1 Very soon afterward, Lysias, guardian and kinsman of the king and head of the government, being greatly displeased at what had happened,
2 mustered about eighty thousand infantry and all his cavalry and marched against the Jews. His plan was to make their city a Greek settlement;
3 to levy tribute on the temple, as he did on the shrines of the other nations; and to put the high priesthood up for sale every year.
4 He did not take God’s power into account at all, but felt exultant confidence in his myriads of foot soldiers, his thousands of cavalry, and his eighty elephants.
5 So he invaded Judea, and when he reached Beth-zur, a fortified place about five stadia from Jerusalem, launched a strong attack against it.
6 When Maccabeus and his companions learned that Lysias was besieging the strongholds, they and all the people begged the Lord with lamentations and tears to send a good angel to save Israel.