2Mac 8:1 

Then Judas Maccabeus, and they that were with him, went 

privily into the towns, and called their kinsfolks together, and 

took unto them all such as continued in the Jews' religion, and 

assembled about six thousand men. 

2Mac 8:2 

And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon the 

people that was trodden down of all; and also pity the temple 

profaned of ungodly men; 

2Mac 8:3 

And that he would have compassion upon the city, sore 

defaced, and ready to be made even with the ground; and hear the 

blood that cried unto him, 

2Mac 8:4 

And remember the wicked slaughter of harmless infants, and 

the blasphemies committed against his name; and that he would 

shew his hatred against the wicked. 

2Mac 8:5 

Now when Maccabeus had his company about him, he could not be 

withstood by the heathen: for the wrath of the Lord was turned 

into mercy. 

2Mac 8:6 

Therefore he came at unawares, and burnt up towns and cities, 

and got into his hands the most commodious places, and overcame 

and put to flight no small number of his enemies. 

2Mac 8:7 

But specially took he advantage of the night for such privy 

attempts, insomuch that the fruit of his holiness was spread 

every where. 

2Mac 8:8 

So when Philip saw that this man increased by little and 

little, and that things prospered with him still more and more, 

he wrote unto Ptolemeus, the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, 

to yield more aid to the king's affairs. 

2Mac 8:9 

Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of 

his special friends, he sent him with no fewer than twenty 

thousand of all nations under him, to root out the whole 

generation of the Jews; and with him he joined also Gorgias a 

captain, who in matters of war had great experience. 

2Mac 8:10 

So Nicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive 

Jews, as should defray the tribute of two thousand talents, 

which the king was to pay to the Romans. 

2Mac 8:11 

Wherefore immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea 

coast, proclaiming a sale of the captive Jews, and promising 

that they should have fourscore and ten bodies for one talent, 

not expecting the vengeance that was to follow upon him from the 

Almighty God. 

2Mac 8:12 

Now when word was brought unto Judas of Nicanor's coming, and 

he had imparted unto those that were with him that the army was 

at hand, 

2Mac 8:13 

They that were fearful, and distrusted the justice of God, 

fled, and conveyed themselves away. 

2Mac 8:14 

Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the 

Lord to deliver them, sold by the wicked Nicanor before they met 

together: 

2Mac 8:15 

And if not for their own sakes, yet for the covenants he had 

made with their fathers, and for his holy and glorious name's 

sake, by which they were called. 

2Mac 8:16 

So Maccabeus called his men together unto the number of six 

thousand, and exhorted them not to be stricken with terror of 

the enemy, nor to fear the great multitude of the heathen, who 

came wrongly against them; but to fight manfully, 

2Mac 8:17 

And to set before their eyes the injury that they had 

unjustly done to the holy place, and the cruel handling of the 

city, whereof they made a mockery, and also the taking away of 

the government of their forefathers: 

2Mac 8:18 

For they, said he, trust in their weapons and boldness; but 

our confidence is in the Almighty who at a beck can cast down 

both them that come against us, and also all the world. 

2Mac 8:19 

Moreover, he recounted unto them what helps their forefathers 

had found, and how they were delivered, when under Sennacherib 

an hundred fourscore and five thousand perished. 

2Mac 8:20 

And he told them of the battle that they had in Babylon with 

the Galatians, how they came but eight thousand in all to the 

business, with four thousand Macedonians, and that the 

Macedonians being perplexed, the eight thousand destroyed an 

hundred and twenty thousand because of the help that they had 

from heaven, and so received a great booty. 

2Mac 8:21 

Thus when he had made them bold with these words, and ready 

to die for the law and the country, he divided his army into 

four parts; 

2Mac 8:22 

And joined with himself his own brethren, leaders of each 

band, to wit Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving each one 

fifteen hundred men. 

2Mac 8:23 

Also he appointed Eleazar to read the holy book: and when he 

had given them this watchword, The help of God; himself leading 

the first band, 

2Mac 8:24 

And by the help of the Almighty they slew above nine thousand 

of their enemies, and wounded and maimed the most part of 

Nicanor's host, and so put all to flight; 

2Mac 8:25 

And took their money that came to buy them, and pursued them 

far: but lacking time they returned: 

2Mac 8:26 

For it was the day before the sabbath, and therefore they 

would no longer pursue them. 

2Mac 8:27 

So when they had gathered their armour together, and spoiled 

their enemies, they occupied themselves about the sabbath, 

yielding exceeding praise and thanks to the Lord, who had 

preserved them unto that day, which was the beginning of mercy 

distilling upon them. 

2Mac 8:28 

And after the sabbath, when they had given part of the spoils 

to the maimed, and the widows, and orphans, the residue they 

divided among themselves and their servants. 

2Mac 8:29 

When this was done, and they had made a common supplication, 

they besought the merciful Lord to be reconciled with his 

servants for ever. 

2Mac 8:30 

Moreover of those that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who 

fought against them, they slew above twenty thousand, and very 

easily got high and strong holds, and divided among themselves 

many spoils more, and made the maimed, orphans, widows, yea, and 

the aged also, equal in spoils with themselves. 

2Mac 8:31 

And when they had gathered their armour together, they laid 

them up all carefully in convenient places, and the remnant of 

the spoils they brought to Jerusalem. 

2Mac 8:32 

They slew also Philarches, that wicked person, who was with 

Timotheus, and had annoyed the Jews many ways. 

2Mac 8:33 

Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the 

victory in their country they burnt Callisthenes, that had set 

fire upon the holy gates, who had fled into a little house; and 

so he received a reward meet for his wickedness. 

2Mac 8:34 

As for that most ungracious Nicanor, who had brought a 

thousand merchants to buy the Jews, 

2Mac 8:35 

He was through the help of the Lord brought down by them, of 

whom he made least account; and putting off his glorious 

apparel, and discharging his company, he came like a fugitive 

servant through the midland unto Antioch having very great 

dishonour, for that his host was destroyed. 

2Mac 8:36 

Thus he, that took upon him to make good to the Romans their 

tribute by means of captives in Jerusalem, told abroad, that the 

Jews had God to fight for them, and therefore they could not be 

hurt, because they followed the laws that he gave them.