1 Maccabees — The Coverdale Bible (1535)

1 Maccabees is the history of the Jewish revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes under Judas Maccabeus and his brothers. In Coverdale’s Bible of 1535 it stands in the Apocrypha, which Coverdale gathered into a section of their own under the heading “The first boke of the Machabees,”. Coverdale’s summary of the chapters stands before the text; the 1535 Bible has no verse numbers, so the text keeps its own paragraphs, in 16 chapters, with the marginal notes and references printed after each chapter.

What this boke conteyneth.

• Chap. I. Of the power of Alexander kynge of Macedonia. Of certayne vnfaithfull Israelites. Of the greate tyranny of Antiochus, & how miserably he destroyeth Ierusalē: which God suffreth to be plaged, because they haue forsaken him.
• Chap. II. How feruently Matathias and his sonnes stryue for the honoure of God and welfare of the people: How swetely he exorteth his sonnes (euē in the houre of his death) to be sted fast in the lawe of God.
• Chap. III. Of Iudas Machabeus that worthy captayne, and of his noble actes agaynst Antiochus.
• Chap. IIII.V. Of the glorious victory, that God gaue Iudas against Gorgias and Lisias: how they wynne the cite, and clense the temple agayne, & how they fyght afterwarde against the Heithen.
• Chap. VI. Antiochus besegeth Elymas in Persia. Iudas layeth sege to the castelar Ierusalem, the kynge goeth aboute to helpe thē that are therin.
• Chap. VII. The tyranny of Demetrius. They take truce with the people of God, & kepe it not.
• Chap. VIII. Iudas hearinge how reasonable the Romaynes are, seketh for to make peace with them.
• Chap. IX. How Iudas was slaine in the bataill and how there came vp derth after his death. Ionathas was captayne after him, and gatt the victory of Bachides.
• Chap. X. Of Alexāder the sonne of Antiochus. Demetrius maketh peace with Ionathas, & so doth Alexander afterwarde. Ptolomy geueth his doughter Cleopatra vnto Alexāder. Demetrius defyeth Ionathas.
• Chap. XI. Ptolomy ryseth agaynst Alexander and Ionathas, and promyseth to geue Demetrius his daughter, whom he had geuen allredy vnto Alexander. The death of Alexander and Ptolomy▪ the raigne of Demetrius. Demetrius and Ionathas are frendes. Alexanders sonne taketh the kyngdome vpon him.
• Chap. XII. The Iewes wryte vnto the Romaynes and Sparcians to renue the olde frendshipe. Triphon receaueth Ionathas with fayre wordes, and then causeth him and his to be slayne.
• Chap. XIII. After the death of Ionathas is Symon his brother made Captaine of the people which goeth forth agaynst Triphon, and burieth his brother. Triphon slayeth Antiochus haynously. Symon maketh peace with Demetrius, and layeth sege to Gaza.
• Chap. XIIII. Demetrius seketh helpe against Triphō. Demetrius is takē. Peace in Iewry. Simō ruleth well. The Romaines and they of Sparta renue the peace with Symon.
• Chap. XV. Antiochus wryteth louyngly vnto the Iewes, and persecuteth Triphon. He breaketh the bonde with the Iewes.
• Chap. XVI. The faithfulnes of Symō & his sonnes. Ptolomy szlayeth them disceatfully, and betrayeth the londe.

Chapter 1

[A] AFter that Alexander the sonne of Philippe, kynge of Macedonia wente forth of the londe of Cethim, and slewe Darius kynge of the Persiās and Meedes: It happened, that he toke greate warres in honde, wanne very many stronge cities, and slew many kinges of yᵉ earth: goinge thorow to yᵉ endes of the worlde, and gettinge many spoyles of the people: In so moch, yᵗ the worlde stode in greate awe of him, & therfore was he proude in his herte.⁽¹⁾ Now whē he had gathered a mightie strōge hoost, & subdued yᵉ lōdes and people with their prynces, so that they became tributaries vnto hī: he fell sick. And whē he perceaued that he must nedes die, he called for his noble estates (which had bene brought vp with him of children) & parted his kyngdome amonge them,⁽²⁾ whyle he was yet alyue. So Alexāder raygned xij. yeare, and then dyed.

