1 About this time, Mattathias, a priest from the family of Joarib, moved from Jerusalem to Modein.
2-5 Mattathias had five sons, whose names were John, Simon, Judas, Eleazar, and Jonathan. Each son had a nickname. John was called Gaddi, Simon was known as Thassi, and Judas was called Maccabeus. Eleazar was nicknamed Avaran, and Jonathan was known as Apphus.
6 When Mattathias found out that the people of Judea and Jerusalem were rejecting God's Law,
7 he said:Why have I lived to seeenemies crushing my peopleand the holy city?Foreigners now occupy Jerusalem;they have taken over the temple,
8 making it a place of shame.
9 All of its sacred objectshave been dragged away.Young people are slaughteredby enemy swords,and our streets are coveredwith the bodies of children.
10 Is there any nationthat hasn't robbed usand stolen our treasures?