The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 01
The First Book of the Maccabees is recognized
as Deuterocanonical Scripture by
the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and
Russian Orthodox Churches.
1 After Alexander the Macedonian, the
son of Philip, who came out of the land
of Chittim, and struck Darius king of the
Persians and Medes, it came to pass, after
he had struck him, that he reigned in his
place, in former time, over† Greece.
2 He fought many battles, won many
strongholds, killed the kings of the earth,
3 went through to the ends of the earth,
and took spoils of a multitude of nations.
The earth was quiet before him. He was
exalted. His heart was lifted up.
4 He gathered together an exceedingly
strong army and ruled over countries, nations,
and principalities, and they paidhim tribute.
5 After these things he fell sick, and
perceived that he was going to die.
6 He called his honorable servants,
which had been brought up with him from
his youth, and he divided to them his
kingdom while he was still alive.
7 Alexander reigned twelve years,
then he died.
8 Then his servants ruled, each one
in his place.
9 They all put crowns upon themselves
after he was dead, and so did their sons
after them many years; and they multiplied
evils in the earth.
10 There came out of them a sinful root,
Antiochus Epiphanes, son of Antiochus the
king, who had been a hostage at Rome,
and he reigned in‡ the one hundred thirty
seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.
11 In those days transgressors of the law
came out of Israel and persuaded many,
saying, “Let’s go make a covenant with
the§ Gentiles around us; for since we were
separated from them many evils have befallen us.”
12 That proposal was good in their eyes.
13 Some ofthe people eagerly went to the
king, and he authorized them to observe
the ordinances of the† Gentiles.
14 So‡ they built a gymnasium in
Jerusalem according to the laws of the§
Gentiles.
15 They made themselves uncircumcised,
forsook the holy covenant, joined
themselves to the† Gentiles, and sold
themselves to do evil.
16 The kingdom was established in the
sight of Antiochus, and he planned to reign
over Egypt, that he might reign over both
kingdoms.
17 He entered into Egypt with a‡ great
multitude, with chariots, with elephants,
with cavalry, and with a great§ navy.
18 He made war against Ptolemy king of
Egypt. Ptolemy was put to shame before
him, and fled; and many fell wounded to death.
19 They took possession of the strong
cities in the land of Egypt, and he took the
spoils of Egypt.
20 Antiochus, after he had defeated
Egypt, returned in† the one hundred forty
third year, and went up against Israel and
Jerusalem with a‡ great multitude,
21 and entered presumptuously into the
sanctuary, and took the golden altar, the
lampstand for the light, and all its utensils.
22 He took the table of the show bread,
the cups for the drink offerings, the bowls,
the golden censers, the veil, the crowns,
and the gold decoration on the front of the
temple. He peeled it all off.
23 He took the silver, the gold, and the
precious vessels. He took the hidden
treasures which he found.
24 When he had taken all of these, he
went away into his own land. He made
a great slaughter, and spoke very arrogantly.
25 Great mourning came upon Israel, in
every place where they were.
26 The rulers and elders groaned. The
virgins and young men were made feeble.
The beauty of the women was changed.
27 Every bridegroom took up lamentation.
She who sat in the marriage chamber
was mourning.
28 The land was moved for its inhabitants,
and all the house of Jacob was
clothed with shame.
29 §After two full years, the king sent
a chief collector of tribute to the cities of
Judah, and he came to Jerusalem with a†
great multitude.
30 He spoke words of peace to them in
subtlety, and they believed him. Then he
fell upon the city suddenly, struck it very
severely, and destroyed many people of
Israel.
31 He took the spoils of the city, set it on
fire, and pulled down its houses and its
walls on every side.
32 They led captive the women and the
children, and seized the livestock.
33 Then they fortified the city of David
with a large, strong wall and with strong
towers, and it became their citadel.
34 They put a sinful nation, transgressors
of the law, there, and they strengthened
themselves in it.
35 They stored up weapons and food, and
gathering together the spoils of Jerusalem,
they stored them there, and they became a
great menace.
36 It became a place to lie in wait against
the sanctuary, and an evil adversary to
Israel continually.
37 They shed innocent blood on every
side of the sanctuary, and defiled the sanctuary.
38 The inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of
them. She became a habitation of foreigners.
She became foreign to those who were born in
her, and her children forsook her.
39 Her sanctuary was laid waste like a
wilderness,‡ her feasts were turned into
mourning, her Sabbaths into reproach,
and her honor into contempt.
40 According to her glory, so was her dishonor
multiplied, and her exaltation was
turned into mourning.
41 King Antiochus wrote to his whole
kingdom that all should be one people,
42 and that each should forsake his own
laws. All the nations agreed according to
the word of the king.
43 Many of Israel consented to his worship,
sacrificed to the idols, and profaned
the Sabbath.
44 The king sent letters by the hand of
messengers to Jerusalem and the cities
of Judah, that they should follow laws
strange to the land,
45 and should forbid whole burnt offerings
and sacrifice and drink offerings in
the sanctuary; and should profane the
Sabbaths and feasts,
46 and pollute the sanctuary and those
who were holy;
47 that they should build altars, and temples,
and shrines for idols, and should sacrifice
swine’s flesh and unclean animals;
48 and that they should leave their sons
uncircumcised, that they should make
their souls abominable with all manner of
uncleanness and profanation;
49 so that they might forget the law, and
change all the ordinances.
50 Whoever doesn’t do according to the
word of the king, he shall die.
51 According to all these words wrote
he to his whole kingdom. He appointed
overseers over all the people, and he
commanded the cities of Judah to
sacrifice, city by city.
52 From the people were gathered together to
them many, everyone who had forsaken the law;
and they did evil things in the land.
53 They made Israeltohide themselves in
every place of refuge which they had.
54 On the fifteenth day of Chislev, in§ the
one hundred forty fifth year, they built an
abomination of desolation upon the altar,†
and inthe cities ofJudahonevery side they
built idol altars.‡
55 At the doors of the houses and in the
streets they burned incense.
56 They tore the books of the law which
they found in pieces and set them on fire.
57 Anyone who was found with any a
book ofthe covenant, and if any consented
to the law, the king’s sentence delivered
him to death.
58 Thus did they in their might to Israel,
to those who were found month by month
in the cities.
59 On the twenty-fifth day of the month
they sacrificed upon the idol altar that was
on top of the altar of burnt offering.
60 §They put to death women who had
circumcised their children, according to
the commandment.
61 They hung their babies around their
necks, and their houses, and those who
had circumcised them.
62 Many in Israel were fully resolved
and confirmed in themselves not to eat
unclean things.
63 †They chose to die, that they might
not be defiled with the food, and that they
might not profane the holy covenant; and
they died.
64 Exceedingly great wrath came upon
Israel.