After his death fell the kyngdome vnto his prynces, and they optayned it euery one in his rowme, and caused them selues to be crowned as kynges: and so dyd their childrē after them many yeares, & moch wickednesse increaced in the worlde. Out of these came yᵗ vngracious rote, noble Antiochus yᵉ sonne of Antiochus the kynge (which had bene a pledge at Rome) & he raigned in yᵉ Cxxxvij. yeare of the raigne of the Grekes.⁽³⁾

[B] In those dayes wēte there out of Israel wicked men, which moued moch people wᵗ their coūcel,⁽⁴⁾ sayēge: Let vs go & make a couenaunt with the Heithen, yᵗ are rounde aboute vs: for sence we departed from them, we haue had moch sorow.⁽⁵⁾ So this deuyce pleased them well, and certayne of yᵉ people toke vpon thē for to go vnto yᵉ kynge, which gaue them licence to do after the ordinaūce of the Heithen.⁽⁶⁾ Then set they vp an open scole (at Ierusalem) of the lawes of the Heithē, and were nomore circumcised: but forsoke yᵉ holy Testamente, and ioyned them selues to yᵉ Heithē, & were cleane solde to do myschefe.⁽⁷⁾

So when Antiochus beganne to be mightie in his kyngdome, he wente aboute to optayne yᵉ londe of Egipte also, that he might haue the dominion of two realmes. Vpon this entred he in to Egipte with a stronge hoost, with charettes, elephantes,⁽⁸⁾ horsmen & a greate nombre of shippes, and beganne to warre agaynst Ptolomy the kynge of Egipte. But Ptolomy was afrayed of him, and fled: and many of his people were wounded to death. Thus Antiochus wāne many strōge cities, and toke awaye great good out of the londe of Egipte.

And after that Antiochus had smytten [C] Egipte, he turned agayne in the Cxliij. yeare & wente towarde Israel,⁽⁹⁾ and came vp to Ierusalem with a mightie people: and entred proudly into yᵉ Sanctuary, and toke awaye the golden altare, the candilsticke and all yᵉ ornamētes therof: the table of the shewbred the pouringe vessel, the chargers, the golden spones, the vale, the crownes and golden apparel of the temple, and brake downe all. He toke also the syluer and golde, the precious Iewels, and the secrete treasures that he foūde. And when he had taken awaye alltogether, caused a greate murthur of men, and so fulfilled his malicious pryde, he departed in to his owne londe.

Thus there arose greate heuinesse and misery in all the londe of Israel. The prynces and the elders of the people mourned, the yōge men and the maydens were defyled, and the fayre beutye of women was chaunged: the brydegrome and the bryde toke them to mournynge: the londe and those that dwelt therin, was moued: for all the house of Iacob was brought to confucion.

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[D] After two yeares the kynge sent his chefe treasurer vnto the cities of Iuda,⁽¹⁰⁾ which came to Ierusalem with a greate multitude of people, speakīge peaceable wordes vnto thē, but all was disceate: for when they had geuen him credence, he fell sodēly vpon the cite, and smote it sore, and destroyed moch people of Israel.⁽¹¹⁾ And when he had spoyled the cite, he set fyre on it, castinge downe houses and walles on euery syde.⁽¹²⁾ The women & their children toke they captiue, and led awaye their catell. Then buylded they the castel of Dauid with a greate and thicke wall, and with mightie towres, & made it a stronge holde for them. Besyde all this they sett wicked people and vngodly men to kepe it, stoared it with weapens and vytales: gathered the goodes of Ierusalem, and layed thē vp there: thus became it a theuysh castell.

