2 Maccabees 13 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Menelaus Is Put to Death

13 In the one hundred forty-ninth year[a] word came to Judas and his men that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a great army against Judea, 2 and with him Lysias, his guardian, who had charge of the government. Each of them had a Greek force of one hundred ten thousand infantry, five thousand three hundred cavalry, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with scythes.

3 Menelaus also joined them and with utter hypocrisy urged Antiochus on, not for the sake of his country’s welfare, but because he thought that he would be established in office. 4 But the King of kings aroused the anger of Antiochus against the scoundrel; and when Lysias informed him that this man was to blame for all the trouble, he ordered them to take him to Beroea and to put him to death by the method that is customary in that place. 5 For there is a tower there, fifty cubits high, full of ashes, and it has a rim running around it that on all sides inclines precipitously into the ashes. 6 There they all push to destruction anyone guilty of sacrilege or notorious for other crimes. 7 By such a fate it came about that Menelaus the lawbreaker died, without even burial in the earth. 8 And this was eminently just; because he had committed many sins against the altar whose fire and ashes were holy, he met his death in ashes.

A Battle Near the City of Modein

9 The king with barbarous arrogance was coming to show the Jews things far worse than those that had been done[b] in his father’s time. 10 But when Judas heard of this, he ordered the people to call upon the Lord day and night, now if ever to help those who were on the point of being deprived of the law and their country and the holy temple, 11 and not to let the people who had just begun to revive fall into the hands of the blasphemous Gentiles. 12 When they had all joined in the same petition and had implored the merciful Lord with weeping and fasting and lying prostrate for three days without ceasing, Judas exhorted them and ordered them to stand ready.

13 After consulting privately with the elders, he determined to march out and decide the matter by the help of God before the king’s army could enter Judea and get possession of the city. 14 So, committing the decision to the Creator of the world and exhorting his troops to fight bravely to the death for the laws, temple, city, country, and commonwealth, he pitched his camp near Modein. 15 He gave his troops the watchword, “God’s victory,” and with a picked force of the bravest young men, he attacked the king’s pavilion at night and killed as many as two thousand men in the camp. He stabbed[c] the leading elephant and its rider. 16 In the end they filled the camp with terror and confusion and withdrew in triumph. 17 This happened, just as day was dawning, because the Lord’s help protected him.

Antiochus Makes a Treaty with the Jews

18 The king, having had a taste of the daring of the Jews, tried strategy in attacking their positions. 19 He advanced against Beth-zur, a strong fortress of the Jews, was turned back, attacked again,[d] and was defeated. 20 Judas sent in to the garrison whatever was necessary. 21 But Rhodocus, a man from the ranks of the Jews, gave secret information to the enemy; he was sought for, caught, and put in prison. 22 The king negotiated a second time with the people in Beth-zur, gave pledges, received theirs, withdrew, attacked Judas and his men, was defeated; 23 he got word that Philip, who had been left in charge of the government, had revolted in Antioch; he was dismayed, called in the Jews, yielded and swore to observe all their rights, settled with them and offered sacrifice, honored the sanctuary and showed generosity to the holy place. 24 He received Maccabeus, left Hegemonides as governor from Ptolemais to Gerar, 25 and went to Ptolemais. The people of Ptolemais were indignant over the treaty; in fact they were so angry that they wanted to annul its terms.[e] 26 Lysias took the public platform, made the best possible defense, convinced them, appeased them, gained their goodwill, and set out for Antioch. This is how the king’s attack and withdrawal turned out.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Maccabees 13:1 163 b.c.
  2. 2 Maccabees 13:9 Or the worst of the things that had been done
  3. 2 Maccabees 13:15 Meaning of Gk uncertain
  4. 2 Maccabees 13:19 Or faltered
  5. 2 Maccabees 13:25 Meaning of Gk uncertain

You Might Also Like:

2 Maccabees 13 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

13 In the hundred and nine and fortieth year Judas knew, that Antiochus Eupator came with (a) multitude against Judea; 2 and with him came Lysias, procurator and sovereign of offices [or provost of needs], having with him an hundred and ten thousand of footmen, and of horsemen five thousand, and ele...
Read More

2 Maccabees 13 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Menelaus Is Put to Death13 In the one hundred and forty-ninth year[a] word came to Judas and his men that Anti′ochus Eu′pator was coming with a great army against Judea, 2 and with him Lys′ias, his guardian, who had charge of the government. Each of them had a Greek force of one hundred and ten tho...
Read More

2 Maccabees 13 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Menelaus Is Put to Death13 In the one hundred and forty-ninth year[a] word came to Judas and his men that Anti′ochus Eu′pator was coming with a great army against Judea, 2 and with him Lys′ias, his guardian, who had charge of the government. Each of them had a Greek force of one hundred and ten tho...
Read More

2 Maccabees 13 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Menelaus Is Put to Death13 In the one hundred and forty-ninth year[a] word came to Judas and his men that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a great army against Judea, 2 and with him Lysias, his guardian, who had charge of the government. Each of them had a Greek force of one hundred and ten thousa...
Read More

2 Maccabees 13 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Menelaus Is Put to Death13 In the one hundred forty-ninth year, word came to Judas and his men that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a great army against Judea,(A)2 and with him Lysias, his guardian, who had charge of the government. Each of them had a Greek force of one hundred ten thousand infant...
Read More

2 Maccabees 13 - New Catholic Bible (NCB)

Chapter 13The End of Menelaus, the Renegade. 1 In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas and his men were informed that Antiochus Eupator was advancing on Judea with a large army, and that accompanying him was Lysias, his guardian, who was in charge of the government. 2 Additionally, they had a ...
Read More

2 Maccabees 13 - New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Chapter 13Death of Menelaus. 1 (A)In the one hundred and forty-ninth year,[a] Judas and his men learned that Antiochus Eupator was invading Judea with a large force, 2 and that with him was Lysias, his guardian, who was in charge of the government. They led[b] a Greek army of one hundred and ten th...
Read More

2 Maccabees 13 - Good News Translation (GNT)

Menelaus Is Put to Death13 In the year 149[a] Judas Maccabeus and his followers found out that Antiochus Eupator was marching against Judea with a large army 2 and that Lysias, the young king's guardian and the head of his government, was with him. They[b] had a force of Greek troops consisting of 1...
Read More

2 Maccabees 13 - Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

13 In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas understood that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a multitude against Judea, 2 And with him Lysias the regent, who had charge over the affairs of the realm, having with him a hundred and ten thousand footmen, five thousand horsemen, twenty-two elephan...
Read More

2 Maccabees 13 - Common English Bible (CEB)

Events in Modein and Beth-zur13 In year 149[a] the news reached Judas’ followers that Antiochus Eupator was moving against Judea with a large army. 2 With him was Lysias, Antiochus’ guardian and head of the government. Each one had a Greek force of one hundred ten thousand foot soldiers, fifty-three...
Read More