19 Mattathias answered in a loud voice:What do I care if everyone in the king's entire kingdom turns from their own religion and starts obeying his laws?
20 My family and I will always keep the promises our ancestors made to God.
21-22 We will never give up our faith or disobey even one of God's laws. We will not obey Antiochus!
23 When Mattathias finished speaking, everyone watched as a Jew from Modein stepped forward to obey the king by offering a sacrifice on the altar.
24 Mattathias was furious, and he was so eager to see justice done that he rushed over to the altar and killed the man.
25 Then he destroyed the altar and killed the official who ordered the sacrifice.
26 Indeed, Mattathias showed that he loved God's Law as much as Phinehas, who had killed Zimri the son of Salu many years ago.