And Judas went forth to meet him with a small company. But when they saw the army coming to meet them they said unto Judas, "What? shall we be able, being a small company, to fight against so great and strong a multitude? And we for our part are faint, having tasted no food this day." And Judas said, "It is an easy thing for many to be shut up in the hands of a few; and with heaven it is all one to save by many or by few: for victory in battle standeth not in the multitude of a host; but strength is from heaven. They come to destroy us and our wives and our children: but we fight for our lives and our laws. Be ye not afraid of them." Now when he had left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon them, and Seron and his army were discomfited before him. And the fear of Judas and his brethren, and the dread of them, began to fall upon the nations round about them. And king Antiochus gave Lysias half of his forces, and the elephants, and gave him charge to destroy the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem. And Lysias chose three mighty men; and with them he sent forty thousand footmen, and seven thousand horse, to go into the land of Judah, and to destroy it. And Judas joined battle, and the Gentiles were discomfited. And Israel had a great deliverance that day. And the next year Lysias gathered together sixty thousand chosen footmen, and five thousand horse. And Judas met them with ten thousand men. And they joined battle; and there fell of the army of Lysias about five thousand men. B. THE TEMPLE CLEANSED Judas and his brethren said, "Behold, our enemies are discomfited; let us go up to cleanse the holy place and to dedicate it afresh." And all the army was gathered together, and they went up unto mount Zion. And they saw the sanctuary laid desolate, and the altar profaned and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the court as in a forest, and the priests' chambers pulled down. And they rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and put ashes upon their heads, and fell on their faces to the ground, and cried toward heaven. Then Judas chose blameless priests, and they cleansed the holy place. And they built a new altar after the fashion of the former; and they built the holy place, and the inner parts of the house; and they hallowed the courts. C. THE OLD WORSHIP RESTORED And they offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings which they had made. At what time and on what day the Gentiles had profaned it, even on that day was it dedicated afresh, with songs and harps and lutes, and with cymbals. And all the people fell upon their faces, and worshipped, and gave praise unto heaven, which had given them good success. And they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed a sacrifice of deliverance and praise. And there was exceeding great gladness among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.