القراءة بلغتين

في ذٰلك الزَّمان، كانَ أَنطِيوخُسُ يَستَعِدُّ لِغَزْوِ مِصرَ ثانِيَةً

فحَدَثَ أَنَّه تَراءَى في المَدينَةِ كُلِّها مُدَّةَ أَربَعينَ يَومًا فُرْسانٌ يَعْدونَ في الجَوِّ وعلَيهم مَلابِسُ ذَهَبِيَّة، وجُيوشٌ مُسَلَّحَةٌ مَصْفوفَةٌ على شَكْلِ كَتائِب

وسَرايا مِنَ الخَيَّالَةِ مُصطَفَّةٌ لِلقِتال، وهُجومٌ وكَرٌّ بَينَ الفَريقَين، وتُروس تُهَزّ، وغاباتٌ مِنَ الحِراب، وسُيوفٌ مَسْلولة، ورَشْقُ نِبال، ولَمَعانُ أَسلِحَةٍ ذَهَبيَّة، ودُروعٌ مِن كُلِّ صِنْف

فكانَ الجَميعُ يُصَلُّونَ لِكَي يَكونَ مَآلُ هٰذه الرُّؤيا خَيرًا

وشاعَ خَبَرٌ كاذِبٌ بِأَنَّ أَنْطِيوخُسَ قد فارَقَ الحَياة، فٱتَّخَذَ ياسونُ جَيشًا لَيسَ بِأَقَلَّ مِن أَلفِ نَفْسٍ، وهَجَمَ على المَدينَةِ بَغتَةً، ودَحَرَ الَّذينَ على الأَسْوار وأَخَذَ المَدينَةَ في آخِرِ الأَمْر، فهَرَبَ مَنَلاوُسُ إِلى القَلعَة

فأَخَذَ ياسونُ يَذبَحُ أَهلَ وَطَنِه بِغَيرِ رَحمَة، ولم يَفطَنْ أَنَّ الظَّفَرَ بِالإِخوَةِ هو الفَشَلُ عَينُه، ظَنًّا مِنه أَنَّه يَأخُذُ مَغانِمَ مِن أَعْداءٍ، لا مِن بَني أُمَّتِه

ولٰكِنَّه لم يَستَولِ على الرِّئاسَة، ولَم يَنَلْ أَخيرًا مِن كَيدِه سوى الخِزْيِ، فهَرَبَ ثانِيَةً إِلى أَرضِ بَني عَمُّون

فكانَ لِتَصَرُّفِه السَّيِّئِ خاتِمَة، وذٰلك بأَنَّه وُشِيَ بِه إِلى الحارِث، زَعيمِ العَرَب، فجَعَلَ يَفِرُّ مِن مَدينَةٍ إِلى مَدينة، والجَميعُ يُطارِدونَه ويُبغِضونَه بُغضَهم لِمَنِ ٱرتَدَّ عنِ الشَّريعَة، ويَمقُتونَه مَقتَهم لِمَن هو قَتَّالٌ لِأَهْلِ وَطَنِه، حَتَّى أُطيحَ إِلى مِصْر

فكانَ أَنَّ الَّذي غَرَّبَ كَثيرين، هَلَكَ في الغُربَة، في أَرضِ لَكدَيمونَ، وقَد ذَهَبَ إِلَيها راجِيًا أَن يَجِد فيها مَلجَأً نَظَرًا لِوَحدَةِ الأَصْل

والَّذي طَرَحَ كَثيرينَ بِغَيرِ دَفْنٍ لم يُبْكَ علَيه ولَم يَحصُلْ على مَأتَمٍ ولا دَفْنٍ مع آبائِه

فلَمَّا بَلَغَتِ المَلِكَ هٰذه الأَحْداثُ، اِستَنتَجَ أَنَّ اليَهودِيَّةَ ٱنتَفَضَت علَيه. فغادَرَ مِصرَ ثائِرًا كالنِّمْرِ وأَخَذَ المَدينَةَ عَنوَةً

وأَمَرَ الجُنودَ أَن يَقتُلوا بِغَيرِ رَحمَةٍ كُلَّ مَن صادَفوه ويَذبَحوا الَّذينَ يَصعَدونَ إِلى بُيوتِهم

فكانَت مَجزَرَةُ الشُّبَّانِ والشُّيوخ، وإِبادَةُ النِّساءِ والأَولاد، وذَبْحُ الفَتَياتِ والأَطْفال

