2 Maccabees 10 - New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition 2021(NRSVUE)

2 Maccabees 10Purification of the Temple

1 remembering how not long before, during the Festival of Booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals.

7 he took poison and ended his life.

Campaign in Idumea

14 1 Macc 3.38; 2 Macc 8.9; 12.32 When Gorgias became governor of the region, he maintained a force of mercenaries and at every turn kept attacking the Jews.

151 Macc 5.3Besides this, the Idumeans, who had control of important strongholds, were harassing the Jews; they received those who were banished from Jerusalem and endeavored to keep up the war.

16But Maccabeus and his forces, after making solemn supplication and imploring God to fight on their side, rushed to the strongholds of the Idumeans.

17Attacking them vigorously, they gained possession of the places and drove back all who fought upon the wall and slaughtered those whom they encountered, killing no fewer than twenty thousand.

18When at least nine thousand took refuge in two very strong towers well equipped to withstand a siege,

192 Macc 8.22Maccabeus left Simon and Joseph, and also Zacchaeus and his troops, a force sufficient to besiege them, and he himself set off for places where he was more urgently needed.

202 Macc 4.19But those with Simon, who were money-hungry, were bribed by some of those who were in the towers and on receiving seventy thousand drachmas let some of them slip away.

21When word of what had happened came to Maccabeus, he gathered the leaders of the people and accused these men of having sold their kindred for money by setting their enemies free to fight against them.

22Then he killed these men who had turned traitor and immediately captured the two towers.

23v 18; 1 Macc 5.5Having success at arms in everything he undertook, he destroyed more than twenty thousand in the two strongholds.

Judas Defeats Timothy

24 1 Macc 5.6, 7; 2 Macc 8.30 Now Timothy, who had been defeated by the Jews before, gathered a tremendous force of mercenaries and collected the cavalry from Asia in no small number. He came on, intending to take Judea by storm.

252 Sam 3.31; 1 Macc 3.47; 2 Macc 3.19As he drew near, Maccabeus and his men sprinkled dust on their heads and girded their loins with sackcloth, in supplication to God.

26Ex 23.22Falling upon the steps before the altar, they implored him to be gracious to them and to be an enemy to their enemies and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law declares.

27And rising from their prayer they took up their arms and advanced a considerable distance from the city, and when they came near the enemy they halted.

28Just as dawn was breaking, the two armies joined battle, the one having as pledge of success and victory not only their valor but also their reliance on the Lord, while the other made rage their leader in the fight.

29 2 Macc 2.21; 11.8; 3 Macc 3.25 When the battle became fierce, there appeared to the enemy from heaven five resplendent men on horses with golden bridles, and they were leading the Jews.

30Two of them took Maccabeus between them and, shielding him with their own armor and weapons, they kept him from being wounded. They showered arrows and thunderbolts on the enemy so that, confused and blinded, they were thrown into disorder and cut to pieces.

31Twenty thousand five hundred were slaughtered, besides six hundred cavalry.

32 v 37 ; 1 Macc 4.15Timothy himself fled to a stronghold called Gazara, especially well garrisoned, where Chaereas was commander.

33Then Maccabeus and his men were glad, and they besieged the fort for four days.

34The men within, relying on the strength of the place, kept blaspheming terribly and uttering wicked words.

35But at dawn of the fifth day, twenty young men in the army of Maccabeus, fired with anger because of the blasphemies, bravely stormed the wall and with savage fury cut down everyone they met.

361 Macc 3.5; 2 Macc 8.6During the distraction, others came up in the same way, wheeled around against the defenders, and set fire to the towers; they kindled fires and burned the blasphemers alive. Others broke open the gates and let in the rest of the force, and they occupied the city.

37v 32; 2 Macc 12.2, 24They killed Timothy, who was hiding in a cistern, and his brother Chaereas, and Apollophanes.

381 Macc 13.51; 2 Macc 8.27; 11.9When they had accomplished these things, with hymns and thanksgivings they blessed the Lord, who shows great kindness to Israel and gives them the victory.