to them, Things have gone far enough, now come forth and obey the command of the king and you shall live.  But they said, We will not come forth, neither will we do as the king commands, to profane the sabbath day.  Then they at once offered them battle.  But they made no resistance, neither did they cast a stone at them, nor stop up the places of concealment, for they said, Let us all die in our innocency:  let heaven and earth bear witness for us, that you put us to death unjustly.  Then they rose up against them in battle on the sabbath, and thus they died with their wives and children and cattle, to the number of a thousand souls.

[Sidenote:  I Macc. 2:39-48] When Mattathias and his friends knew it they mourned bitterly over them.  And they said to each other, If we all do as our brothers have done, and do not fight against the armed heathen for our lives and our customs, they will now quickly destroy us from off the earth.  So they took counsel that day, saying, Whoever shall come against us for battle on the sabbath day, let us fight against him, and we will by no means all die, as our brothers died in the hiding places.  Then there gathered together to them a company of Hasideans, brave men of Israel, every one who offered himself willingly for the law.  And all who fled from the evils were added to them, and strengthened them.  And they mustered a host.

And smote the sinners in their anger
And the lawless in their wrath.

And the rest fled to the heathen for safety.  Also Mattathias and his friends went about and pulled down the altars, and circumcised by force the children who were uncircumcised, as many as they found in the territory of Israel.  Thus they pursued the sons of arrogance, and the work prospered in their hand.  They took the direction of affairs out of the hands of the heathen and of the kings, nor did they yield ground to the sinner.

[Sidenote:  I Macc. 2:49-64] When the time approached for Mattathias to die he said to his sons, Now insolence and insult have grown strong, and a period of reversals has come, with flaming wrath.

Now, my sons, be zealous for the law,
And give your lives for the covenant of your fathers. 
And remember the deeds which your forefathers did in their generations;
And win great glory and everlasting fame. 
Was not Abraham found faithful when tested? 
And it was counted to him as righteousness. 
Joseph in the time of his distress kept the commandment,
And became lord of Egypt,
Phinehas our father, because he was so zealous,
Received the covenant of an everlasting priesthood. 
Joshua for carrying out the word of God,
Became a ruler in Israel. 
Caleb for bearing witness in the congregation,
Obtained a heritage in the land.