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Patriarchs
Egypt and Exodus
Desert Wanderings
Conquest and Judges
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Divided Kingdom
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Wisdom & Poetry
Exile
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Day 145 of 365

about 18 minutes

1 Maccabees 6-7

1 Maccabees Chapter 6

¹King Antiochus was traveling through the upper countries; and he heard that in Elymais in Persia there was a city renowned for riches, for silver and gold, ²and that the temple which was in it was exceedingly rich, and that in it were golden shields, breastplates, and weapons which Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian king, who reigned first among the Greeks, left behind there. ³So he came and tried to take the city and to pillage it; and he was not able, because his plan was known to them of the city, ⁴and they rose up against him in battle. He fled and returned to Babylon with great disappointment. ⁵Then someone came into Persia bringing him news that the armies which went against the land of Judah had been put to flight, ⁶and that Lysias went first with a strong army and was put to shame before them, and that they had grown strong because of weapons, power, and a supply of plunder which they took from the armies that they had cut off, ⁷and that they had pulled down the abomination which he had built upon the altar that was in Jerusalem, and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls, as before, and also Bethsura, his city. ⁸It came to pass, when the king heard these words, he was astonished and moved exceedingly. He laid himself down on his bed, and fell sick for grief, because it had not turned out for him as he had planned. ⁹He was there many days, because great grief continually gripped him, and he realized that he would die. ¹⁰He called for all his friends, and said to them, “Sleep departs from my eyes, and my heart fails because of worry. ¹¹I said in my heart, ‘To what suffering I have come! How great a flood it is that I’m in, now! For I was gracious and loved in my power.’ ¹²But now I remember the evils which I did at Jerusalem, and that I took all the vessels of silver and gold that were in it, and sent out to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without a cause. ¹³I perceive that it is because of this that these evils have come upon me. Behold, I am perishing through great grief in a strange land.” ¹⁴Then he called for Philip, one of his friends, and set him over all his kingdom. ¹⁵He gave him his crown, his robe, and his signet ring, so that he could guide Antiochus his son, and nourish him up that he might be king. ¹⁶Then King Antiochus died there in the one hundred forty-ninth year. ¹⁷When Lysias learned that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus his son to reign, whom he had nourished up being young, and he called his name Eupator. ¹⁸Those who were in the citadel kept hemming Israel in around the sanctuary, and always sought to harm them and to strengthen the Gentiles. ¹⁹Judas planned to destroy them, and called all the people together to besiege them. ²⁰They were gathered together, and besieged them in the one hundred fiftieth year, and he made mounds to shoot from, and engines of war. ²¹Some of those who were hemmed in came out, and some of the ungodly men of Israel were joined to them. ²²They went to the king, and said, “How long will you not execute judgment, and avenge our kindred? ²³We were willing to serve your father and to live by his words, and to follow his commandments. ²⁴Because of this, the children of our people besieged the citadel and were alienated from us; but as many of us as they could catch, they killed, and plundered our inheritances. ²⁵Not against us only did they stretch out their hand, but also against all their borders. ²⁶Behold, they are encamped this day against the citadel at Jerusalem to take it. They have fortified the sanctuary and Bethsura. ²⁷If you don’t quickly prevent them, they will do greater things than these, and you won’t be able to control them. ²⁸When the king heard this, he was angry, and gathered together all his friends, the rulers of his army, and those who were over the cavalry. ²⁹Bands of hired soldiers came to him from other kingdoms and from islands of the sea. ³⁰The number of his forces was one hundred thousand infantry, and twenty thousand cavalry, and thirty-two elephants trained for war. ³¹They went through Idumaea, and encamped against Bethsura, and fought against it many