¹There was a man born of the tribe of Benjamin, whose name was called Maccabeus.

²He had three children who were comely and altogether men of war. They had been beloved of all the people in the countries of Midian and Media that were under the rule of the Seleucid King.

³And as the king commanded them when he found them: "Do ye not bow down unto the Seleucid idols? Wherefore do ye not sacrifice?

⁴But if ye refuse, we shall seize and bring you before the king, and we shall destroy all thy substance, as the king hath commanded."

⁵These comely youths answered him, saying, "As for Him before whom we bow, there is our Father the Creator, who created the Earth and Heaven and all things therein, the sea, the moon and the sun, the clouds, and the stars. He is the True Creator whom we worship and in whom we believe."

⁶And these youths of the king were four, and the servants who bare shields and spears were an hundred.

⁷And when they sought to seize these holy ones, they escaped from their hands, and there were none who could lay hold upon them; for these youths were altogether mighty men of valour, bearing shields and spears.

⁸And there was one among them who could strangle and slay a panther, and in that hour he would strangle it as a fowl.

⁹And there was one among them who slew a lion with a single stone, or smote it with a staff at one blow.

¹⁰And there was one among them who slew an hundred men in battle with one sword; and their name and their deeds were thus proclaimed throughout all the countries of Babylon and Moab.

¹¹And they were mighty men of valour, and they possessed a thing that was beloved, even comeliness.

¹²And again, their features and comeliness were wondrous. Howbeit, because they worshipped JAH and feared not death, it was their understanding and comeliness that surpassed all.

¹³And when they put the troops to fear, there were none who could seize them; but those who were men of war escaped, going forth unto a lofty mountain.

¹⁴And those troops returned unto the city and shut the gate of the fortress. They put the people in terror, saying, "Except ye bring forth those warriors, the Maccabees, we shall burn your city with fire, and we shall send word unto the king and lay waste your country."

¹⁵And in that hour, all the people of the country, both rich and poor, daughters and sons, the orphan child whose father and mother had perished, and the aged woman, every one went forth and cried aloud together; and they lifted up their faces toward the mountain and cried out unto them, saying, "Destroy us not, neither lay waste our country for our sakes."

¹⁶And in that hour they wept together, and they trembled, it arising from JAH.

¹⁷And turning their faces eastward and stretching forth their hands, they made supplication unto JAH together, saying, "O Lord, shall we refuse these men who have overthrown Thy commandment and Thy law?

¹⁸Yet they believed in silver and gold, and in stone and wood that the hands of men have wrought. But we love not that we should hear that wicked word, who believed not Thy law," they said.

¹⁹"For Thou art the Creator who saveth and who slayeth; yet he maketh himself as the one who created him; as though he were the one who spilleth the blood of men and who devoureth the flesh of men.

²⁰But we love not that we should behold that wicked countenance, nor hear his word," they said.

²¹"Howbeit, if Thou command us, we shall go unto him, for we believe in Thee. We shall go forth and deliver our bodies unto death. And at the time when he saith, 'Sacrifice, sacrifice unto my creators,' we shall not hear that wicked word.

²²"But we believe in Thee, O Lord, who triest the reins and the understanding; the Creator of our fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who did Thy will and abode steadfastly in Thy law.

²³"Thou triest the understanding of men and dost help the sinner and the righteous one; and there is nought hidden from Thee. And he who hath taken refuge is made known before Thee.

²⁴"But we have no other Creator apart from Thee.

²⁵"That we might deliver our bodies unto death for Thy glorious name; howbeit, be Thou our strength and our power and a refuge unto us in this work whereunto we are appointed for Thee.

²⁶And at the time when Israel entered into the country of Gibeon, Thou heardest the supplication of Jacob; and now, O God most glorious, we beseech Thee."

²⁷And in that hour, two men of comely countenance were seen standing before them. And when the fiery swords, terrible as lightning, descended and smote their necks, they died. But in that hour they arose, and were whole as they were before.

²⁸Their comeliness of features became altogether fair, and they shone more than the sun; and they became more comely than aforetime.