to take advantage of the situation, went over to their side and urged them on, not because he was concerned for the country, but because he hoped to be confirmed as High Priest. 4 But God, the King of kings, made Antiochus furious with Menelaus. Lysias proved to Antiochus that this criminal had been the source of all his troubles, so Antiochus ordered him to be taken to the city of Berea and put to death in the way that it was done there. 5 In that city there is a tower about 75 feet high. It is filled with ashes, and all around the inside of the tower is a platform sloping down into the ashes. 6 People accused of crimes against the gods or of any other serious crime are taken there and thrown down to their death. 7 Menelaus was put to death in that way, without even having the privilege of a burial, 8 and that was just what he deserved. He had often profaned the sacred ashes of the altar fire in the Temple, and now he met his death in ashes.
A Battle Near the City of Modein
9 King Antiochus arrogantly continued his barbaric invasion of Judah, intending to deal with the Jews more harshly than his father had ever done. 10 When Judas learned of this, he told the people to pray to the Lord day and night, because they were in danger of losing their Law, their country, and their holy Temple. As never before, they needed his help and protection 11 to keep their newly restored country from falling into the hands of godless Gentiles. 12 For three days the people did nothing but lie face down on the ground, fasting and crying, begging the merciful Lord for his help. Then Judas spoke words of encouragement to the people, urging them to get ready for action.
13 Afterward, Judas met privately with the Jewish leaders and decided to march out with God's help to battle against the king, rather than to wait for Antiochus to invade Judea and besiege Jerusalem. 14 Then, leaving the outcome of the battle to the Creator of the world, Judas encouraged his men to fight bravely and to be willing to die for their laws, the Temple, Jerusalem, their country, and their whole way of life. They set up camp near the city of Modein. 15 Judas gave his men the battle cry, “Victory comes from God,” and that night, with a picked force of his bravest young men, he attacked the area near the king's tent and killed as many as 2,000 men. They also stabbed to death the lead elephant and its keeper. 16 Everyone in camp was terrified and in panic when Judas and his men finally left victoriously 17 just before dawn. The help and protection of the Lord had made all this possible.
Antiochus the Fifth Makes a Treaty with the Jews
(1 Maccabees 6.48-63)18 This taste of Jewish daring was enough to convince King Antiochus that he had to find some better way of capturing the Jewish positions. 19 He attacked the strong Jewish fort of Bethzur, but was repeatedly beaten back and finally defeated. 20 Judas sent supplies to the men who were defending the fort, 21 but a Jewish soldier by the name of Rhodocus gave some secret information to the enemy. He was found out, however, caught, and put to death. 22 The king made a second attempt to come to terms with the people of Bethzur, and when he had reached an agreement with them, he withdrew his forces. Then he went to attack Judas, but again he was defeated. 23 Meanwhile, Philip had been left at Antioch in charge of the government, but King Antiochus learned that he had revolted. The king did not know what to do, so he initiated peace talks with the Jews, agreed to their terms, and promised to be just in his treatment of them. To put the treaty into effect, he offered a sacrifice, gave a generous gift to show his respect for the Temple, 24 and graciously received Judas Maccabeus. After that, the king appointed Hegemonides to be governor of the territory between the cities of Ptolemais and Gerar, 25 and then he himself went on to Ptolemais. The people there were angry because of the treaty he had made with the Jews—so angry, in fact, that they wanted the treaty canceled. 26 But Lysias made a public speech, defending the treaty as well as he could. After he had calmed the people down and convinced them that he was right, he returned to Antioch.
In this way King Antiochus' invasion was turned into a retreat.
Menelāja nāve
1 149. gadā Jūdas karavīrus sasniedza ziņa, ka Antiohs Eipators nāk ar lielu karapulku pret Jūdeju 2 un līdz ar viņu ir Līsijs, aizbildnis un valsts lietu pārzinis. Katram bija grieķu karaspēks, kopā simt desmit tūkstoši kājnieku, pieci tūkstoši trīs simti jātnieku, divdesmit divi ziloņi un trīs simti kararatu ar asmeņiem. 3 Viņiem piebiedrojās arī Menelājs, kas ļoti skubināja Antiohu, bet darīja to izlikdamies – nevis lai pasargātu savu tēvzemi, bet lai tiktu pie varas. 4 Taču visu valdnieku Valdnieks sacēla Antiohā naidu pret šo noziedznieku, un, kad Līsijs uzrādīja Menelāju kā visu ļaunumu vaininieku, Antiohs lika viņu aizvest uz Beroianu un nogalināt pēc turienes paražas. 5 Tajā vietā ir piecdesmit olektis augsts tornis, pilns ar pelniem. Iekšpusē bija ierīce, kas griežoties nolaidās pelnos. 6 Tornī iegrūda visus, kas bija svētuma zaimotāji vai arī darījuši kādas citas pārmēra ļaundarības, lai viņi tur dabūtu galu. 7 Šādā nāvē iznāca mirt noziedzniekam un palikt neapglabātam zemē, 8 un tas bija visnotaļ taisnīgi, jo viņš bija veicis daudzus grēka darbus pret altāri, kura uguns un pelni ir svēti; tādēļ viņš savu nāvi dabūja pelnos.
