36 The soldiers in the fortressattacked the templeand never stopped doinghorrible things to Israel.
37 They killed innocent peopleall around the temple,and they made it unfitas a place of worship.
38 Everyone ran from Jerusalem.Their own city becamea foreign country to them,and strangers moved in.
39 The temple was barrenjust like a desert,and its festivals and Sabbathsbecame times of sorrowand of shame.Jerusalem had lost all respect.
40 Shame and sorrow replacedits former glory and pride.
41-42 Antiochus wanted everyone in his kingdom to follow the same customs. So he made a law that said, “You must give up the traditions of your ancestors.”
43 The Gentiles obeyed the king, and many Jews gladly accepted his religion. They offered sacrifices to idols and broke the laws of the Sabbath.