1 Then Gorgias took five thousand footmen, and one thousand of the best horsemen, and moved out of the camp by night,
2 so that he might charge in upon the camp of the Yahuḏim, and smite them suddenly; and the men of the fortress were his guides.
3 Now when Yahuḏah heard of this, he relocated himself, and the brave men with him, that he might smite the sovereign’s army which was at Amma’us,
4 while as yet, the armies were dispersed from the camp.
5 In the meantime Gorgias came into the camp of Yahuḏah by night, and when he found no one there, he sought them in the mountains, for he said, “These men flee from us!”
6 But as soon as it was day, Yahuḏah showed himself in the plain with three thousand men, who however had neither armour nor swords at hand.
7 And they saw the camp of the gentiles, that it was strong and well armed, and surrounded with horsemen; and these were arranged for battle.
8 Then Yahuḏah said to the men that were with him, “Do not fear their multitude, neither be afraid of their attack.
9 “Remember how our fathers were delivered in the Sea of Reeds, when Pharaoh pursued them with an army.
10 “Now therefore, let us cry unto the shamayim. It might be that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 shows favour upon us, and remembers the Covenant of our fathers, and destroy this army before our face this day,
11 so that all the gentiles may know that there is One who delivers and saves Yisra’ĕl.”
12 Then the foreigners lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming over against them,
13 therefore they went out of the camp to battle; and those that were with Yahuḏah sounded their trumpets.
14 So they joined in battle, and the gentiles, being defeated, fled into the plain.
15 However all those in the rear were slain with the sword, for they pursued them to Gezer, and to the plains of Eḏom, and Ashdoḏ, and Yaḇneh, so that around three thousand men of them were slain.
16 This done, Yahuḏah returned again with his army from pursuing them,
17 and said to the people, “Do not be greedy for the spoil, because there is a battle before us,
18 and Gorgias and his army are here by us in the mountain. But stand now against our enemies, and overcome them, and after this you may boldly take the spoils.
19 As Yahuḏah was still speaking these words, there appeared a group of them looking out from the mountain;
20 who saw that the Yahuḏim had put their army to flight and were burning the tents, for the smoke that was seen revealed what was done.
21 Therefore when they saw these matters, they were very afraid, and also seeing the army of Yahuḏah in the plain ready to fight,
22 they fled, every one into the land of foreigners.
23 Then Yahuḏah returned to plunder the tents, where they took much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.
24 After this they went home, and sung a song of thanksgiving, and praised 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 in the shamayim, because He is good, because His kindness endures forever.
25 Therefore Yisra’ĕl had a great deliverance that day.
26 Now all the foreigners that had escaped came and told Lusias what had come to be,
27 who, when he heard of it, was ashamed and discouraged, because matters that he would not have done were done to Yisra’ĕl, nor such matters as the sovereign commanded him had come to pass.
28 Therefore the next year following, Lusias gathered together sixty thousand chosen footmen, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.
29 So they came to Eḏom, and pitched their tents at Bĕyth Tsur; and Yahuḏah met them with ten thousand men.
30 And when he saw that mighty army, he prayed and said, “Baruḵ are you, O Saviour of Yisra’ĕl, who calmed the violence of the mighty by the hand of your servant Dawiḏ, and gave the army of foreigners into the hands of Yahonathan the son of Sha’ul, and his armour bearer.
31 “Deliver this army into the hand of your people Yisra’ĕl, and let them be put to shame in their strength and horsemen.
32 “Cause them to be weakened, and make the boldness of their strength fall away, and let them quake at their destruction.
33 “Throw them down with the sword of those that love You, and let all those that know Your Name praise You with thanksgiving!”
34 So they joined in battle, and there were about five thousand men of the army of Lusias slain; so they were slain before them.
35 Now when Lusias saw his army put to flight, and the bravery of Yahuḏah’s soldiers, and how they were ready either to live or die bravely, he went to Antioḵeia, and gathered together an army of foreigners. And having made his army greater than it was, he prepared to come again to Yahuḏah.
36 Then Yahuḏah and his brothers said, “See, our enemies are defeated, let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the Miqdash.”
37 After this, all the army assembled themselves together and went up to Mount Tsiyon.
38 And when they saw the Miqdash desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, and also the rooms of the kohenim pulled down,
39 they tore their garments, and made a great lamentation, and threw ashes on their heads,
40 and fell down flat to the ground on their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward the shamayim.
41 Then Yahuḏah appointed some men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the Miqdash.
42 So he chose kohenim of qodesh behaviour, who took delight in the Torah;
43 who cleansed the Miqdash, and carried out the defiled stones to an unclean place.
44 And when they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned;
45 they thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the gentiles had defiled it. Therefore they pulled it down,
46 and laid up the stones in the mountain of the Hĕyḵal in a suitable place, until there should come a naḇi to show what should be done with them.
47 Then they took whole stones according to the Torah, and built a new altar according to the former,
48 and built up the Miqdash, and that which was within the Hĕyḵal, and qadosh the courts.
49 They also made new qodesh vessels, and they brought the lampstand into the Hĕyḵal, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the table.
50 And they burned incense upon the altar, and they lit the lamps that were on the lampstand, that they might give light in the Hĕyḵal.
51 Furthermore they put the loaves on the table, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they had begun to do.
52 Now on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Kislĕw, in the hundred and forty-eighth year, they rose up early in the morning,
53 and offered an offering according to the Torah upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.
54 Even, at the time and the day the gentiles had profaned it, even in that it was dedicated with songs, and stringed instruments, and harps, and cymbals.
55 Then all the people fell on their faces, worshipping and praising the Elohim of the shamayim, who had given them good success.
56 And so they guarded the dedication of the altar eight days and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and slaughtered the offering of deliverance and praise.
57 They also adorned the front of the Hĕyḵal with crowns of gold, and with shields; and they renewed the gates and the rooms, and hung doors upon them.
58 Therefore there was very great joy among the people, because the reproach of the gentiles was removed.
59 And Yahuḏah and his brothers with the whole assembly of Yisra’ĕl ordained that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year over eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Kislĕw, with joy and gladness.
60 At that time they also built up Mount Tsiyon with high walls and strong towers round about, lest the gentiles should come and trample it down as they had done before.
61 And they appointed a garrison there to guard it, and fortified Bĕyth Tsur to guard it; that the people might have a defence against Eḏom.