talked of the battles of Judas.

1 Mac 3:27
Now when king Antiochus heard these things, he was full of
indignation: wherefore he sent and gathered together all the
forces of his realm, even a very strong army.

1 Mac 3:28
He opened also his treasure, and gave his soldiers pay for a
year, commanding them to be ready whensoever he should need
them.

1 Mac 3:29
Nevertheless, when he saw that the money of his treasures
failed and that the tributes in the country were small, because
of the dissension and plague, which he had brought upon the land
in taking away the laws which had been of old time;

1 Mac 3:30
He feared that he should not be able to bear the charges any
longer, nor to have such gifts to give so liberally as he did
before: for he had abounded above the kings that were before
him.

1 Mac 3:31
Wherefore, being greatly perplexed in his mind, he determined
to go into Persia, there to take the tributes of the countries,
and to gather much money.

1 Mac 3:32
So he left Lysias, a nobleman, and one of the blood royal, to
oversee the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates unto
the borders of Egypt:

1 Mac 3:33
And to bring up his son Antiochus, until he came again.

1 Mac 3:34
Moreover he delivered unto him the half of his forces, and
the elephants, and gave him charge of all things that he would
have done, as also concerning them that dwelt in Juda and
Jerusalem:

1 Mac 3:35
To wit, that he should send an army against them, to destroy
and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of
Jerusalem, and to take away their memorial from that place;

1 Mac 3:36
And that he should place strangers in all their quarters, and
divide their land by lot.

1 Mac 3:37
So the king took the half of the forces that remained, and
departed from Antioch, his royal city, the hundred forty and
seventh year; and having passed the river Euphrates, he went
through the high countries.

1 Mac 3:38
Then Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenes, Nicanor, and
Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends:

1 Mac 3:39
And with them he sent forty thousand footmen, and seven
thousand horsemen, to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy
it, as the king commanded.

1 Mac 3:40
So they went forth with all their power, and came and pitched
by Emmaus in the plain country.

1 Mac 3:41
And the merchants of the country, hearing the fame of them,
took silver and gold very much, with servants, and came into the
ca