| Former half | Relation | Latter half |
| 1 Arrival of Heliodorus in Jerusalem (3:1-40) 3:26 Then two other young men, remarkably strong, strikingly beautiful, and splendidly attired, appeared before him. Standing on each side of him, they flogged him unceasingly until they had given him innumerable blows. (3:26) | Punishment by the LORD | 7 Antiochus's letter and death (9:1-10:8) 9:5 So the all-seeing Lord, the God of Israel, struck him down with an unseen but incurable blow; for scarcely had he uttered those words when he was seized with excruciating pains in his bowels and sharp internal torment, (9:5) |
| 2 Jason introduces Greek customs (4:1-22) 4:11 he abrogated the lawful institutions and introduced customs contrary to the law.(4:11) | Destruction of the ancestral customs | 6 Judas defeats Nicanor (8:1-36) 8:17 keeping before their eyes the lawless outrage perpetrated by the Gentiles against the holy Place and the affliction of the humiliated city, as well as the subversion of their ancestral way of life. (8:17) |
| 3 Menelaus becomes high priest (4:23-50) 4:48 Thus, those who had prosecuted the case for the city, for the people, and for the sacred vessels, quickly suffered unjust punishment. (4:48) | Martyrs | 5 The suppression of Judaism (6:1-7:42) Martyrs of the law |
| Former half | Relation | Latter half |
| 7 Antiochus's letter and death (9:1-10:8) Death of Antiochus | Death of pagans | 13 The defeat and death of Nicanor (15:1-37) Death of Nicanor |
| 8 Judas defeats Timothy (10:9-38) 10:12 Ptolemy, surnamed Macron, had taken the lead in treating the Jews fairly because of the previous injustice that had been done them, and he endeavored to have peaceful relations with them.(10:12) | Friendly pagans | 12 Dispatch of Nicanor (14:1-46) 14:26 When Alcimus saw their friendship for each other, he took the treaty that had been made, went to Demetrius, and said that Nicanor was plotting against the state, and that he had appointed Judas, the conspirator against the kingdom, to be his successor. (14:26) |
| 9 Lysias makes peace with the Jews (11:1-38) 11:14 persuading them to settle everything on just terms, and promising to persuade the king also, and to induce him to become their friend. (11:14) | Reconciliation | 11 Antiochus makes a treaty with a Jews (13:1-26) 13:23 Dismayed, he parleyed with the Jews, submitted to their terms, and swore to observe their rights. (13:23) |