# verses

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Neuerthelesse, they that were in the citie, woulde not let them go through, but walled vp the portes with stones: And Iudas sent vnto them with peaceable wordes, saying:


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Let vs passe through your lande, that we may go into our owne countrey, there shall no body do you harme, we wyl but onely go through on foote. But they would not let them in.


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Wherfore Iudas commaunded a proclamation to be made throughout the hoast, that euery man should assault the citie in his order.


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And so they did their best, lyke valiaunt men: and Iudas besieged the citie all that day, and all that night, and so wanne it,


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Where they slue as many as were males, and destroyed the citie, and spoyled it, and went through al the citie ouer them that were slaine.


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And Iudas helped those forward that came behinde, and gaue the people good exhortation al the way through, til they were come into the lande of Iuda.


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Thus they went vp vnto the mount Sion, where they offered burnt offeringes with mirth and thankesgeuing, because there were none of them slaine, but came home againe peaceably.


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Now what time as Iudas and Ionathas were in the land of Galaad, and Simon their brother in Galilee before Ptolomais:


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Then Iosephus the sonne of Zachari and Azarias the captaynes, hearing of the actes that were done, and of the battailes that were striken, saide:


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Iosephus also and Azarias were chased vnto the borders of Iewry, and ther were slaine that day of the people of Israel two thousand men: so that there was a great miserie among the people of Israel,


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And all because they were not obedient vnto Iudas and his brethren, but thought they shoulde quite them selues manfully.


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But the men that were with Iudas were greatly commended in the sight of all Israel, and all the Heathen, wheresoeuer their name was heard vpon.


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After this, went Iudas foorth with his brethren, and fought against the children of Esau in the lande that lyeth toward the south, where he wan the citie of Hebron and the townes that lye beside it: and as for the walles and towers rounde about it, he brent them vp.


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At the same time were there [many] priestes slaine in the battaile, which wilfully and without aduisement went out for to fight to get them honour.


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And when Iudas came to Azot in the Philistines lande, he brake downe their aulters, brent the images of their idols, spoyled the cities, and came againe into the lande of Iuda.


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Now when king Antiochus trauailed thorough ye hie countries, he heard that Elymas in Persia was a noble and plenteous citie in siluer and golde,


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And that there was in it a very rich temple, where as were clothes, coate armours, and shieldes of golde, which Alexander the sonne of Philip king of Macedonia that raigned first in Grecia had left behinde him.


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Wherefore he went about to take the citie & to spoyle it, but he was not able: for the citezins were warned of it, and fought with him:


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Moreouer, there came one which brought him tidinges in Persia, that his hoastes which were in the lande of Iuda were driuen away,


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And how that Lysias went foorth first with a great power, and was dryuen away of the Iewes, how that they had wonne the victory, and gotten great goodes out of the hoastes that perished,


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How they had broken downe the abhomination which he set vp vpon the aulter at Hierusalem, & fenced the sanctuary with hie walles, lyke as it was afore, yea and Bethsura his citie also.


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So it chaunced, that when the king heard these wordes, he was afrayde, & greeued very sore: Wherefore he layde him downe vpon his bed, and fell sicke for very sorowe, and all because it had not happened as he had deuised.


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And there continued he long: for his griefe was euer more and more, so that he sawe he must needes dye.


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Therfore he sent for all his friendes, & saide vnto them: The sleepe is gone fro myne eyes for the very sorowe and vexation of heart that I haue.


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For when I consider in my minde the great aduersitie that I am come vnto, and the fluddes of heauines which I am come in, where as afore time I was so merie, and so greatlie set by by reason of my power:


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Againe, considering the euill that I haue done at Hierusalem, from whence I toke all the riches of golde and siluer that were in it, and sent to destroye the inhabitours of Iurie without any reason why:


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I know that these troubles are come vpon me for the same cause: and behold, I must dye with great sorowe in a straunge lande.


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And gaue him the crowne, his robe, and his ring, that he shoulde take his sonne Antiochus vnto him, & bring him vp, till he might raigne him selfe.


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When Lysias knew that the king was dead, he ordained Antiochus his sonne, whom he had brought vp, to raigne in his fathers steede, and called him Eupator.


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Nowe they that were in the castle [at Hierusalem] kept in the Iewes rounde about the sanctuary, and sought euer still to do them harme, for the strengthening of the Heathen.


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Wherefore Iudas thought to destroy them, and called all the people together, that they might lay siege vnto them.


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So they came together in the hundred and fiftie yere, and besieged them, laying foorth their ordinaunce & instrumentes of warre.


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Then certaine of them that were besieged, went foorth: vnto whom some vngodly men of Israel ioyned them selues also,


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We haue euer ben minded to do thy father seruice, to walke in his statutes, and to obey his commaundementes,


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Therfore our people fell from vs: and wheresoeuer they founde any of vs, they slue them, and spoyled our enheritaunce.


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And beholde, this day are they besieging the castle at Hierusalem to take it, and haue made vp the strong holde in Bethsura:


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And if thou doest not preuent them right soone, they wil do more then these, and thou shalt not be able to ouercome them.


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When the king heard this, he was very angry, and called all his friendes, the captaines of his armie, and [all his footemen and] horsemen:


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He hired men of warre also, of other realmes pertayning to the kinges that were confederate with him, and of the Iles of the sea, which came vnto him.


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And the number of his hoast was an hundred thousand footemen, and twentie thousand horsemen, and thirtie & two Elephantes well exercised to battaile.


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These came through Idumea vnto Bethsura, and besieged it a long season, & made diuers instrumentes of warre against it: but the Iewes came out and brent them with fire, & fought like men.


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Then departed Iudas from the castle [at Hierusalem] and remoued the hoast toward Bethzacaran, ouer against the kinges armie.


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So the king arose before the day, and brought the power of his hoast into the way to Bethzacara: where the hoastes made them redie to the battaile, blowing the trumpettes.


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And to prouoke the Elephantes for to fight, they shewed them the sappe of red grapes, and mulberies.


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And deuided the Elephantes among the hoast: so that by euery Elephant there stoode a thousand men well harnessed, & helmettes of steele vpon their heades: yea, vnto euery one of the Elephantes also were ordained fiue hundred horsemen of the best,


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Euery Elephant was couered with a strong towre of wood, fastened thereon with instrumentes, whereupon were thirtie, and two valiaunt men with weapons to fight, and within was a man of Inde, to rule the beaste.


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As for the remnaunt of the horsemen, he set them vpon both the sides in two partes with trumpettes, to prouoke the hoast, & to stirre vp such as were slowe in the armie.


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And when the sunne shone vpon their shieldes of golde and steele, the mountaines glistered againe at them, & were as bright as the cressets of fire.


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The kinges hoast also was deuided, one parte vpon the hie mountaines, the other low beneath: so they went on, taking good heede, and keping their order.


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And all they that dwelt in the lande, were afrayd at the noyse of their hoast when the multitude went foorth, and when the weapons smote together: for the hoast was both great and mightie.


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Now when Eleazar the sonne of Saura did see one of the Elephantes deckt with the kinges badge, and was a more goodly beast then the other, he thought the king should be vpon him:


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Wherfore he ranne with a courage vnto the Elephant in the middest of the hoast, smiting them downe on both the sides, and slue many about him.


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So went he to the Elephantes feete, and gat him vnder him, and slue him: then fel the Elephant downe vpon him, and there he dyed.


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Iudas also and his men, seeing the power of the king and the mightie violence of his hoast, departed from them.


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And the kinges armie went vp against them toward Hierusalem, and pitched their tentes in Iurie beside mount Sion.


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Moreouer, the king toke truice with them that were in Bethsura: but whe they came out of the citie (because they had no vitayles, but were shut vp within, and the lande lay vntilled)


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The king toke Bethsura, and set men to keepe it, and turned his hoast to the place of the sanctuary,


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And layed siege to it a great while, where he made all maner ordinaunce, handbowes, firie dartes, racketts to cast stones, scorpions to shoote arrowes, and slinges.


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But in the citie there were no vittailes, for it was the seuenth yere of ye warres: and those heathen that remayned in Iurie, had eaten vp all their store.


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And in the sanctuary were fewe men left: for the hunger came so vpon them, that they were scattred abrode euery man to his owne place.


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So when Lysias heard that Philip (whom Antiochus the king while he was yet liuing, had ordained to bring vp Antiochus his sonne, that he might be king)


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Was come againe out of Persia & Medea with the kinges hoast, and thought to obtaine the kingdome with the gouernaunce of all thinges:


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He gate him to the king in al the haste, and to the captaynes of the hoast, and saide, We decrease dayly, and our vittailes are but small: Againe, the place that we laye siege vnto is very strong, & it were our part to see for the realme:


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And graunt them to lyue after their lawe, as they did afore: for they be greeued, and do all these thinges against vs, because we haue despised their lawe.


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And the king went vp to mount Sion: but when he saw that the place was well fenced, he brake the oth that he had made, and commaunded to destroy the wall rounde about.


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Then departed he in all the haste, and returned vnto Antioch, where he found Philip hauing dominion of the citie: So he fought against him, and toke the citie againe into his handes.


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In the hundred fiftie and one yere, came Demetrius the sonne of Seleucus from the citie of Rome with a smal company of men, vnto a citie of the sea coast, and there he bare rule.


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And when he came to Antioch the citie of his progenitours, his hoast toke Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them vnto him.


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There came vnto him wicked and vngodlie men of Israel, whose captayne was Alcimus, that woulde haue ben made hie priest:


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These men accused the people of Israel vnto the king, saying: Iudas and his brethren haue slaine thy frendes, and driuen vs out of our owne lande.


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Wherfore, send now some man, to who thou geuest credence, that he may go and see al the destruction which he hath done vnto vs and to the kinges lande, and let him be punished, with all his friendes and fauourers.


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Then the king chose Bacchides a friend of his, which was a man of great power in the realme beyond the water, and faithful vnto the king, and sent him [to see the destruction that Iudas had done.]


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And as for that wicked Alcimus, he made him hie priest, and commaunded him to be auenged of the children of Israel.


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So they departed [from the king] and came with a great hoast into the lande of Iuda, sending messengers to Iudas and his brethren, & speaking vnto them with peaceable wordes, but vnder disceite.


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Therefore Iudas and his people beleued not their saying: for they saw that they were come with a great hoast.


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After this, came the scribes together vnto Alcimus & Bacchides, to entreate of reasonable couenauntes:


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Saying: Alcimus the priest is come of the seede of Aaron, how can he deceaue vs though he come with an armie?


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So he gaue them louing wordes, and swore vnto them, & saide: We wyl do you no harme, neither your friendes.


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And they beleued him: but the very same day toke he threescore men of them, and slue them, according to the wordes that are written,


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They haue cast the fleshe of thy sainctes and shed their blood rounde about Hierusalem, & there was no man that would burie them.


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So there came a great feare and dreade among al ye people, saying: There is neither trueth nor righteousnesse in them: for they haue broken the appoyntment and oth that they made.


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And Bacchides remoued his hoast fro Hierusalem, & pitched his tent at Bethzecha, where he sent foorth, & toke many of them that had forsaken him: He slue many of the people also, and cast them into a great pit.


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Then committed he the lande vnto Alcimus, and left men of warre with him to helpe him: and Bacchides him selfe went vnto the king.


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And all such as vexed Israel, resorted vnto him: insomuch that they obtayned the lande of Iuda, and did much euill vnto the Israelites.


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Nowe when Iudas sawe all the mischiefe that Alcimus and his company had done (yea more then the heathen them selues) vnto the Israelites:


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He went foorth rounde about all the borders of Iurie, and punished those vnfaithfull runnagates, so that they came no more out into the countrie.


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So when Alcimus sawe that Iudas & his people had gotten the vpper hand, and that he was not able to abide them: he went againe to the king, and saide all the worst of them that he coulde.


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Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his chiefe princes, which bare euil wil vnto Israel, and commaunded him that he should vtterly destroy the people.


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So Nicanor came to Hierusalem with a great hoast, and sent vnto Iudas and his brethren with friendly wordes: but vnder disceyte, saying:


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There shall be no warre betwixt me and you, I wyll come with a fewe men to see how ye do with frendship.


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Upon this he came vnto Iudas, and they saluted one another peaceably: but the enemies were appoynted to take Iudas by violence.


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Neuerthelesse, it was tolde Iudas that he came vnto him but vnder disceyte: wherfore he gate him away from him, and would see his face no more.


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When Nicanor perceaued that his counsel was bewrayed, he went out to fight against Iudas, beside Capharsalama:


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Where there were slaine of Nicanors hoast fiue thousand men, and the residue fled vnto the castle of Dauid.


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After this came Nicanor vp vnto mount Sion, and the priestes with the elders of the people went foorth to salute him peaceably, & to shewe him the burnt sacrifices that were offered for the king.


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But he laughed them and the people to scorne, mocked them, defiled their offeringes, and spake disdainefully:


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Yea, and swore in his wrath, saying: If Iudas and his hoast be not deliuered nowe into my handes, assoone as euer I come againe and fare well, I shall burne vp this house. With that went he out in a great anger.


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Forsomuch as thou O Lorde hast chosen this house, that thy name might be called vpon therin, and that it should be an house of prayer and petition for thy people:


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Be auenged of this man and his hoast, and let them be slaine with the sword: remember the blasphemies of them, and suffer not them to continue any longer.


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When Nicanor was gone from Hierusalem, he pitched his tent at Bethoron, and there an hoast met him out of Syria.


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O Lorde, because the messengers of king Sennacherib blasphemed thee, the angell went foorth and slue an hundred fourscore and fiue thousand of them:


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Euen so, destroy thou this hoast before vs to day, that other people may knowe howe that he hath blasphemed thy santuary, and punishe him according to his maliciousnes.


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And so the hoastes stroke the fielde the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar: and Nicanors hoast was discomfited, and he him selfe was first slaine in the battaile.


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But the Iewes folowed vpon them a whole dayes iourney, from Adazer vnto Gazara, blowing with the trumpettes, and making tokens after them.


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So the Iewes came foorth of all the townes rounde about, & blew out their hornes vpon them, and turned against them: Thus were they all slaine, and not one of them left.


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Then they toke their substaunce for a pray, and smote of Nicanors head, and his right hande which he helde vp so proudely, and brought it with them, and hanged it vp afore Hierusalem.


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And Iudas ordayned that the same day [namely] the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar, shoulde be kept in mirth euery yere.


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Iudas heard also the fame of the Romaines, that they were mightie and valiaunt men, and agreeable to all thinges that are required of them, and make peace with all men which come vnto them,


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And how they were doughtie men of strength: besides that, it was tolde him of their battailes and noble actes which they did in Galatia, how they had conquered them, and brought them vnder tribute,


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And what great thinges they had done in Spayne: how that with their wysdome and sober behauour they had wonne the mines of siluer and gold that are there,


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And obtayned al the land, with other places farre from them: how they had discomfited & slaine downe the kinges that came vpon them from the vttermost parte of the earth, and how other people gaue them tribute euery yere:


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How they had slaine and ouercome Philip and Perses kinges of Cethim, and other mo in battaile, which had brought their ordinaunce against them:


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How they discomfited great Antiochus king of Asia, that woulde needes fight with them, hauing an hundred and twentie Elephantes, with horsemen, charets, and a very great hoast:


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How they toke him selfe aliue, and ordained him, with such as shoulde raigne after him, to pay them a great tribute, yea and to finde them good sureties and pledge besides all this:


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How they had taken from him India, Media, and Lydia, his best landes, and geuen them to king Eumenus:


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Sent against them a captayne of an hoast, which gaue them battaile, slue many of them, led away their wyues and children captiue, spoyled them, toke possession of their lande, and destroyed their strong holdes, and subdued them to be their bondmen, vnto this day.


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Moreouer, how that as for other kingdomes and Iles which sometime with stoode them, they destroyed them, and brought them vnder their dominion:


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But kept amitie with their owne frendes, and those that were confederate with them, and conquered kingdomes both farre and nye: & that whosoeuer heard of their renowme, was afrayde of the.


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For whom they woulde helpe to their kingdomes, those raigned: and whom it lyked not them to raigne, they put them downe: And howe they were come to great preheminence,


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But had ordained them selues a parliament, wherin there sat three hundred and twentie senatours dayly vpon the counsell, to dispatch euer the busines of the people, and to kepe good order:


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And howe that euery yere they chose a Maire to haue the gouernaunce of al their lande, to whom euery man was obedient, and there was neither euill wyll nor discention among them.


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Then Iudas chose Eupolemus, the sonne of Iohn the sonne of Iacob, and Iason the sonne of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome for to make frendship and a bonde of loue with them,


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That they might take from them the bondage of the Grekes: for the Iewes saw that the Grekes would subdue the kingdome of Israel.


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Iudas Machabeus, with his brethren, and the people of the Iewes, hath sent vs vnto you, to make a bond of frendship and peace with you, and ye to note vs as your louers and friendes.


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Wherefore it was written vp: of the which the Romanes made a writing in tables of brasse, and sent it to Hierusalem, that they might haue by them a memoriall of the same peace and bonde of frendship, after this maner:


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God saue the Romanes and the people of the Iewes both by sea & by lande, and kepe the sworde and enemie from them for euermore:


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If there come first any warre vpon the Romanes or any of their friendes throughout all their dominion,


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Also they shall neither geue nor send vnto their enemies vitailes, weapons, money, nor shippes: but fulfil their couenauntes at the Romanes pleasure, taking nothing of them therefore.