And this was done to laye waite for the people that wente in to the Sanctuary, and for the cruell destruccion of Israel. Thus they shed innocent bloude on euery syde of yᵉ Sanctuary, and defyled it: In so moch that the citesyns were fayne to departe, and the cite became an habitacion of straungers, beynge desolate of hir owne sede, for hir owne natyues were fayne to leaue her. Hir Sāctuary was clene waisted, hir holy dayes were turned in to mournynge,⁽¹³⁾ hir Sabbathes were had in derision, and hir honoʳ brought to naught. Loke how greate hir glory was afore, so greate was hir confucion, and hir ioye turned in to sorow.

[E] Antiochus also the kynge sent out a commission vnto all his kyngdome,⁽¹⁴⁾ that all the people shulde be one. Then they left euery man his lawe, and all the Heithen agreed to the cōmaundement of kynge Antiochus: Yee many of the Israelites consented there vnto, offerynge vnto Idols, and defylinge the Sabbath. So the kynge Antiochus sent his messaungers with his commission vnto Ierusalem, and to all yᵉ cities of Iuda: that they shulde folowe yᵉ lawes of the Heithē, and for bad ether burnt offerynge, meat offerynge or peace offerynge to be made in the temple of God, & that there shulde no Sabbath ner hye feast daye be kepte: but commaunded, that the Sanctuary and the holy people of Israel shulde be defyled.

He commaunded also that there shulde be set vp other altares, temples and Idols: to offre vp swynes flesh and other vnclene beastes: that men shulde leaue their children vncircumcised, to defyle their soules with all maner of vnclennesse & abhominacions: that they might so forget the lawe, and chaūge all the holy ordinaunces of God: and that who so euer wolde not do acordynge to the commaundement of kynge Antiochus, shulde suffre death. In like maner commaunded he thorow out all his realme, and sett rulers ouer the people, for to compell them to do these thynges, commaundinge the cities of Iuda to do sacrifice vnto Idols.

Then wente the people vnto the Heithen by heapes, forsoke the lawe of the LORDE, and committed moch euell in the londe: yee and chaced out the secrete Israelites, which had hyd them selues in corners and preuy places. The xv. daye of the moneth [F] Casleu, in the Cxlv. yeare, set kynge Antiochus an abhominable Idol of desolacion vpon the altare of God, and they buylded altares thorow out all the cities of Iuda on euery syde, before the dores of the houses, and in the stretes: where they brent incense, and dyd sacrifyce. And as for the bokes of the lawe of God,⁽¹⁵⁾ they brent them in the fyre, and rente them in peces. What so euer he was that had a boke of the Testament of the LORDE founde by hym, yee who so euer endeuored himself to kepe the lawe of the LORDE, the kynges commaundement was, yᵗ they shulde put him to death. And thorow his anctorite they executed these thinges euery moneth, vpon the people of Israel that were founde in the cities.

The fyue and twentye daye of the moneth,⁽¹⁶⁾ what tyme as they dyd sacrifice vpon the altare (which stode in the steade of the altare of the LORDE) acordinge to the commaundement of kynge Antiochus, they put certayne women to death, which had caused their children to be circumcised: Not only that, but they hanged vp the children by the neckes thorow out all their houses, and slewe the circumcisers of them.

Yet were there many of the people of Israel, which determed in them selues, that they wolde not eate vncleane thinges: but chose rather to suffre death, then to be defyled with vncleane meates. So because they wolde not breake the blessed lawe of God, they were cruelly slayne. And this greate tyranny increased very sore vpon the people of Israel.