فهَلَكَ ثَمانونَ أَلفَ نَفْسٍ في ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّام، مِنهم أَربَعونَ أَلفًا سَقَطوا في المَعرَكَة، وبيعَ مِنهم عَدَدٌ لَيسَ بِأَقَلَّ مِنَ القَتْلى

ولَم يَكتَفِ بِذٰلك، بلِ ٱجتَرَأَ على دُخولِ المَقدِسِ الَّذي هو أَقدَسُ مَكانٍ في الأَرضِ كُلِّها، وكانَ دَليلُه مَنَلاوُسَ الخائِنَ لِلشَّريعَةِ والوَطَن

وأَخَذَ الآنِيَةَ المُقَدَّسَةَ بِيَدَيه القَذِرَتَين، وقَبَضَ بِيَدَيه الدَّنِسَتَينِ على ما أَهْداه مُلوكٌ آخَرونَ لِتَحْسينِ المَكانِ المُقَدَّسِ ولِمَجدِه وكَرامَتِه

فتَشامَخَ أَنْطِيوخُسُ في نَفسِه، ولم يَفطَنْ إِلى أَنَّ السَّيِّدَ غَضِبَ إِلى حينٍ بِسَبَبِ خَطايا سُكَّانِ المَدينة. ولِذٰلك أُهمِلَ هٰذا المَكانُ المُقَدَّس

ولَولا أَنَّهمُ ٱنهَمَكوا بِخَطايا كَثيرة، لَجُلِدَ هو أَيضًا حالَ دُخولِه ورُدِعَ عن جَسارَتِه، كَما جَرى لِهَلْيودورُسَ الَّذي بَعَثَه سَلَوقُسُ المَلِكُ لِٱفتِقادِ الخِزانَة

ولٰكِنَّ الرَّبَّ لم يَختَرِ الأُمَّةَ لِأَجلِ المَكانِ المُقَدَّس، بلِ المَكانَ المُقَدَّسَ لِأَجلِ الأُمَّة

ولِذٰلك، فبَعدَ أَنِ ٱشتَرَكَ المَكانُ المُقدَّسُ في مَصائِبِ الأُمَّة، عادَ فٱشتَرَكَ في النِّعَم، وبَعدَما خُذِلَ عِندَ غَضَبِ القَدير، أُعيدَ إِلى كامِلِ مَجدِه، عِندَ تَصالُحِه مع السَّيِّدِ العَظيم

وحَمَلَ أَنْطِيوخُسُ مِنَ الهَيكلِ أَلفًا وثَمانِيَ مِئَةِ قِنْطارٍ وبادَرَ إِلى العَودَةِ إِلى أَنْطاكِيَة، وقَد خَيَّلَت إِلَيه كِبرِياؤُه وتَشامُخُ نَفْسِه أَنَّه يُسَيِّرُ السُّفُنَ في البَرّ ويُقَطِّعُ البَحرَ بِالقَدَم

وتَرَكَ مُشرِفينَ يُسيئونَ إِلى الأُمَّة، مِنهم فيلِبُّسُ في أُورَشَليم، وهو فَريجِيُّ الأَصْل، وكانَ أَشرَسَ أَخْلاقًا مِنَ الَّذي وَلَّاه

وأَندَرونكُسُ في جَرِزِّيم، وأَيضًا مَنَلاوُسُ الَّذي كانَ يَفوقُ كِلَيهما شَرًّا لِأَبْناءِ وَطَنِه. وكانَ المَلِكُ يُضمِرُ لِليَهودِ أَبْناءِ وَطَنِه عِداءً مُتَأَصِّلًا

فأرسَلَ أَبُلُّونِيوس، قائِدَ المُرتَزِقَة، في ٱثنَينِ وعِشْرينَ أَلفَ جُنْدِيّ، وأَمَرَه أَن يَذبَحَ كُلَّ بالِغٍ مِنهم، ويَبيعَ النِّساءَ والأَولاد

فلَمَّا وَصَلَ إِلى أُورَشَليم، أَظهَرَ السَّلامَ وٱنتَظَرَ إِلى يَومِ السَّبتِ المُقَدَّس، حتَّى إِذا ٱستَراحَ اليَهود، أَمَرَ مَرؤُوسيه بِعَرضِ تَحِيَّة

وذَبَحَ جَميعَ الَّذينَ خَرَجوا لِمُشاهَدَةِ العَرْض، ثُمَّ ٱقتَحَمَ المَدينَةَ بِالسِّلاح وأَهلَكَ خَلْقًا كَثيرًا

وكانَ يَهوذا المَكَّابِيُّ قدِ ٱنصَرَفَ إِلى البَرِّيَّةِ مع عَشرَةِ رِجالٍ آخَرين، وكانَ يَعيشُ مع أَصْحابِه في الجِبالِ عيشَةَ الوُحوش ولا يأكُلونَ إِلَّا العُشْب، لِئَلَّا يُصابوا بِنَجاسة

Now about this time Antiochus made his second invasion into Egypt.

