38
And they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins.
39
Then they rent their clothes, and mourned with great lamentation, and sprinkled themselves with ashes.
40
They fell face down on the ground, and sounded the signal on the trumpets, and cried out to Heaven.
41
Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary.
42
He chose blameless priests devoted to the law,
43
and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place.
44
They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned.
45
And they thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar,
46
and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until there should come a prophet to tell what to do with them.
47
Then they took unhewn stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one.
48
They also rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple, and consecrated the courts.