22. and all those who were troubling the people gathered about him. They took possession of the land of Judah and caused great distress in Israel.
23. When Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus and those with him were bringing upon the Israelites, even more than the Gentiles had,
24. he went about all the borders of Judea and took revenge on the men who had deserted, preventing them from going out into the country.
25. But when Alcimus saw that Judas and his followers were gaining strength and realized that he could not resist them, he returned to the king and accused them of grave crimes.
26. Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his honored officers, who was a bitter enemy of Israel, with orders to destroy the people.
27. Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a large force and deceitfully sent to Judas and his brothers this peaceable message:
28. “Let there be no fight between me and you. I will come with a few men to meet you face to face in peace.”
29. So he came to Judas, and they greeted one another peaceably. But Judas’ enemies were prepared to seize him.
30. When he became aware that Nicanor had come to him with deceit in mind, Judas was afraid of him and would not meet him again.
31. When Nicanor saw that his plan had been discovered, he went out to fight Judas near Capharsalama.
32. About five hundred men of Nicanor’s army fell; the rest fled to the City of David.
33. After this, Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests from the sanctuary and some of the elders of the people came out to greet him peaceably and to show him the burnt offering that was being sacrificed for the king.
34. But he mocked and ridiculed them, defiled them, and spoke arrogantly.
35. In a rage he swore: “If Judas and his army are not delivered to me at once, when I return victorious I will burn this temple down.” He went away in great anger.
36. The priests, however, went in and stood before the altar and the sanctuary. They wept and said:
37. “You have chosen this house to bear your name, to be a house of prayer and supplication for your people.
38. Take revenge on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and do not let them continue.”
39. Nicanor left Jerusalem and camped at Beth-horon, where the Syrian army joined him.
40. But Judas camped in Adasa with three thousand men. Here Judas uttered this prayer:
41. “When they who were sent by the king blasphemed, your angel went out and killed a hundred and eighty-five thousand of them.
42. In the same way, crush this army before us today, and let the rest know that Nicanor spoke wickedly against your sanctuary; judge him according to his wickedness.”