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Againe, if the people of the Iewes happen first to haue warre, the Romanes shal stand by them with a good wyl, according as the time wyll suffer:


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Neither shall they geue vnto the Iewes enemies vitailes, weapons, money, or shippes: Thus are the Romanes content to do, and shall fulfill their charge without any disceite.


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Now after these articles [saide they] if any of the parties wyll put to them, or take any thing from them, they shall do it with the consent of both: and whatsoeuer they adde vnto them, or take from them, it shall stande fast.


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And as touching the euill that Demetrius hath done vnto the Iewes, we haue writte vnto him, saying: Wherfore layest thou thy heauie yoke vpon the Iewes our friendes and louers?


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If they make any complaint of thee againe vnto vs, we shall defende them, and fight with thee by sea and by lande, according to iustice.


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I in the meane season, whe Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his hoast was slaine in the fielde, he proceeded further to send Bacchides and Alcimus againe into Iurie, & the chiefe strength of his hoast with them.


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So they went foorth by the way that leadeth vnto Galgala, and pitched their tentes before Masaloth (which is in Arbellis) and wan the citie and slue much people.


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In the first moneth of the hundred fiftie and two yere, they brought their hoast and layde their siege against Hierusalem:


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But raysing their campe, they came to Berea with twentie thousand footemen, and two thousand horsemen.


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And when they sawe the multitude of the other armie that it was so great, they were sore afrayde, and many conueyed them selues out of the hoast, insomuch that there abode no mo of them but eyght hundred men.


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When Iudas sawe that his hoast failed him, and that he must needes fight, it brake his heart, that he had no time to gather them together: wherefore the man was in extreme trouble.


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Neuerthelesse, he saide vnto them that remayned with him: Up, let vs go against our enemies, peraduenture we shall be able to fight with them.


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But they woulde haue stopped him, saying, We shall not be able: therefore now let vs saue our lyues, and turne againe to our brethren: for shoulde we fight against them, being so fewe?


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And Iudas saide, God forbyd that we should flee from them: wherefore if our time be come, let vs dye manfully for our brethren, and let vs not stayne our honour.


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Then the hoast remoued out of the tentes, and stoode against them, and the horseme were deuided in two partes: the sling casters and archers went before the hoast, and all the mightie men were formost in the fielde.


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Bacchides him selfe was in the right wing of the battaile, and the hoast drew nye in two partes, and blewe the trumpettes.


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They of Iudas side blewe the trumpettes also, and the earth shooke at the noyse of the hoastes: and they strake a fielde from the morowe till night.


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And when Iudas sawe that Bacchides hoast was strongest of the right side, he toke with him all the hardie men,


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Now when they which were the left wing, sawe that the right side was discomfited, they persecuted Iudas and them that were with him hard at the heeles.


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So Ionathas and Simon toke Iudas their brother, and buried him in his fathers sepuchre in the citie of Modin.


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As for other thinges pertayning to the battailes of Iudas, the noble actes that he did, and of his worthynes, they are not written, for they were very many.


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Now after the death of Iudas, wicked men came vp in al the coastes of Israel, & there arose all such as did worke vngodlinesse.


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In those dayes was there a great dearth in the lande, and all the countrie gaue ouer them selues and theirs vnto Bacchides.


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These sought out and made search for Iudas friendes, and brought them vnto Bacchides, whiche auenged him selfe vpon them with great dispite.


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And there came so great trouble in Israel, as was not since the time that no prophete was seene there.


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Forsomuch as thy brother Iudas is dead, there is none like him to go foorth against our enemies, against Bacchides and such as are aduersaries of our owne people:


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And Ionathas toke the gouernaunce vpon him at the same time, and ruled in steade of his brother Iudas.


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But Ionathas & Simon his brother perceauing that, fled into the wildernesse of Thecua with al their campanie, and pitched their tentes by the water poole of Asphar.


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Nowe had Ionathas sent his brother [Ihon] a captayne of the people, to pray his friendes the Nabuthites, that they would lende them their ordinaunce, for they had much.


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So the children of Iambri came out of Madaba, and toke Ihon and all that he had, and went their way withall when they had taken it.


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Then came worde vnto Ionathas and Simon his brother, that the children of Iambri made a great mariage, & brought the bride from Madaba with great pompe: for she was daughter to one of the noblest princes of Chanaan.


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Wherefore they remembred the blood of Ihon their brother, and went vp, and hyd them selues vnder the shadowe of the mountayne.


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So they lift vp their eyes, and loked, & beholde there was much a do & great preparation: for the brydegrome came foorth, and his friendes and his brethren mette them with tympanies, instrumentes of musicke, and many weapons.


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Then Ionathas and they that were with hym, rose out of their lurking places against them, and slue many of them: and the remnaunt fled into the mountaynes, and they toke all their substaunce.


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Bacchides hearing this, came vnto the very border of Iordane with a great power, vpon the Sabbath day.


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And Ionathas sayd to his companie, Let vs get vp, & fight against our enemies: for it standeth not with vs to day, as in time past.


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Behold, our enemies are in our way, the water of Iordane vpon the one side of vs, with banckes, fennes, and woods on the other side, so that there is no place for vs to depart vnto.


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Wherefore crye nowe vnto heauen, that ye may be deliuered from the power of your enemies: So they stroke the battayle.


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Then Ionathas and they that were with him, leapt into Iordane, & swimmed ouer Iordane vnto the further banke: but the other woulde not passe ouer Iordane after him.


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Therfore Bacchides with his hoast turned againe to Hierusalem, and buylt vp the castles and strong holdes that were in Iurie, Iericho, Emaus, Bethoron, Bethel, Thamnata, Phara, and Thopo, with hye walles, with portes, and with lockes:


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He toke also the chiefest mens sonnes in the countrey for pledges, & put them in the castle at Hierusalem to be kept.


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Afterwarde in the hundred fyftie and three yere, in the seconde moneth, Alcimus commaunded that they should destroy the walles of the inwarde court of the sanctuarie, and he pulled downe and began to destroy the monumentes of the prophetes,


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But at the same time Alcimus was plagued and smitten with a paulsie, and his enterprises were hindered, & his mouth was stopped [by God] so that he could no more speake nor commaunde any of his house concerning his businesse.


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And when Bacchides sawe that Alcimus was dead, he turned againe to the king: & so the land was in rest two yeres.


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Then all the vngodly men held a counsell, saying: Behold, Ionathas and his company are at ease, and dwel without care, wherefore let vs bring Bacchides hyther, and he shall take them all in one night.


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Which arose to come with a great hoast, & sent letters priuily to his adherentes which were in Iurie, to take Ionathas and those that were with hym: but they might not, for the other had gotten knowledge of their deuice.


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Then Ionathas & Simon with their companie departed vnto the citie Bethbasin, whiche lyeth in the wildernesse, and repaired the decay therof, and made it strong.


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Then came he & layed siege to Bethbasin, and fought against it a long season, and made instrumentes of warre.


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Nowe Ionathas left his brother Simon in the citie, and went foorth hym selfe into the countrey, and came with a certayne number,


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And slue Odomeras and his brethren, and the children of Phaseron in their tentes, so that he began to be strong and to increase in power.


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And fought against Bacchides, and discomfited him: and Bacchides was sore vexed, because his counsell and trauayle was in vayne.


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Wherfore he was wroth at the wicked men that gaue him counsel to come into their land, & slue many of them: Then purposed he with his companie to go away into his owne countrey.


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Wherof when Ionathas had knowledge, he sent ambassadours vnto hym for to make peace with hym, and that he shoulde deliuer him his prisoners againe.


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To the whiche Bacchides consented gladly, and dyd according to his desire: yea & made an oth that he should neuer do him harme all the dayes of his lyfe.


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So he restored vnto him all the prisoners that he had taken out of the lande of Iuda, and then turned and went his way into his owne land, neither proceeded he any further to come vnto the borders of Iuda.


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Thus Israel had no more warre, and Ionathas dwelt at Machmas, and began there to gouerne the people, and destroyed the vngodly men out of Israel.


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In the hundred and threescore yere, came Alexander the sonne of noble Antiochus, and toke Ptolomais, whose citizines receaued him, and there he raygned.


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When Demetrius heard therof, he gathered an exceeding great hoast, and went foorth against him to fight.


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For he sayde: We will first make peace with him, before he bynde him selfe with Alexander against vs:


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And so he gaue Ionathas leaue to gather an hoast, to make weapons, & to be confederat with him, and commaunded the pledges that were in the castle to be deliuered vnto him.


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Then came Ionathas to Hierusalem, and read the letters in the audience of al the people, and of them that were in the castle.


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And therefore were they sore afrayde, because they hearde that the king had geuen him licence to gather an hoast.


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Commaunding the workmen to wall it and the mount Sion rounde about with free stone, to be a strong hold: and so they did.


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Only at Bethsura remayned certayne of the Iewes, whiche had forsaken the lawe and commaundementes of God, for Bethsura was their refuge.


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Nowe when king Alexander heard of the promises that Demetrius had made vnto Ionathas, and when it was tolde him of the battayles and noble actes which he and his brethren had done, and of the great trauayles that they had taken,


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He sayde: Where shall we finde such a man? well, we wil make him our friend, and be confederat with hym.


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Wherfore this day we ordayne thee to be the hye priest of thy people, and to be called the kinges friende (Upon this he sent hym a purple clothing, & a crowne of gold) that thou mayest consider what is for our profite, and kepe friendship towarde vs.


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So in the seuenth moneth of the hundred and threescore yere, vpon the solempne feast day of the tabernacles, Ionathas put the holy rayment vpon him: then gathered he an hoast, and prepared many weapons.


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And sayde: Alas what haue we done, that Alexander hath preuented vs, in getting the friendship of the Iewes for his owne defence?


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Yet will I wryte louingly vnto them also, yea and promise them dignities and rewardes, that they may be of my syde.


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Wherevpon he wrote vnto them these wordes: King Demetrius sendeth greeting vnto the people of the Iewes:


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Whereas ye haue kept your couenaunt toward vs, and continued in our friendship, not inclining to our enemies, we were glad when we hearde therof.


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Wherfore remayne still and be faythfull to vs, and we shall well recompence you for the thinges that ye haue done on our partie:


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And now I discharge you and all the Iewes from tributes, I forgeue you the customes of salt, and releasse you of the crowne taxes, of the thirde part of seede,


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And halfe the fruite of trees, whiche is myne owne duetie, I do releasse them from this day foorth, so that they shall not be taken of the lande of Iuda, nor of the three cities which are added therunto out of Samaria and Galilee, from this day foorth, for euermore.


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Hierusalem also, with all thinges belonging therto shalbe holy and free, yea the tythes and tributes shall pertayne vnto it.


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As for the power of the castle whiche is at Hierusalem, I remit and geue it vnto the hygh priest, that he may set in it such men as he shall choose to kepe it.


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I freely deliuer all the Iewes that are prisoners throughout all my realme, so that euery one of them shalbe free from paying any tribute, yea euen of their cattell.


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All the solempne feastes, Sabbathes, newe moones, the dayes appoynted, the three dayes before and after the feast, shalbe free for all the Iewes in my realme.


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So that in them no man shall haue power to do any thing, or to vexe any of them in any maner of cause.


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There shall thirtie thousand also of the Iewes be written vp in the kinges hoast, and haue their wages payed as all other men of warre of the kinges should haue: and of them shalbe ordeyned certayne to kepe the kinges strong holdes,


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Yea and some of them shalbe set ouer the kinges secret affaires: and their gouernours and princes shalbe of them selues, and lyue after their owne lawes, as the king hath commaunded in the lande of Iuda.


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And the three cities that are fallen vnto Iurie from the countrey of Samaria, shalbe taken as Iurie, and be vnder one, neither be subiect to any straunge lord, but to the hie priest.


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As for Ptolomais and the land pertayning therto, I geue it vnto the sanctuarie at Hierusalem, for the necessarie expences of the holy thinges.


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Moreouer, I will geue euery yere fyfteene thousande sicles of siluer of the kinges reuenues, out of the places appertayning vnto me.


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And all the ouerplus which they haue not payed for thinges due, as they dyd in the former yeres, from hencefoorth they shall geue it towarde the workes of the temple.


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And besides this, the fyue thousande sicles of siluer which they receaued yerely of the account appoynted for the interteynement of the sanctuarie these yeres passed, euen these thinges shalbe releassed, because they appertaine to the priestes that minister.


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Item, whosoeuer they be that flee vnto the temple at Hierusalem, or within the liberties therof, where as they are fallen into the kinges daunger for any maner of businesse, they shalbe pardoned, and al the goodes that they haue in my realme shalbe free.


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For the buylding also and repayring of the worke of the sanctuarie, expences shalbe geuen out of the kinges reuenues:


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Yea and for the making of the walles rounde about Hierusalem, for the breaking downe of the olde, and for the setting vp of the strong holdes in Iurie, shall the costes and charges be geuen out of the kinges reuenues.


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But when Ionathas and the people hearde these wordes, they gaue no credence vnto them, neither receaued them: for they remembred the great wickednesse that he had done vnto Israel, and howe sore he had vexed them.


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Wherfore they agreed vnto Alexander, for he was a prince that had dealt friendly with them, and so they stoode by him alway.


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So the two kinges stroke battayle together, but Demetrius hoast fled, and Alexander folowed after, and fell vpon them.


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A mightie sore fielde was it, continuing till the sunne went downe: and Demetrius was slayne the same day.


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Forsomuch as I am come againe to my realme, and am set in the throne of my progenitours, and haue gotten the dominion, ouercommed Demetrius,


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Conquered the lande, & striken a fielde with hym, so that we haue discomfited both hym and his hoast, and sit in the throne of his kingdome:


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Let vs nowe make friendship together, geue me thy daughter to wyfe, so shal I be thy sonne in lawe, and both geue thee rewardes, and her accordyng to thy dignitie.


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Ptolomi the king gaue aunswere, saying: Happy be the day wherein thou art come againe to the lande of thy progenitours, and set in the throne of their kingdome.


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And nowe will I fulfill thy wryting: but meete me at Ptolomais, that we may see one another, and that I may marry my daughter vnto thee according to thy desire.


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So Ptolomi went out of Egypt with his daughter Cleopatra, and came vnto Ptolomais in the hundred threescore and two yere,


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Where king Alexander mette hym: and he gaue Alexander his daughter Cleopatra, and maried them at Ptolomais with great worship, like as the maner of kinges is to be.


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So he went honorably vnto Ptolomais, & there he mette the two kinges, and gaue them and their friendes great presentes of golde and siluer, and founde fauour in their sight.


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And there came together against Ionathas certayne wicked men and vngratious persons of Israel, making complayntes of him: but the king regarded them not.


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As for Ionathas, the king commaunded to take of his garmentes, & to cloth him in purple: and so they did. Then the king appoynted him to sit by him,


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And sayde vnto his princes: Go with him into the middest of the citie, & make a proclamation, that no man complayne against him of any matter, and that no man trouble hym for any maner of cause.


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So it happened, that when his accusers sawe the worship whiche was proclaymed of hym, & that he was clothed in purple, they fled euery one.


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And the king made much of him, wrote hym among his chiefe friendes, made hym a duke, and partaker of his dominion.


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In the hundred threescore & fyft yere, came Demetrius, the sonne of Demetrius, from Creta, into his fathers lande:


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And Demetrius chose Apollonius, whiche had the gouernaunce of Celosiria, to be his captayne: So he gathered a great hoast, and came vnto Iamnia, & sent worde vnto Ionathas the hygh priest, saying:


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Darest thou with stande vs thy selfe alone? As for me, I am but laughed to scorne, and shamed, because thou diddest vaunte thy strength against vs in the mountaynes.


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Now therfore, if thou trustest in thyne owne strength, come downe to vs into the playne fielde, & there let vs trye the matter together, for thou shalt knowe that I haue the strength of many cities,


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And shalt knowe who I am, and the other that stand by me, which say, That your foote is not able to stande before our face, for thy fathers haue ben twyse chased in their owne lande.


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And nowe howe wilt thou be able to abyde so great an hoast of horsemen and footemen in the fielde, where as is neither rocke, stone, nor place to flee vnto?


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When Ionathas hearde the wordes of Apollonius, he was moued in his mynde, wherfore he chose ten thousand men, and went out of Hierusalem: and Simon his brother mette hym for to helpe hym.


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And they pitched their tentes at Ioppa: but the citie kept hym foorth, for Apollonius garrison was in Ioppa.


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Then Ionathas layed siege to it, and they that were in the citie for very feare let him in: and so Ionathas wan Ioppa.


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Apollonius hearing of this, toke three thousand horsemen, with a great hoast on foote, and went to Azotus as though he woulde go further, and came immediatly into the playne fielde, because he had so many horsemen, and put his trust in them.


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So Ionathas folowed vpon hym to Azotus, and the army skirmished with his rereward, and there they stroke the battayle.


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And when Ionathas knewe that such wayte was layed behynde them, they went rounde about the enemies hoast, and shot dartes at the people from the morning to the euening.


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As for Ionathas people, they kept their order as he had commaunded them, and the enemies horses were weery.


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Then brought Simon foorth his hoast, and set them against the footemen (for the horsemen were weery alredy:) So he discomfited them, and they fled.


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And they that were scattered in the fielde, gat them to Azotus, and came into the temple of Dagon their idoll, that they might there saue their liues.


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But Ionathas set fire vpon Azotus and all the cities rounde about it, and toke their goodes, and brent vp the temple of Dagon, with all them that were fled into it.


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So Ionathas remoued the hoast from thence, and brought them to Ascalon, where the men of the citie came foorth, and mette him with great worship.


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And sent him a coller of gold, as the vse is to be geuen vnto such as are of the kinges next blood: He gaue him also the citie of Accaron, with the landes belonging therto, in possession.


