20 After subduing Egypt, Antiochus returned in the one hundred and forty-third year. He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force. ²¹He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils. ²²He took also the table for the bread of the Presence, the cups for drink-offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front of the temple; he stripped it all off. ²³He took the silver and the gold, and the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures that he found. ²⁴Taking them all, he went into his own land.
He shed much blood,
   and spoke with great arrogance.
²⁵ Israel mourned deeply in every community,
²⁶   rulers and elders groaned,
young women and young men became faint,
   the beauty of the women faded.
²⁷ Every bridegroom took up the lament;
   she who sat in the bridal chamber was mourning.
²⁸ Even the land trembled for its inhabitants,
   and all the house of Jacob was clothed with shame.

29 Two years later the king sent to the cities of Judah a chief collector of tribute, and he came to Jerusalem with a large force. ³⁰Deceitfully he spoke peaceable words to them, and they believed him; but he suddenly fell upon the city, dealt it a severe blow, and destroyed many people of Israel. ³¹He plundered the city, burned it with fire, and tore down its houses and its surrounding walls. ³²They took captive the women and children, and seized the livestock. ³³Then they fortified the city of David with a great strong wall and strong towers, and it became their citadel. ³⁴They stationed there a sinful people, men who were renegades. These strengthened their position; ³⁵they stored up arms and food, and collecting the spoils of Jerusalem they stored them there, and became a great menace,
³⁶ for the citadel became an ambush against the sanctuary,
   an evil adversary of Israel at all times.
³⁷ On every side of the sanctuary they shed innocent blood;
   they even defiled the sanctuary.
³⁸ Because of them the residents of Jerusalem fled;
   she became a dwelling of strangers;
she became strange to her offspring,
   and her children forsook her.
³⁹ Her sanctuary became desolate like a desert;
   her feasts were turned into mourning,
her sabbaths into a reproach,
   her honour into contempt.
⁴⁰ Her dishonour now grew as great as her glory;
   her exaltation was turned into mourning.