27 But when King Antiokos (Antiochus) heard these words, he was full of indignation; and he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm, an extremely strong army. 28 He opened his treasury and gave his forces pay for a year, and commanded them to be ready for every need. 29 He saw that the money was gone from his treasures, and that the tributes of the country were small, because of the dissension and disaster which he’d brought on the land, to the end that he might take away the laws which had been from the first days. 30 He was afraid that he wouldn’t have enough as at other times for the charges and the gifts which he used to give with a liberal hand, more abundantly than the kings who were before him. 31 And he was extremely perplexed in his mind, and he determined to go into Paras (Persia), and to take the tributes of those countries, and to gather much money. 32 He left Lusias, an honourable man, and one of royal lineage, to be over the affairs of the king from the river Perat (Euphrates) to the borders of Mitsrayim (Egypt), 33 and to bring up his son Antiokos, until he came again. 34 He delivered to Lusias half of his forces and the elephants, and gave him charge of all the things that he’d have done, and about those who lived in Yehudah and in Yerushalem (Jerusalem), 35 that he should send an army against them to root out and destroy the strength of Yisrael (Israel) and the remnant of Yerushalem, and to take away their memory from the place, 36 and that he should make foreigners live in all their territory, and should divide their land to them by lot. 37 The king took the half that remained of the forces, and left Antiokeia, his royal city, in the one hundred and forty seventh year;[fn] and he passed over the river Perat, and went through the upper countries.

38 Lusias chose Ptolemaios (Ptolemy) the son of Dorumenes, Nikanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king’s friends;[fn] 39 and with them, he sent forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of Yehudah and to destroy it, according to the king’s word. 40 They set out with all their army, and came and encamped near Emmaous in the plain country. 41 The merchants of the country heard of their fame, and took silver and gold in large quantities, and fetters,[fn] and came into the camp to take the Israeli people for slaves. Forces of Aram (Syria) and of the land of the Pelishtim[fn] joined with them.