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And the king of Egypt gathered an hoast like the sande that lyeth vpon the sea shore, and many shippes, & went about thorow disceyte to obtayne the kingdome of Alexander, and to ioyne it vnto his owne realme.


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Upon this he toke his iourney into Syria, vsing gentle wordes, so that he was letten into the cities, & men came foorth to meete hym: for king Alexander had commaunded them so to do, because he was his father in lawe.


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Nowe when Ptolomi entred into any citie, he left men of warre to kepe it: and this he did thorowout all the cities.


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And when he came to Azotus, they shewed hym the temple of Dagon, and Azotus that was brent vp, with the other thinges which were destroyed, the dead bodies cast abrode, and the graues that they had made by the way side for such as were slayne in the fielde,


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And tolde the king that Ionathas had done all these thinges, to the intent they might get him euyll will: But the king sayde not one worde therto.


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And Ionathas mette the king with great honour at Ioppa, where they saluted one an other, and toke their rest.


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So when Ionathas had gone with the king vnto the water that was called Eleutherus, he turned againe to Hierusalem.


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Nowe Ptolomi had gotten the dominion of the cities vnto Seleucia vpon the sea coast, imagining wicked counsels against Alexander,


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And sent ambassadours vnto Demetrius, saying: Come, let vs make a bonde betwixt vs, so shall I geue thee my daughter that Alexander hath, and thou shalt raigne in thy fathers kingdome.


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Thus he toke his daughter from him, gaue her vnto Demetrius, and forsoke Alexander: so that his malice was openly knowen.


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And Ptolomi came to Antioch, where he set two crownes vpon his owne head, the crowne of Egypt, and of Asia.


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In the meane season was king Alexander in Cilicia: for they that dwelt in those places had rebelled against hym.


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But when Alexander hearde of this, he came to warre against hym: So king Ptolomi brought foorth his hoast, and mette him with a mightie power, and chased him away.


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But the thirde day after died king Ptolomi hym selfe, and they whom he had set in the strong holdes, were slayne one of another.


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At the same time gathered Ionathas them that were in Iurie, to lay siege vnto the castle which was at Hierusalem, & so they made many instrumentes of warre against it.


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Then went there certayne vngodly persons, whiche hated their owne people, vnto king Demetrius, and told hym that Ionathas besieged the castle.


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So when he hearde it, he was angry, and immediatly came vnto Ptolomais, & wrote vnto Ionathas, that he should not lay siege to the castle, but come and speake with hym at Ptolomais in all haste.


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Neuerthelesse, when Ionathas heard this, he commaunded to besiege it: He chose also certayne of the elders and priestes of Israel, and put him selfe in peryll,


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And toke with him golde, siluer, clothing, and diuers presentes, and went to Ptolomais vnto the king, and founde him gracious.


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Yet the king intreated him, like as his predecessours had done before, and promoted hym in the sight of all his friendes,


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Confirmed hym in the hye priesthood with all the worship that he had afore, and made him his chiefe friend.


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Ionathas also desired the king that he woulde make Iurie free, with the three head cities of Samaria, and the landes perteyning therto: vpon this did Ionathas promise hym three hundred talentes.


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We sende you here a copie of the letter which we did write vnto our cosen Lasthenus concerning you, that ye shoulde knowe it.


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For the faythfulnesse that our friendes the people of the Iewes kepe vnto vs, and for the louing kindnesse which they beare towarde vs, we are determined to do them good.


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Wherfore we assigne vnto the coastes of Iudea the three gouernemetes, Afferema, Lydda, and Ramatha, whiche are added vnto Iurie from Samaria and all the landes pertayning therevnto, to be freely separated for such as do sacrifice in Hierusalem, both concerning the paymentes whiche the king toke yerely aforetime, & the fruite also of the earth and trees:


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As for other tithes and tributes that belonged vnto vs, we discharge them therof from this time foorth.


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In like maner we graunt vnto them all the customes of salt, & crowne taxes, which were brought vnto vs: and this freedome shal they haue firme and stedfast from this time foorth for euermore.


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Therefore, see that ye make a copie of these our letters, and deliuer it vnto Ionathas, that it may be set vpon the holy mount in a conuenient place.


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After this, when Demetrius the king sawe that his land was in rest, and that no resistaunce was made against him, he sent away all his hoast, euery man to his owne place, except certayne bandes of straungers, whom he brought from the Iles of the heathen: wherefore all his fathers hoast hated him.


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Now was ther one Tryphon that had ben of Alexanders part afore, whiche when he saw that all the hoast murmured against Demetrius, he went to Samalcue the Arabian, that brought vp Antiochus the sonne of Alexander,


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And lay sore vpon him to deliuer hym this young Antiochus, that he might raine in his fathers steade: He tolde him also what great euyll Demetrius had done, & how his men of warre loued him not: & so remayned there a long season.


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And Ionathas sent vnto king Demetrius, to driue them out which were in the castle at Hierusalem, and those that were in the fortresses, for they dyd Israel great harme.


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So Demetrius sent word vnto Ionathas, saying, I will not only do these thinges for thee and thy people: but at time conuenient I wil do both thee and thy people great worship.


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But now thou shalt do me a pleasure if thou wilt sende me men to helpe me: for all myne armie is gone fro me.


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So Ionathas sent hym three thousande strong men vnto Antioch, & they came vnto the king, wherefore the king was very glad at their comming.


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But they that were of the citie, euen an hundred and twentie thousand men, gathered them together in the middest of the citie, & would haue slaine the king:


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Then the king called for the Iewes helpe, which came vnto him altogether, and went abrode thorowe the citie,


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And slue the same day an hundred thousand men, set fire vpon the citie, and gat many spoyles in that day, and deliuered the king.


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So when the citezins sawe that the Iewes had gotten their will of the citie, and they them selues disapointed of their purpose, they made their supplication vnto the king, saying:


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And vpon this they cast away their weapons. Thus they made peace, and the Iewes gat great worship in the sight of the king and in the sight of all that were in his realme, and were spoken of throughout the kingdome: and so they came againe to Hierusalem with great goodes.


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Neuerthelesse, he dissembled in all that euer he spake, and withdrewe hym selfe from Ionathas, neither rewarded him according to the benefites which he had done for hym, but troubled hym very sore.


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Then there gathered vnto him all the men of warre whom Demetrius had put away, these fought against Demetrius: whith fled and turned his backe.


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And young Antiochus wrote vnto Ionathas, saying: I confirme thee in thy pristhood, and make thee ruler of foure countreys, that thou mayst be a friende of the kinges.


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Upon this he sent hym golden vessels to be serued in, and gaue hym leaue to drinke in golde, to be clothed in purple, and to weare a coller of golde.


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Then Ionathas toke his iourney, and went thorowe the cities beyonde the water of Iordane, and all the men of warre of Syria gathered them vnto hym for to helpe hym: So he came vnto Ascalon, & they of the citie receaued hym honorably.


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And from thence went he to Gaza, but they woulde not let hym in: wherefore he layed siege vnto it, burning vp and spoyling the places that were about the citie.


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And the citezins of Gaza submitted them selues vnto Ionathas, whiche made peace with them: but toke of their sonnes to pledge, sent them to Hierusalem, and went thorow the countrey vnto Damascus.


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Now when Ionathas heard that Demetrius princes were come into Cades which is in Galilee, with a great hoast, purposing to dryue him out of the countrey:


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So they desired to haue peace with hym: whiche he graunted them, & afterwarde put them out from thence, toke the citie, and set men to kepe it.


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And Ionathas with his hoast came to the water of Genesar, and betimes in the morning gat them to the playne fielde of Azor:


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And behold, the hoastes of the heathen mette them in the fielde, & layed watch for them in the mountaynes:


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So that when Ionathas came against them, the other whiche were layed to watch rose out of their places and fought,


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And they that were of Ionathas side fled euery man, & there was not one of them left, except Mathathias the sonne of Absalomus, and Iudas the sonne of Calphi the captayne of the hoast.


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Now when his owne men that were fled, sawe this, they turned againe vnto him, and helped him to folowe vpon all their enemies vnto their tentes at Cades, and there they camped.


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So there were slaine of the heathen the same day three thousand men, and Ionathas turned againe to Hierusalem.


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Ionathas seeing that the time was meete for him, chose certaine men, and sent them vnto Rome for to stablish and to renue the frendship with them:


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So they went vnto Rome, and entred into the counsel, and saide: Ionathas the hie priest & the people of the Iewes, sent vs vnto you for to renue the olde frendship and bonde of loue.


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Upon this the Romanes gaue them free pasportes, that men shoulde leade them home into the land of Iuda peaceably.


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Ionathas the hie priest, with the elders, priestes, and the other people of the Iewes, sende greeting vnto the Spartians their brethren.


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There were letters sent long ago vnto Onias the hie priest, from Arius which then raigned among you, that ye are our brethren, as the copie here vnder written doth specifie.


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And Onias entreated the Ambassadour that was sent honorably, and receaued the letters, wherein there was mention made of the bonde of loue and frendship.


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But as for vs, we neede no such wrytinges, for why? we haue ye holy bookes of scripture in our handes to our comfort.


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Neuerthelesse, we had rather sende vnto you, for the renuing of the brotherhood and frendship, lest we shoulde be straunge vnto you: for it is long since the time that ye sent worde vnto vs.


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Wherfore, in the sacrifices that we offer, and other ceremonies vpon the hie solempe dayes, and other, we alway remember you without ceassing, lyke as reason is, and as it becommeth vs to thinke vpon our brethren,


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And though we haue had great troubles and warres, so that the kinges about vs haue fought against vs:


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For we haue had helpe from heauen that hath succoured vs, so that we are deliuered, and our enemies subdued.


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Wherefore we chose Numenius the sonne of Antiochus, and Antipater the sonne of Iason, and sent them vnto the Romanes, for to renue the olde bonde of frendship and loue with them.


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We commaunded them also to come vnto you, to salute you, and to deliuer you our letters concerning the renouation of our brotherhood.


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It is founde in writing, that the Spartians and Iewes are brethren, & come out of the generation of Abraham:


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And now forsomuch as this is come to our knowledge, ye shall do wel to write vnto vs of your prosperitie.


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As for vs, we haue written our minde vnto you, our cattaile and goodes are yours, and yours ours: these thinges haue we comaunded to be shewed vnto you.


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When Ionathas heard that Demetrius princes were come foorth to fight against him with a greater hoast then afore,


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He went from Hierusalem, and met them in the land of Hemath: for he gaue them not space to come into his owne countrey.


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And he sent spies vnto their tentes, which came againe and tolde him that they were appoynted to come vpon him in the night season.


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Wherefore when the sunne was gone downe, Ionathas comaunded his men to watch all the night, and to be redie with weapons for to fight, and set watchmen rounde about the hoast.


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But when the aduersaries heard that Ionathas was redie with his men to the battaile, they feared, & were afraid in their heartes, and kindled fires in their tentes, brake vp, and gat them away.


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Neuerthelesse, Ionathas and his company knewe it not till the morning, for they sawe the fires burning.


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Then Ionathas folowed vpon them, but he might not ouertake the, for they were gone ouer the water Eleutherus.


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So Ionathas departed vnto the Arabians, which were called Zabadei, slue them, and toke their goodes.


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But Simon his brother toke his iourney, and came to Ascalon, and to the next strong holdes, departing vnto Ioppa, and wan it,


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(For he heard that they would deliuer the holde to them that toke Demetrius parte) wherfore he set men of warre in the citie to kepe it.


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After this came Ionathas home againe, and called the elders of the people together, and deuised with them for to build vp the strong holdes in Iurie,


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And to make the walles of Hierusalem higher, to set vp an hie wall betwixt the castle and the citie, for to separate it from the citie, that it might be alone, and that men should neither bye nor sell in it.


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Upon this, they came together for to builde vp the citie, and forsomuch as the wall vpon the brooke of the east side, called Caphetetah was fallen downe, repaired it.


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He was afraide that Ionathas would not suffer him, but fight against him: wherefore he went about to take Ionathas and to kill him: So he departed, and came vnto Bethsan.


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Then went Ionathas foorth against him to the battaile with fourtie thousand chosen men, and came vnto Bethsan also:


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And therefore he receaued him honorably, commended him vnto all his friendes, and gaue him rewardes, and commaunded his men of warre to be as obedient vnto him, as to him selfe:


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And saide vnto Ionathas, Why hast thou caused this people to take such trauaile, seeing there is no warre betwixt vs?


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Therefore sende them home againe, and choose certaine men to wayte vpon thee, and come thou with me to Ptolomais: for I wyll geue it thee, with the other strong holdes, men of warre, and their officers: as for me, I must depart, this is onely the cause of my comming.


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Ionathas beleued him, and did as he saide, putting away his hoast, which went into the lande of Iuda.


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He kept but three thousand by him, whereof he sent two thousand into Galilee, and one thousand went with him selfe.


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Now assoone as Ionathas entred into Ptolomais, the citezins sparred the gates of the citie, and toke him, and slue all them with the sworde that came in with him.


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Then sent Tryphon an hoast of footemen and horsmen into Galilee, and into the great plaine field, to destroy all Ionathas company:


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But when they knewe that Ionathas was taken, and all they slaine that waited vpon him, they toke counsel together, and encouraged one another, and came foorth against them redie to fight.


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As for the other, they went into the lande of Iuda peaceably, and bewayled Ionathas and them that were with him right sore: and Israel made great lamentation.


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For they said, Now haue they no captaine, nor any man to helpe them, therfore let vs ouercome them, and roote out their name from among men.


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Nowe when Simon heard that Tryphon gathered a great hoast to come into the lande of Iuda, and to destroy it,


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And saw that the people was in great fearefulnes and care: he came vp to Hierusalem, and gathered the people together,


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And gaue them exhortation, saying: Ye know what great battailes I and my brethren and my fathers house haue fought for the lawe and the sanctuarie, and what maner of troubles we haue seene.


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And now let not me spare myne owne lyfe in any maner of trouble, for I am no better then my brethren:


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But wyll auenge my people and the sanctuarie, our children and our wyues: for all the heathen are gathered together to destroy vs, of very malice.


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So that they cried with a loude voyce, saying: Thou shalt be our captaine, in steade of Iudas and Ionathas thy brethren:


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So he gathered all the men of warre, making haste to finishe all the walles of Hierusalem, which he made strong rounde about.


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Then sent he Ionathas the sonne of Absalomus with a freshe hoast vnto Ioppa, which droue them out that were in the castle, and remained there him selfe.


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Tryphon also remoued from Ptolomais with a great armie, to come into the lande of Iuda, and Ionathas with him, in warde.


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But when Tryphon knewe that Simon stoode vp in steade of his brother Ionathas, and that he would warre against him, he sent messengers vnto him, saying:


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Where as we haue kept Ionathas thy brother, it is for money that he is owing in the kinges accompt, concerning the busines that he had in hande.


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Wherefore, sende nowe a hundred talentes of siluer and his two sonnes for suretie (that when he is letten foorth, he shal not forsake vs) and we shall sende him againe.


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Neuerthelesse, Simon knew that he discembled in his wordes: yet comaunded he the money and children to be deliuered vnto him, lest the Israelites might haue hated him,


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So Simon sent him the children and an hundred talentes: but he dissembled, and would not let Ionathas go.


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Afterwarde came Tryphon into the lande to destroy it, and went rounde about by the way that leadeth vnto Ador: But wheresoeuer they went, thyther went Simon and his hoast also.


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Now they that were in the castle, sent messengers vnto Tryphon, that he should make haste to come by the wildernesse, and to sende them vitailes.


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And Tryphon made redie al his horsmen to come the same night: neuerthelesse, it was a very great snowe, so that he came not because of the snowe, but he remoued and went into the countrey of Galaad.


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And Simon made vpon the sepulchre of his father and his brethren, a building, hie to loke vnto, of free stone, be hinde and before,


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And set vp seuen pillers vpon it one against another, for his father, his mother, and foure brethren,


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And set great pillers rounde about them, with armes vpon them for a perpetuall memorie, and carued shippes beside the armes, that they might be seene of men sayling in the sea.


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Simon also built vp the castles in Iurie, making them strong with hie towers, great walles, portes and lockes, and layde vp vitailes in the stronge holdes.


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And Simon chose certaine men, & sent them to king Demetrius, to desire him that he would discharge the lande from all bondage, for Tryphon had spoyled it very sore.


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Demetrius the king sendeth greeting vnto Simon the hie priest his friend, with the elders & people of the Iewes:


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The golden crowne and precious stone that ye sent vnto vs, haue we receaued, and are redie to make a stedfast peace with you, yea and to write vnto our officers for to release you, concerning the thinges wherein we made you free.


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And the appoyntment that we make with you, shalbe firme and stable: the strong holdes which ye haue builded, shalbe your owne.


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As for any ouersight or fault committed vnto this day, we forgeue it, and the crowne taxe that ye ought vs also: And where as was any other tribute in Hierusalem, it shall now be no tribute:


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And loke who are meete among you to be in our court, let them be written vp, that there may be peace betwixt vs.


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And the people of the Iewes began to write in their letters and actes on this maner: In the first yere of Simon the hie priest, a gouernour and prince of the Iewes.


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In those dayes went Simon vnto Gaza, & besieged it rounde about, where he set vp ordinaunce of warre, and wan a towre, which he toke.


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Insomuch that the people of the citie rent their clothes, and clymed vp vpon the walles, with their wiues and children, beseching Simon to be at one with them, saying:


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Then Simon for very pitie woulde fight no more against them, but put the out of the citie, and caused the houses wherein the images were, to be clensed, and so entred the citie with psalmes of prayse, geuing thankes vnto the Lorde.


