And his son Judas, who was called Maccabaeus, rose up in his stead. And
all his brethren helped him, and so did all they that clave unto his
father. And they fought with gladness the battle of Israel.
And Seron, the commander of the host of Syria, heard that Judas had
gathered a congregation of faithful men with him, and of such as went
out to war. And he went up with a mighty army of the ungodly to take
vengeance on the children of Israel.
And Judas went forth to meet him with a small company. But when they saw
the army coming to meet them they said unto Judas, "What? shall we be
able, being a small company, to fight against so great and strong a
multitude? And we for our part are faint, having tasted no food this
day."
And Judas said, "It is an easy thing for many to be shut up in the hands
of a few; and with heaven it is all one to save by many or by few: for
victory in battle standeth not in the multitude of a host; but strength
is from heaven. They come to destroy us and our wives and our children:
but we fight for our lives and our laws. Be ye not afraid of them."
Now when he had left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon them, and
Seron and his army were discomfited before him.
And the fear of Judas and his brethren, and the dread of them, began to
fall upon the nations round about them. And king Antiochus gave Lysias
half of his forces, and the elephants, and gave him charge to destroy
the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem. And Lysias chose
three mighty men; and with them he sent forty thousand footmen, and
seven thousand horse, to go into the land of Judah, and to destroy it.
And Judas joined battle, and the Gentiles were discomfited. And Israel
had a great deliverance that day.
And the next year Lysias gathered together sixty thousand chosen
footmen, and five thousand horse. And Judas met them with ten thousand
men. And they joined battle; and there fell of the army of Lysias about
five thousand men.