Notes to Chapter 1

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩udit. 1. b

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩an. 7. a ⟨illegible⟩nd 8. b

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Mac. 8. a

⁽⁴⁾ Deut. 7. a ⟨illegible⟩udic. 2. a

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ere. 44. c

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 5. c

⁽¹¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹⁵⁾ Iere. 36. c

⁽¹⁶⁾ 2. Ma. ⟨illegible⟩. b

Chapter 2

IN those dayes there dyd stōde vp one Matathias the sonne of Symeon [A] the prest (out of the kynred of Ioaris) frō Ie Ierusalem, and dwelt vpon the mount of Modin, and had v. sonnes: Ihō called Gaddis: Symon, called Thasi: Iudas, other wyse called Machabeus: Eleazer, other wyse called Abaron: and Ionathas, whose surname was Apphus. These sawe the euell, yᵗ was done amonge the people of Iuda and Ierusalem. And Matathias sayde: Wo is me, alas that euer I was borne, to se this misery of my people, and yᵉ piteous destrucciō of the holy cite: & thus to syt so styll, it beynge delyuered in to the hondes the enemies, Hir Sanctuary is come in to the power of straungers,⁽¹⁾ hir temple is, as it were a man yᵗ hath lost his good name. Hir precious ornamentes are caried awaye captyue, hir olde men are slayne in the stretes, and hir yonge men are fallen thorow the swearde of the enemies.

What people is it, that hath not some possession in hir kyngdome? Or who hath not gotten some of hir spoyles? All hir glory is taken awaye. She was a Quene, and now she is become an handmayde. Beholde oure Sanctuary, oure bewtye and honoure is waisted awaye, and defyled by the Gentiles. What helpeth it vs then to lyue? And Matathias rente his clothes, he and his sonnes, and put sack cloth vpon them, & mourned [B] very sore.

Then came the men thither which were sent of kynge Antiochus, to compell soch as were fled in to the cite of Modin, for to do sacrifice and to burne incense vnto Idols, and to forsake the lawe of God. So, many of the people of Israel consented and enclyned vnto them, but Matathias and his sonnes remayned stedfast. Then spake the commissioners of kynge Antiochus, & sayde vnto Matathias: Thou art a noble man, of hye reputacion and greate in this cite, hauinge fayre children and brethren. Come thou therfore first, and fulfill the kynges commaundemēt, like as all the Heithen haue done, yee and yᵉ men of Iuda, and soch as remayne at Ierusalem: so shalt thou and thy children be in yᵉ kynges fauoure, and enriched with golde, syluer and greate rewardes.

Matathias answered, and spake with a loude voyce: Though all nacions obeye the kynge Antiochus, and fall awaie euery man frō kepynge yᵉ lawe of their fathers: though they consente to his commaundementes, yet wil I & my sonnes and my brethren, not fall from the lawe oure fathers. God forbyd we shulde: that were not good for vs, that we shulde forsake the lawe and ordinaunces of God, and to agre vnto the commaundement of kynge Antiochus. Therfore we will do no soch sacrifice, nether breake the statutes of oʳ lawe, to go another waye.⁽²⁾ And whē he had spoken these wordes, there came one of the Iewes, which openly in the sight of all, dyd sacrifice vnto the Idols vpon the aulter in the cite of Modin, acordinge to the kynges commaundement.

When Matathias sawe this, it greued [C] him at the herte, so that his raynes shoke withall, and his wrath kindled for very zele of the lawe. With that he gaue a szkippe forth, and kylled the Iew besyde the aulter: Yee and slewe yᵉ kynges commissioner, that cōpelled him to do sacrifice, & destroyed the aulter at the same time: soch a zele had he vnto the lawe of God,⁽³⁾ like as Phinees dyd vnto Zambri the sonne of Salomi. And Matathias cried with a loude voyce thorow yᵉ cite, sayenge: Who so is feruent in the lawe, & wil kepe yᵉ couenaunt, let him folowe me. So he and his sonnes fled in to the mountaynes and left all that euer they had in yᵉ cite.⁽⁴⁾ Many other godly men also departed in to the wyldernesse with their children, their wyues and their catell, and remayned there: for the tyranny increaced so sore vpon them.

