29 ^° *^ey came *nt0 Idumea, and pitch
ed. 165. ed their tents at Bethsura, and Judas met
them with ten thousand men.
30 And when he saw that mighty army, he prayed and said, Blessed art thou, O ^Sam.i7. Saviour of Israel, d who didst quell the 5 ' S violence of the mighty man by the hand of thy servant David, and gavest the host J^. of || strangers into the hands of c Jona- •isim""'. tnan tne f°n °f Saul, and his armour 's. «4- bearer ;
31 Shut up this army in the hand of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their power and horsemen :
32 Make them to be of no courage, and cause the boldness of their strength to tGr.mtlt. -j- fall away, and let them quake at their destruction :
33 Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee, and let all those that know thy name praise thee with thanks giving.
34 So they joined battle ; and there were slain of the host of Lysias about five thousand men, even before them were they slain.
35 Now when Lysias saw his army put to flight, and the manliness of Judas' sol diers, and how they were ready either to live or die valiantly, he went into Antio- chia, and gathered together a company of strangers, and having made his army greater than it was, he purposed to come again into Judea.
36 Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited : let I or, us go up to cleanse and II dedicate the refair- sanctuary.
37 Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion.
38 And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests' chambers , pulled down ;
39 They rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads,
40 And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven.
41 Then Judas appointed certain men fch.1.34. to fight against ' those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanc tuary.
42 So he chose priests of blameless con versation, such as had pleasure in the law :
43 Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an un- ean place.
44 And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned
45 They thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, be cause the heathen had defiled it : where fore they pulled it down,
46 And laid up the stones in the moun tain of the temple in a convenient place, 6 until there should come a prophet to *ch.9.ir. shew what should be done with them. & l4"4
47 Then they took whole stones h ac- hExod.*o. cording to the law, and built a new altar De'ut.17.5. according to the former;
48 And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts.
49 They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candle stick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the table.
50 And upon the altar they burned in cense, and the lamps that were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple.
51 Furthermore they set the loaves up on the table, and || spread out the veils, and II 0r» finished all the works which they had be- ^brwd the gun tO make. hangings,
52 Now on the five and twentieth day ^ptbtgtd of the ninth month, which is called the wiis. month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning,
53 And offered sacrifice according to the " law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made.
54. Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals.
55 Then all tne people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success.
56 And so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of II deliverance and praise.
57 The* decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns ot gold, and with sliields ; and the gates and the cham bers they || renewed, and || hanged doors II or, upon them.
58 Thus was there very great gladness madldoors among the people, for that the reproach jser tbun' of the heathen was put away.
59 Moreover Judas and his brethren
