1 Demetrius the son of Seleucus set forth from Rome in the one hundred and fifty-first year, sailed with a few men into the city by the sea, and reigned there.
2 As he entered the royal house of his fathers, his army seized Antiochus and Lysias and brought them to him.
3 When he became aware of this action, he said, “Do not show me their faces.”
4 So the soldiers put them to death, and Demetrius occupied the throne of his kingdom.
5 Then all the lawless and ungodly men of Israel came to him. Alcimus, who wanted to be a priest, led them.
6 They brought charges against the people before the king, saying, “Judas and his brothers have destroyed all your friends and scattered us from our land.
7 Therefore, send a man you trust, and let him see all the destruction he did to us and to the country of the king. Then let him bring punishment to them and all who serve them.”
8 The king then appointed Bacchides, one of his friends, who ruled the province of Beyondthe-River, for he was prominent in the kingdom and loyal to the king.
9 Then he sent him and the ungodly Alcimus, whom he appointed to the priesthood, and ordered him to avenge the sons of Israel.
10 They marched on with a large army and came into the land of Judah, and sent envoys to Judas and his brothers with peaceful words full of deceit.
11 But they did not heed their words, for they noticed they came with a large army.
12 Then a delegation of scribes was sent to meet with Alcimus and Bacchides to request justice.
13 The Hasideans were the first among the sons of Israel to seek peace with them.
14 For they said, “A man, a priest from the seed of Aaron, came with their forces, and he will not do us wrong.”
15 The priest spoke peacefully to them and promised them, saying, “We will not seek to injure you or your friends.”
16 They believed him, but he overtook sixty of their men and put them to death in one day, according to the word which was written:
17 “They poured out the flesh of your saints And their blood around Jerusalem, But there was no one to bury them.”
18 Then fear and trembling fell upon all the people, for they said, “There is no truth and uprightness in them. For they violated the promise and oath they swore.”
19 So Bacchides departed from Jerusalem and marched to Beth-zaith. He sent for and captured many of the soldiers who deserted him, and some of the people, and he slaughtered them at the great well.
20 He put Alcimus in charge of the region and left an army with him to serve him. Then Bacchides returned to the king.
21 Alcimus then strove for the high priesthood,
22 and all who harassed their people also gathered with him. They took control of the country of Judah and damaged Israel greatly.
23 Now Judas saw all the evil Alcimus and those with him had done among the sons of Israel; it was worse than what the Gentiles did.
24 Thus Judas departed to all the regions surrounding Judea and took vengeance on the men who had deserted. He forbade those in the city to journey out to the countryside.
25 But when Alcimus realized Judas and his followers were growing strong and knew that he could not prevail against them, he went back and brought evil charges against them before the king.
26 The king then sent Nicanor, one of his renowned commanders who hated and disdained Israel, and ordered him to get rid of the people.
27 Nicanor came up to Jerusalem with a large army, and he sent Judas and his brothers peaceful words full of deceit, saying,
28 “Let there be no quarrel between us. I will come peacefully with a few men to see you in person.”
29 So he approached Judas, and they greeted each other peacefully. But the adversaries prepared to seize Judas.
30 Then Judas was aware that Nicanor had come with deceit; and he feared him, so he did not care to meet him again.
31 When Nicanor learned his plot had been discovered, he went into battle with Judas at Caphar-salamah.
32 Some five hundred of Nicanor's soldiers fell; the remainder fled to the city of David.
33 After this, Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Then some priests came out of the sanctuary, along with some elders of the people, to greet him in peace, showing him the whole burnt offering which they had sacrificed on behalf of the king.
34 However, he mocked and ridiculed them. He defiled them and spoke with arrogance to them.
35 He also swore an oath angrily, saying, “Unless Judas and his troops are delivered into my hands now, then if I come back in peace, I will set this house on fire.” Then he stormed out in great rage.
36 The priests then entered and stood facing the altar and the sanctuary. They wept and cried out,
37 “You chose this place to be called by Your name that it might be a house of prayer and supplication for Your people.
38 Take vengeance on this man and on his soldiers, and let them die by the sword. Remember their blasphemies and let them be alive no longer.”
39 Soon Nicanor left Jerusalem and camped at Beth-horon, and the army of Syria joined him.
40 But Judas took position in Adassa with three thousand troops. Judas prayed, saying,
41 “When the ambassadors from the king uttered blasphemy, Your angel went forth and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians.
42 Crush also this army before us today, and let the others know that he spoke blasphemy against Your sanctuary; and judge him according to his malice.”
43 So the armies faced off in war the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and Nicanor's army was scattered. He himself was the first to fall in the war.
44 When his soldiers saw Nicanor die, they dropped their weapons and ran.
45 Israel even chased them a day's journey from Adassa as far as Gazara. As they pursued them, they kept blowing the trumpets, sounding the battle call.
46 Then the Israelites went out from all the villages around Judea and outflanked the adversaries. They drove them back to the pursuing army, and they all fell by the sword. Not one of them survived.
47 Then Israel captured the spoils and their possessions. They even beheaded Nicanor and severed his right hand, which he had stretched out arrogantly. They carried them and put them on display just outside Jerusalem.
48 So the people were very glad, and they celebrated that day as a day of great joy.
49 A decree came forth to celebrate this day at the same time every year, on the thirteenth day of Adar.
50 Thus the land of Judah had peace for several days.