Now when the kynges seruauntes and [D] the hoost, which was at Ierusalem in the cite of Dauid herde, that certayne mē had broken the kynges commaundement and were gone their waye to the wyldernesse in to secrete places, and that there were many departed after them: they folowed vpon them to fight agaynst them in the Sabbath daye, and sayde: Wyll ye yet rebell? Get you hence & do the commaundement of kynge Antiochus, and ye shall lyue. They answered: We wil not go forth, nether wil we do the kinges cōmaundement, to defyle yᵉ Sabbath daye.⁽⁵⁾ Then beganne they to fight agaynst them neuerthelesse they gaue them none other answere, nether cast they one stone at them, ner made fast their preuy places, but sayde: We wil dye all in oure innocency, heauen & earth shal testifie with vs, that ye put vs to death wrongeously. Thus they fought agaynst them vpon the Sabbath, & slewe both men and catell, their wyues and their children, to the nombre of a thousande people.

When Matathias and his frendes herde [E] this, they mourned for them right sore, and sayde one to another: Yf so be that we all do as oure brethrē haue done, and fight not for oure lyues & for oure lawes agaynst the Heithen: then shall they the sooner rote vs out of the earth. So they cōcluded amonge thē selues at the same tyme, sayenge: What so euer he be that cōmeth to make battayll wᵗ vs vpon the Sabbath daye, we wyll fight agaynst him, & not dye all, as oʳ brethren yᵗ were murthured so haynously. Vpō this came the Synagoge of the Iewes vnto thē: stronge men of Israel, all soch as were feruent in the lawe. And all they that were fled for persecucion, came to helpe them, and to stonde by them: In so moch that they gathered an hoost of men, and slewe the wicked doers in their gelousy, and the vngodly men in their wrath. Some of the wicked fled vnto the Heithen, and escaped.

Thus Matathias and his frendes wente aboute, and destroyed the aulters, and circumcided the children, that had not yet receaued circumcision: as many as they founde within yᵉ coostes of Israel: and folowed mightely vpon the children of pryde, and this acte prospered in their hondes: In so moch, that they kepte the lawe agaynst the power of the Gentiles and the kynges, and gaue not ouer their dominion vnto wicked doers.

[F] After this when the tyme drew on fast, that Matathias shulde dye, he sayde vnto his sonnes: Now is pryde and persecucion increased, now is the tyme of destruccion and wrathfull displeasure: Wherfore (o my sonnes) be ye feruent in the lawe, and ioperde youre lyues for the Testament of the fathers: call to remembraunce what actes oure fathers dyd in their tyme, so shall ye receaue greate honoure and an euerlastinge name.

⁽⁶⁾Remembre Abraham, was not he founde faithfull in tentacion, and it was reckened vnto him for righteousnesse? Ioseph in tyme of his trouble kepte the commaundement, and was made a lorde of Egipte. Phinees oure father was so feruent for the honoure of God, that he optayned the couenaūt of an euerlastinge presthode.⁽⁷⁾ Iosue for fulfillinge the worde of God, was made the captayne of Israel.⁽⁸⁾ Caleb bare recorde before the cōgregacion, and receaued an heretage.⁽⁹⁾ Dauid also in his mercifull kyndnesse, optayned the trone of an euerlastinge kyngdome.⁽¹⁰⁾ Elias beynge gelous and feruent in the lawe, was taken vp in to heauē. Hananias, Asarias and Misael remayned stedfast in faith,⁽¹¹⁾ and were delyuered out of the fyre. In like maner Daniel beynge vngiltie,⁽¹²⁾ was saued from the mouth of the Lyons.

And thus ye maye considre thorow out [G] all ages sens the worlde beganne,⁽¹³⁾ that who so euer put their trust in God, were not ouer come.⁽¹⁴⁾ Feare not ye then the wordes of an vngodly man, for his glory is but donge and wormes: to daye is he set vp, and to morow is he gone: for he is turned in to earth, and his memoriall is come to naught. Wherfore (o my sonnes) take good hertes vnto you, and quyte youre selues like men in the lawe: for yf ye do the thinges that are commaunded you in the lawe of the LORDE youre God, ye shal optaine greate honoure therin.

