40
and said to one another, "If all of us do as these other Jews have done and refuse to fight the Gentiles to defend our lives and our religion, we will soon be wiped off the face of the earth."
41
On that day they decided that if anyone attacked them on the Sabbath, they would defend themselves, so that they would not all die as other Jews had died in the caves.
42
Then Mattathias and his friends were joined by a group of devout and patriotic Jews, the strongest and bravest men in Israel, who had all volunteered to defend the Law.
43
In addition, everyone who was fleeing from the persecution joined them and strengthened their forces.
44
Now that they had an army, they gave vent to their anger by attacking the renegade Jews. Those who escaped were forced to flee to the Gentiles for safety.
45
Mattathias and his friends went everywhere tearing down pagan altars
46
and circumcising by force every uncircumcised boy they found within the borders of Israel.
47
They were also successful in hunting down the arrogant Gentile officials.
48
They rescued the Law of Moses from the Gentiles and their kings and broke the power of the wicked King Antiochus.
49
When the time came for Mattathias to die, he said to his sons, "These are times of violence and distress. Arrogant people are in control and have made us an object of ridicule.
50
But you, my sons, must be devoted to the Law and ready to die to defend God's covenant with our ancestors.