19. And Mattathias answered and said with a loud voice, If all the nations that are in the house of the king’s dominion hearken to him, to fall away each one from the worship of his fathers, and have made choice to follow his commandments,
20. yet will I and my sons and my brethren walk in the covenant of our fathers.
21. Heaven forbid that we should forsake the law and the ordinances.
22. We will not hearken to the king’s words, to go aside from our worship, on the right hand, or on the left.
23. And when he had left speaking these words, there came a Jew in the sight of all to sacrifice on the altar which was at Modin, according to the king’s commandment.
24. And Mattathias saw it, and his zeal was kindled, and his reins trembled, and he showed forth his wrath according to judgement, and ran, and killed him upon the altar.
25. And the king’s officer, who compelled men to sacrifice, he killed at that time, and pulled down the altar.
26. And he was zealous for the law, even as Phinehas did to Zimri the son of Salu.
27. And Mattathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying, Whosoever is zealous for the law, and maintains the covenant, let him come forth after me.
28. And he and his sons fled into the mountains, and forsook all that they had in the city.