1 Maccabees 2

1In those days Mattathias son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, rose up from Jerusalem and settled in Modein.

2And he had five sons: John, who was called Gaddis,

3Simon, who was called Thassi,

4Judas, who was called Maccabeus,

5Eleazar, who was called Avaran; Jonathan, who was called Apphus.

6And seeing the blasphemies being committed in Judah and in Jerusalem,

7And he said, “Alas! Why was I born to see the ruin of my people and the ruin of the holy city, and to sit there while it was given into the hand of enemies, and the sanctuary into the hand of foreigners?”

8Her sanctuary became like a man of honor;

9The vessels of her glory were carried away captive; her infants were slain in her streets, her young men by the enemy’s sword.

10What nation has not inherited a kingdom and taken hold of its spoils?

11All her glory was taken away; instead of being free, she became a servant.

12And look—our holy things, our beauty, and our glory have been laid waste, and the nations have defiled them.

13Why should we still live?

14And Mattathias and his sons tore their clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned greatly.

15And the king’s agents, who were compelling apostasy, came to Modein

16to the city, so that they might offer sacrifice. And many from Israel came over to them, and Mattathias and his sons were gathered together.

17And those from the king answered and said to Mattathias, saying, “You are a ruler, honored and great in this city, and supported by sons and brothers.”

18Now then, come forward first and carry out the king’s command, as all the nations have done, and the rulers of Judah, and those left in Jerusalem; and you and your house will be among the king’s Friends, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.

19And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice, “Even if all the nations in the kingdom of the king listen to him, each one turning away from the worship of his fathers, and have chosen his commandments,”

20But I and my sons and my brothers will walk in the covenant of our fathers.

21Far be it from us to abandon the law and the ordinances.

22We will not obey the king’s decree by turning aside from our worship, to the right or to the left.

23And as soon as he had finished speaking these words, a Jewish man came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein, according to the king's command.

24And Mattathias saw it and was zealous, and his inward parts trembled, and he brought up wrath according to the judgment, and running up he slaughtered him on the altar.

25And he killed the king’s man who was compelling them to sacrifice at that time, and he tore down the altar,

26And he was zealous for the law, just as Phinehas was against Zambri son of Salom.

27And Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying, “Everyone who is zealous for the law and upholds the covenant, let him come out after me.”

28And he and his sons fled to the mountains, and they left behind whatever they had in the city.

29Then many who were seeking righteousness and justice went down into the wilderness to settle there,

30they and their sons and their wives and their livestock, because the evils had become severe upon them.

31And it was reported to the king’s men and to the forces that were in Jerusalem, the city of David, that men who had scattered because of the king’s command had gone down into the hidden places in the wilderness.

32And many ran after them, and when they caught up with them, they encamped against them and joined battle with them on the Sabbath day.

33And they said to them, “Until now—come out and do according to the word of the king, and you will live.”

34And they said, “We will not come out, nor will we do the king’s word, to profane the Sabbath day.”

35And they hastened to make war against them.

36And they did not answer them, nor did they hurl a stone at them, nor did they block up the hiding places,

37saying, “Let us all die in our innocence; heaven and earth testify against you concerning us, that you are destroying us unjustly.”

38And they rose up against them in battle on the Sabbath, and they died—they and their wives and their children and their livestock—about a thousand persons.

39And Mattathias and his friends learned of it, and they mourned for them very greatly.

40And one man said to his neighbor, “If we all do as our brothers did, and do not fight against the Gentiles for our lives and our rights, they will quickly destroy us from the land.”

41And on that day they decided, saying, “If any man comes against us for battle on the Sabbath day, we will fight against him, and we will certainly not all die as our brothers died in the hiding places.”

42Then a company of Hasideans gathered to them, mighty in strength from Israel, everyone who willingly devoted himself to the law.

43and all those fleeing from the evils

44They joined them and became a support for them. They also formed a force and struck down sinners in their anger, and lawless men in their wrath; and the rest fled to the nations to save themselves.

45And Mattathias and his sons went around and tore down their altars,

46And they circumcised the uncircumcised boys, as many as they found within the borders of Israel, by force.

47And they pursued the sons of arrogance, and the work prospered in their hands.

48And they rescued the law from the hand of the nations and from the hand of the kings, and they did not give a horn to the sinner.

49And the days drew near for Mattathias to die, and he said to his sons, “Now arrogance and reproach have grown strong, and it is a time of ruin and furious wrath.”

50And now, children, be zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of our fathers.

51Remember the deeds of our fathers, which they did in their generations, and receive great glory and everlasting glory.

52Was not Abraham found faithful in testing, and was it counted to him as righteousness?

53Joseph, in the time of his distress, kept the commandment, and became lord of Egypt.

54Phinehas our father, because he was zealous with zeal, received a covenant of holy priesthood.

55Joshua, in fulfilling the word, became a judge in Israel.

56Caleb, when he testified before the assembly, received the land as an inheritance.

57David, because of his mercy, inherited the throne of an everlasting kingdom.

58Elijah, in his zeal for the law, was taken up into heaven.

59Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, having believed, were saved from the flame.

60Daniel, in his simplicity, was rescued from the mouth of lions.

61And so consider, from generation to generation, that all who hope in him will not grow weak.

62And do not fear the word of a sinful man, for his glory is for dung and worms.

63Today he will be exalted, and he will surely not be found, because he has returned to his dust, and his plans have perished.

64And you, children, be strong and act like men in your law, because in it you will be glorified.

65And look, Simeon your brother—I know that he is a man of counsel. Listen to him all your days; he will be a father to you.

66And Judas Maccabeus himself, strong in might from his youth, shall be your commander of the army, and you shall fight the battle against the nations.

67And you, gather to yourselves all who practice the law, and take vengeance for your people.

68Repay the nations with recompense, and pay attention to the commands of the law.

69And he blessed them, and was gathered to his fathers.

70And he died in the one hundred forty-sixth year, and his sons buried him in the tombs of his fathers at Modein, and all Israel mourned for him with great mourning.