heir eyes the injury they had unjustly done the
holy place, and also the injury they had done to the city, which had
been shamefully abused, besides their destroying the ordinances of the
fathers.

8:18. For, said he, they trust in their weapons, and in their boldness:
but we trust in the Almighty Lord, who at a beck can utterly destroy
both them that come against us, and the whole world.

8:19. Moreover, he put them in mind also of the helps their fathers had
received from God: and how, under Sennacherib, a hundred and eighty-five
thousand had been destroyed.

8:20. And of the battle that they had fought against the Galatians, in
Babylonia; how they, being in all but six thousand, when it came to the
point, and the Macedonians, their companions, were at a stand, slew a
hundred and twenty thousand, because of the help they had from heaven,
and for this they received many favours.

Galatians... That is, the Gauls, who having ravaged Italy and Greece,
poured themselves in upon Asia, in immense multitudes, where also they
founded the kingdom of Galatia or Gallo Graecia.

8:21. With these words they were greatly encouraged and disposed even to
die for the laws and their country.

8:22. So he appointed his brethren captains over each division of his
army; Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving to each one fifteen
hundred men.

8:23. And after the holy book had been read to them by Esdras, and he
had given them for a watchword, The help of God: himself leading the
first band, he joined battle with Nicanor:

8:24. And the Almighty being their helper, they slew above nine thousand
men: and having wounded and disabled the greater part of Nicanor's army,
they obliged them to fly.

Above nine thousand... Viz., including the three thousand slain in the
pursuit.

8:25. And they took the money of them that came to buy them, and they
pursued them on every side.

8:26. But they came back for want of time: for it was the day before the
sabbath: and therefore they did not continue the pursuit.

8:27. But when they had gathered together their arms and their spoils,
they kept the sabbath: blessing the Lord who had delivered them that
day, distilling the beginning of mercy upon them.

8:28. Then after the sabbath they divided the spoils to the feeble and
the orphans, and the widows, and the rest they took for themselves and
their servants.

8:29. When this was done, and they had all made a common supplication,
they besou