days, and made engines of war. The Jews came out and burned them with fire, and fought valiantly. ³²Judas marched away from the citadel and encamped at Bethzacharias, near the king’s camp. ³³The king rose early in the morning, and marched his army at full speed along the road to Bethzacharias. His forces made themselves ready to battle and sounded their trumpets. ³⁴They offered the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries, that they might prepare them for the battle. ³⁵They distributed the animals among the phalanxes. They set by each elephant a thousand men armed with coats of mail and helmets of brass on their heads. Five hundred chosen cavalry were appointed for each elephant. ³⁶These were ready beforehand, wherever the elephant was. Wherever the elephant went, they went with it. They didn’t leave it. ³⁷Strong, covered wooden towers were upon them, one upon each elephant, fastened upon it with secure harnesses. Upon each were four valiant men who fought upon them, beside his Indian driver. ³⁸The rest of the cavalry he set on this side and that side on the two flanks of the army, striking terror into the enemy, and protected by the phalanxes. ³⁹Now when the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the mountains lit up, and blazed like flaming torches. ⁴⁰A part of the king’s army was spread upon the high hills and some on the low ground, and they went on firmly and in order. ⁴¹All who heard the noise of their multitude, the marching of the multitude, and the rattling of the weapons trembled; for the army was exceedingly great and strong. ⁴²Judas and his army drew near for battle, and six hundred men of the king’s army fell. ⁴³Eleazar, who was called Avaran, saw one of the animals armed with royal breastplates, and it was taller than all the animals, and the king seemed to be on it. ⁴⁴He gave his life to deliver his people, and to get himself an everlasting name. ⁴⁵He ran upon him courageously into the midst of the phalanx, and killed on the right hand and on the left, and they parted away from him on this side and on that. ⁴⁶He crept under the elephant, and stabbed it from beneath, and killed it. The elephant fell to the earth upon him, and he died there. ⁴⁷They saw the strength of the kingdom and the fierce attack of the army, and turned away from them. ⁴⁸But the soldiers of the king’s army went up to Jerusalem to meet them, and the king encamped toward Judea and toward mount Zion. ⁴⁹He made peace with the people of Bethsura. He came out of the city because they had no food there to endure the siege, because it was a Sabbath to the land. ⁵⁰The king took Bethsura, and appointed a garrison there to keep it. ⁵¹He encamped against the sanctuary many days; and set there mounds to shoot from, and engines of war, and machines for throwing fire and stones, and weapons to throw darts, and slings. ⁵²The Jews also made engines of war against their engines, and fought for many days. ⁵³But there was no food in the sanctuary, because it was the seventh year, and those who fled for safety into Judea from among the Gentiles had eaten up the rest of the stores. ⁵⁴There were only a few people left in the sanctuary, because the famine prevailed against them, and they were scattered, each man to his own place. ⁵⁵Lysias heard that Philip, whom Antiochus the king, while he was yet alive, appointed to raise his son Antiochus to be king, ⁵⁶had returned from Persia and Media, and with him the forces that went with the king, and that he was seeking to take control of the government. ⁵⁷He made haste, and gave orders to depart. He said to the king and the leaders of the army and to the men, “We get weaker daily, our food is scant, the place where we encamp is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom lie upon us. ⁵⁸Now therefore let’s negotiate with these men, and make peace with them and with all their nation, ⁵⁹and covenant with them, that they may walk after their own laws, as before; for because of their laws which we abolished they were angered, and did all these things.” ⁶⁰The speech pleased the king and the princes, and he sent to them to make peace; and they accepted it. ⁶¹The king and the princes swore to them. On these conditions, they came out from the stronghold. ⁶²Then the king entered into mount Zion. He saw the strength of the place, and broke the oath which he had sworn, and gave orders to pull down the wall all around. ⁶³Then he left in haste and returned to Antioch, and found Philip master of the city. He fought against him, and took the city by force.

