1 Then Iudas Maccabeus and they that were with him, went priuily into the townes, and called their kinsefolkes together, and tooke vnto them all such as continued in the Iewes religion, and assembled about sixe thousand men.
2 And they called vpon the Lord, that hee would looke vpon the people that was troden downe of all, and also pitie the Temple, prophaned of vngodly men,
3 And that he would haue compassion vpon the city sore defaced and ready to be made euen with the ground, and heare the blood that cried vnto him,
4 And remember the wicked slaughter of harmelesse infants, and the blasphemies committed against his Name, and that hee would shew his hatred against the wicked.
5 Now when Maccabeus had his company about him, hee could not be withstood by the heathen: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.
6 Therefore he came at vnawares, and burnt vp townes and cities, and got into his hands the most commodious places, and ouercame & put to flight no small number of his enemies.
7 But specially tooke he aduantage of the night, for such priuie attempts, insomuch that the bruite of his manlinesse was spread euery where.
8 So when Philip sawe that this man encreased by little and little, & that things prospered with him still more and more, hee wrote vnto Ptolemeus, the gouernour of Coelosyria & Phenice, to yeeld more aide to the kings affaires.
9 Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his speciall friends, he sent him with no fewer then twentie thousand of all nations vnder him, to root out the whole generation of the Iewes; and with him he ioyned also Gorgias a captaine, who in matters of warre had great experience.
10 So Nicanor vndertooke to make so much money of the captiue Iewes, as should defray the tribute of two thousand talents, which the king was to pay to the Romanes.
11 Wherefore immediatly he sent to the cities vpon the sea coast, proclaiming a sale of the captiue Iewes, and promising that they should haue fourescore and ten bodies for one talent, not expecting the vengeance that was to follow vpon him from the Almighty God.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).