1 Now after a very little time Lysias, the king’s guardian and kinsman and chancellor, being sore displeased for the things that had come to pass,
2 collected about fourscore thousand footmen and all his horsemen and came against the Jews, thinking to make the city a place for Greeks to dwell in,
3 and to levy tribute on the temple, as on the other sacred places of the nations, and to put up the high priesthood to sale every year;
4 holding in no account the might of God, but puffed up with his ten thousands of footmen, and his thousands of horsemen, and his fourscore elephants.
5 And coming into Judaea and drawing near to Bethsuron, which was a strong place and distant from Jerusalem about five leagues, he pressed it hard.
6 But when Maccabaeus and his men learned that he was besieging the strongholds, they and all the people with lamentations and tears made supplication to the Lord to send a good angel to save Israel.
7 And Maccabaeus himself took up arms first, and exhorted the others to jeopard themselves together with him and succour their brethren; and they sallied forth with him right willingly.