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So when he had cast all abhominations out of the citie, he set such men in it as kept the lawe of God, and made the citie strong, and builded a dwelling place for him selfe.


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Now when they in the castle at Hierusalem were kept so straightly that they coulde not come foorth nor go into the countrey, & might neither bye nor sel, they were very hungry, and many of them famished to death:


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Insomuch that they besought Simon to be at one with them, which he graunted them: So he put them out from thence, and clensed the castle from filthinesse.


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And vpon the twentie and three day of the second moneth, in the hundred threescore and eleuenth yere, they entred into it with thankesgeuing, and braunches of paulme trees, with harpes, croudes, cymbales, and lutes, singing psalmes and songes of praise vnto God, for that the great enemie of Israel was ouercome.


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And made strong the hill of the temple that was beside the castle, where he dwelt him selfe with his company.


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Simon also perceauing that Ihon his sonne was a mightie man of armes, made him captaine of all the hoastes, and caused him to dwell at Gaza.


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In the hundred threescore and twelfth yere, gathered king Demetrius his hoast, and departed vnto Media, to get him helpe for to fight against Tryphon.


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Now when Arsaces the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius was entred within his borders, he sent one of his princes to take him aliue, [and to bring him vnto him.]


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So he went and slue Demetrius hoast, toke him selfe, brought him to Arsaces, which kept him in warde.


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And all the lande of Iuda was in rest so long as Simon liued, for he sought the wealth of his people, therfore were they glad to haue him for their ruler, and to do him worship alway.


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Simon wan the citie of Ioppa also for an hauen towne, and made it an entraunce into the Iles of the sea:


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He gathered vp many of their people that were prisoners, he had the dominion of Gaza, Bethsura, and the castle which he cleansed from filthynes, and there was no man that resisted him.


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So that euery man tilled his grounde in peace, the lande of Iuda and the trees gaue their fruite and encrease.


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The elders sate all in iudgement, and toke their deuice for the wealth of the lande, the young men put on worshippe and harnesse vpon them.


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He prouided vitailes for the cities, and made goodly strong holdes of them, so that the same of his worship was spoken of vnto the ende of the worlde.


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He helped those that were in aduersitie among his people, he was diligent to see the lawe kept: as for such as were vngodly and wicked, he toke them away.


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But when they heard that Simon his brother was made hie priest in his steade, and how he had wonne the land againe with the cities in it:


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They wrote vnto him in tables of brasse, to renue the frendship and bonde of loue which they had made afore with Iudas and Ionathas his brethren.


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Which writinges were read before the congregation at Hierusalem. And this is the copie of the letters that the Spartians sent:


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The Senatours and citezins of Sparta send greeting vnto Simon the great priest, with the elders, priestes, and the other people of the Iewes their brethren:


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When your Ambassadours that were sent vnto our people, certified vs of your worship, honour, & prosperous wealth: we were glad of their comming,


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And haue written the ambassage in the publike recordes in this maner: [namely] that Numenius the sonne of Antiochus, and Antipater the sonne of Iason the Iewes ambassadours, are come vnto vs, for to renue the olde frendship with vs.


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Upon this the people concented, that the men should be honorably intreated, and that the copie of their ambassage should be written in the speciall bookes of the people for a perpetuall memorie vnto the Spartians, yea and that we should send a copie of the same vnto Simon the great priest.


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After this, did Simon send Numenius vnto Rome, with a golden shielde of a thousand pound waight, to confirme the frendship with them.


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Which when the Romanes vnderstoode, they saide: what thankes shall we recompence againe vnto Simon and his children?


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For he and his brethren and the house of his father, hath stablished Israel, and ouercommed their enemies, wherefore they graunted him to be free, and confirmed the libertie thereof: therefore they wrote this in tables of brasse, and set it vpon pillers in mount Sion.


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The copie of the writing is this: The eighteenth day of the moneth Elul, in the hundred threescore and twelfth yere, in the third yere of Simon the hie priest,


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In the great congregation of the priestes, rulers of the people, and elders of the countrey at Saramel, were these wordes openly declared:


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Forsomuch as there was much warre in our lande, therfore Simon the sonne of Mathathias come of the children of Iarib, & his brethren put them selues in perill, and resisted the enemies of their people, that their sanctuary and lawe might be maintayned, and did their people great worship.


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Ionathas in lyke maner, after that he had gouerned his people and ben their hie priest, dyed, and lyeth buried beside his elders.


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After that would their enemies haue troden their holy thinges vnder foote, destroyed their lande, and vtterlie wasted their sanctuary.


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Then Simon withstoode them, and fought for his people, spent much of his owne money, weaponed the valiaunt men of his people, gaue them wages,


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Made strong the cities of Iuda, with Bethsura that lyeth vpon the borders of Iurie, where the ordinaunce of their enemies laye sometime, and set Iewes there for to kepe it.


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He made fast Ioppa also which lyeth vpon the sea, and Gaza that bordereth vpon Azotus, where the enemies dwelt afore, and there he set Iewes to kepe it: and whatsoeuer was meete for the subduing of the aduersaries, that layed he therein.


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Now when the people sawe the noble actes of Simon, and what worship he purposed to do for them, his godly behauour and faithfulnes which he kept vnto them, and how he sought by alwayes the wealth of his people: because he did all this, therefore they chose him to be their prince and hie priest.


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And in his time they prospered wel by him, so that the heathen were taken out of their lande, and they also which were in the citie of Dauid at Hierusalem in the castle, where they went out and defiled all thinges that were about the sanctuary, and did great harme vnto cleanlinesse:


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And Simon put men of the Iewes in it for the defence of the land and citie, and set vp the walles of Hierusalem.


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For he heard that the Romanes called the Iewes their friendes, louers, and brethren: howe honorably they receaued Simons Ambassadours:


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Howe the Iewes and priestes concented that he should be their prince and hie priest perpetually, till God raysed vp the true prophete:


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And that he shoulde be their captaine, to care for the sanctuarie, and to set officers vpon the workes thereof, ouer the lande, ouer the weapons, ouer the houses of defence, to make prouision for the holy thinges,


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And to be obeyed of euery man, and all the writinges of the lande to be made in his name, that he should be clothed in purple and golde:


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And that it should be lawfull for none of the people nor priestes to breake any of these thinges, to withstand his words, nor to call any congregation in the lande without him: that he should be clothed in purple, and weare a coller of golde.


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Simon also him selfe toke it vpon him, and was content to be the hie priest, the captaine and prince of the Iewes and priestes, and to gouerne them all.


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And they commaunded to make this writing in tables of brasse, and fasten it vnto the wall that compasseth the sanctuary, in an open place:


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Moreouer, king Antiochus the sonne of Demetrius, sent letters from the Iles of the sea, vnto Simon the hie priest and prince of the Iewes, and to all the people.


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Concerning these wordes: Antiochus the king sendeth greeting vnto Simon the hie priest, and to the people of the Iewes.


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Forsomuch as certaine wicked men haue gotten the kingdome of our progenitours, I haue purposed to chalenge the realme againe, and to restore it to the olde estate: Wherefore I haue gathered a great hoast, and made shippes of warre:


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That I may go through the countrey, and be auenged of them which haue destroyed our lande, and wasted many cities in my realme.


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And therefore nowe I make thee free also from all the tributes whereof all kinges my progenitours haue discharged thee, & from other customes wherefrom they haue releassed thee, whatsoeuer they be:


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As for Hierusalem, I wyll that it be holy and free, and all the weapons and houses of defence which thou hast builded and kepest in thyne handes shable thyne.


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Whereas any thing is or shalbe owing vnto the king, I forgeue it thee, from this time foorth for euermore.


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And when we haue obtayned our kingdome, we shall do thee, thy people, and the temple, great worship: so that your honour shalbe knowen throughout the whole worlde.


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In the hundred threescore & fourteenth yere went Antiochus into his fathers land, and all the men of warre came together vnto him, so that fewe were left with Tryphon.


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Then came Antiochus vnto Dora with an hundred and twentie thousand men of armes on foote, and eyght thousand horsmen: so he compassed the citie rounde about, and the shippes came by the sea.


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Thus they vexed the citie by land and by water, insomuch that they suffered no man to go in nor out.


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In the meane season came Numenius, & they that had ben with him, from the citie of Rome, hauing letters written vnto the kinges & prouinces, wherein were contayned these wordes:


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The Ambassadours of the Iewes our friendes, being sent from Simon the hie priest, and from the people of the Iewes, came vnto vs for to renue the olde friendship and bonde of loue,


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Wherefore, we thought it good to write vnto the kinges and prouinces, to do them no harme, nor to take part against them, their cities, nor countries, neither to maintaine their enemies against them.


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If there be any wicked persons therefore fled from their countrey vnto you, deliuer them vnto Simon the hie priest, that he may punishe them according to their owne lawe.


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And to all regions: as Samsanes, to them of Spartia, Delo, Mydo, Sidon, Caria, Samos, Pamphilia, Lycia, Alicarnassem, and to the Rhodes, to Faselidis, Coo, Sida, Arado, Cortyna, Gnidum, to Cypres, and Cyren.


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So Antiochus the king brought his hoast vnto Dora the second time to take it, where he made diuers ordinaunce of warre, and kept Tryphon in that he should not go eyther in or out.


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Then sent Simon vnto Antiochus two thousand chosen men to helpe him, with golde, siluer, & other plenteous thinges.


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Neuerthelesse, he woulde not receaue them, but brake all the couenaut which he made with Simon afore, and withdrewe him selfe from him.


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He sent Athenobius also a frend of his vnto Simon for to reason with him, saying: Ye withholde fro me Ioppa and Gaza, with the castle that is at Hierusalem, which are cities of my realme,


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Whose borders ye haue destroyed, and done great euill in the lande, hauing the dominion in many other places of my kingdome.


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Wherfore deliuer now the cities which ye haue taken, with the tributes of the places that ye haue rule vpon without the borders of Iurie:


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Or els geue me fiue hundred talentes of siluer: yea & for the harme that ye haue done in the cities & for the tributes of the same, other fiue hundred talentes: yf no, we shall come and fight against you.


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So Athenobius the kinges friend came to Hierusalem, and when he sawe the great worship & honour of Simon in golde, siluer, & so great plentie of ornamentes, he maruailed: & tolde Simon as the king commaunded him.


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Then aunswered Simon, and saide vnto him: As for vs, we haue neither taken other mens landes, nor withholden the: but onely our fathers heritage, which our enemies had vnrighteously in possession a certaine time.


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And whereas thou complaynest concerning Ioppa & Gaza, they did great harme to our people and in our lande, yet wyll we geue an hundred talentes for them. Neuerthelesse, Athenobius aunswered him not one worde:


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But turned againe wrothfully vnto the king, & tolde him al these words, and the great dignitie of Simon, with al that he had seene: & the king was very angry.


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Then the king made Cendebeus captaine of the sea coast, and gaue him an hoast of footemen and horsemen,


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Commaunding him to remoue the hoast toward Iurie, & to builde vp the citie of Cedron, to make vp the portes, and to warre against the people of the Iewes: As for the king him selfe, he folowed vpon Tryphon.


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So Cendebeus came vnto Iamnia, and began to vexe the people, to treade downe Iurie, to take the people prisoners, to slay them,


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And to builde vp Cedron, where he set horsmen and other men of warre, that they might come foorth, and go through the streetes of Iurie, lyke as the king had commaunded him.


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Then came Iohn vp from Gaza, and tolde Simon his father what Cendebeus had done [among their people.]


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Upon this called Simon two of his eldest sonnes, Iudas and Iohn, and saide vnto them: I and my brethren and my fathers house haue euer from our youth vp vnto this day foughten against the enemies of Israel: and God gaue vs good fortune to deliuer Israel ofttimes.


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And now forsomuch as I am olde, and ye by gods goodnesse are of a sufficient age, be ye in steade of me and my brother, to go foorth and fight for our people: and the helpe of God be with you.


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So he chose twentie thousand fighting men of the countrey, with horsemen also, whiche went foorth against Cendebeus, and rested at Modin.


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In the morning they arose and went into the playne fielde, and beholde a mightie great hoast came against them, both of footemen and horsemen: Nowe was there a water broke betwixt them,


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And Iohn remoued the hoast towarde them: and when he saw that the people was afrayde to go ouer the water broke, he went ouer first him selfe: and the men seyng this, folowed him.


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Then Iohn set his horsemen and footemen in order, the one by the other: for their enemies horseme were very many.


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But when they blewe vp the priestes trumpettes, Cendebeus fled with his hoast: whereof many were slayne, and the remnaunt gat them to their strong holdes.


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Iudas also Iohns brother was wounded at the same time, and Iohn folowed still vpon the enemies, till he came to Cedron, which Cendebeus had builded.


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The [enemies] fled also vnto the towres that were in the fieldes of Azotus, and those dyd Iohn burne vp with fyre: Thus there were slayne two thousand men of them, and Iohn turned againe peaceably into Iurie.


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And in the fielde of Iericho was Ptolomi the sonne of Abobus made captayne: which, because he had aboundaunce of siluer and golde


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Waxed proude in his minde, & thought to conquer the land, imagining falshood against Simon and his sonnes, to destroy them.


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Nowe as Simon was goyng about thorow the cities that were in the countrey of Iurie, and caring for them, he came downe to Iericho with Mathathias & Iudas his sonnes, in the hundred threescore & seuenteenth yere, in the eleuenth moneth, called Sabat.


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Then [Ptolomi] the sonne of Abobus receaued them, but with disceyte, into a strong house of his, called Dochus, whiche he had buylded, where he made them a banket, and had hyd men there.


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So when Simon and his sonnes were mery, and had drunken well, Ptolomi stoode vp with his men [whom he had hid there] and toke their weapons, entred into the banket house, and slue Simon with his two sonnes, and certayne of his seruauntes.


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Then wrote Ptolomi these thinges, & sent vnto king [Antiochus] requiring him that he shoulde sende hym an hoast to helpe him: and so should he deliuer him the lande, with the cities and tributes of the same.


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He sent other men also vnto Gaza for to take Iohn, and wrote vnto the captaynes to come to him, and he shoulde geue them siluer, gold, and rewardes.


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Then ran there one before, and tolde Iohn in Gaza, that his father and his brethren were slayne, & howe that Ptolomi had sent to slay him also.


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When Iohn hearde this, he was sore abashed, and layed handes of them that were come to destroy hym, and slue them: for he knewe that they went about to kill hym


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As for other thinges concerning Iohn, of his warres, of his noble actes wherin he behaued hym selfe manfully, of the buylding of walles which he made, and other of his deedes,


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They are written in the cronicles of his priesthood, from the time foorth that he was made hye priest after his father.


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The brethren of the Iewes which be at Hierusalem, & in the lande of Iurie, wishe vnto these brethre of the Iewes that are thorowout Egypt health and peace.


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God be gracious vnto you, and thinke vpon his couenaunt that he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, his faythfull seruauntes:


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And geue you all such an heart that ye may loue and serue hym, yea and perfourme his will with an whole heart and a willing mynde:


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What time as Demetrius raigned, in the hundred threescore & nyne yere, we Iewes wrote vnto you in the trouble & violence that came vnto vs: In those yeres, after that Iason departed out of the holy lande and kingdome,


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They brent vp the portes, and shed innocent blood: then made we our prayer vnto the Lorde, and were hearde, we offered vp sacrifices and fine floure, setting foorth cakes and bread:


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In the hundred fourescore and eyghtteene yere, the people that was at Hierusalem and in Iurie, the counsel, and Iudas him selfe, sent this wholsome salutation vnto Aristobulus king Ptolomies maister, whiche came of the generation of the annoynted priestes, and to the Iewes that were in Egypt:


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Insomuch as God hath deliuered vs from great peryls, we thanke hym hyly, no lesse at all then if we had vanquished the king in battell.


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For as he was in Persis [namely] the captayne with the great hoast, he perished in the temple of Naneas, beyng disceaued thorowe the deuice of Naneas priestes.


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For when Antiochus, as he that should marry with her, came, and his friendes with him, into the place to receaue by name of dowrie the money whiche the priestes of Naneas had set foorth:


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Nowe when Antiochus entred by opening the priuy entraunce of the temple, the priestes stoned the captayne to death, hewed them in peeces that were with him, smote of their heades, and threwe them out.


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Where as we are now purposed to kepe the purification of the temple vpon the twentie & fiue day of the moneth Casleu, we thought necessarie to certifie you therof: that ye also might kepe the tabernacles feast day, and the day of the fire, whiche was geuen vs when Nehemias offered, after that he had set vp the temple and the aulter.


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For what time as our fathers were led away vnto Persis, the priestes whiche then sought the honour of God, toke the fire priuily from the aulter, and hyd it in a valley, where as was a deepe drye pit: and therin they kept it, so that the place was vnknowen to euery man.


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Nowe after many yeres, when it pleased God that Nehemias shoulde be sent from the king of Persia, he sent the childers children of those priestes which had hyd the fyre, to seke it: and as they told vs, they found no fire, but thicke water.


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Then commaunded he them to drawe it vp, and to bring it him, and the offeringes withall. Nowe when the sacrifices were layed on and ordred, Nehemias commaunded the priestes to sprinckle them and the wood with water.


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When this was done, & the time come that the sunne shone whiche afore was hyd in the cloude, there was a great fire kindled, in so much that euery man marueyled.


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Now all the priestes prayed whyle the sacrifice was a making: Ionathas prayed first, and the other gaue aunswere.


