Now Gorgias took five thousand footmen and a thousand chosen horsemen, and the army set forth by night.

To the intent that they might fall upon the camp of the Jews unawares, and suddenly smite them: and they that were of the fortress were their guides.

Now when Judas heard hereof, he himself and the valiant men set forth to smite the king’s army that was in Emmaus. So he saw a strong army, and prayed, and said, "Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst break the power of the mighty by the hand of thy servant David, and didst deliver the camp of the strangers into the hand of Jonathan the son of Saul, and his armourbearer.

And it was still dispersed outside the camp. Then Judas arrayed men to contend with those of the fortress until the sanctuary should appear, and chose blameless priests, zealous for the law.

Now when Gorgias came to the camp of Judas by night, he found no man there: for he said, 'They are fled from us.' And he sought them in the mountains. And Judas and his brethren, and the whole congregation of Israel, ordained that the dedication of the altar should be kept in its season year by year for eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month of Kislev, with joy and gladness.

But when the day was come, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men, yet had they neither shields nor swords as they desired. And at that time they built high walls and strong towers on Mount Sion round about, lest the Gentiles should come and tread it down, as they had done aforetime: and he put a garrison therein to keep it, and fortified Beth-zur to preserve it, that the people might have a stronghold over against Idumæa.

And they saw that the army of the Gentiles was mighty and had shields, and horses were round about them, and they were trained for war.

Then said Judas to the men that were with him, "Fear not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their might.

Remember how our fathers were delivered in the Red Sea, when Pharaoh pursued them with his army.

Now therefore let us cry unto heaven, if peradventure the Lord will have mercy upon us, and remember the covenant of our fathers, and destroy this army before our face this day: that all the nations may know that there is one that redeemeth and saveth Israel.

And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them.

So they came forth out of the camp to battle, and those with Judas sounded the trumpets.

And they joined battle, and the Gentiles were discomfited, and fled into the plain.

And all their rear guard fell by the sword, and they pursued them unto Gazara, and unto the plains of Idumæa, and Azotus, and Jamnia: so that there were slain of them about three thousand men.

Then Judas returned, and his army from pursuing them.

And he said unto the people, "Lust not after the spoils, for the war is yet upon us.

For Gorgias and his army are nigh us in the mountain; but stand ye now against our enemies, and fight with them, and after this ye shall safely take the spoils.

And Judas had scarce ended these words, when there appeared a detachment surveying from the mountain.

Who saw that they were put to flight, and that the camp was burned; for the smoke that was seen declared these things unto them.

When therefore they perceived this, they were sore afraid, and when they saw the army of Judas in the plain ready for battle,

They fled all of them into the land of the strangers.

Then Judas returned to spoil the camp, and they took much gold and silver, and blue silk, and sea purple, and great riches.

And they returned, and praised the Lord, and blessed him unto heaven, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever.

Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.

Now whatsoever of the strangers escaped came and told Lysias all things that had happened.

When he heard thereof, he was confounded and discouraged, because neither such things as he would were done unto Israel, nor such things as the king commanded him were accomplished.

Now the next year Lysias gathered together sixty thousand footmen, and five thousand horsemen, to fight them.

And they came into Idumæa, and pitched their tents at Beth-zur, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

Cast down this army into the hands of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded with their soldiers and horsemen.

Make them to be of a fearful heart, and consume the boldness of their strength, and let them quake and be cut down.

Cast them down by the sword of them that love thee, and let all those that know thy name praise thee.

Then joined they battle; and there fell of Lysias' army five thousand men, and they were smitten before them.

Now when Lysias saw that his army was put to flight, and the manliness of Judas’ army, and that they were ready to live or die valiantly, he went into Antioch, and gathered a band of strangers, and when his first army waxed great, he intended to return into Judea.

Then said Judas and his brethren, "Behold, our enemies are discomfited, let us go up now to cleanse the sanctuary, and dedicate it anew.

Upon this all the army assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion.

And they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs grew in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, and the chambers were pulled down.

Then they rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads,

And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven.

So they cleansed the sanctuary, and bore out the defiled stones into an unclean place.

And consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was defiled.

And upon good advice they pulled it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it: and so they pulled down the altar.

And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to show what should be done with them.

Then took they whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former.

And built the sanctuary, and the inner parts of the house; and hallowed the courts.

They made also new holy vessels, and brought the candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and the table, into the temple.

And they burned incense upon the altar, and lighted the lamps that were upon the candlestick, and they gave light in the temple.

Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they had made.

Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up early in the morning.

And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.

Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals.

Then all the people fell upon their faces, and worshipped and praised Heaven that prospered them.

And so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise.

They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and renewed the gates and the chambers, and made doors for them.

Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the Gentiles was put away.