1 Lysias was a relative and the guardian of young King Antiochus Eupator. He was also running the government for the king.Soon afterwards, when Lysias learned what had happened to Timothy, he became furious
2 and got together his cavalry and almost 80,000 soldiers to attack our people. He planned to turn Jerusalem into a Greek city
3 and to tax the temple, as he had done to the temples in other nations. He also wanted to sell the position of high priest to the highest bidder each year.
4 Lysias took great pride in his army that had tens of thousands of soldiers, as well as thousands of cavalry troops and 80 elephants. But he completely forgot about the power of God.
5 Lysias led this army into Judea, where he fiercely attacked the fortress at Beth-Zur, about 32 kilometers from Jerusalem.
6 Meanwhile, Judas and his soldiers found out that Lysias was attacking the fortresses. So they and everyone else cried and begged God to send a good angel to rescue Israel.