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And Nehemias prayer was after this maner: O Lorde God, maker of all thinges, thou fearfull and strong, thou righteous and mercifull, thou that art onely a gratious king,


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Only liberall, only iust, almightie and euerlasting, thou that deliuered Israel from all trouble, thou that hast chosen the fathers & halowed them fauorably:


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Gather those together that are scattred abrode from vs, deliuer them that are vnder the heathens bondage, loke vpon them whiche are despised and abhorred: that the heathen may know and see howe that thou only art God, which art our God.


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Nowe when the sacrifice was brent, Nehemias commaunded the great stones to be sprinkled with the residue of the water.


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Which when it was done, there was kindled a flambe of them also: but it was consumed thorowe the light that shyned from the aulter.


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So when this matter was knowen, it was tolde the king of Persia, that in the place where the priestes which were led away had hyd fyre, there appeared water, and that Nehemias and his companie had purified the sacrifices withall.


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Then the king considering and pondering the matter diligently, inclosed the place, and consecrated a temple, to proue the thing that was done:


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And when he founde it so in deede, he gaue the priestes many giftes & diuers rewardes, yea he toke them with his owne hand, and gaue them.


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And Nehemias called the same place Nephthar, whiche is as much to say as a clensing: but many men call it Nephi.


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It is founde also in the writinges of Ieremi the prophete, that he commaunded them whiche were caried away, to take fyre, as it is sayde afore.


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He commaunded them also that they should not forget the lawe & commaundementes of the Lorde, and that they shoulde not erre in their mindes, when they see images of siluer and gold, with their ornamentes.


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These and such other thinges commaunded he them, and exhorted them that they shoulde not let the law of God go out of their heartes.


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It is written also, how the prophete at the commaundement of God charged them to take the tabernacle & the arke with them: and he went foorth vnto the mountayne where Moyses clymed vp, and sawe the heritage of God.


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And when Ieremi came there, he found an open caue, wherin he layed the tabernacle, the arke, and the aulter of incense, and so stopped the doore.


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There came certayne men together also, folowing him to marke the place, but they coulde not finde it.


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Whiche when Ieremie perceaued, he reproued them, saying: As for that place it shalbe vnknowen, vntill the time that God gather his people together againe, and receaue them vnto mercie.


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Then shall God shewe them these thinges, and the maiestie of the Lorde shal appeare & the cloude also, like as it was shewed vnto Moyses: and like as when Solomon desired that the place might be honorablie sanctified, and it was shewed hym.


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For he beyng a wyse man, handled honorably and wysely, offering vnto God in the halowing of the temple when it was finished.


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And like as when Moyses prayed vnto the Lorde, the fire came downe from heauen, and consumed the burnt offering: Euen so prayed Solomon also, and the fire came downe from heauen, and consumed the burnt offering.


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In the annotations and writinges of Ieremi were these thinges put also: and howe he made a librarie, and howe he gathered out of all countreys the bookes of the kinges, & of the prophetes, and of Dauid, and the epistles of the kinges concerning the holy giftes.


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Euen so Iudas also, loke what he learned by experience of warre, and such thinges as hath happened vnto vs, he gathered them altogether, and so we haue them by vs.


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Where as we then are about to celebrate the purification, we haue written vnto you: therefore ye shall do well, if ye kepe the same dayes.


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We hope also, that the God which deliuered his people, and gaue them al the heritage, kingdome, priesthood, and sanctuarie,


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That he promised them in the law, shal shortly haue mercie vpon vs, and gather vs together from vnder the heauen into his holie place: for he hath saued vs from great peryls, and hath clensed the place.


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As concerning Iudas Machabeus and his brethren, the purification of the great temple, the dedication of the aulter:


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And the miracles shewed from heauen by the valiaunt actes of those which defended the Iewes religion, so that a fewe ran through the whole countrey, and draue away the barbarous armies:


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Repaired againe the temple that was spoken of throughout all the world, deliuered the citie, doyng their best that the law of the Lord which was put downe, might with all tranquilitie be restored againe vnto the Lord, that was so mercifull vnto them.


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As touching Iason also of Cyren, we haue vndertaken compendiously to bring into one booke the thinges that were comprehended of him in fyue.


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For we, considering the multitude of the bookes, and howe hard it shoulde be for them that woulde meddle with stories and actes, and that because of so diuers matters:


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Haue vndertaken so to comprehend the stories, that such as are disposed to reade, might haue pleasure and pastime therin: and that they which are diligent in such thinges, might the better thinke vpon them: yea and that whosoeuer reade them, might haue profite therby.


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Neuerthelesse, we our selues that haue medled with this matter for the shortening of it, haue taken no small labour, but great diligence, watchinges, and trauayle.


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Like as they that make a feast, would fayne do other men pleasure: euen so we also for many mens sakes, are very well content to take the labour,


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For he that buyldeth an house anewe, must prouide for many thinges to the whole buylding: but he that paynteth it afterward, seketh but only that is comely, meete and conuenient to garnishe it withall.


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Euen so do we also in like maner: And why? He that beginneth fyrst to wryte a storie, must with his vnderstanding gather the matter together, set his wordes in order, and diligently seke out euery part.


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But he that afterwarde will shorten it, vseth fewe wordes, and toucheth not the matter at the largest: Let this be sufficient for a prologue.


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Now will we begin to shew the matter: for it is but a foolishe thing to make a long prologue, and to be short in the storie it selfe.


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What time as the holy citie was inhabited in all peace and wealth, and when the lawes were yet very well kept: for so was it ordeyned thorowe the godlinesse of Onias the hye prieste, and other godly men that were enemies to wickednesse,


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It came therto, that euen the kinges and princes them selues dyd the place great worship, and garnished the temple with great giftes:


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Insomuch that Seleucus king of Asia of his owne rentes bare all the coastes belonging to the seruice of the offringes.


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Then Simon, of the tribe of Beniamin, ruler of the temple, vpon a variaunce risen betweene him & the hygh priest for wickednesse that was done in the citie,


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For that he could not ouercome Onias, he gat him to Apollonius the sonne of Thrasia, which then was chiefe Lorde in Celosyria and Phenices,


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And tolde hym, that the treasurie in Hierusalem was full of innumerable money, & how that the common goodes whiche belongeth not vnto the offeringes, were exceeding great also: yea and howe it were possible that all these might come vnder the kinges power.


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Now when Apollonius had shewed the king of the money, as it was tolde him: the king called for Heliodorus his treasurer, and sent him with a commaundement to bring him the same money.


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Immediatly Heliodorus toke his iourney, but vnder a colour as though he woulde go thorowe Celosyria and Phenices to visite the cities, but his purpose was to fulfill the kinges pleasure.


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So when he came to Hierusalem, and was louingly receaued of the hye priest into the citie, he tolde what was determined concerning the money, and shewed the cause of his comming: he asked also if it were so in deede.


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Then the hye priest tolde hym, that there was such money layed vp for the vpholding of wydowes and fatherlesse children,


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And how that a certayne of it belonged vnto Hyrcanus the sonne of Tobias a noble man, & that of all the money (and not as that wicked Simon had reported) there were foure hundreth talentes of siluer, and two hundred of golde:


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Yea & that it were vnpossible for those mens meaning to be disceaued that had put assured confidence in the holinesse of the place, & in the maiestie & vndoubted safetie of the temple, whiche is had in worship thorowe the whole worlde, for the mayntenaunce and honour of the same.


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So at the day appoynted, Heliodorus entred into the temple to order this matter: wherefore there was no small feare throughout the whole citie.


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The priestes fell downe before the aulter in their vestmentes, and called vnto heauen vpon hym whiche had made a lawe concerning stuffe geuen to kepe that they shoulde be safely preserued for such as commited them vnto keping.


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Then who so had loked the hye priest in the face, it woulde haue greeued his heart: for his countenaunce and the chaunging of his colour, declared the inwarde sorowe of his mynde.


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The man was all in heauinesse, and his body in feare: whereby they that loked vpon him, might perceaue the griefe of his heart.


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The other people also came out of their houses by heapes vnto the common prayer, because the place was like to come into confusion.


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The women came together thorowe the streetes with heary clothes about their brestes: the virgins also that were kept in, ran to Onias, some of them ran to the gates, some vp vpon the walles, other some loked out at the windowes.


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But they besought almightie God that the goodes which were committed vnto them, might be kept whole for those that had deliuered them vnto their keping.


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Neuerthelesse, the thing that Heliodorus was determined to do, that perfourmed he in the same place, he hym selfe personally beyng about the treasurie with his men of warre.


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But the spirite of almightie God shewed him selfe openly, so that al they which presumed to obey Heliodorus, fel thorow the power of God into a great fearefulnesse and dread.


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For there appeared vnto them an horse, with a terrible man sitting vpon him, deckte in goodly aray, and the horse smote at Heliodorus with his forefeete: Nowe he that sate vpon the horse, had harnesse of golde vpon him.


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Moreouer, there appeared two fayre and beautifull young men of notable strength in goodly aray, whiche stoode by him, scourged him of both the sides, and gaue hym many strypes without ceassing.


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With that fell Hiliodorus sodenly vnto the grounde, so they toke him vp beyng compassed about with great darkenesse, & bare him out vpon a beere.


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Thus he that came with so many runners and men of warre into the sayde treasurie, was borne out, where as no man might helpe hym, beyng destitute of harnesse and weapons: and so the power of God was manifest & knowen.


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And they praysed the Lord, that he had shewed his power vpon his place and temple, which a litle afore was full of feare and trouble, and that through the reuelation of the almightie Lord it was filled with ioy and gladnesse,


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Then certayne of Heliodorus friendes prayed Onias that in al haste he would call vpon God, to graunt hym his lyfe, which was geuing vp the ghost.


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So the hye priest fearing lest the king should suspect that the Iewes had done Heliodorus some euyll, he offered an offering for his health.


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Nowe when the hye priest had obtaytayned his petition, the same young men in the same clothing appeared, & stoode beside Heliodorus saying, Thanke Onias the hye priest: for for his sake hath the Lorde graunted thee thy lyfe.


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Therfore seyng that God hath scourged thee, geue hym prayse and thankes, and shewe euery man his might and power. And when they had spoken these wordes, they appeared no more.


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So Heliodorus offered vnto God, made great vowes vnto hym whiche had graunted him his lyfe, thanked Onias, toke his hoast, and went againe to the king.


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And when the king asked Heliodorus who were meete to be sent yet once againe to Hierusalem, he sayde:


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If thou hast any enemie or aduersarie vnto thy realme, sende him thyther, and thou shalt haue hym punished, if he escape with his lyfe: for in that place [no doubt] there is a special power and working of God.


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For he that dwelleth in heauen, visiteth and defendeth that place, and all that come to do it harme he punisheth and plagueth them.


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This Simon nowe (of whom we spake afore) being a bewrayer of the money and of his owne natural coutrey, reported ye worst of Onias, as though he had moued Heliodorus vnto this, & as though he had ben a bringer vp of euil.


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Thus was he not ashamed to call hym an enemie of the realme, that was so faythful an ouerseer and defender of the citie and of his people, yea and so feruent in the lawe of God.


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But when the malice of Simon increased so farre, that thorowe his friendes there were certayne manslaughters committed:


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Onias considered the peryll that might come thorowe this stryfe, and howe that Apollonius the chiefe Lorde in Celosiria and Phenices, was al set vpon tirannie, and Simons malice increased the same:


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He gat him to the king, not as an accuser of the citezins, but as one that by him selfe intended the common wealth of the whole multitude.


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For he sawe it was not possible to liue in peace, neither Simon to leaue of from his foolishnesse, except the king did loke therto.


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But after the death of Seleucus, when Antiochus, whiche is called the noble, toke the kingdome, Iason the brother of Onias laboured to be hye priest:


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For he came vnto the king, and promised him three hundred and threescore talentes of siluer, and of the other rentes fourescore talentes.


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Besides this, he promised hym yet an hundred and fiftie more, if he might haue licence to set vp a scoole and an exercise of weapons, and that he might call them of Hierusalem Antiochians.


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Which when the king had graunted, and he had gotten the superioritie, he began immediatly to draw his kinsmen to the custome of the heathen,


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Put downe the thinges that the Iewes had set vp of loue by Ihon the father of Eupolomus, whiche was sent ambassadour vnto Rome for to make the bonde of friendship and loue, he put downe all the lawes and liberties of the Iewes, and set vp the wicked statutes.


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For when he had made a scoole of fence vnder the castle, he drewe all the chiefest yong men on his side, and trayned them to were hattes.


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And there was such a feruent desire to come to the maners of the heathen, and to take vp newe straunge fashions brought in thorowe the vngratious and vnhearde wickednesse of Iason, which shoulde not be called a priest, but an vngodly person:


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Insomuch that the priestes were now no more occupied about the seruice of the aulter: but despised the temple, regarded not the offeringes, yea gaue their diligence to learne to fight, to wrastle, to leape, to daunce, and to cast the stone:


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For the which they stroue perylously, & were greedy to folow their statutes, yea their lust was in all thinges to be like them, whiche afore were their enemies and destroyers.


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Howebeit to do wickedly against the law of God, shal not escape vnpunished, but of this we shall speake hereafter.


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This vngratious Iason sent wicked men, bearing from them of Hierusalem (which nowe were called Antiochians) three hundred drachmes of siluer for an offering to Hercules: these had they that caryed them desired vnder such a fashion as though they should not haue ben offered, but bestowed to other vses.


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Neuerthelesse, he that sent them, sent them to the intet that they should be offered vnto Hercules: but because of those that were present, they were geuen as to the making of shippes.


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And Apollonius the sonne of Menestheus was sent into Egypt, because of the noble men of king Ptolomi Philometor. Nowe when Antiochus perceaued that he was put out from medling in the realme, he sought his owne profite, departed from thence, came to Ioppa, and then to Hierusalem,


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Where he was honorably receaued of Iason, and of the citie, and was brought in with torche light and with great prayse: and so he turned his hoast vnto Phenices.


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After three yeres Iason sent Menelaus (the foresayd Simons brother) to beare the money vnto the king, & to bring him aunswere of other necessarie matters.


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But he when he was commended to the king for magnifiyng of his power, turned the priesthood vnto him selfe, laying vp three hundred talentes of siluer for Iason.


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So when he had gotten commaundementes from the king, he came, hauing nothing that becommeth a priest, but bearing the stomacke of a cruel tyraunt, and the wrath of a wilde bruite beast.


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Then Iason which had disceaued his owne brother, seyng that he hym selfe was begiled also, was fayne to flee into the lande of the Ammonites,


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And Menelaus gat the dominion: but as for the money that he had promised vnto the king, he dyd nothing therin, albeit Sostratus the ruler of the castle required it of him.


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For Sostratus was the man that gathered the customes: wherefore they were both called before the king.


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Thus was Menelaus put out of the priesthood, & Lysimachus his brother came in his steade, and Sostratus left Crates ouerseer of the Cyprians.


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It happened in the meane season, that the Tharsians and Mallotians made insurrection, because they were geuen for a present vnto Antiochus the kinges concubine.


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Then came the king in all haste to still them againe, and to pacifie the matter, leauing Andronicus there to be his deputie as one meete therfore.


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Now Menelaus supposing that he had gotten a right conuenient time, stole certayne vessels of golde out of the temple, and gaue them to Andronicus for a present: and some he solde at Tyrus, and in the cities therby.


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Whiche when Onias knewe of a suretie, he reproued him: but he kept him in a sanctuarie beside Daphnis, that lyeth by Antioche.


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Wherefore Menelaus gat hym to Andronicus, and prayed him that he would slay Onias. So when he came to Onias, he counseled hym craftyly to come out of the sanctuarie, geuing hym his hande with an oth, (how be it he suspect hym) and then he slue Onias without any regarde of righteousnesse.


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For the whiche cause not onely the Iewes, but other nations also, toke indignation, and were displeased for the vnrighteous death of so godly a man.


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And when the king was come againe from Cilicia, the Iewes and certayne of the Grekes went vnto hym, complayning for the vnrighteous death of Onias.


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Yea Antiochus hym selfe was sory in his mynde for Onias, so that it pitied him: and he wept, remembring his sobernesse and manerly behauour.


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Wherefore he was so kindled in his minde, that he commaunded Andronicus to be stripped out of his purple clothing, and so to be led throughout the citie, yea and the vngratious man to be slayne in the same place where he committed his wickednesse vpon Onias: Thus the Lorde rewarded him his punishement, as he had deserued.


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Now when Lysimachus had done many wicked deedes in the temple thorow the counsell of Menelaus, and the voyce came abrode: the multitude gathered them together against Lysimachus, for he had caryed out now much golde.


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So when the people arose, and were full of displeasure, Lysimachus armed three thousande vnthriftes to defende him, a certayne tyraunt being their captayne, which was growen both in age and woodnesse.


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They therefore seyng the interprise of Lysimachus, caught vp, some stones, some blockes endes, & some handfulles of dust that was next at hand, & threwe them vpon the rebelles of Lysimachus bande that had set vpon them.


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Thus there were many of them wounded, some beyng slayne, and all the other chased away: But as for the wicked church robber hym selfe, they killed him beside the treasurie.


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Now when the king came to Tyrus, three men that were sent from the senate pleaded him giltie before the king.


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But Menelaus being nowe conuict, went & promised Ptolomi the sonne of Dorymenes to geue him much money, if he woulde pacifie the king towarde him.


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So Ptolomi went to the king into a court, where as he was set to coole him, and brought him out of that minde:


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Insomuch that he discharged Menelaus from the accusations, that notwithstanding was cause of all mischiefe: and those poore men which if they had tolde their cause, yea before the Scythians, they shoulde haue ben iudged innocent, them he condepmned to death.