It happened that throughout all the city, for almost forty days, cavalry appeared in the midst of the sky in swift motion, wearing robes woven with gold and carrying spears, equipped with troops for battle—

drawing swords, squadrons of cavalry in array, encounters and pursuits of both armies, shaking shields, multitudes of lances, throwing of missiles, flashing of golden trappings, and putting on all sorts of armor.

Therefore everyone prayed that the manifestation might have been given for good.

When a false rumor had arisen that Antiochus was dead, Jason took not less than a thousand men, and suddenly made an assault upon the city. When those who were on the wall were being routed, and the city was at length nearly taken, Menelaus took refuge in the citadel.

But Jason slaughtered his own citizens without mercy, not considering that good success against kinsmen is the greatest misfortune, but supposing himself to be setting up trophies over enemies, and not over fellow countrymen.

He didn’t win control of the government, but receiving shame as the result of his conspiracy, he fled again as a fugitive into the country of the Ammonites.

At last therefore he met with a miserable end. Having been imprisoned at the court of Aretas the prince of the Arabians, fleeing from city to city, pursued by all men, hated as a rebel against the laws, and abhorred as the executioner of his country and his fellow citizens, he was cast ashore in Egypt.

He who had driven many from their own country into exile perished in exile, having crossed the sea to the Lacedaemonians, hoping to find shelter there because they were near of kin.

He who had thrown out a multitude unburied had none to mourn for him. He didn’t have any funeral at all and no place in the tomb of his ancestors.

Now when news came to the king concerning that which was done, he thought that Judea was in revolt. So, setting out from Egypt in a rage, he took the city by force of weapons,

and commanded his soldiers to cut down without mercy those who came in their way, and to kill those who went into their houses.

Then there was killing of young and old, destruction of boys, women, and children, and slaying of virgins and infants.

In a total of three days, eighty thousand were destroyed, of which forty thousand were slain in close combat, and no fewer were sold into slavery than slain.

Not content with this, he presumed to enter into the most holy temple of all the earth, having Menelaus for his guide (who had proved himself a traitor both to the laws and to his country),

even taking the sacred vessels with his polluted hands, and dragging down with his profane hands the offerings that had been dedicated by other kings to enhance the glory and honor of the place.

Antiochus was lifted up in mind, not seeing that because of the sins of those who lived in the city the Sovereign Lord had been provoked to anger a little while, and therefore his eye was turned away from the place.

But had it not been so that they were already bound by many sins, this man, even as Heliodorus who was sent by King Seleucus to view the treasury, would, as soon as he came forward, have been scourged and turned back from his daring deed.

However the Lord didn’t choose the nation for the place’s sake, but the place for the nation’s sake.

Therefore also the place itself, having shared in the calamities that happened to the nation, did afterward share in its benefits; and the place which was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty was, at the reconciliation of the great Sovereign, restored again with all glory.

As for Antiochus, when he had carried away out of the temple one thousand eight hundred talents, he hurried away to Antioch, thinking in his arrogance that he could sail on land and walk on the sea, because his heart was lifted up.

Moreover he left governors to afflict the race: at Jerusalem, Philip, by race a Phrygian, and in character more barbarous than him who set him there;

and at Gerizim, Andronicus; and besides these, Menelaus, who worse than all the rest, exalted himself against his fellow citizens. Having a malicious mind toward the Jews whom he had made his citizens,

he sent that lord of pollutions Apollonius with an army of twenty-two thousand, commanding him to kill all those who were of full age, and to sell the women and the boys as slaves.

He came to Jerusalem, and pretending to be a man of peace, waited till the holy day of the Sabbath, and finding the Jews at rest from work, he commanded his men to parade fully armed.

He put to the sword all those who came out to the spectacle. Running into the city with the armed men, he killed great multitudes.

But Judas, who is also called Maccabaeus, with about nine others, withdrew himself, and with his company kept himself alive in the mountains like wild animals do. They continued feeding on what grew wild, that they might not be partakers of the defilement.