1: King Antiochus was traveling through the upper countries; and he heard that in Elymais in Persia there was a city renowned for riches, for silver and gold,

2: and that the temple which was in it was exceedingly rich, and that in it were golden shields, breastplates, and weapons which Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian king, who reigned first among the Greeks, left behind there.

3: So he came and tried to take the city and to pillage it; and he was not able, because his plan was known to them of the city,

4: and they rose up against him in battle. He fled and returned to Babylon with great disappointment.

5: Then someone came into Persia bringing him news that the armies which went against the land of Judah had been put to flight,

6: and that Lysias went first with a strong army and was put to shame before them, and that they had grown strong because of weapons, power, and a supply of plunder which they took from the armies that they had cut off,

7: and that they had pulled down the abomination which he had built upon the altar that was in Jerusalem, and that they had surrounded the sanctuary with high walls, as before, and also Bethsura, his city.

8: It came to pass, when the king heard these words, he was astonished and moved exceedingly. He laid himself down on his bed, and fell sick for grief, because it had not turned out for him as he had planned.

9: He was there many days, because great grief continually gripped him, and he realized that he would die.

10: He called for all his friends, and said to them, “Sleep departs from my eyes, and my heart fails because of worry.

11: I said in my heart, ‘To what suffering I have come! How great a flood it is that I’m in, now! For I was gracious and loved in my power.’

12: But now I remember the evils which I did at Jerusalem, and that I took all the vessels of silver and gold that were in it, and sent out to destroy the inhabitants of Judah without a cause.

13: I perceive that it is because of this that these evils have come upon me. Behold, I am perishing through great grief in a strange land.”

14: Then he called for Philip, one of his friends, and set him over all his kingdom.

15: He gave him his crown, his robe, and his signet ring, so that he could guide Antiochus his son, and nourish him up that he might be king.

16: Then King Antiochus died there in the one hundred forty-ninth year.

17: When Lysias learned that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus his son to reign, whom he had nourished up being young, and he called his name Eupator.

18: Those who were in the citadel kept hemming Israel in around the sanctuary, and always sought to harm them and to strengthen the Gentiles.

19: Judas planned to destroy them, and called all the people together to besiege them.

20: They were gathered together, and besieged them in the one hundred fiftieth year, and he made mounds to shoot from, and engines of war.

21: Some of those who were hemmed in came out, and some of the ungodly men of Israel were joined to them.

22: They went to the king, and said, “How long will you not execute judgment, and avenge our kindred?

23: We were willing to serve your father and to live by his words, and to follow his commandments.

24: Because of this, the children of our people besieged the citadel and were alienated from us; but as many of us as they could catch, they killed, and plundered our inheritances.

25: Not against us only did they stretch out their hand, but also against all their borders.

26: Behold, they are encamped this day against the citadel at Jerusalem to take it. They have fortified the sanctuary and Bethsura.

27: If you don’t quickly prevent them, they will do greater things than these, and you won’t be able to control them.

28: When the king heard this, he was angry, and gathered together all his friends, the rulers of his army, and those who were over the cavalry.

29: Bands of hired soldiers came to him from other kingdoms and from islands of the sea.

30: The number of his forces was one hundred thousand infantry, and twenty thousand cavalry, and thirty-two elephants trained for war.

31: They went through Idumaea, and encamped against Bethsura, and fought against it many days, and made engines of war. The Jews came out and burned them with fire, and fought valiantly.

32: Judas marched away from the citadel and encamped at Bethzacharias, near the king’s camp.

33: The king rose early in the morning, and marched his army at full speed along the road to Bethzacharias. His forces made themselves ready to battle and sounded their trumpets.

34: They offered the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries, that they might prepare them for the battle.

35: They distributed the animals among the phalanxes. They set by each elephant a thousand men armed with coats of mail and helmets of brass on their heads. Five hundred chosen cavalry were appointed for each elephant.

36: These were ready beforehand, wherever the elephant was. Wherever the elephant went, they went with it. They didn’t leave it.

37: Strong, covered wooden towers were upon them, one upon each elephant, fastened upon it with secure harnesses. Upon each were four valiant men who fought upon them, beside his Indian driver.

38: The rest of the cavalry he set on this side and that side on the two flanks of the army, striking terror into the enemy, and protected by the phalanxes.

39: Now when the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the mountains lit up, and blazed like flaming torches.

40: A part of the king’s army was spread upon the high hills and some on the low ground, and they went on firmly and in order.

41: All who heard the noise of their multitude, the marching of the multitude, and the rattling of the weapons trembled; for the army was exceedingly great and strong.

42: Judas and his army drew near for battle, and six hundred men of the king’s army fell.

43: Eleazar, who was called Avaran, saw one of the animals armed with royal breastplates, and it was taller than all the animals, and the king seemed to be on it.

