28
When this message reached Nicanor, he was hurt and didn't know what to do, because he did not like having to break an agreement with a man who had kept his part of the bargain.
29
Yet it was impossible for him to ignore the king's command, so he began looking for a way to trap Judas.
30
Judas, however, noticed that Nicanor was becoming hostile and rude toward him, and he knew that this was a bad sign. So he gathered a large number of his followers and went into hiding.
31
When Nicanor realized that Judas had outsmarted him, he went to the great and holy Temple at the time when the priests were offering sacrifice and ordered them to surrender Judas to him.
1
32
But the priests declared under oath that they had no idea where Judas was hiding.
33
Then Nicanor raised his right arm in the direction of the Temple and made a solemn threat: "If you do not hand Judas over to me as a prisoner, I will level God's Temple to the ground, demolish this altar, and on this spot build a glorious temple to Dionysus."
34
Then he left, and immediately the priests lifted their arms toward heaven and prayed to God, the faithful Defender of our nation:
35
"Lord, you are in need of nothing, yet it has pleased you to place your Temple here and to live among us.
36
You alone are holy, and your Temple has only recently been purified, so now protect its holiness forever."
37
One of the leaders in Jerusalem, a man by the name of Razis, was denounced to Nicanor. It was said that he had helped his people in many ways and was so highly respected by them that he was known as "the Father of the Jews."
38
During the early days of the revolution he had risked his life for Judaism and had been brought to trial because of his loyalty.