36. But Judas and his brethren said, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse the holy place, and to dedicate it afresh.
37. And all the army was gathered together, and they went up to mount Sion.
38. And they saw the sanctuary laid desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest or as on one of the mountains, and the priests’ chambers pulled down;
39. and they tore their clothes, and made great lamentation, and put ashes upon their heads,
40. and fell on their faces to the ground, and blew with the solemn trumpets, and cried toward heaven.
41. Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the citadel, until he should have cleansed the holy place.
42. And he chose blameless priests, such as had pleasure in the law:
43. and they cleansed the holy place, and bare out the stones of defilement into an unclean place.
44. And they took counsel concerning the altar of burnt offerings, which had been profaned, what they should do with it:
45. and there came into their mind a good counsel, that they should pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it: and they pulled down the altar,
46. and laid up the stones in the mountain of the house in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to give an answer concerning them.
47. And they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar after the fashion of the former;
48. and they built the holy place, and the inner parts of the house; and they hallowed the courts.