And beholde, I knowe that youre brother Symon is a man of wyszdome: se that ye geue eare vnto him allwaye, he shall be a father vnto you. As for Iudas Machabeus, he hath euer bene mightie and strōge from his youth vp: let him be youre captayne, and ordre the battayll of yᵉ people: Thus shall ye brynge vnto you all those that fauoure the lawe, and se that ye auenge the wronge of youre people, and recompence the Heithen agayne, and applie youre selues whole to the commaundement of the lawe. So he gaue them his blessinge, and was layed by his fathers: and dyed in the Cxlvj, yeare at Modin, where his sonnes buried him in his fathers sepulcre, & all Israel made greate lamentacion for him.

Notes to Chapter 2

⁽¹⁾ 1. Mac. 1. b

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩. e ⟨illegible⟩. 11. d ⟨illegible⟩. 4. d ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩. a ⟨illegible⟩. 44. c ⟨illegible⟩. 41. f ⟨illegible⟩. 21. c ⟨illegible⟩. 4⟨illegible⟩. f

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩7. d ⟨illegible⟩. 1▪ a

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ 14. a

⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 24 c

⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹³⁾ Heb. 11. b

⁽¹⁴⁾ Mat. 10. ⟨illegible⟩ Esa. 51. c and 40. ⟨illegible⟩ 1. Pet. 1. d Iacob. 1. ⟨illegible⟩ Eccll. 14. ⟨illegible⟩ Psal. 26. and 30. d

Chapter 3

THen stode vp Iudas Machabeus in [A] his fathers steade,⁽¹⁾ and all his brethrē helped him: and so dyd all they that helde with his father, and fought with cherefulnesse for Israel. So Iudas gat his people greate honoure: He put on a brest plate as a giaunte, and arayed him self with his harnesse, and defended the hoost with his swearde. In his actes he was like a lyon, & as a lyons whelpe roaringe at his praye. He was an enemie to the wicked,⁽²⁾ and hūted them out: and brent vp those, that vexed his people: So that his enemies fled for feare of him, and all the workers of vngodlynes were put to trouble: soch lucke and prosperite was in his honde. This greued dyuerse kynges, but Iacob was greatly reioysed thorow his actes, and he gat him self a greate name for euer.

He wente thorow the cities of Iuda, destroyenge the vngodly out of them, turnynge awaye the wrath from Israel, and receauynge soch as were oppressed: and the fame of him wente vnto the vttemost parte of yᵉ earth. Then Appollonius (a prynce of Syria) gathered a mightie greate hoost of the Heithen & out of Samaria, to fight agaynst Israel. Which when Iudas perceaued, he wente forth to mete him, fought with him, slewe him, and a greate multitude with him: the remnaunte fled, and he toke their substaunce. Iudas also toke Appollonius owne swearde, and fought wᵗ it all his life longe.

[B] Now when Seron (another prynce of Siria) herde saye, that Iudas had gathered vnto him the congregacion and church of the faithfull, he sayde: I will get me a name and a prayse thorow out the realme: for I will go fight with Iudas and them that are with him, as many as haue despised the kynges commaundement. So he made him ready, and there wente with him a greate mightie hoost of the vngodly, to stonde by him, and to be auenged of the childrē of Israel. And when they came nye vnto Bethoron, Iudas wente forth agaynst them with a small company. And when his people sawe soch a greate hoost before thē, they sayde vnto Iudas: How are we able (beynge so fewe) to fight agaynst so greate a multitude and so stronge? seinge we be so weery, and haue fasted all this daye?

⁽³⁾But Iudas sayde: It is a small matter for many to be ouercome with fewe: Yee there is no difference to the God of heauen, to delyuer by a greate multitude or by a small company:⁽⁴⁾ for the victory of the battell stondeth not in the multitude of the hoost, but [C] the strength commeth from heauen. Beholde, they come agaynst vs with a presumptuous and proude multitude: to destroye vs, oure wyues and oure children, and to robbe vs. But we will fight for oure lyues and for oure lawes, and the LORDE himself shall destroye thē before oure face: therfore be not ye afrayed of them.

