1About this time, Mattathias, a priest from the family of Joarib, moved from Jerusalem to Modein.
2-5Mattathias had five sons, whose names were John, Simon, Judas, Eleazar, and Jonathan. Each son had a nickname. John was called Gaddi, Simon was known as Thassi, and Judas was called Maccabeus. Eleazar was nicknamed Avaran, and Jonathan was known as Apphus.
Mattathias Is Sad6When Mattathias found out that the people of Judea and Jerusalem were rejecting God's Law,
7he said:
Why have I lived to see
enemies crushing my people
and the holy city?
Foreigners now occupy Jerusalem;
they have taken over the temple,
8making it a place of shame.
9All of its sacred objects
have been dragged away.
Young people are slaughtered
by enemy swords,
and our streets are covered
with the bodies of children.
10Is there any nation
that hasn't robbed us
and stolen our treasures?
11Jerusalem—once glorious—
has lost its beauty
and is now a slave.
12The holy temple was our pride
and our joy,
until foreigners ruined it
with their filthy idols.
13We'd be better off dead!
14Mattathias and his five sons cried bitterly; they tore their clothes and put on sackcloth to show their sorrow.
Mattathias Starts a War15The king's officials were trying to force everyone to break the Law of Moses by offering pagan sacrifices. And one day the officials went to the town of Modein,
16where many of the people came out to meet them, including Mattathias and his sons.
17The officials said to Mattathias:
You're an important and honored leader in this town, and your relatives will follow your example.
18So why don't you obey the king and accept his religion, just as every Gentile and Jew in Judea and Jerusalem has already done? Then you and your family will be known as “Trusted Friends of the King,” and you will be rewarded with gold and silver and other gifts.
19Mattathias answered in a loud voice:
What do I care if everyone in the king's entire kingdom turns from their own religion and starts obeying his laws?
20My family and I will always keep the promises our ancestors made to God.
21-22We will never give up our faith or disobey even one of God's laws. We will not obey Antiochus!
23When Mattathias finished speaking, everyone watched as a Jew from Modein stepped forward to obey the king by offering a sacrifice on the altar.
24Mattathias was furious, and he was so eager to see justice done that he rushed over to the altar and killed the man.
25Then he destroyed the altar and killed the official who ordered the sacrifice.
26 who had killed Zimri the son of Salu many years ago.
27Mattathias shouted to everyone in Modein, “Follow me, if you truly love the Law of Moses and want to keep our agreement with God!”
28Then Mattathias and his sons ran to the hills, leaving behind everything they owned.
One Thousand Jews Are Killed29-30Many of the Jews were now in serious trouble for trying to obey God and live right. So they took their families and livestock and moved to the desert.
31But the king's officers and soldiers in the fortress at Jerusalem found out what these Jews had done.
32 joined Mattathias; they were some of the nation's best fighters and were willing to die for God's Law.
43In fact, many others had found themselves in trouble with the Gentiles, and they also went to Mattathias, who soon had a large force.
44Then those angry troops violently attacked the unfaithful Jews, forcing those who escaped to run to the Gentiles for protection.
45Mattathias and his followers tore down every altar they found.
46They had the young boys in Israel circumcised,
47and they terrorized their arrogant enemies. Everything went well for Mattathias and his troops,
48because they defended their laws against the Gentiles and Antiochus. No evil person stood a chance.
The Death of Mattathias49Right before Mattathias died, he said to his sons:
The Gentiles are proud and violent, and we're going to have a horrible time.
50But you, my sons, should be faithful to God's Law and be willing to die for the agreement that our ancestors made with God.
51Keep in mind their brave deeds, and you will be famous forever.
52 of the Syrian Kingdom, and everyone in Israel mourned for a long time.
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