Gatavošanās sadursmei
9 Bet ķēniņš pa to laiku, mežonīgu ieceru pārņemts, virzījās uz priekšu, lai jūdiem nestu vēl lielāku postu nekā viņa tēvs. 10 Kad to uzzināja Jūda, viņš pavēlēja ļaudīm dienu un nakti piesaukt Kungu un lūgt, lai viņš tiem, kam draud bauslības, tēvzemes un svētā tempļa zaudēšana, palīdz, tāpat kā citkārt to ir darījis, 11 un lai viņš nepieļauj, ka tauta, kas tikko sākusi atspirgt, nonāk zaimotāju cittautiešu rokās. 12 Kad viņi visi kopā trīs dienas nepārtraukti tā bija darījuši – raudot, gavējot un krītot ceļos, lūguši Kungu būt žēlīgam –, Jūda uzmundrināja viņus un pavēlēja būt gatavībā. 13 Tad, palicis viens ar vecajiem un apspriedies, viņš nolēma doties ar saviem ļaudīm pretim un izšķirt lietu ar Dieva palīdzību, pirms vēl ķēniņš ar karaspēku ienāk Jūdejā un ieņem pilsētu. 14 Uzticējis aizbildnību par sevi pasaules Radītājam un uzmundrinājis savus ļaudis cīnīties drosmīgi līdz nāvei par baušļiem, par templi, par pilsētu, tēvzemi un valsti, viņš apmetās ar karaspēku pie Modeīnas. 15 Devis saviem vīriem norunāto signālu: “Dieva uzvara!” – viņš kopā ar atlasītiem drosmīgiem jaunekļiem naktī uzbruka ķēniņa teltij un karaspēka nometnē nogalināja divus tūkstošus vīru un arī lielāko ziloni ar visiem ļaudīm, kas uz tā bija izvietojušies. 16 Viņiem izdevās nometnē radīt bailes un apjukumu, bet viņi paši veiksmīgi atkāpās. 17 Tas notika ar Kunga palīdzīgo atbalstu, dienai austot.
Cīņa Bēt-Cūrā
18 Bet ķēniņš, kad bija izbaudījis, ko nozīmē jūdu drošsirdība, mēģināja ar viltus paņēmieniem iekarot šīs vietas. 19 Viņš virzīja karaspēku pret Bēt-Cūru – jūdu nocietinātu priekšposteni, bet tika atsists, cieta neveiksmi un zaudējumus. 20 Bet Jūda tiem, kas atradās cietoksnī, sūtīja visu nepieciešamo. 21 Šo noslēpumu ienaidniekiem atklāja kāds Rodoks, kas bija no jūdu karaspēka. Viņu sameklēja, saņēma ciet un ieslodzīja. 22 Tad ķēniņš otrreiz mēģināja runāt ar bētcūriešiem. Viņi saderēja mieru, ķēniņš devās prom un uzbruka Jūdas karavīriem, bet tika sakauts. 23 Uzzinājis, ka Filips, kas Antiohijā bija atstāts par valsts lietu pārzini, ir atkāpies no viņa, viņš apjuka: viņš vērsās pie jūdiem, pazemojās un zvērēja pildīt visu, kas taisnīgs, samierinājās ar viņiem, pienesa upuri, pagodināja templi un apliecināja laipnu draudzību pilsētai. 24 Viņš pieņēma Makabeju un nozīmēja viņu par militāro karavadoni teritorijā no Ptolemaīdas līdz Gerrēnām. 25 Kad ķēniņš ieradās Ptolemaīdā, ptolemajieši izrādīja neapmierinātību par šo vienošanos, viņi dusmojās par vienošanās nosacījumiem un gribēja tos atcelt. 26 Tad runātāja tribīnē kāpa Līsijs un aizstāvējās, cik vien spēja; viņš pārliecināja, nomierināja un noskaņoja viņus labvēlīgi, tad devās uz Antiohiju. Tā notika ķēniņa uzbrukums un viņa atgriešanās atpakaļ.
