14 Onias said to me, “This man is God's prophet Jeremiah. He loves our nation and our holy city of Jerusalem so much that he never stops praying for us.”
15 Then with his right hand, Jeremiah handed me a gold sword and said,
16 “This sacred sword is a gift from God. Take it and cut your enemies to pieces.”
17 Everyone, young and old, was encouraged by what Judas had said. They felt so brave and strong that they decided to rush out of camp and fight Nicanor's troops in hand-to-hand combat, in order to protect the city, the holy things, and the temple.
18 In fact, they went into battle so concerned about the sacred temple, that they gave no thought to their own families.
19 Meanwhile, the people of Jerusalem were anxious and worried about those who had left to fight in the countryside.
20 Everyone was waiting to see who would win the battle. The enemy troops had lined up and were moving forward, protected on both sides by cavalry. They also had elephants stationed in places where they could help the most.