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Thus were they soone punished, which folowed vpon the matter for the citie, for the people, and for the holy vessels.


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Wherefore they also of Tyrus, moued with hatred of that wicked deede, caused them to be very honorably buried.


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And so through the couetousnesse of them that were in power, Menelaus remayned still in aucthoritie, encreasing in malice, to the hurt of the citezins.


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And then were there seene throughout all the citie of [Hierusalem] fourtie dayes longe, horsmen running in the ayre, with robes of golde, and as bandes of speare men,


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And as troupes of horsmen set in aray, incountering and coursing one against another, with shaking of shieldes and multitude of dartes, and drawing of swordes, and shooting of arrowes, and the glittering of the golden armour seene, and harnesse of all sortes.


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Now when there was gone foorth a false rumour, as though Antiochus had ben dead, Iason toke a thousand men, and came sodenly vpon the citie: the citezins ranne vnto the walles, at the last was the citie taken, and Menelaus fled into the castle.


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As for Iason, he spared not his owne citezins in the slaughter, neither considered he what great euill it were to destroy the prosperitie of his owne kinsemen: but did as one that had gotten the victory of his enemies, and not of his friendes.


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For all this gat he not the superioritie, but at the last receaued confusion for his malice, and fled againe lyke a vacabound into the land of the Ammonites.


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Finally, for a rewarde of his wickednesse, he was accused before Aretha the king of the Arabians, insomuch that he was faine to flee from citie to citie, being despised of euery man as a forsaker of the lawes, and an abhominable person: and at the last as an open enemie of his owne naturall countrey and of the citezins, he was driuen into Egypt.


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Thus he that afore put many out of their owne natiue lande, perished from home him selfe: he went to Lacedemon, thinking there to haue gotten succour by reason of kinred.


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And he that afore had caste many one out vnburied, was throwen out him selfe, no man mourning for him, nor putting him in his graue: so that he neither enioyed the buriall of a straunger, neither was he partaker of his fathers sepulchre.


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Now when this was done, the king suspected that the Iewes woulde haue fallen from him, wherefore he came in a great displeasure out of Egypt, & toke the citie by violence.


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He commaunded his men of warre also, that they should kill and not spare: but slay downe such as withstoode them, or clymed vp vpon the houses.


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In three dayes were there slaine fourscore thousand, fourtie thousand put in prison: and there were as many solde as were slaine.


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Yet was he not content with this, but durst go into the most holy temple of al the worlde, Menelaus that traytour to the lawes and to his owne naturall countrey being his guide.


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And with his wicked handes toke the holy vessels, which other kinges and cities had geuen thyther for the garnishing & honour of the place, them toke he in his handes vnworthyly, and defiled them.


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So mad was Antiochus, that he considered not how that God was not a litle wroth for the sinnes of them that dwelt in the citie, for the which such confusion came vpon that place.


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And why? if it had not happened them to haue ben lapped in many sinnes, this Antiochus assoone as he had come, had sodenly ben punished and shut out of his presumption, like as Heliodorus was, whom Seleucus the king sent to robbe the treasurie.


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Neuerthelesse, God hath not chosen the people for the places sake: but the place for the peoples sake.


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And therefore is the place become partaker of the peoples trouble, but afterward shall it enioy the wealth of them: And lyke as it was now forsaken in the wrath of almightie God, so when the great God is reconsiled, it shalbe set vp in hie worship againe.


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So when Antiochus had taken a thousand and eyght hundred talentes out of the temple, he gat him to Antioch in al the haste, thinking in his pride that he might make men saile vpon the drye lande, and to go vpon the sea, such an hie minde had he.


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He left deputies there to vexe the people: at Hierusalem left he Philip a Phrygian, in maners more cruell then him selfe that set him there:


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Nowe as he was thus set in malice against the Iewes, he sent Apollonius, a cruell prince, with an armie of twentie and two thousand, commaunding him to slay those that were of perfect age, and to sell the women, maydens, and children.


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When he came now to Hierusalem, he faigned peace, & kept him still vntill the Sabbath day: and then he commaunded his men to take them to their weapons, for the Iewes kept holy day:


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And so he slue all them that were gone foorth to the open play, running [here and there] through the citie with his men weaponed, and murthered a great number.


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But Iudas Machabeus, which was the tenth, fled into the wildernesse, led his lyfe there with his company among wylde beastes and vpon the mountaynes, dwelling there, and eating hearbes, lest they shoulde be partakers of the filthynesse.


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Not longe after this, sent the king an olde man of Antioch, for to compell the Iewes to transgresse the ordinaunces of the fathers, & of the lawe of God,


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To defile the temple that was at Hierusalem, and to call it the temple of Iupiter Olimpius: and that they shoulde be in Garizim, as those which dwel at the place of Iupiter the harberous.


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For the temple was full of voluptuousnes, bibbing and bolling of the heathen, of rybaudes and harlots together: the women went into the holy place, and bare in that was not lawfull.


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The Sabbathes were not kept, the other solempne feastes of the land were not regarded: to be plaine, there durst no man be knowe that he was a Iewe.


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In the day of the kinges birth they were compelled parforce to offer, and when the feaste of Bacchus was kept, they were constrayned to weare garlandes of iuie, and so to go about to the honour of Bacchus.


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Moreouer, through the counsell of Ptolomeus, there went out a comaundement vnto the next cities of the heathen against the Iewes, that the lyke custome & banketting should be kept.


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And who so would not conforme them selues to the maners of the Gentiles, should be put to death: then might a man haue seene the present miserie.


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For there were two women accused to haue circumcized their sonnes: whom when they had led rounde about the citie the babes hanging at their brestes, they cast them downe headlonges ouer the walles.


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Some that were crept in dennes, and had kept the Sabbath, were accused vnto Philip, and brent in the fire, because that for the feare of God they kept the commaundement so stiffely, and would not defende them selues.


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Now I beseche all those which reade this booke, that they refuse it not for these fals of aduersitie, and iudge the thinges that are happened for no destruction, but for a chastening of our people.


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And why? When God suffereth not sinners long to folow their owne minde, but shortly punisheth them, it is a token of his great louing kindnesse.


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For this grace haue we of God more then other people, That he suffreth not vs long to sinne vnpunished, lyke as other nations,


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If we sinne, he correcteth vs, but he neuer withdraweth his mercie from vs: and though he punishe with aduersitie, yet doth he neuer forsake his people.


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But let this that we haue spoken now with fewe wordes, be for a warning and exhortation of the heathen: Now wyll we come to the declaring of the matter.


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Eleazar one of the principall scribes, an aged man, and of a well fauoured countenaunce, was constrained to gape with open mouth, and to eate swynes fleshe.


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But he desiring rather to dye gloriously then to lyue with shame, offered him selfe willingly to the martirdome.


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Now when he saw that he must nedes go to it, he toke it patiently: for he was at a poynt with himselfe, that he would not consent to any vnlawful thing for any pleasure of lyfe.


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They that stoode by, being moued with pitie (but not a right) for the olde frendship of the man, toke him aside priuilie, and prayed him that he would let such fleshe be brought him as were lawfull to eate, and then to make a countenaunce as though he had eaten of the flesh of the sacrifice, like as the king commaunded.


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For so he might be deliuered from death: and so for the olde frendship of the man, they shewed him this kindnes.


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But he began to consider discreetely, and as became his age and the excellencie of his auncient yeres, and the honour of his gray heares whereunto he was come, and his most honest conuersation from his childhood, but chiefely the holy law made and geuen by God, therefore he aunswered consequently, and willed them straightwayes to send him to the graue:


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For it becommeth not mine age, saide he, in any wyse to dissemble, whereby many young persons might thinke that Eleazar being fourscore yeres olde and ten, were nowe gone to a straunge religion:


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And so through myne hypocrisie for a litle time of a transitorie lyfe, they might be deceaued: by this meanes also should I defile myne age, and make it abhominable.


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For though I were nowe deliuered from the tormentes of men, yet shoulde I not escape the hand of almightie God neither aliue nor dead.


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Whereby I may peraduenture leaue an example of stedfastnes for such as be young, if I with a redie minde & manfully dye an honest death for the most worthy and holy lawes. When he had saide these words, immediatly he was drawen to the torment.


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Now they that led him, and were milde a litle afore, began to take displeasure because of the wordes that he saide: for they thought he had spoken them of an hie minde.


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But when he was in his martirdome, he mourned, and saide: Thou O Lorde which hast the holy knowledge, knowest openly, that where as I might be deliuered from death, I suffer these sore paynes of my body: but in my minde I am well content to suffer them, because I feare thee.


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Thus this man dyed, leauing the memoriall of his death for an example, not onely vnto young men, but vnto all the people, to be stedfast and manly,


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It happened also that there were seuen brethren with their mother, taken, and compelled by the king against the lawe to eate swines fleshe, [namely] with scourges and leatherne whippes.


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And one of them, which was the chiefe, saide: What seekest thou, and what requirest thou of vs? As for vs, we are redie rather to suffer death, then to offende the lawes of God and the fathers.


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Immediately he commaunded the tongue of him that spake first to be cut out, to pull the skin ouer his head, to pare the edges of his handes and feete: yea and that in the sight of his mother and the other of his brethren.


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Now when he was cleane mangled, he comaunded a fire to be made, and so (while there was any breath in him) to be fried in the cauldron: In the which when he had ben long pained, the other brethren, with their mother, exhorted him to dye manfully, saying:


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The Lorde God shall regarde the trueth, and comfort vs, lyke as Moyses testifieth and declareth in his song [saying:] And he wyll haue compassion on his seruauntes.


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So when the first was dead after this maner, they brought the second to haue him in derision, pulled the skinne with the heere ouer his head, and asked him if he would eate swines flesh or he were payned in the other members also throughout his body.


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But he aunswered in his owne language, and said, I wyll not do it: And so he was tormented lyke as the first.


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And when he was euen at the geuing vp of the ghost, he sayd, Thou most vngratious person puttest vs now to death: but the king of the worlde shal rayse vs vp which dye for his lawes, in the resurrection of euerlasting lyfe.


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After him was the third had in derision, and when he was required he put out his tongue, and that right soone, holding foorth his handes manfully,


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And spake with a stedfast faith: These haue I of heaue, but now for the lawes of God I despise them: for my trust is, that I shal receaue them of him againe.


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Insomuch that the king & they which were with him, marueyled at the young mans boldnes, that he nothing regarded the paynes.


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So when he was now at his death, he saide: It is better that we being put to death of men haue our hope & trust in God, for he shall rayse vs vp againe: as for thee, thou shalt haue no resurrection to lyfe.


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Then loked he vnto the king, and said, Thou hast power among men, for thou art a mortall man also thy selfe to do what thou wylt: but thinke not that God hath forsaken our generation.


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Abide thee, tary still awhile, and thou shalt see the great power of God, howe he wyll punishe thee and thy seede.


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After him they brought the sixt, which being at the poynt of death, saide, Be not deceaued O king: for this we suffer for our owne sakes, because we haue offended our God, and therefore marueylous thinges are shewed vpon vs.


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This excellent mother worthy to be wel reported of & had in remembrauce, saw her seuen sonnes dye in one day, and suffered it paciently, because of the hope that she had in God:


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Yea, she exhorted euery one of them in her countrey language, and that boldly and stedfastly with perfect wysdome, waking vp her wiuishe thought with a manly stomake, and saide vnto them,


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I can not tell howe ye sprang in my wombe: for I neither gaue you breath, nor soule, nor lyfe, it is not I that ioyned the members of your bodies together,


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But the maker of the worlde which fashioned the byrth of man, and began all thinges: Euen he also of his owne mercie shall geue you breath and lyfe againe, lyke as ye now regard not your owne selues for his lawes sake.


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Now thought Antiochus that she had despised him, therfore he let her go with her reproffes, and began to exhort the youngest sonne which yet was left, not onely with wordes, but swore vnto him with an oth, that he shoulde make him a rich and wealthy man, if he would forsake the lawes of his fathers: yea, and that he shoulde geue him whatsoeuer were necessarie for him.


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But when the young man would not be moued for all these thinges, he called his mother and counselled her to saue her sonnes lyfe.


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So she turned her vnto him, laughing the cruell tyraunt to scorne, and spake in her countrey language: O my sonne, haue pitie vpon me, that bare thee nine monethes in my wombe, that gaue thee sucke, nourished thee: and brought thee vp vnto this age,


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I beseche thee my sonne, loke vpon heauen and earth, and all that is therein, and consider that God made them and mans generation of naught:


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So shalt thou not feare this hangman, but suffer death stedfastly, lyke as thy brethren haue done: that I may receaue thee againe in the same mercie with thy brethren.


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While she was yet speaking these wordes, the young man saide: whom loke ye for? [wherefore do ye tary?] I wyl not obey the kinges commaundement, but the law that God gaue vs by Moyses.


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And though the liuing Lord be angry with vs a litle while for our chastening and reformation, yet shall he be at one againe with his seruauntes.


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But thou O godlesse man, and of all other the most wicked, pride not thy selfe through vaine hope, in being so malitious vpon the seruauntes of God:


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My brethren that haue suffered a litle paine, are nowe vnder the couenaunt of euerlasting lyfe: but through the iudgement of God, thou shalt be punished righteously for thy pride.


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As for me, lyke as my brethren haue done, I offer my soule and my bodye for the lawes of our fathers, calling vpon God that he wyll soone be mercifull vnto our people: yea and with paine and punishment to make thee graunt that he onely is God.


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In me nowe and in my brethren, the wrath of almightie God is at an ende, which righteously is fallen vpon all our people.


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Then the king being kindled in anger, was more cruell vpon him then vpon al the other, and toke indignation that he was so lightly regarded.


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Then Iudas Machabeus, and they that were with him, went priuilie into the townes, called their kinsefolkes & friendes together, toke vnto them al such as continued yet in the faith and lawe of the Iewes, and brought forth sixe thousand men.


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So they called vpon the Lorde, that he woulde haue an eye vnto his people, which was troden downe of euery man, to be gratious vnto the temple, that was defiled of the vngodly,


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To haue compassion vpon the destruction of the citie, which was shortly lyke to be layde waste, to heare the voyce of the blood that cryed vnto him:


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To remember the most vnrighteous deathes of young innocent children, the blasphemies also done vnto his name, and to punishe them.


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Now when Machabeus had gathered this multitude together, he was to mightie for the heathen, for the wrath of the Lorde was turned into mercie,


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He fell vpon the townes and cities vnwares, brent them, toke the most commodious places, and slue many of the enemies.


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So when Philip sawe that the man encreased by litle and litle, and that the matter prospered with him for the most parte: he wrote vnto Ptolomi, which was a captaine in Celosyria and Phenices, to helpe him in the kinges busines.


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Then sent he Nicanor the sonne of Patroclus, a speciall friend of his, in all the haste, and gaue him of the common sorte of the heathen no lesse then twentie thousand harnessed men, to roote out the whole generation of the Iewes, hauing to helpe him one Gorgias a man of warre, which in matters concerning battailes had great experience.


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Nicanor ordayned also the tribute, which the Romanes shoulde haue had, to be euen vnto the king out of the captiue of the Iewes, [namely] two thousand talentes.


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And immediatly he sent to the cities of the sea coaste, requiring them for to bye Iewes to be their seruauntes and bondmen, promysing to sell them fourscore and ten for one talent: but he considered not the wrath of almightie God that was to come vpon him.


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Now were there some of them fearefull, not trusting vnto the righteousnes of God, and fled their way, and abode not in that place:


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But the other that remained, came together, and besought the Lorde to deliuer them from that wicked Nicanor, which had solde them or euer he came nye them:


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And though he woulde not do it for their sakes, yet for the couenaunt that he made with their fathers, and because they called vpon his holy and glorious name.


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And so Machabeus called his men together [namely] about sixe thousand, exhorting them not to agree vnto their enemies, neither to be afraide for the multitude of their aduersaries comming against them vnrighteously, but to fight manly,


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Considering the reproofe that they had done to the holy place without cause, how they had despised and oppressed the citie, yea and destroyed the lawes of the fathers.


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For they, saide he, trust in their weapons and boldnesse: but our confidence is in the almightie Lorde, which in the twinkling of an eye may both destroye them, and come against vs, and all the worlde.


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He exhorted them also to call to remembraunce the helpe that God shewed vnto their fathers, as when there perished an hundred fourscore and fiue thousand of Sennacheribs people:


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And of the battaile that they had in Babylon against the Galathians: how all the Macedonians that came to helpe them, being foure thousand, stoode in feare: and howe they being onely but sixe thousand, slue an hundred & twentie thousand through the helpe that was geuen them from heauen, wherby they also had receaued many benefites.


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Through these wordes the men toke good heartes vnto them, redie to dye for the lawe and the countrey.


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So he set vpon euery company a captaine, one of his owne brethren, Simon, Ioseph, and Ionathas, geuing ech one fifteene hundred men.


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He caused Esdras also to reade the holy booke vnto them, and to geue them a token of the helpe of God: then he him selfe being captaine in the forefront of the battaile, buckled with Nicanor.


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And God was their helpe, insomuch that they slue aboue nine thousand men, and compelled the more part of Nicanors hoast to flee, they were so wounded and feeble.


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But when the time came vpon them, they returned, for it was the day before the Sabbath, and therefore they folowed no more vpon them.


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So they toke their weapons, & spoyles, and kept the Sabbath, geuing thankes vnto the Lorde which had deliuered them that day, and shewed them the beginning of his mercie.


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After the Sabbath, they distributed the spoyles to the sicke, to the fatherlesse, and to wydowes, & the residue had they them selues, with theirs.


