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?
11 Jerusalem—once glorious—has lost its beautyand is now a slave.
12 The holy temple was our prideand our joy,until foreigners ruined itwith their filthy idols.
13 We'd be better off dead!
14 Mattathias and his five sons cried bitterly; they tore their clothes and put on sackcloth to show their sorrow.
15 The king's officials were trying to force everyone to break the Law of Moses by offering pagan sacrifices. And one day the officials went to the town of Modein,