1 Maccabees 1

1After Alexander, the son of Philip the Macedonian, came out of the land of Kittim and conquered Macedonia, and defeated Darius the king of the Persians and the Medes, and reigned in his place—he was already king of Greece—

2he then fought numerous wars, conquered fortresses, and slaughtered the kings of the earth.

3He went to the ends of the earth and took the spoils of many nations. So the earth rested from war before him, and he was exalted; his heart was likewise encouraged.

4He formed a mighty army and ruled countries, nations, and princes, and they all paid taxes to him.

5Then later, he fell sick, and he knew he was dying.

6So he brought in his trusted servants who had grown up with him from childhood, and parceled out his kingdom to them while he was still living.

7After Alexander reigned for twelve years, death claimed him.

8Then his servants began to rule, each in his appointed place.

9They all put on crowns after he died, and their sons for many years after them, and the evils they caused multiplied on the earth.

10A sinful root came forth from them, Antiochus Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus the king, who was a hostage in Rome. He began his reign in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.

11In those days lawless men came forth from the sons of Israel, and they persuaded many, saying, 'Let us make a covenant with the Gentiles surrounding us, forever since we were separated from them, many evils have found us.'

12This proposal found favor in their eyes,

13and some of the people eagerly desired to enter into this agreement. So they went to the king, and he gave them authority to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles.

14Then they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the customs of the Gentiles,

15and made themselves as the uncircumcision. So they fell away from the holy covenant, yoked themselves to the Gentiles, and sold themselves to do evil.

16Thus the kingdom was prepared before Antiochus, and he determined he would reign over the land of Egypt, so as to rule over two kingdoms.

17Thus he entered Egypt with a strong multitude of chariots, elephants, cavalrymen, and a large army.

18He engaged Ptolemy king of Egypt in battle, and Ptolemy turned from him in shame and fled. Many were wounded and fell.

19So they captured mighty cities in Egypt, and Antiochus took spoils in the land of Egypt.

20After he conquered Egypt in the one hundred and forty-third year, Antiochus turned and went up to Israel and Jerusalem with a large army.

21He entered the sanctuary in arrogance and took the golden altar, the lampstand, all the utensils,

22the table of presentation, the cups and bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the golden ornaments on the face of the temple. He stripped everything,

23and took the silver and the gold and everything costly, and the hidden treasures he found.

24Taking all these things, he departed for his own land. He committed deeds of murder and spoke with great arrogance.

25There was great mourning everywhere in Israel,

26Rulers and elders groaned, Virgins and young men grew weak, And the beauty of the women was altered.

27Every bridegroom took up a lament And sat mourning in his bridal chamber.

28The land was shaken for its inhabitants, And all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.

29After two years, the king sent a revenue official to the cities of Judah, and he entered Jerusalem with a large army.

30Antiochus spoke peaceable words to them with deceit, and they believed him. Then he fell upon the city suddenly, struck it a great blow, and killed many people from Israel.

31He took spoils from the city, set it on fire, and tore down its houses and the city walls.

32They took captive the women and the children and took possession of the animals.

33Then they built the city of David with a great and strong wall and strong towers, and it became their citadel.

34They placed there a sinful nation of lawless men, and they became strong within it.

35And they laid up weapons and provisions, and gathered together the spoils they had taken from Jerusalem. Then they returned there and were like a great snare.

36It became an ambush against the sanctuary, An evil accuser against Israel continually.

37They shed innocent blood around the sanctuary And defiled the sanctuary.

38The inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them, And she became a dwelling place of strangers. She became a stranger to her offspring, And her children forsook her.

39Her sanctuary was laid waste like a desert And her feasts were turned into mourning, Her Sabbaths into a disgrace And her honor into contempt.

40Her dishonor prevailed against her glory, And her high position was turned into mourning.

41Then the king wrote to all his kingdom, that they all were to be as one people,

42and that each one was to forsake his customs. So all the nations accepted the word of the king.

43Many from Israel also thought it good to serve him, so they sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath.

44Then the king sent books to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah by the hand of messengers, and told them to follow foreign customs in the land,

45to forbid whole burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane the Sabbaths and the feasts,

46and to defile the sanctuary and the holy ones.

47These books also told them to build altars, sacred precincts, and temples to idols, to sacrifice swine and common animals,

48to leave their sons uncircumcised, so they would corrupt their souls by every unclean and profane thing,

49and forget the law and alter all the ordinances.

50They also added that whoever did not obey the word of the king would die.

51According to all these words he wrote to everyone in his kingdom. He also placed inspectors over all the people and commanded the cities of Judah to sacrifice in each and every city.

52Thus many of the people, everyone who forsook the law, joined together and did evil things in the land.

53They forced Israel to hide in every place of refuge they had.

54Then on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation on the altar of the whole burnt offerings and built altars in the surrounding cities of Judah.

55They also burned incense at the doors of houses and in the streets.

56And when they found books of the law, they tore them to pieces and burned them in the fire.

57Whenever a book of the covenant was found in someone's possession, or if anyone sympathized with the law, the judgment of the king was to kill him.

58They acted with their might against Israel, against those who were found month after month in the cities.

59Then on the twenty-fifth day of the month they sacrificed on the altar, which was on top of the altar of the whole burnt offerings.

60In keeping with the decree, they sentenced to death the women who had their children circumcised,

61and the families who had circumcised them, and hung the infants from their mothers' necks.

62Yet many in Israel grew strong, and determined in themselves not to eat unclean things.

63They chose rather to die than be defiled by foods or profane the holy covenant. So they died,

64and great wrath came upon Israel.