1 Maccabees 3:36-46

36 and that he should place strangers in all their quarters, and divide their land by lot.
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 over the River Euphrates, he went through the high countries.
38 Then Lysias chose Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends;
39 and with them he sent forty thousand footmen and seven thousand horsemen to go into the land of Judah and to destroy it, as the king commanded.
40 So they went forth with all their power, and came and pitched camp by Emmaus in the plain country.
41 And the merchants of the country, hearing the fame of them, took very much silver and gold, with servants, and came into the camp to buy the children of Israel for slaves. A power also of Syria and of the land of the Philistines joined themselves unto them.
42 Now when Judas and his brethren saw that miseries were multiplied, and that the forces were encamped in their borders (for they knew how the king had given commandment to destroy the people and utterly abolish them),
43 they said one to another, "Let us restore the decayed estate of our people, and let us fight for our people and the sanctuary."
44 Then was the congregation gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray and ask mercy and compassion.
45 Now Jerusalem lay void as a wilderness; there was none of her children that went in or out. The sanctuary also was trodden down, and aliens kept the stronghold. The heathen had their habitation in that place; and joy was taken from Jacob, and the pipe with the harp ceased.
46 Therefore the Israelites assembled themselves together and came to Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem; for in Mizpah was the place where they prayed in former time in Israel.
Third Millennium Bible (TMB), New Authorized Version, Copyright 1998 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc., Gary, SD 57237. All rights reserved.