27. And contending with their hands, and praying to God with their hearts, they killed no less than thirty and five thousand men, being made exceeding glad by the manifestation of God.
28. And when the engagement was over, and they were returning again with joy, they recognized Nicanor lying dead in full armor;
29. and there arose a shout and tumult, and then they blessed the Sovereign Lord in the language of their fathers.
30. And he that in all things was in body and soul the foremost champion of his fellow-citizens, he that kept through life the good will of his youth toward his countrymen, commanded to cut off Nicanor’s head, and his hand with the shoulder, and bring them to Jerusalem.
31. And when he had arrived there, and had called his countrymen together and set the priests before the altar, he sent for them that were in the citadel;
32. and showing the head of the vile Nicanor, and the hand of that profane man, which with proud brags he had stretched out against the holy house of the Almighty,
33. and cutting out the tongue of the impious Nicanor, he said that he would give it by pieces to the birds, and hang up the rewards of his madness over against the sanctuary.
34. And they all looking up to heaven blessed the Lord who had manifested himself, saying, Blessed be he that has preserved his own place undefiled.
35. And he hanged Nicanor’s head and shoulder from the citadel, a sign, evident to all and manifest, of the help of the Lord.
36. And they all ordained with a common decree in no wise to let this day pass undistinguished, but to mark with honor the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (it is called Adar in the Syrian tongue), the day before the day of Mordecai.
37. THIS then having been the issue of the attempt of Nicanor, and the city having from those times been held by the Hebrews, I also will here make an end of my book.
38. And if I have written well and to the point in my story, this is what I myself desired; but if meanly and indifferently, this is all I could attain to.
39. For as it is distasteful to drink wine alone and in like manner again to drink water alone, while the mingling of wine with water at once gives full pleasantness to the flavour; so also the fashioning of the language delights the ears of them that read the story. And here shall be the end. THE END OF APOCRYPHA.