Victory for Judas and death of Nicanor
1 Nicanor was informed that the men of Judas were in the neighboring
villages of Samaria, so he prepared to safely attack them on the day of
the sabbath.
2 The Jews, who were forced to accompany him, said to him, ¡°Do not
destroy them so savagely and barbarously, but show respect for the day
of the sabbath, for He who sees all has honored this day and sanctified
it.¡±
3 But the wretch asked if there was indeed a sovereign in heaven who had
commanded that the sabbath be holy.
4 They answered, ¡°It is the living God himself, the Sovereign in heaven,
who has commanded us to celebrate the seventh day.¡±
5 ¡°So I, as sovereign on earth, command you to take up arms and carry
out the decrees of the king.¡± But he could not bring to completion his
evil designs.
6 Nicanor was so sure of victory, that he planned to build a monument
with the mortal remains of Judas and his men.
7 But Maccabeus, for his part, felt confident and put his trust in God¡¯s
help.
8 He encouraged his men not to fear the attack of the pagans, and not to
forget the times God had come to their help, confident that even now God
would give them victory.
9 He roused their spirit with the words of the Law and the Prophets,
reminding them of previous triumphs.
10 Encouraging his men more and more, he finished by showing them the
evil of the pagans and how they had betrayed their oath.
11 So he armed them not with the sword or shield but with the certainty
that comes from noble words. Then he made them all full of joy by
telling them what he saw in a true dream.
12 He had seen Onias, the former High Priest, a courteous, good man, hum
ble in his ways, distinguished in his words and exemplary in his
irreproachable conduct since child hood. With arms outstretched, Onias
prayed for the whole Jewish community.
13 Then, a gray-haired and honorable man appeared, praying in the same
way, and characterized by dignity and majesty.
14 Then Onias, the High Priest, said to Judas, ¡°This is he who loves his
compatriots, he who prays without ceasing for the peo ple and for the
Holy City. He is Jeremiah, the prophet of God.¡±
15 And Jeremiah had stretched out his right hand giving a golden sword
to Judas, as he said,
16 ¡°Receive this sword as a gift from God, with which you shall destroy
your enemies.¡±
17 Encouraged by these beautiful words of Judas, which were able to en
courage righteous people and strengthen young souls, they determined not
to set up camp with defenses. They decided instead to rush out bravely
and take the offensive to settle the matter by fighting bravely, for the
Holy City Jerusalem, their religion and the Temple were in danger.
18 They considered of sec ond ary importance any concern for their
wives, children and friends; because they feared above all for the
Temple consecrated to God.
19 Regarding those who had stayed in the city, their anxiety was by no
means little, since they were worried about the battle that was about to
begin in the camp.
20 Everyone waited for the imminent outcome as the enemies attacked.
They had set their troops in place, led the elephants to strategic
positions and had the cavalry in the wings.
21 Then Maccabeus could see this multitude with their weapons of every
kind and the ferocious elephants. He stretched forth his hands to heaven
and called on the Lord who works marvels, for he knew that God gives
victory to those who deserve it, and this does not depend on weapons,
but on the will of God.
22 So Judas said in prayer, ¡°O Lord, you sent your angel in the days of
Hezekiah, the king of Judah, and he wiped out one hundred and
eighty-five thousand men of the army of Sen nacherib.
23 So now, O Lord of Heaven, send your good angel, before us too, to
fill our ene mies with fear and terror.
24 Show your power and let your arm strike those who insult you and who
come to destroy your holy people.¡± With this, he ended his prayer.
25 Meanwhile, Nicanor and his men advanced amid blasts of trumpets and
shouts of war.
26 Judas and his men, for their part, entered into battle with
supplication and prayer.
27 As they fought with their hands, their hearts prayed to God. And
being so magnificently strengthened by the manifest presence of God,
they killed no less than thirty-five thousand enemies.
28 When the battle ended, and they returned rejoicing, they found
Nicanor dead, lying on the ground with all his armor.
29 Then they blessed God in their ancestral language amidst shouts and
clamors.
30 Judas, who had once fully consecrated himself to the welfare of his
fellow residents and had never wavered in his affection for them,
ordered that Nicanor¡¯s head and arms up to the shoulders be cut off and
brought to Jerusalem.
31 There he summoned his compatriots and priests. He stood before the
altar and ordered them to send for those in the Citadel.
32 He showed them the head of that wretched, Nicanor, and the hand which
that wicked man had raised in pride above the house of God.
33 He or dered that Nicanor¡¯s tongue be cut into pieces and given to the
birds, and the hand be hung in front of the sanctuary as punishment for
his arro gance.
34 Then they blessed Heaven saying, ¡°Blessed be he who did not let his
Sacred House be defiled!¡±
35 Finally, Judas ordered that Nica nor¡¯s head be hung in the Citadel as
a sign of God¡¯s help.
36 By popular agreement, they decided that on the thirteenth day of the
twelfth month called Adar in Aramaic, the vespers of the day of Mor
decai would be commemorated as a festival day.
Author¡¯s conclusion
37 These were the events during the time of Nicanor. As from those days
the city remained under the power of the Hebrews, I end my account here.
38 If the narration has been good and well composed, that is indeed what
I desired; but if it has been ordinary and indifferent, it is what I was
able to do.
39 The readers¡¯ pleasure depends on how the account was arranged, just
as it is with one who drinks. It does not do any good when one drinks
only pure wine or water but wine mixed with water is tasty and
delightful. Let this, then, be my last word.
------------------------------------------------------------
Comments 2 Maccabees, Chapter 15
• 15.12 The faithful begin to discover the solidarity binding the living
and dead members of God¡¯s people. Here, the men of God of the past
intercede for their descendants: Jeremiah, the prophet of previous
centuries as well as Onias, the High Priest murdered a few years before.