Page 1216 - bible

1210 First Book of Machabees

and banks, and marshes, and woods: and there quiet for two years.
is no place for us to turn aside. 58 And all the wicked held a council, saying:
46 Now, therefore, cry ye to heaven, that ye Behold Jonathan, and they that are with him,
may be delivered from the hand of your enemies. dwell at ease and without fear: now, therefore,
And they joined battle. let us bring Bacchides hither, and he shall take
47 And Jonathan stretched forth his hand to them all in one night.
strike Bacchides, but he turned away from him 59 So they went, and gave him counsel.
backwards. 60 And he arose to come with a great army:
48 And Jonathan, and they that were with and he sent secretly letters to his adherents that
him, leapt into the Jordan, and swam over the were in Judea to seize upon Jonathan, and them
Jordan to them. that were with him: but they could not, for their
49 And there fell of Bacchides’ side that day a design was known to them.
thousand men: and they returned to Jerusalem,
61 And he apprehended of the men of the
50 And they built strong cities in Judea, the
country, that were the principal authors of the
fortress that was in Jericho, and in Ammaus, and
mischief, fifty men, and he slew them.
in Bethoron, and in Bethel, and Thamnata, and
62 And Jonathan, and Simon, and they that
Phara, and Thopo, with high walls, and gates,
were with him, retired into Bethbessen, which
and bars.
is in the desert: and he repaired the breaches
51 And he placed garrisons in them, that they
thereof, and they fortified it.
might wage war against Israel:
63 And when Bacchides knew it, he gath-
52 And he fortified the city of Bethsura, and
ered together all his multitude: and sent word
Gazara, and the castle, and set garrisons in
to them that were of Judea.
them, and provi- sions of victuals:
64 And he came, and camped above
53 And he took the sons of the chief men of
Bethbessen, and fought against it many days,
the country for hostages, and put them in the
and made engines.
castle in Jerusalem in custody.
65 But Jonathan left his brother, Simon, in
54 Now in the year one hundred and fifty-
the city and went forth into the country, and
three, the second month, Alcimus commanded
came with a number of men,
the walls of the inner court of the sanctuary to
be thrown down, and the works of the prophets 66 And struck Odares, and his brethren, and
to be destroyed: and he began to destroy. the children of Phaseron, in their tents, and he
55 At that time Alcimus was struck: and began to slay, and to increase in forces.
his works were hindered, and his mouth was 67 But Simon, and they that were with him,
stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, so that sallied out of the city, and burnt the engines,
he could no more speak a word, nor give order 68 And they fought against Bacchides, and he
concerning his house. was discomfited by them: and they afflicted him
56 And Alcimus died at that time in great exceedingly, for his counsel, and his enterprise
torment. was in vain.
57 And Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead: 69 And he was angry with the wicked men
and he returned to the king, and the land was that had given him counsel to come into their