2 Maccabees 15:18-20

Good News Translation

¹⁸ They were not so concerned about their own families and relatives as they were about their sacred Temple. ¹⁹ And the people who had to stay in Jerusalem were deeply concerned about how a battle on open ground would turn out.

The Defeat and Death of Nicanor

²⁰ Everyone was waiting to see who would win the battle. The enemy troops were already moving forward, with their cavalry on each side of them, and their elephants placed in strategic positions.