2 Maccabees 8:1–36

¹ But Judas, who is also called Maccabaeus, and those who were with him, making their way secretly into the villages, called together their kindred. Enlisting those who had continued in the Jews’ religion, they gathered together about six thousand. (WEB) ² They called upon the Lord to look at the people who were oppressed by all, and to have compassion on the sanctuary that had been profaned by the ungodly men, (WEB) ³ and to have pity on the city that was suffering ruin and ready to be leveled to the ground, and to listen to the blood that cried out to him, (WEB) ⁴ and to remember the lawless destruction of the innocent infants, and concerning the blasphemies that had been committed against his name, and to show his hatred of wickedness. (WEB) ⁵ When Maccabaeus had trained his men for service, the heathen at once found him irresistible, for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy. (WEB) ⁶ Coming without warning, he set fire to cities and villages. And in winning back the most important positions, putting to flight no small number of the enemies, (WEB) ⁷ he especially took advantage of the nights for such assaults. His courage was loudly talked of everywhere. (WEB) ⁸ But when Philip saw the man gaining ground little by little, and increasing more and more in his success, he wrote to Ptolemy, the governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, that he should support the king’s cause. (WEB) ⁹ Ptolemy quickly appointed Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of the king’s chief friends, and sent him, in command of no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations, to destroy the whole race of Judea. With him he joined Gorgias also, a captain and one who had experience in matters of war. (WEB) ¹⁰ Nicanor resolved by the sale of the captive Jews to make up for the king the tribute of two thousand talents which he was to pay to the Romans. (WEB) ¹¹ Immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast, inviting them to buy Jewish slaves, promising to deliver seventy slaves for a talent, not expecting the judgment that was to overtake him from the Almighty. (WEB) ¹² News came to Judas concerning Nicanor’s invasion. When he communicated to those who were with him the presence of the army, (WEB) ¹³ those who were cowardly and distrustful of God’s judgment ran away and left the country. (WEB) ¹⁴ Others sold all that they had left, and at the same time implored the Lord to deliver those who had been sold as slaves by the impious Nicanor before he ever met them, (WEB) ¹⁵ if not for their own sakes, then for the covenants made with their ancestors, and because he had called them by his holy and glorious name. (WEB) ¹⁶ So Maccabaeus gathered his men together, six thousand in number, and exhorted them not to be frightened by t… (WEB)