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When this was done, and they all had made a generall prayer, they besought the mercifull Lorde to be at one with his seruauntes.


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Of those also that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, which fought against them, they slue twentie thousand, wanne high and strong holdes, and deuided mo spoyles, euer geuing an equal portion vnto the sicke, to the fatherlesse, to wydowes, and to aged persons.


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And when they had diligently gathered their weapons together, they layde them all in conuenient places, and the remnaunt of the spoyles brought they to Hierusalem:


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And when they helde the thankesgeuing at Hierusalem for the victory, they brent those that had set fire on the portes of the temple, [namely] Calisthenes, which was fled into an house, and so they gat a worthy rewarde for their wickednesse.


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He was through the helpe of the Lord brought downe euen of them whom he regarded not: insomuch that he put of his glorious rayment, fled by sea, and came alone to Antioch, with great shame and dishonour, which he gat through the destruction of his hoast.


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Thus he that promysed the Romanes to pay them their tribute when he toke Hierusalem, began nowe to say plainely, that God was the defender of the Iewes, and therefore not possible to wounde them, because they folowed the lawes which God had made.


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For when he came to Persepolis, and vndertoke to robbe the temple, and to subdue the citie, the people ranne together and defended them selues, insomuch that he and his were faine to flee with shame: and so after that flight it happened that Antiochus came againe with dishonour.


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Now as he was auauncing him selfe in his wrath, he thought he was able to auenge the iniurie that was done to them vpon the Iewes: & therfore commaunded to make redy his charret, hasting on his iourney without ceassing, the iudgement of God prouoking him, because he had spoken so proudly, that he would come to Hierusalem, & make it a graue of the Iewes.


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But the Lorde God of Israel, that seeth all thinges, smote him with an vncurable and an inuisible plague [which no man could heale.] For assoone as he had spoken these wordes, there came vpon him an horryble paine of his bowels, & a sore griefe of the inner partes,


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Howbeit he woulde in no wyse ceasse from his malice: yea he was yet the prouder and more malicious against the Iewes: but whyle he was commaunding to make haste in the matter, it happened that he fell downe violently from the charret that ranne swiftly, so that it bruised his body, and did him great payne.


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And so he that thought a litle before he might commaund the fluddes of the sea (so proude was he beyond the condition of man) and to waye the hye mountaynes in a payre of balaunce, was now brought downe to the grounde, and carried vpon a horslitter, knowledging the manifest power of God vpon him:


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So that the wormes came out of the bodie of this wicked man in aboudance: and whiles he was aliue, his flesh fell of for paine and torment, and all his armie was greeued at his smell.


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Thus he that a litle afore thought he might reache to the starres of heauen: him might no man now abide nor beare, for the vehemencie of stincke.


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Therefore he being brought from his great pride, began for to come to the knowledge of him selfe: for the punishment of God warned him, & his payne encreased euer more and more.


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And when he him selfe might not abide his owne stincke, he saide these wordes: It is reason to be obedient vnto God, and that a man which is mortall, thinke not through pride, him selfe to be equall vnto God.


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And as for the citie that he came vnto so hastyly, to bring it downe to the ground, and to make it a graue for dead men, now he desireth to deliuer it free:


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And as touching the Iewes, whom he had iudged not worthy to be buried, but woulde haue cast them out with their children, for to be deuoured of the foules and wilde beastes, [saying that he woulde haue destroyed both olde and young:] now he promysed to make them like the citezins of Athens:


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And where as he had spoyled the holy temple afore, nowe he maketh promyse to garnishe it with great giftes, to encrease the holy ornamentes, and of his owne rentes to beare the costes & charges belonging to the offringes:


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Yea and that he would also become a Iewe hym selfe, to go through euery place of the worlde that was inhabyted, and to preache the power of God.


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But when his paynes would not ceasse, (for the ryghteous iudgement of God was come vpon hym) out of a very dispayre he wrote vnto the Iewes a letter of intercession, conteyning these words:


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The king and prince Antiochus, wisheth vnto the vertuous citezins of the Iewes much health and good prosperitie.


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In my sicknesse also do I remember you louyngly: for as I came out of Persia, & was taken with sore disease, I thought it necessary to care for the common wealth:


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But considering that my father led an hoast somtime in the higher places, and shewed who should raigne after him,


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That if there happened any controuersie, or any hard thing were declared, they in the lande might knowe their chiefe Lorde, that there should be no insurrection.


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Againe, when I ponder with my selfe, how that al the mightie men and neighbours rounde about are laying wayte, & loke but for oportunitie to do harme: I haue ordeined that my sonne Antiochus shall raigne after me, whom I oft commended to many of you, when I was in the higher kingdomes, & haue written vnto him as it foloweth hereafter.


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Therfore I pray you and require you to remember the benefites that I haue done vnto you generally and in especiall, and that euery man wil be faythfull to me and my sonne.


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For I hope that he shalbe of sober and louing behauour, and if he folowe my deuice, he shalbe indifferent vnto you.


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Thus that murtherer and blasphemer of God was sore smitten: and like as he had intreated other men, so he died a miserable death in a straunge countrey vpon a mountayne.


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And his body dyd Philip that went with him cary away, which fearing the sonne of Antiochus, went into Egypt to Ptolomi Philometor.


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Clensed the temple, made another aulter of bricke stone, and after two yeres they offered sacrifices, set foorth the incense, the lightes, and shewe bread.


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When that was done, they fell downe flat vpon the grounde, and besought the Lord that they might come no more into such trouble: but if they sinned any more against him, he him selfe to chasten them with mercie, and not to come in the handes of those aliauntes and blasphemous men.


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Nowe vpon the same day that the straungers polluted the temple, it happened that on the very same day it was clensed againe: [namely] the twentie and fyfth day of the moneth called Casleu.


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They kept eyght dayes in gladnesse, like as in the feast of the tabernacles, remembring that not long afore they held the feast of the tabernacles vpon the mountaynes and in dennes, like beastes.


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And to the same token they bare greene bowes, braunches, & palmes, and song Psalmes before hym that had geuen them good successe to clense his place.


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They agreed also together, and made a statute that euery yere those dayes shoulde be solemply kept of all the people of the Iewes.


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Nowe will we speake of Eupator the sonne of that wicked Antiochus howe it happened with hym, and so with fewe wordes to comprehende the aduersitie that chaunced in the warres.


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When he had taken in the kingdome, he made one Lysias whiche had ben captayne of the hoast in Phenices and Syria, ruler ouer the matters of the realme.


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For Ptolomi, that was called Macron, beyng a ruler for the Iewes, and specially to sit in iudgement for such wrong as was done vnto them, vndertoke to deale peaceably with them.


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For the whiche cause he was accused of his friendes before Eupator: and when he was suspect to be a traytour, because he had left Cypres that Philometor had committed vnto him, and because he departed from noble Antiochus that he was come vnto, he poysoned hym selfe, and died.


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Now when Gorgias was gouernour of the same places, he toke straungers, and vndertoke oft times to warre with the Iewes.


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Moreouer, the Idumeans that helde the strong holdes, receaued those that were dryuen from Hierusalem, and toke in hande to warre also.


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But they that were with Machabeus besought & prayed vnto the Lorde that he woulde be their helper, and so they fell vpon the strong holdes of the Idumeans,


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And wan many places by strength: such as came against them they slue, and killed no lesse of all together then twentie thousande.


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Neuerthelesse some, no lesse then nyne thousande, were fled into two strong towres, hauing all maner of ordinaunce to withstande them.


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Then Machabeus leauing Simon, Iosephus, Zacheus, and those that were with them, whiche were very many, went to besiege them, & to fight where most neede was.


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Nowe they that were with Simon, beyng led with couetousnesse, were intreated for money thorowe certayne of those that lay in the castles, toke threescore and ten thousande dragmas: and let some of them escape.


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But when it was tolde Machabeus what had happened, he called the captaynes of the people together, accusing those persons, that they had sold the brethren for money, & let their enemies go.


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And when they had ordred them selues manly with their weapons & handes, they slue in the two castles mo then twentie thousande.


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Now Timotheus, whom the Iewes had ouercome afore, gathered a multitude of strange people, brought an hoast also of horsemen of the Asians to winne Iurie by strength.


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But when he drewe nye, Machabeus and they that were with him, fell to their prayer, sprinkled asshes vpon their heades, beyng gyrded with heery cloth about their loynes,


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Fell downe before the aulter, and besought the Lord that he would be mercifull to them, but an enemie vnto their enemies, and to take part against their aduersaries, according as it is promised in the lawe.


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So after the prayer, they toke their weapons & went on further from the citie: & when they came nye the enemies, they prepared them selues against them.


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And betimes in the morning at the breake of the day, both the hoastes buckled together: The one part had the Lorde for their refuge, which is the geuer of prosperitie, strength, and victorie: the other had a manly stomacke, which is a captayne of warre.


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The battayle nowe beyng great, there appeared vnto the enemies from heauen fiue goodly men vpon horsebackes, with bridels of gold, leading the Iewes:


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And two of them hauing Machabeus betwixt them, that kept him safe on euery side with their weapons, but shot dartes and lightninges vpon the enemies, where thorow they were confounded with blindnesse, and so sore afrayde that they fell downe.


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Now they that were within, trusting to the strength of the place, cursed and banned exceedingly, and made great craking with wicked wordes.


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Neuerthelesse, vpon the fyft day in the morning, twentie yong men of Machabeus company, beyng set on fire in their mindes because of the blasphemie, came manfully vnto the wall, and with bolde stomakes smote downe those that they mette.


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Others also clymed vp vpo the towres, vndertaking to set fire vpon the portes, & to burne those blasphemous persons quicke with the fiers that they had made, others brake open the gates, and receaued the rest of the armie, and toke the citie.


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Two dayes were they destroying the castle, which when they founde Timotheus that was crept in a corner, they killed him, and slue Chereas his brother in like maner, with Apollophanes.


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When this was done, they song Psalmes with prayses and thankesgeuing vnto the Lorde, which had done so great thinges for Israel, and geuen them the victorie.


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Not long after this, Lysias the kinges stewarde and a kinsman of his, which had the gouernaunce of his matters, toke sore displeasure for the thinges that had happened,


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And when he had gathered fourescore thousand men of foote, with al the hoast of the horsemen, he came against the Iewes, thinking to winne the citie, to make it an habitation for the heathen:


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And the temple woulde he haue to be an house of lucre, like as the other gods houses of the heathen are, and to sell the priestes office euery yere,


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Not considering the power of God, but was wilde in his mynde, trusting in the multitude of footemen, in thousandes of horsemen, & in his fourescore Elephantes.


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So he came into Iurie, and then to Bethsura, a castle of defence, lying in a narow place fiue furlonges from Hierusalem, & layed sore siege vnto it.


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Nowe when Machabeus and his company knew that the strong holdes were besieged, they fell to their prayers with weeping and teares before the Lorde: and all the people in lyke maner besought him that he woulde send a good angel to deliuer Israel.


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Machabeus him selfe was the first that made him redy to the battayle, exhorting the other that were with hym to ieoperde them selues, and to helpe their brethren.


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And when they were goyng foorth of Hierusalem together with a redy and willing mynde, there appeared before them vpon horsbacke a man in whyte clothing, with harnesse of gold, shaking his speare.


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Then they praysed the Lorde all together whiche had shewed them mercie, and were comforted in their mindes, insomuch that they were redy not onely to fight with men, but with the most cruel beastes, yea & run thorowe walles of iron.


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They fell mightyly vpon their enemies like lions, slue eleuen thousande footemen, sixeteene hundred horsemen, and put all the other to flight,


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Many of them beyng wounded, and some gat away naked: Yea Lysias him selfe was fayne to flee shamefully, aud so to escape.


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Neuerthelesse, that man was not without vnderstanding, but considered by him selfe that his power was minished, and pondred howe the Iewes beyng defended by the helpe of almightie God, were not able to be ouercome: wherfore he sent them worde,


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And promised, that he would consent to all thinges whiche were reasonable, and to make the king their friende.


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To the which praier of Lysias, Machabeus agreed, seking in all thinges the common wealth: & whatsoeuer Machabeus wrote vnto Lysias concerning the Iewes, the king graunted it.


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For there were letters written vnto the Iewes from Lysias, conteyning these wordes: Lysias sendeth greeting to the people of the Iewes.


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Iohn and Absolon which were sent from you, deliuered me wrytinges, and required me to fulfill the thinges concerning their errande.


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Therefore loke what might be graunted, I certified the king therof: & whatsoeuer was conueniet, he agreed therto.


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If ye now wil be faythful in these matters, I shall endeuour my selfe hereafter also to do you good.


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As concerning these thinges by euery article thereof, I haue committed them to your messengers and to those whom I sent vnto you, to commune with you of the same particulerly.


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Fare ye well. In the hundred fourtie and eyght yere, the twentie & fourth day of the moneth Dioscorinthius.


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Now the kinges letter conteyned these wordes: King Antiochus sendeth greeting vnto his brother Lysias.


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Forsomuch as our father is now translated vnto the gods, our will is, that they which are in our realme, liue without any insurrection, and euery man to be diligent in his owne matters:


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We vnderstande also, that the Iewes would not consent to our father, for to be brought vnto the custome of the gentiles, but stifly to kepe their owne statutes, for the which cause they require of vs also, to let them remayne still after their owne lawes.


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Wherfore our minde is, that this people shalbe in rest: we haue concluded and determined also to restore them their temple againe, that they may lyue according to the vse and custome of their forefathers.


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Thou shalt do vs a pleasure therefore, if thou send vnto them, and graunt them peace: that when they are certified of our mynde, they may be of good cheare, and loke to their owne wealth.


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And this was the letter that the king wrote vnto the Iewes: King Antiochus sendeth greeting vnto the counsell, and the other people of the Iewes.


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Menelaus came & tolde vs, howe that your desire was to returne home, and peaceably to enioy your owne possessios.


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Wherfore, those that wil come, we geue them free libertie, vnto the thirtie day of the moneth of Aprill,


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That they may vse the meates of the Iewes and their owne lawes like as afore: and none of them by any maner of wayes to haue harme for thinges done in ignoraunce.


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The Romaynes also sent a letter, conteyning these wordes: Quintus Memmius, & Titus Manilius ambassadours of the Romaynes, sende greeting vnto the people of the Iewes.


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But as concerning the thinges which he referred vnto the king, send hither some with speede, and ponder the matter diligently among your selues, that we may cast the best to your profite, for we must depart nowe vnto Antioche.


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But Timotheus, & Apolonius the sonne of Gennei, Ierome, and Demophon [the proude] Nicanor the captayne of Cypers, and they that lay in those places, would not let them lyue in rest & peace.


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They of Ioppa also dyd euen such a shameful deede: they prayed the Iewes that dwelt among them, to go with their wyues & children into the shippes which they had prepared, and dyd with them as though they had ought them no euyll will.


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Forsomuch then as there was gone foorth a generall proclamation thorowe the citie because of peace, they consented therto, & suspect nothing: but when they were gone foorth into the deepe, they drowned no lesse then two hundred of them.


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Whe Iudas knew of this crueltie shewed vnto his people, he comaunded those that were with him to make them redy,


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Exhorting them to call vpon God the righteous iudge, went foorth against those murtherers of his brethren, set fire in the hauen by night, brent vp the shippes: and those that escaped from the fire, he slue [with the sworde.]


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And when he had done this, he departed, as though he woulde come againe and roote out all them of Ioppa.


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But when he had gotten word that the Iamnites were mynded to do in lyke maner vnto the Iewes which dwelt among them,


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He came vpon the Iamnites by night, & set fire on the hauen with the shippes: so that the light of the fire was seene at Hierusalem vpon a two hundred and fourtie furlonges.


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Nowe when they were gone from thence nyne furlonges in there iourney towarde Timotheus, fiue thousande men of foote, and fyue hundreth horsemen of the Arabians, fought with hym.


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So when the battell was earnest, and prospered with Iudas thorowe the helpe of God: the residue of the Arabians beyng ouercome, besought Iudas to be at one with them, and promised to geue him certayne pastures, and to do him good in other thinges.


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Iudas thinking that they shoulde in deede be profitable concerning many thinges, promised them peace: wherevpon they shoke handes, and so they departed to their tentes.


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Iudas went also vnto a citie, whiche was very fast kept with brydges, fensed round about with walles, and diuers kindes of people dwelling therin, called Caspin.


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They that were within it, put such trust in the strength of the walles, and in their store of vittayles, that they were the slacker in their doynges, cursing and reuiling Iudas with blasphemies, and speaking such wordes as it becommeth not.


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But Machabeus calling vpon the great prince of the (world, which without any battayle rammes or ordinaunce of warre, did cast downe the walles of Iericho, in time of Iosuah) fel manfully vpon the walles,


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Toke the citie, & thorow the helpe of the Lorde made an exceeding great slaughter: insomuch that a lake of two furlonges brode whiche lay therby seemed to flowe with the blood of the slayne.


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Then departed they from thence seuen hundred and fiftie furlonges, and came to Taraca vnto the Iewes that are called Tubianei.


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But as for Timotheus they could not get him there: for (not one matter dispatched) he was departed from thence, and had left certayne men in a very strong holde.


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But Dositheus & Sosipater, whiche were captaynes with Machabeus, slue those that Timotheus had left in the house of defence, more then ten thousand men.


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And Machabeus prepared him with the sixe thousand men that were about him, set them in order by companies, & went foorth against Timotheus, which had with him an hundred and twentie thousande men of foote, two thousande and fyue hundred horsemen.


