1 In those days Mattathias, son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the family of Joarib, left Jerusalem and settled in Modein.
2 He had five sons: John, who was called Gaddi;
3 Simon, who was called Thassi;
4 Judas, who was called Maccabeus;
5 Eleazar, who was called Avaran; and Jonathan, who was called Apphus.
6 When he saw the sacrileges that were being committed in Judah and in Jerusalem,
7 he said:“Woe is me! Why was I bornto see the ruin of my people,the ruin of the holy city—To dwell thereas it was given into the hands of enemies,the sanctuary into the hands of strangers?