44: He gave his life to deliver his people, and to get himself an everlasting name.

45: He ran upon him courageously into the midst of the phalanx, and killed on the right hand and on the left, and they parted away from him on this side and on that.

46: He crept under the elephant, and stabbed it from beneath, and killed it. The elephant fell to the earth upon him, and he died there.

47: They saw the strength of the kingdom and the fierce attack of the army, and turned away from them.

48: But the soldiers of the king’s army went up to Jerusalem to meet them, and the king encamped toward Judea and toward mount Zion.

49: He made peace with the people of Bethsura. He came out of the city because they had no food there to endure the siege, because it was a Sabbath to the land.

50: The king took Bethsura, and appointed a garrison there to keep it.

51: He encamped against the sanctuary many days; and set there mounds to shoot from, and engines of war, and machines for throwing fire and stones, and weapons to throw darts, and slings.

52: The Jews also made engines of war against their engines, and fought for many days.

53: But there was no food in the sanctuary, because it was the seventh year, and those who fled for safety into Judea from among the Gentiles had eaten up the rest of the stores.

54: There were only a few people left in the sanctuary, because the famine prevailed against them, and they were scattered, each man to his own place.

55: Lysias heard that Philip, whom Antiochus the king, while he was yet alive, appointed to raise his son Antiochus to be king,

56: had returned from Persia and Media, and with him the forces that went with the king, and that he was seeking to take control of the government.

57: He made haste, and gave orders to depart. He said to the king and the leaders of the army and to the men, “We get weaker daily, our food is scant, the place where we encamp is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom lie upon us.

58: Now therefore let’s negotiate with these men, and make peace with them and with all their nation,

59: and covenant with them, that they may walk after their own laws, as before; for because of their laws which we abolished they were angered, and did all these things.”

60: The speech pleased the king and the princes, and he sent to them to make peace; and they accepted it.

61: The king and the princes swore to them. On these conditions, they came out from the stronghold.

62: Then the king entered into mount Zion. He saw the strength of the place, and broke the oath which he had sworn, and gave orders to pull down the wall all around.

63: Then he left in haste and returned to Antioch, and found Philip master of the city. He fought against him, and took the city by force.