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When Timotheus had knowledge of Iudas comming, he sent the women, children, and the other baggage vnto a castle called Carnion: For it could not be wonne, and was hard to come vnto, the wayes of the same places were so narowe.


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And when Iudas his first bande came in sight, the enemies were smitten with feare, thorowe the presence of God which seeth all thinges: Insomuch that they fleyng one here, another there, were rather discomfited of their owne people, & wounded with the strokes of their owne swordes.


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Iudas also was very earnest in folowing vpon them, punishing those vngodly, & slue thirtie thousande men of them.


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Timotheus also hym selfe fel into the handes of Dositheus and Sosipater, whom he besought with much craft to let him go with his lyfe, because he had many of the Iewes fathers & brethren in prison, which if they put him to death shoulde be despised.


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So when he had promised faythfully to deliuer them againe according to the condition made, they let him go without harme, for the health of the brethren.


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Then Machabeus marched foorth to Carnion and Atargation, and there slue twentie and fiue thousande men.


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Nowe after that he had chased away and slayne his enemies, he remoued the hoast towarde Ephron a strong citie, wherin was Lysias and a great multitude of diuers nations: and the strong young men kept the walles, defending them mightyly, in this citie was much ordinaunce and prouision of dartes.


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But when Iudas and his companie had called vpon almightie God, which with his power breaketh the strength of the enemies, they wan the citie, and slue twentie and fiue thousand of them that were within.


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From thence went they to the citie of the Seythians, which lyeth sixe hundred furlonges from Hierusalem.


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But when the Iewes whiche were in the citie, testified that the citezins dealt louingly with them, yea & intreated the kindly in the time of their aduersitie,


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Iudas and his companie gaue them thankes, desiring them to be friendly stil vnto them: and so they came to Hierusalem, the hye feast of the weekes beyng at hande.


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And Dositheus one of the Bacenors, a mightie horsman, toke holde of Gorgias, and woulde haue taken him quicke: but an horseman of Thracia fell vpon him, and smote of his arme, so that Gorgias escaped and fled into Moresa.


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When they nowe that were of Gorgias side, had foughten long and were weery, Iudas called vpon the Lorde, that he would be their helper, and captayne of the fielde:


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And with that he began in his owne language, & song Psalmes with a loude voyce: insomuch that he made the enemies afrayde, & Gorgias men of warre toke their flight.


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So Iudas gathered his hoast, and came into the citie of Odolla: and when the seuenth day came vpon them, they clensed them selues as the custome was, & kept the Sabbath in the same place.


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And vpon the day folowing, as necessitie required, Iudas and his company came to take vp the bodyes of them that were slayne, and to burie them in the fathers graues.


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Nowe vnder the coates of certayne Iewes which were slayne, they founde iewels that they had taken [out of the temple and] from the idoles of the Iamnites, whiche thing is forbidden the Iewes by the lawe: then euery man sawe that this was the cause wherfore they were slayne.


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And so euery man gaue thankes vnto the Lorde for his righteous iudgement, whiche had opened the thing that was hyd.


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They fel downe also vnto their prayers, and besought God that the fault whiche was made might be put out of remembraunce: Besides that, Iudas exhorted the people earnestly to kepe them selues from such sinne, forsomuch as they sawe before their eyes that these men were slayne for the same offence.


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So he gathered of euery one a certayne, and sent two thousande drachmes of siluer vnto Hierusalem, that there might a sacrifice be offered for the misdeede: In the which place he did wel and right, for he had some consideration and pondring of the lyfe that is after this time.


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For if he had not thought that they whiche were slayne shoulde ryse againe, it had ben superfluous and vayne to make any vowe or sacrifice for them that were dead.


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But forsomuch as he sawe that they which die in the fauour & beleefe of god, are in good rest and ioy, he thought it to be good & honorable for a reconsiling, to do the same for those which were slaine, that the offence might be forgeuen.


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In the hundred fourtie and nine yere, gat Iudas knowledge that Antiochus Eupator was comming with a great power into iurie,


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And Lysias the stewarde and ruler of his matters with him, hauing an hundred & ten thousand men of foote of the Grecians, fyue thousande horsemen, twentie and two Elephantes, and three hundred charettes set with hookes.


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Menelaus also ioyned hym selfe with them, but with great disceyte spake faire to the king, not for any good of the countrey, but because he thought to haue ben made some great man of aucthoritie.


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But the king of kinges moued Antiochus minde against this vngodly person, and Lysias enformed the king that this Menelaus was the cause of all mischiefe: so that the king commaunded to bring him vnto Berea, and as the maner of them is, to put him vnto death in the same place.


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There was also in the same place a towre of fiftie cubites hie, heaped with asshes: and it had an instrument that turned rounde, & on euery side it rouled downe into the asshes, and there whosoeuer was condempned of sacriledge, or of any other greeuous crime, was cast of all men vnto the death.


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Whereinto the king comaunded that shamefull person to be cast among the asshes, as one that was cause of all vngraciousnesse.


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For he had done much mischiefe vnto the aulter of God, whose fire and asshes were holy: therefore was it right that he him selfe also should be destroyed with asshes.


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But the king was wood in his minde, and came to shew him selfe more cruell vnto the Iewes, then his father was.


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Which when Iudas perceaued, he commaunded the people to call vpon the Lord nyght and day, that he would nowe helpe them also lyke as he had done alway: for they were afraide to be put from their lawe, from their natural countrey, and from the holy temple:


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And not to suffer the people which a litle while afore began to recouer, to be subdued againe of the blasphemous nations.


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So when they had done this together, and besought the Lorde for mercie, with weeping and fasting three dayes long flat vpon the grounde, Iudas exhorted them to make them selues redie.


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But he and the eldest together deuised to go foorth [first with the people] afore the king brought his hoast into Iurie, and afore he besieged the citie, and so to commit the matter vnto God.


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Wherefore he committed the charge of all thinges vnto God the maker of all the worlde, exhorting his people to fight manfully, yea euen vnto death, for the lawes, the temple, the citie, their owne natiue countrey, and to defend the citezins: and he set his hoast before Modin.


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He gaue them also that were with him a token of the victory of God, choosing out the manliest young men, went by night into the kinges pauilion, slue of the hoast fourteene thousand men, and the greatest of the Elephantes, with those that sate vpon him.


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Thus when they had brought a great feare and rumour among the tentes of their enemies, and al thinges went prosperously with them,


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Nowe when the king perceaued the manlinesse of the Iewes, he went about to take the strong places by craft,


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And remoued his hoast vnto Bethsura, which was a wel kept house of defence of the Iewes: but they were chased away, hurt, and discomfited.


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In the Iewes hoast also there was one Rhodochus, which tolde the enemies their secretes: but they sought him out, and when they had gotten him, they put him in prison.


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After this did the king commune with them that were in Bethsura, toke truice with them, departed, and stroke a battaile with Iudas, which ouercame him.


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But when he vnderstoode that Philip, whom he had left to be ouerseer of this busines at Antioch, began to rebell against him, he was astonied in his mind, so that he yeelded him selfe to ye Iewes, and made them an oth to do whatsoeuer they thought right.


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Now when he was reconciled with them, he offered, made much of the temple, gaue great giftes vnto it,


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Neuerthelesse when he came to Ptolomais, the people of the citie were not content with the bond of frendship: for they were afraide that he would breake the couenaunt.


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Then went Lysias vp into the iudgement seate, and excused the fact as well as he coulde, and enformed the people, shewed them the cause why, & pacified them: so he came againe to Antioch. This is now the matter concerning the kinges iourney, and his returne.


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After three yeres, was Iudas infourmed how that Demetrius the sonne of Seleucus was come vp with a great power and shippes, through the hauen of Tripolis,


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Nowe Alcimus whiche had ben hie priest, and wylfully defiled him selfe in the time of the mixting, seeing that by no meanes he could be helped, nor haue any more entraunce to the aulter,


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He came to king Demetrius in the hundred fiftie and one yere, presenting vnto him a crowne of golde, a paulme, and an oliue tree, which as men thought belonged to the temple: and that day held his tongue.


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But when he had gotten oportunitie for his madnesse, Demetrius called him to counsel, and asked him what thinges or counsels the Iewes leaned vnto?


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He aunswered: The Iewes that be called Assidei (whose captaine is Iudas Machabeus) maintayne warres, make insurections, and wyl not let the realme be in peace.


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Partly because I was faithfull vnto the king, and partly because I sought the profite of myne owne citezins: And why? all our people, through the wickednesse of them, are not a litle troubled.


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Wherefore I beseche thee O king, consider all these thinges diligently, and then make some prouision for the lande and the people, according to the kindnes that thou hast offered vnto them.


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When he had spoken these wordes, other friendes also hauing euill wyll at Iudas, set the king Demetrius on fire [against him.]


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Commaunding him to slay Iudas, & to scatter them that were with him, and to make Alcimus hie priest of the great temple.


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Then the heathen, which fled out of Iurie from Iudas, came to Nicanor by flockes, thinking the harme and decay of the Iewes to be their welfare.


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Now when the Iewes heard of Nicanors comming, and the gathering together of the heathen, they sprinckled them selues with earth, and besought him which made them his people, and euer defended his owne portion with euident tokens, that he woulde preserue them still.


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So at the comaundemet of the captaine they remoued straight wayes from thence, & came to a towne called Dessau.


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And Simon, Iudas brother, fell in hand with Nicanor: but through the sodaine comming of the enemies he was afraide.


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Neuerthelesse, Nicanor hearing the manlinesse of them that were with Iudas, and the bolde stomakes that they had to fight for their natural countrey, durst not prooue the matter with bloodshedding.


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So when they had taken long aduisement thereupon, and the captaine shewed it vnto the multitude, they were agreed in one minde to haue peace.


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And they appoynted a day to sit vpon these matters quietly among them selues, and for euery one stooles also were brought and set foorth.


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Neuerthelesse, Iudas commaunded certaine men of armes to wayt in conuenient places, lest there should sodenly aryse any euill through the enemies: and so they communed reasonably together.


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Nicanor while he abode at Hierusalem, ordered him selfe not vnreasonably, but sent away the people that were gathered together.


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He prayed him also to take a wyfe, and to bring foorth children. So he maryed, liued in rest, and they led a common life.


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But Alcimus perceauing the loue that was betwixt them, and how they were agreed together, came to Demetrius, and tolde him that Nicanor had taken straunge matters in hande, and ordayned Iudas, an enemie of the realme, to be the kinges successour.


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Then the king was sore displeased, and through the wicked accusations which Alcimus made of Nicanor, he was so prouoked, that he wrote vnto Nicanor, saying: that he was very angry for the frendship and agreement which he had made with Machabeus, Neuerthelesse, he comaunded him in al the haste that he should take Machabeus prisoner, and sent him to Antioch.


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Which [letters] when Nicanor had sene, he was at his wittes ende and sore greeued, that he shoulde breake the thinges wherein they had agreed, specially seeing Machabeus was that man that neuer did him harme.


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Notwithstanding when Machabeus saw that Nicanor began to be churlishe vnto him, & that he entreated him more roughly then he was wont, he perceaued that such vnkindnesse came not of good, and therefore he gathered a fewe of his men, and withdrewe him selfe from Nicanor.


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Which when he knew that Machabeus had manfully preueted him, he came into the great and most holy temple, and commaunded the priestes which were doing their vsuall offeringes, to deliuer him the man.


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He stretched out his right hande toward the temple, and made an oth, saying: If ye wyll not deliuer me Iudas captiue, I shall remoue this temple of God into the plaine fielde, I shal breake downe the aulter, and consecrate this temple vnto Bacchus.


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After these wordes he departed. Then the priestes lyft vp their handes toward heauen, and besought him that was euer the defender of their people saying:


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Thou O Lord of all, which hast nede of nothing, wouldest that the temple of thy habitation should be among vs:


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Therefore nowe O most holy Lorde, kepe this house euer vndefiled, which lately was cleansed, and stop all the mouthes of the vnrighteous.


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Now was there accused vnto Nicanor one Razis an alderman of Hierusalem, a louer of the whole citie, & a man of good reporte, which for the kinde heart that he bare vnto the people, was called a father of the Iewes.


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This man oft times when the Iewes were minded to kepe them selues vndefiled, defended and deliuered them, being content stedfastly to spend his body and his lyfe for his people.


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So Nicanor wylling to declare the hate that he bare to the Iewes, sent fiue hundred men of warre to take him:


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Now when the people began to rushe in at his house, to breake the doores, and to set fire on it, he being now taken, fel vpon his sword,


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Choosing rather to dye manfully, then to yeelde him selfe to those wicked doers: & because of his noble stocke, he had rather haue ben put to extreme crueltie.


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Notwithstanding, what time as he missed of his stroke for haste, and the multitude rushed in violently betwixt the doores, he ranne boldly to the wall, and cast him selfe downe manfully among the heape of them:


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Neuerthelesse, while there was yet breath within him, he was kindled in his minde, & while his blood gushed out exceedingly (for he was very sore wounded) he ranne through the middest of the people, and gat him to the top of a rocke.


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So when his blood was nowe gone, he toke out his owne bowels with both his handes, & threw them vpon the people, calling vpon the Lorde of lyfe & spirite to rewarde him this againe: and so he dyed.


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Nowe when Nicanor knew that Iudas and his company were in the countrey of Samaria, he thought with al his power to strike a fielde with him vpon a Sabbath day.


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Neuerthelesse the Iewes that were compelled to go with him, saide: O do not so cruelly and vnkindly, but halowe the Sabbath day, and worshippe him that seeth all thinges:


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[For all this,] yet saide the vngratious person, Is there a mightie one in heauen that commaunded the Sabbath day to be kept?


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And when they saide: yea the lyuing God, the mightie Lord in heauen commaunded the seuenth day to be kept,


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He saide: And I am mightie vpon earth, to commaunde them for to arme them selues, & to perfourme the kinges busynesse. Notwithstanding, he might not haue his purpose.


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And exhorted his people not to be afrayde at the comming of the heathen: but alway to remember the helpe that had ben shewed vnto them from heauen, yea and to be sure now also that almightie God would geue them the victorie.


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He spake vnto them out of the lawe and prophetes, putting them in remembraunce of the battailes that they had striken afore, and made them to be of good courage.


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So when their heartes were pluckt vp, he shewed them also the deceitefulnesse of the heathen, and how they woulde kepe no couenaunt nor oth.


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Thus he weaponed them not with the armour of shielde and speare, but with wholsome wordes and exhortations: he shewed them a dreame also, wherethrough he made them all glad,


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Which was this: He thought that he saw Onias, which had ben hie priest, a vertuous and louing man, sad and of honest conuersation, well spoken, and one that had ben exercised in godlines from a childe, holding vp his handes toward heauen, and praying for his people.


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And Onias saide: This is a louer of the brethren, and of the people of Israel: this is he that prayeth much for the people and for all the holy citie, Ieremie the prophete of God.


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He thought also that Ieremie helde out his right hande, and gaue vnto Iudas a sword of golde, saying:


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Take this holy sworde, a gift from God, wherwith thou shalt smite downe the enemies of the people of Israel.


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And so they were well comforted through the wordes of Iudas, whiche were very sweete and able to stirre vp their courage: and toke courage vnto them, so that the young men were determined in their mindes to fight, and to abide stifly at it: insomuch that in the thinges which they toke in hande their boldnesse shewed the same, because the holy citie, the sanctuary, and the temple were in perill,


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Now, when they were all in a hope that the iudgement of the matter was at hande, and the enemies drue nye, the hoast being set in aray, the Elephantes and horsemen euery one standing in his place:


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Machabeus considering the coming of the multitude, the ordinaunce of diuers weapons, the cruelnes of the beastes, helde vp his handes towarde heauen, calling vpon the Lorde that doth wonders, which geueth not the victory after the multitude of weapons and power of the hoaste, but to them that please him, according to his owne wyll.


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Therefore in his prayer he saide these wordes, O Lorde, thou that diddest send thyne angell in the time of Ezekiah king of Iuda, and in the hoast of Sennacherib sluest an hundred fourscore and fiue thousand:


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Send now also thy good angel before vs O Lorde of heauens, in the fearefulnesse and dreade of thy mightie arme,


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That they which come against thy holy people to blaspheme them, may be afrayd. And so he made an ende of his wordes.


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With their handes they smote, but with their heartes they prayed vnto the Lorde, and slue no lesse then thirtie and fiue thousand men: For through the present helpe of God, they were gloriously comforted.


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Now when they left of, and were turning againe with ioy, they vnderstoode that Nicanor him selfe was slaine with the other, for all his armour.


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And Iudas which was euer redie to spend his body and lyfe for his citezins, comaunded to smite of Nicanors head, with his arme and hande, and to be brought to Hierusalem.


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When he came there, he called all the people & the priestes to the aulter, with those that were in the castle,


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And shewed them Nicanors head, and his wicked hande which he had presumptuously holden vp against the temple of God.


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He caused the tongue also of that vngodly Nicanor to be cut in litle peeces, and to be cast to the foules, and that cruel mans hande to be hanged vp before the temple.


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As for Nicanors head he hanged it vp vpon the hie castle for an euident and playne token of the helpe of God.


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And so they agreed al together to kepe that day holy, [namely] the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar,


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Thus was Nicanor slaine, and from that time foorth the Iewes had the citie in possession: and here wyll I nowe make an ende.


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If I haue done well and as the storie required, it is the thing that I desired: but if I haue spoken sclenderly & barely, I haue done that I coulde.


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For as it is hurtfull to drinke wine alone, and then againe water, & as wine tempred with water is pleasaunt & deliteth the taste: so the setting out of the matter delighteth the eare of them that reade the story: And here shalbe the ende.


