4. And when they declared, There is the Lord, living himself a Sovereign in heaven, who bade us observe the seventh day;
5. then says the other, I also am a sovereign upon the earth, who now command to take up arms and execute the king’s business. Nevertheless he prevailed not to execute his cruel purpose.
6. And Nicanor, bearing himself haughtily in all vaingloriousness, had determined to set up a monument of complete victory over Judas and all them that were with him:
7. but Maccabaeus still trusted unceasingly, with all hope that he should obtain help from the Lord.
8. And he exhorted his company not to be fearful at the inroad of the heathen, but, keeping in mind the help which of old they had oftentimes received from heaven, so now also to look for the victory which would come to them from the Almighty;
9. and comforting them out of the law and the prophets, and withal putting them in mind of the conflicts that they had maintained, he made them more eager for the battle.
10. And when he had roused their spirit, he gave them his commands, at the same time pointing out the perfidiousness of the heathen and their breach of their oaths.
11. And arming each one of them, not so much with the sure defence of shields and spears as with the encouragement that lies in good words, and moreover relating to them a dream worthy to be believed, he made them all exceeding glad.
12. And the vision of that dream was this: He saw Onias, him that was high priest, a noble and good man, reverend in bearing, yet gentle in manner and well-spoken, and exercised from a child in all points of virtue, with outstretched hands invoking blessings on the whole body of the Jews:
13. thereupon he saw a man appear, of venerable age and exceeding glory, and wonderful and most majestic was the dignity around him:
14. and Onias answered and said, This is the lover of the brethren, he who prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremiah the prophet of God:
15. and Jeremiah stretching forth his right hand delivered to Judas a sword of gold, and in giving it addressed him thus,
16. Take the holy sword, a gift from God, wherewith you shall strike down the adversaries.
17. And being encouraged by the words of Judas, which were of a lofty strain, and able to incite to virtue and to stir the souls of the young to manly courage, they determined not to carry on a campaign, but nobly to bear down upon the enemy, and fighting hand to hand with all courage bring the matter to an issue, because the city and the sanctuary and the temple were in danger.
18. For their fear for wives and children, and furthermore for brethren and kinsfolk, was in less account with them; but greatest and first was their fear for the consecrated sanctuary.
19. And they also that were shut up in the city were in no light distress, being troubled because of the encounter in the open ground.
20. And when all were now waiting for the decision of the issue, and the enemy had already joined battle, and the army had been set in array, and the elephants brought back to a convenient post, and the horsemen drawn up on the flank,
21. Maccabaeus, perceiving the presence of the troops, and the various arms with which they were equipped, and the savageness of the elephants, holding up his hands to heaven called upon the Lord that works wonders, recognising that success comes not by arms, but that, according as the Lord shall judge, he gaineth the victory for them that are worthy.
22. And calling upon God he said after this manner: You, O Sovereign Lord, did send your angel in the time of Hezekiah king of Judaea, and he killed of the host of Sennacherib as many as a hundred fourscore and five thousand;