1 During that time, a priest of the Jehoiarib family named Mattathias, who was the son of John and the grandson of Simeon, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modein.
2 Mattathias had five sons: John (also called Gaddi),
3 Simon (also called Thassi),
4 Judas (also called Maccabaeus),
5 Eleazar (also called Avaran), and Jonathan (also called Apphus).
6 When Mattathias saw all the sins that were being committed in Judea and Jerusalem,
7 he said:“Why was I born to see these terrible things,the ruin of my people and of the holy city?Must I sit here helplesswhile the city is surrendered to enemiesand the Temple falls into the hands of foreigners?