1 Maccabees Chapter 7

¹In the one hundred fifty first year, Demetrius the son of Seleucus came out of Rome, and went up with a few men to a city by the sea, and reigned there. ²It came to pass, when he would go into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army laid hands on Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him. ³The thing became known to him, and he said, “Don’t show me their faces!” ⁴So the army killed them. Then Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom. ⁵All the lawless and ungodly men of Israel came to him. Alcimus was their leader, desiring to be high priest. ⁶They accused the people to the king, saying, “Judas and his kindred have destroyed all your friends, and have scattered us from our own land. ⁷Now therefore send a man whom you trust, and let him go and see all the destruction which he has brought on us and the king’s country, and how he has punished them and all who helped them.” ⁸So the king chose Bacchides, one of the king’s friends, who was ruler in the country beyond the river, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king. ⁹He sent him and that ungodly Alcimus, whom he made the high priest; and he commanded him to take vengeance upon the children of Israel. ¹⁰They marched away and came with a great army into the land of Judah. He sent messengers to Judas and his kindred with words of peace deceitfully. ¹¹They paid no attention to their words; for they saw that they had come with a great army. ¹²A group of scribes gathered together to Alcimus and Bacchides to seek just terms. ¹³The Hasidaeans were the first among the children of Israel who sought peace from them, ¹⁴for they said, “One who is a priest of the seed of Aaron has come with the army, and he will do us no wrong.” ¹⁵He spoke with them words of peace, and swore to them, saying, “We won’t seek to harm you or your friends.” ¹⁶They trusted him. Then he seized sixty men of them, and killed them in one day, according to the word which was written, ¹⁷The flesh of your saints and their blood was shed all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. ¹⁸The fear and the dread of them fell upon all the people, for they said, “There is neither truth nor justice in them; for they have broken the covenant and the oath which they swore.” ¹⁹Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem, and encamped in Bezeth. He sent and seized many of the deserters who were with him, and some of the people, and he killed them, throwing them into a large pit. ²⁰He placed Alcimus in charge of the country and left with him a force to aid him. Then Bacchides went away to the king. ²¹Alcimus struggled to maintain his high priesthood. ²²All those who troubled their people joined him, and they took control of the land of Judah, and did great damage in Israel. ²³Judas saw all the wrongs that Alcimus and his company had done among the children of Israel, even more than the Gentiles. ²⁴He went out into all the borders of Judea and took vengeance on the men who had deserted from him, and they were restrained from going out into the country. ²⁵But when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had grown strong, and knew that he was not able to withstand them, he returned to the king, and brought evil accusations against them. ²⁶Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honorable princes, a man who hated Israel and was their enemy, and commanded him to destroy the people. ²⁷Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army. He sent to Judas and his kindred deceitfully with words of peace, saying, ²⁸“Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see your faces in peace.” ²⁹He came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. The enemies were ready to seize Judas by violence. ³⁰This was known to Judas, that he came to him with deceit, and he was very afraid of him, and would see his face no more. ³¹Nicanor found out that his plan was disclosed; and he went out to meet Judas in battle beside Capharsalama. ³²About five hundred men of Nicanor’s army fell, and the rest fled into the city of David. ³³After these things, Nicanor went up to mount Zion. Some of the priests came out of the sanctuary, with some of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to show him the whole burned sacrifice that was being offered for the king. ³⁴He mocked them, laughed at them, derided them shamefully, spoke arrogantly, ³⁵and swore in a rage, saying, “Unless Judas and his army are now delivered into my hands, it shall be that, if I return safely, I will burn up this house!” And he went out in a great rage. ³⁶The priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple; and they wept, and said, ³⁷“You chose this house to be called by your name, to be a house of prayer and supplication for your people. ³⁸Take vengeance on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and don’t allow them to live any longer.” ³⁹Then Nicanor went out from Jerusalem and encamped in Bethhoron, and there the Syrian army met him. ⁴⁰Judas encamped in Adasa with three thousand men. Judas prayed and said, ⁴¹“When those who came from the king blasphemed, your angel went out, and struck among them one hundred eighty-five thousand. ⁴²Even so, crush this army before us today, and let all the rest know that he has spoken wickedly against your sanctuary. Judge him according to his wickedness.” ⁴³On the thirteenth day of the month Adar, the armies met in battle. Nicanor’s army was defeated, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle. ⁴⁴Now when his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw away their weapons and fled. ⁴⁵They pursued them a day’s journey from Adasa until you come to Gazara, and they sounded an alarm after them with the signal trumpets. ⁴⁶Men came out of all the surrounding villages of Judea, and outflanked them. These turned them back on those, and they all fell by the sword. There wasn’t one of them left. ⁴⁷The Jews took the spoils and the booty, and they cut off Nicanor’s head and his right hand, which he had stretched out so arrogantly, and brought them, and hung them up beside Jerusalem. ⁴⁸The people were exceedingly glad, and they kept that day as a day of great gladness. ⁴⁹They ordained to keep this day year by year on the thirteenth day of Adar. ⁵⁰So the land of Judah had rest a few days.

1: In the one hundred fifty first year, Demetrius the son of Seleucus came out of Rome, and went up with a few men to a city by the sea, and reigned there.

2: It came to pass, when he would go into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army laid hands on Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them to him.

3: The thing became known to him, and he said, “Don’t show me their faces!”

4: So the army killed them. Then Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom.

5: All the lawless and ungodly men of Israel came to him. Alcimus was their leader, desiring to be high priest.

6: They accused the people to the king, saying, “Judas and his kindred have destroyed all your friends, and have scattered us from our own land.

7: Now therefore send a man whom you trust, and let him go and see all the destruction which he has brought on us and the king’s country, and how he has punished them and all who helped them.”

8: So the king chose Bacchides, one of the king’s friends, who was ruler in the country beyond the river, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king.

9: He sent him and that ungodly Alcimus, whom he made the high priest; and he commanded him to take vengeance upon the children of Israel.

