27. But when king Antiochus heard these words, he was full of indignation: and he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm, an exceeding strong army.
28. And he opened his treasury, and gave his forces pay for a year, and commanded them to be ready for every need.
29. And he saw that the money failed from his treasures, and that the tributes of the country were small, because of the dissension and plague which he had brought upon the land, to the end that he might take away the laws which had been from the first days;
30. and he feared that he should not have enough as at other times for the charges and the gifts which he gave aforetime with a liberal hand, and he abounded above the kings that were before him.
31. And he was exceedingly perplexed in his mind, and he determined to go into Persia, and to take the tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.
32. And he left Lysias, an honorable man, and one of the seed royal, to be over the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates to the borders of Egypt,
33. and to bring up his son Antiochus, until he came again.
34. And he delivered to him the half of his forces, and the elephants, and gave him charge of all the things that he would have done, and concerning them that lived in Judaea and in Jerusalem,
35. that he should send a host against them, to root out and destroy the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away their memorial from the place;
36. And that he should make strangers to dwell on all their coasts, and should divide their land to them by lot.
37. And the king took the half that remained of the forces, and removed from Antioch, from his royal city, the hundred and forty and seventh year; and he passed over the river Euphrates, and went through the upper countries.
38. And Lysias chose Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king’s Friends;
39. and with them he sent forty thousand footmen, and seven thousand horse, to go into the land of Judah, and to destroy it, according to the word of the king.
40. And they removed with all their host, and came and pitched near to Emmaus in the plain country.
41. And the merchants of the country heard the fame of them, and took silver and gold exceeding much, with fetters, and came into the camp to take the children of Israel for servants: and there were added to them the forces of Syria and of the land of the Philistines.
42. And Judas and his brethren saw that evils were multiplied, and that the forces were encamping in their borders; and they took knowledge of the king’s words which he had commanded, to destroy the people and make an end of them;
43. and they said each man to his neighbor, Let us raise up the ruin of our people, and let us fight for our people and the holy place.
44. And the congregation was gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask for mercy and compassion.
45. And Jerusalem was without inhabitant as a wilderness, there was none of her offspring that went in or went out; and the sanctuary was trodden down, and the sons of strangers were in the citadel, the Gentiles lodged therein; and joy was taken away from Jacob, and the pipe and the harp ceased.
46. And they gathered themselves together, and came to Mizpeh, over against Jerusalem; for in Mizpeh was there a place of prayer aforetime for Israel.