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As soone as he had spoken these wordes, he leapte sodenly vpon thē. Thus was Seron smytten, and his hoost put to flight▪ and Iudas folowed vpon them beyonde Bethoron vnto the playne felde: where there were slayne eight hundreth men of them, and the residue fled in to the londe of the Philistynes. Then all the Heithen on euery syde were afrayed for Iudas and his brethren: so yᵗ the rumoure of him came vnto the kynges eares, for all the Gentiles coude tell of the warres of Iudas.

So whan kynge Antiochus herde these [D] tidinges, he was angrie in his mynde: wherfore he sente forth and gathered an hoost of his whole realme, very stronge armies: and opened his treasury, and gaue his hoost a yeares wagies in honde, commaundynge them to be ready at all tymes.

Neuerthelesse when he sawe, that there was not moneye ynough in his treasuries, and that thorow the discorde and persecucion, which he made in yᵉ londe (to put downe yᵉ lawes that had bene of olde tyme) his customes and tributes of the londe were my niszshed: he feared that he was not able for to beare the costes and charges eny lenger, ner to haue soch giftes, to geue so liberally as he dyd a fore, more then the kynges that were before him.

Wherfore he was heuy in his mynde, and thought to go in to Persides,⁽⁵⁾ for to take tributes of yᵉ londe, and so to gather moch moneye. So he left Lysias (a noble man of the kynges bloude) to ouersee the kynges busynesses, from the water Euphrates vnto the borders of Egipte: and to kepe well his sonne Antiochus, till he came agayne.

Morouer, he gaue him half of his hoost [E] and elephantes, committed vnto him euery thinge of his mynde, concernynge those which dwelt in Iuda, and Ierusalem: that he shulde sende out an army agaynst them, to destroye and to rote out the power of Israel and the remnaunt of Ierusalem: to put out their memoriall from that place, to set straungers for to inhabit all their quarters, and to parte their londe amōge them.⁽⁶⁾ Thus the kynge toke the other parte of the hoost, and departed from Antioch (a cite of his realme) ouer the water of Euphrates, in the hundreth and xlvij. yeare, and wente thorow the hye countrees.

And Lysias chose vnto him Ptolomy the sonne of Doriminus,⁽⁷⁾ Nycanor and Gorgias mightie men, & the kynges frendes. These he sent with xl. thousande fote men and vij. thousande horsmen, for to go in to yᵉ londe of Iuda, and to destroye it, as the kynge commaunded. So they wente forth with all their power, and came to Emmaus in to the playne felde. When the marchaūtes herde the rumoure of them, they and their seruauntes toke very moch siluer and golde, for to bye the children of Israel to be their bonde men. There came vnto them also yet moo men of warre on euery syde, out of Syria & the from the Palestynes.

[F] Now when Iudas and his brethrē sawe that trouble increased, and that the hoost drew nye vnto their borders: consideringe yᵉ kynges wordes which he commaunded vnto the people: namely, that they shulde vtterly waist and destroye them: They sayde one to another: Let vs redresse the decaye of oure people, let vs fight for oure folke and for oure Sanctuary. Then the congregacion were soone ready gathered to fight, to praie and to make supplicacion vnto God for mercy and grace.

⁽⁸⁾As for Ierusalem, it laye voyde, and was as it had bene a wyldernesse. There wente no man in nor out at it, and the Sanctuary was troden downe. The aleauntes kepte the castell, there was the habitacion of the Heithen. The myrth of Iacob was taken awaye, the pype & the harpe was gone from amonge them.