10: They marched away and came with a great army into the land of Judah. He sent messengers to Judas and his kindred with words of peace deceitfully.

11: They paid no attention to their words; for they saw that they had come with a great army.

12: A group of scribes gathered together to Alcimus and Bacchides to seek just terms.

13: The Hasidaeans were the first among the children of Israel who sought peace from them,

14: for they said, “One who is a priest of the seed of Aaron has come with the army, and he will do us no wrong.”

15: He spoke with them words of peace, and swore to them, saying, “We won’t seek to harm you or your friends.”

16: They trusted him. Then he seized sixty men of them, and killed them in one day, according to the word which was written,

17: The flesh of your saints and their blood was shed all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.

18: The fear and the dread of them fell upon all the people, for they said, “There is neither truth nor justice in them; for they have broken the covenant and the oath which they swore.”

19: Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem, and encamped in Bezeth. He sent and seized many of the deserters who were with him, and some of the people, and he killed them, throwing them into a large pit.

20: He placed Alcimus in charge of the country and left with him a force to aid him. Then Bacchides went away to the king.

21: Alcimus struggled to maintain his high priesthood.

22: All those who troubled their people joined him, and they took control of the land of Judah, and did great damage in Israel.

23: Judas saw all the wrongs that Alcimus and his company had done among the children of Israel, even more than the Gentiles.

24: He went out into all the borders of Judea and took vengeance on the men who had deserted from him, and they were restrained from going out into the country.

25: But when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company had grown strong, and knew that he was not able to withstand them, he returned to the king, and brought evil accusations against them.

26: Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honorable princes, a man who hated Israel and was their enemy, and commanded him to destroy the people.

27: Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army. He sent to Judas and his kindred deceitfully with words of peace, saying,

28: “Let there be no battle between me and you; I will come with a few men, that I may see your faces in peace.”

29: He came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably. The enemies were ready to seize Judas by violence.

30: This was known to Judas, that he came to him with deceit, and he was very afraid of him, and would see his face no more.

31: Nicanor found out that his plan was disclosed; and he went out to meet Judas in battle beside Capharsalama.

32: About five hundred men of Nicanor’s army fell, and the rest fled into the city of David.

33: After these things, Nicanor went up to mount Zion. Some of the priests came out of the sanctuary, with some of the elders of the people, to salute him peaceably, and to show him the whole burned sacrifice that was being offered for the king.

34: He mocked them, laughed at them, derided them shamefully, spoke arrogantly,

35: and swore in a rage, saying, “Unless Judas and his army are now delivered into my hands, it shall be that, if I return safely, I will burn up this house!” And he went out in a great rage.

36: The priests entered in, and stood before the altar and the temple; and they wept, and said,

37: “You chose this house to be called by your name, to be a house of prayer and supplication for your people.

38: Take vengeance on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and don’t allow them to live any longer.”

39: Then Nicanor went out from Jerusalem and encamped in Bethhoron, and there the Syrian army met him.

40: Judas encamped in Adasa with three thousand men. Judas prayed and said,

41: “When those who came from the king blasphemed, your angel went out, and struck among them one hundred eighty-five thousand.

42: Even so, crush this army before us today, and let all the rest know that he has spoken wickedly against your sanctuary. Judge him according to his wickedness.”

43: On the thirteenth day of the month Adar, the armies met in battle. Nicanor’s army was defeated, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle.

44: Now when his army saw that Nicanor had fallen, they threw away their weapons and fled.

45: They pursued them a day’s journey from Adasa until you come to Gazara, and they sounded an alarm after them with the signal trumpets.

46: Men came out of all the surrounding villages of Judea, and outflanked them. These turned them back on those, and they all fell by the sword. There wasn’t one of them left.

47: The Jews took the spoils and the booty, and they cut off Nicanor’s head and his right hand, which he had stretched out so arrogantly, and brought them, and hung them up beside Jerusalem.

48: The people were exceedingly glad, and they kept that day as a day of great gladness.

49: They ordained to keep this day year by year on the thirteenth day of Adar.

50: So the land of Judah had rest a few days.

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Scripture text: World English Bible, Catholic Edition (WEBC) — public domain

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