Alexander the Great
1 Maccabees 1, verse 1. After Alexander, the son of Philip the Macedonian, came out of the land of Kittim and conquered Macedonia, and defeated Darius the king of the Persians and the Medes, and reigned in his place—he was already king of Greece— 1 Maccabees 1, verse 2. he then fought numerous wars, conquered fortresses, and slaughtered the kings of the earth. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 3. He went to the ends of the earth and took the spoils of many nations. So the earth rested from war before him, and he was exalted; his heart was likewise encouraged. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 4. He formed a mighty army and ruled countries, nations, and princes, and they all paid taxes to him. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 5. Then later, he fell sick, and he knew he was dying. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 6. So he brought in his trusted servants who had grown up with him from childhood, and parceled out his kingdom to them while he was still living. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 7. After Alexander reigned for twelve years, death claimed him. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 8. Then his servants began to rule, each in his appointed place. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 9. They all put on crowns after he died, and their sons for many years after them, and the evils they caused multiplied on the earth.
Antiochus Epiphanes and the Lawless Jews
1 Maccabees 1, verse 10. A sinful root came forth from them, Antiochus Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus the king, who was a hostage in Rome. He began his reign in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 11. In those days lawless men came forth from the sons of Israel, and they persuaded many, saying, “Let us make a covenant with the Gentiles surrounding us, for ever since we were separated from them, many evils have found us.” 1 Maccabees 1, verse 12. This proposal found favor in their eyes, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 13. and some of the people eagerly desired to enter into this agreement. So they went to the king, and he gave them authority to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 14. Then they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to the customs of the Gentiles, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 15. and made themselves as the uncircumcision. So they fell away from the holy covenant, yoked themselves to the Gentiles, and sold themselves to do evil.
Antiochus Conquers Egypt
1 Maccabees 1, verse 16. Thus the kingdom was prepared before Antiochus, and he determined he would reign over the land of Egypt, so as to rule over two kingdoms. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 17. Thus he entered Egypt with a strong multitude of chariots, elephants, cavalrymen, and a large army. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 18. He engaged Ptolemy king of Egypt in battle, and Ptolemy turned from him in shame and fled. Many were wounded and fell. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 19. So they captured mighty cities in Egypt, and Antiochus took spoils in the land of Egypt.
Antiochus Pillages the Temple
1 Maccabees 1, verse 20. After he conquered Egypt in the one hundred and forty-third year, Antiochus turned and went up to Israel and Jerusalem with a large army. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 21. He entered the sanctuary in arrogance and took the golden altar, the lampstand, all the utensils, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 22. the table of presentation, the cups and bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the golden ornaments on the face of the temple. He stripped everything, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 23. and took the silver and the gold and everything costly, and the hidden treasures he found. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 24. Taking all these things, he departed for his own land. He committed deeds of murder and spoke with great arrogance. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 25. There was great mourning everywhere in Israel, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 26. Rulers and elders groaned, Virgins and young men grew weak, And the beauty of the women was altered. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 27. Every bridegroom took up a lament And sat mourning in his bridal chamber. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 28. The land was shaken for its inhabitants, And all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.
More Destruction in Jerusalem
1 Maccabees 1, verse 29. After two years, the king sent a revenue official to the cities of Judah, and he entered Jerusalem with a large army. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 30. Antiochus spoke peaceable words to them with deceit, and they believed him. Then he fell upon the city suddenly, struck it a great blow, and killed many people from Israel. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 31. He took spoils from the city, set it on fire, and tore down its houses and the city walls. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 32. They took captive the women and the children and took possession of the animals. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 33. Then they built the city of David with a great and strong wall and strong towers, and it became their citadel. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 34. They placed there a sinful nation of lawless men, and they became strong within it. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 35. And they laid up weapons and provisions, and gathered together the spoils they had taken from Jerusalem. Then they returned there and were like a great snare. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 36. It became an ambush against the sanctuary, An evil accuser against Israel continually. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 37. They shed innocent blood around the sanctuary And defiled the sanctuary. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 38. The inhabitants of Jerusalem fled because of them, And she became a dwelling place of strangers. She became a stranger to her offspring, And her children forsook her. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 39. Her sanctuary was laid waste like a desert And her feasts were turned into mourning, Her Sabbaths into a disgrace And her honor into contempt. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 40. Her dishonor prevailed against her glory, And her high position was turned into mourning.
A Decree of Corruption
1 Maccabees 1, verse 41. Then the king wrote to all his kingdom, that they all were to be as one people, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 42. and that each one was to forsake his customs. So all the nations accepted the word of the king. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 43. Many from Israel also thought it good to serve him, so they sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 44. Then the king sent books to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah by the hand of messengers, and told them to follow foreign customs in the land, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 45. to forbid whole burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane the Sabbaths and the feasts, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 46. and to defile the sanctuary and the holy ones. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 47. These books also told them to build altars, sacred precincts, and temples to idols, to sacrifice swine and common animals, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 48. to leave their sons uncircumcised, so they would corrupt their souls by every unclean and profane thing, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 49. and forget the law and alter all the ordinances. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 50. They also added that whoever did not obey the word of the king would die. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 51. According to all these words he wrote to everyone in his kingdom. He also placed inspectors over all the people and commanded the cities of Judah to sacrifice in each and every city. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 52. Thus many of the people, everyone who forsook the law, joined together and did evil things in the land. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 53. They forced Israel to hide in every place of refuge they had. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 54. Then on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, they set up the abomination of desolation on the altar of the whole burnt offerings and built altars in the surrounding cities of Judah. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 55. They also burned incense at the doors of houses and in the streets. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 56. And when they found books of the law, they tore them to pieces and burned them in the fire. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 57. Whenever a book of the covenant was found in someone's possession, or if anyone sympathized with the law, the judgment of the king was to kill him. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 58. They acted with their might against Israel, against those who were found month after month in the cities. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 59. Then on the twenty-fifth day of the month they sacrificed on the altar, which was on top of the altar of the whole burnt offerings. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 60. In keeping with the decree, they sentenced to death the women who had their children circumcised, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 61. and the families who had circumcised them, and hung the infants from their mothers’ necks. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 62. Yet many in Israel grew strong, and determined in themselves not to eat unclean things. 1 Maccabees 1, verse 63. They chose rather to die than be defiled by foods or profane the holy covenant. So they died, 1 Maccabees 1, verse 64. and great wrath came upon Israel.