2 Maccabees 10:24-26

New Catholic Bible

²⁴ Judas Defeats Timothy and Captures Gezer.^[a] Timothy, who had been defeated by the Jews once before, now gathered an enormous force of mercenaries and considerable numbers of cavalry from Asia. Then he marched into Judea, intending to take it by storm. ²⁵ At his approach, Maccabeus and his men made supplication to God, sprinkling dust upon their heads and girding their loins with sackcloth. ²⁶ Prostrating themselves on the steps in front of the altar, they implored him to support them in their struggle, and, as the law states, to be an enemy to their enemies and an adversary to their adversaries.