1Gorgias took 5,000 infantry and 1,000 of his most experienced cavalry and left camp by night, 2with men from the fort in Jerusalem as his guides. He had planned to make a surprise attack on the Jewish army, 3but Judas learnt of the plan and moved out with his men to attack the king's army at Emmaus 4while Gorgias and his troops were still away from the camp. 5When Gorgias and his army reached Judas' camp that night, they found no one there. They thought Judas and his men were trying to escape, so they started looking for them in the mountains.

6At dawn Judas appeared in the plain with 3,000 men, not all of them as well armed as they would have liked. 7They saw the huge Gentile army of experienced troops wearing armour and protected by cavalry. 8But Judas said to his men, “Don't worry about the size of their army, and don't be frightened when they attack. 9Remember how our ancestors were saved at the Red Sea when the king of Egypt was pursuing them with his army! 10Now let us ask the Lord to have mercy on us. Let us pray that he will honour his covenant with our ancestors and crush this army when we attack today. 11Then all the Gentiles will know that Israel has a God who rescues and saves them.”

12When the Gentiles saw Judas and his men preparing for battle, 13they moved out of their camp to fight. Then Judas and his men sounded their trumpets 14and attacked. The Gentiles broke ranks and fled to the plain, 15but all the stragglers were killed. The Israelites pursued the enemy as far as Gezer, the plains of Idumea, and the towns of Azotus and Jamnia. Altogether they killed about 3,000 of the enemy.

16When Judas and his army came back from the pursuit, 17-18he said to his men, “Don't be greedy for loot. Gorgias and his army are near by in the mountains, so there is still heavy fighting ahead of us. We must stand firm and fight. After that, you can safely take all the loot you want.” 19Judas was just finishing his speech when an enemy patrol on a scouting mission looked down from the mountains 20and saw that their army had been put to flight; they could tell from the smoke that their camp was burning. 21When they saw all this, they were terrified, and when they also saw that Judas' army was in the plain ready for battle, 22they all fled to Philistia. 23Then Judas returned to loot the enemy camp; he took large amounts of gold and silver, blue and purple cloth, and other rich plunder. 24When the Jews came back to their own camp, they sang a hymn: “The Lord is worthy of praise; his mercy endures for ever.” 25That day brought a great victory to the people of Israel.

Victory over Lysias

(2 Macc 11.1–12)

26The Gentile troops that escaped went to Lysias and reported all that had happened. 27When Lysias heard that his troops had lost the battle, he was shocked and disappointed that Israel had not been defeated as the king had commanded.

28In the following year Lysias gathered an army of 60,000 well-trained infantry and 5,000 cavalry, intending to conquer the Jews. 29They marched into Idumea and camped at Bethzur. Judas came to meet them with 10,000 men. 304.30: 1 Sam 17.41–54; 14.1–23When Judas saw how strong the enemy's army was, he prayed, “We will praise you, Saviour of Israel. You broke the attack of the giant by the hand of your servant David and you let Saul's son Jonathan and the young man who carried his weapons defeat the entire Philistine army. 31Now in the same way let your people Israel defeat our enemy. Put them to shame, in spite of all their confidence in their infantry and cavalry. 32Make them afraid; let their bold strength melt away; let them tremble at the prospect of defeat. 33We love and worship you; so let us kill our enemies, that we may then sing your praises.”

34The battle began, and in the hand-to-hand fighting about 5,000 of Lysias' men were killed. 35When Lysias saw that his army was being defeated and when he saw the reckless courage of Judas and his men, who showed that they were ready to live or die with honour, he returned to Antioch. There he recruited some mercenaries and planned to return to Judea later with a much larger army.

The Purification of the Temple

(2 Macc 10.1–8)

36Judas and his brothers said, “Now that our enemies have been defeated, let's go to Jerusalem to purify the Temple and rededicate it.” 37So the whole army was assembled and went up to Mount Zion. 38There they found the Temple abandoned, the altar profaned, the gates torn down, the courtyards overgrown with a forest of weeds, and the priests' rooms burnt down. 39In their sorrow, they tore their clothes, cried loudly, threw ashes on their heads, 40and fell face downwards on the ground. When the signal was given on the trumpets, everyone cried out to the Lord.

41Then Judas ordered some of his soldiers to attack the men in the fort, while he purified the Temple. 42He chose some priests who were qualified and who were devoted to the Law. 43They purified the Temple and took the stones that had been defiled and put them in an unclean place. 44They discussed what should be done with the altar of burnt offerings, which had been desecrated 45by the Gentiles, and decided to tear it down, so that it would not stand there as a monument to their shame. So they tore down the altar 46and put the stones in a suitable place on the Temple hill, where they were to be kept until a prophet should appear and decide what to do with them. 474.47: Ex 20.25; Deut 27.5–6Then they took uncut stones, as the Law of Moses required, and built a new altar like the old one. 48They repaired the Temple, inside and out, and dedicated its courtyards. 49They made new utensils for worship and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table for the bread into the Temple. 50They burnt incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lampstand, and there was light in the Temple! 51They placed the loaves of bread on the table, hung the curtains, and completed all the work.

52-544.52–54: 1 Macc 1.54The 25th day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev, in the year 1484.52–54 the year 148: This corresponds to 164 bc. was the anniversary of the day the Gentiles had desecrated the altar. On that day a sacrifice was offered on the new altar in accordance with the Law of Moses. The new altar was dedicated and hymns were sung to the accompaniment of harps, lutes, and cymbals. 55All the people bowed down with their faces to the ground and worshipped and praised the Lord for giving them victory.

56For eight days they celebrated the rededication of the altar. With great joy they brought burnt offerings and offered fellowship offerings and thank-offerings. 57They decorated the front of the Temple with gold crowns and shields, rebuilt the gates and the priests' rooms and put doors on them. 58Now that the Jews had removed the shame which the Gentiles had brought, they held a great celebration. 59Then Judas, his brothers, and the entire community of Israel decreed that the rededication of the altar should be celebrated with a festival of joy and gladness at the same time each year, beginning on the 25th of the month of Kislev and lasting for eight days.

60Then they built high walls and strong towers round Mount Zion, so that the Gentiles could not come in and trample and defile it again. 61Judas placed a detachment of soldiers there to guard the Temple. He also fortified the town of Bethzur, so that the people of Israel would have a fortress facing Idumea.