1 Maccabees 7:26-46

New Catholic Bible

²⁶ Nicanor Is Entrusted with Putting Down the Insurgents. Then the king sent Nicanor,^[a] one of his most distinguished officers and a bitter enemy of Israel, with orders to destroy the people. ²⁷ Having arrived in Jerusalem with a large force, he sent to Judas and his brothers this deceitful message couched in peaceful terms: ²⁸ “Let there be no fighting between you and me. I shall come with a small escort to have a peaceful meeting with you.”

²⁹ When he came to Judas, they greeted each other peaceably, but the enemy had made plans to kidnap Judas. ³⁰ When Judas became aware that Nicanor’s visit had a treacherous purpose, he became afraid and refused to meet him again. ³¹ After Nicanor realized that his plot had been uncovered, he marched out to meet Judas in battle near Caphar-salama.^{[b] 32} About five hundred of Nicanor’s men were slain; the rest fled to the City of David.

³³ After these events, Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests from the sanctuary and some of the elders of the people came out to greet him peaceably and to show him the burnt offering that was being offered for the king. ³⁴ But he mocked and jeered at them, defiled them,^[c] and spoke arrogantly, ³⁵ swearing in his rage: “Unless Judas and his army are turned over to me immediately, I will burn this temple to the ground when I return victorious.” Then he went off in great anger. ³⁶ At this turn of events, the priests went in and stood tearfully before the altar and the sanctuary, saying: ³⁷ “You have chosen this house to bear your name and to be a house of prayer and supplication for your people. ³⁸ Exact vengeance on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies and grant them no reprieve.”

³⁹ Judas Routs the Enemy. Nicanor left Jerusalem and encamped at Beth-horon, where he was joined by an army from Syria. ⁴⁰ Meanwhile, Judas pitched camp in Adasa^[d] with three thousand men, where he offered this prayer: ⁴¹ “When the messengers from the king were guilty of blasphemy, your angel sent forth and struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand of his men. ⁴² In the same way, crush this army before us today, so that everyone will come to know that Nicanor has spoken blasphemously against your sanctuary. Judge him according to his wickedness.”

⁴³ The armies met in battle on the thirteenth of the month of Adar. Nicanor’s army was crushed, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle. ⁴⁴ When his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw down their arms and fled. ⁴⁵ The Jews pursued them a day’s journey, from Adasa as far as Gazara, sounding their trumpets in warning as they followed. ⁴⁶ People emerged from all the surrounding villages of Judea and hemmed in Nicanor’s forces, driving them back to confront their pursuers. They all fell by the sword, without a single one managing to escape.