2 Maccabees 11:1-15

New Catholic Bible

Chapter 11

Lysias Must Deal with the Jews.^{[a] 1} Very soon after that, Lysias, the guardian and kinsman of the king, who was in charge of the government, became greatly angered at what had occurred. ² He mustered about eighty thousand foot soldiers and all of his cavalry and advanced against the Jews. His intent was to make Jerusalem a settlement for Greeks, ³ to levy a tax^[b] on the temple as he did on the shrines of other nations, and to put the office of high priest up for sale every year. ⁴ He gave no consideration whatsoever to the power of God, for he was supremely confident in his infantry numbering in the tens of thousands, and in his thousands of cavalry and his eighty elephants. ⁵ Therefore, he invaded Judea, and when he reached Beth-zur, a fortified place about twenty miles distant from Jerusalem, he launched a strong attack against it.

⁶ When Maccabeus and his men were informed that Lysias was besieging the strongholds, they and all the people implored the Lord with lamentations and tears to send a good angel to deliver Israel. ⁷ Maccabeus himself was the first to take up arms, and he urged the others to join him in risking their lives to save their fellow Jews. Then they all resolutely set out together. ⁸ And while they were still near Jerusalem, a horseman suddenly appeared at their head, clothed in white and brandishing weapons of gold. ⁹ Together they united in praising their merciful God, and they were so filled with a spirit of courage that they were ready to attack not only men, but even the most savage beasts and walls of iron. ¹⁰ They advanced in battle order with the aid of their heavenly ally, for the Lord had shown mercy toward them. ¹¹ They charged like lions against the enemy and laid low eleven thousand of them, in addition to sixteen hundred cavalry, and the remaining forces they put to flight. ¹² Most of those who escaped were wounded and without their weapons, and Lysias himself escaped only by taking flight in a cowardly manner.

¹³ However, Lysias was not lacking in intelligence, and as he reflected upon the defeat he had experienced, he came to the realization that the Hebrews were invincible because the all-powerful God fought on their side. Therefore, he sent emissaries to them ¹⁴ to convince them to settle everything on terms that were fair to both sides, and he promised to persuade the king to be their friend. ¹⁵ Solicitous for the common good, Maccabeus agreed to everything that Lysias proposed, and the king granted every request on behalf of the Jews that Maccabeus submitted in writing to Lysias.