The Israelites gathered them together, and came to Maspha before Ierusalem: for in Maspha was the place where they prayed aforetyme.⁽⁹⁾ So they fasted that daye, and put sack clothes vpō them, cast aszshes vpon their heades, rente their clothes, and layde forth the bokes of the lawe (wherout yᵉ Heithen sought the licknesse of their ymages) and brought the prestes ornamentes, the firstlinges and the Tythes. They set there also the absteyners (which had fulfilled their dayes) before God,⁽¹⁰⁾ and cried with a loude voyce towarde heauen, sayenge: what shal we do with these? and whither shall we cary them awaye?

[G] For thy Sanctuary is troden downe and defyled, thy prestes are come to heuynesse and dishonoure: and beholde, the Heithen are come together for to destroye vs. Thou knowest what thīges they ymagyn against vs. How maye we stonde before them, excepte thou (o God) be oure helpe?

They blewe out the trompettes also with aloude voyce. Then Iudas ordened captaynes ouer the people:⁽¹¹⁾ ouer thousandes, ouer hundredes, ouer fiftie, and ouer ren. But as for soch as buylded them houses, maried wyues, planted them vynyardes, and those that were fearfull:⁽¹²⁾ he commaunded them euery man to go home, acordinge to yᵉ lawe. So the hoost remoued, and pitched vpon the South syde of Emmaus.

And Iudas sayde: Arme youre selues, be stronge (o my children) make you ready agaynst tomorow in the mornynge, that ye maye fight with these people, which are agreed together to destroye vs & oure Sanctuary. Better is it for vs to dye in battayll, then to se oure people and oure Sanctuary in soch a miserable case. Neuerthelesse,⁽¹³⁾ as yᵉ will is in heauen, so be it.

[woodcut]

Notes to Chapter 3

⁽¹⁾ Iosephus cap. 8.9.⟨illegible⟩ 12. Antiq

⁽²⁾ Psal 100. ⟨illegible⟩ 2. Mac. 8. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ Re. 14. a

⁽⁴⁾ Par. 25. b

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ac 3. d

⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 7. b

⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ 6. a

⁽¹¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 1⟨illegible⟩. d

⁽¹²⁾ Deu. 20 Iudic. 7

⁽¹³⁾ Matt. 6. ⟨illegible⟩ Luc. 11. a

Chapter 4

THen toke Gorgias fyue thousande [A] men of fote,⁽¹⁾ and a thousande of the best horsmen: and remoued by night, to come nye where yᵉ Iewes hoost laye, and so to slaye them sodenly. Now the men that kepte the castell, were the cōueyers of them. Then arose Iudas to smyte the chefe and pryncipall of the kinges hoost at Emmaus, for the army was not yet come together. In the meane season came Gorgias by night in to Iudas tentes: & when he founde no man there, he sought them in the moūtaynes, and thought they had bene fled awaye because of him. But whē it was daie, Iudas shewed himself in yᵉ felde with thre thousande men only, which had nether harnesse ner sweardes to their myndes.

But on the other syde, they sawe that the Heithen were mightie and wel harnessed, and their horsmen aboute them, and all these wel experte in fettes of warre Then sayde Iudas to yᵉ men that were with him: Feare not ye the multitude of them,⁽²⁾ be not afrayed of their violente runnynge: remembre how oure fathers were delyuered in the reed see,⁽³⁾ when Pharao threatned them with a greate hoost. Euen so let vs also crie now towarde heauen:⁽⁴⁾ and the LORDE shall haue mercy vpon vs, and remembre the couenaunt of oure fathers, yee and destroye this hoost before oure face this daye: And all Heithen shal knowe, that it is God himself, which delyuereth and saueth Israel.

Then the Heithen lift vp their eyes: and when they sawe that they were commynge agaynst them, they wente out of their tentes in to the battayll: and they that were wᵗ Iudas, blewe vp the trompettes. So they buckled together,⁽⁵⁾ and the Heithen were discomfited, and fled ouer the playne felde: but the hynmost of them were slayne. For they folowed vpon them vnto Assaremoth, and in to the feldes of Idumea towarde Azot and Iamnia: so that there were slayne of them vpon a thre thousande men. So Iudas turned agayne with his hoost, and sayde vnto the people: Be not gredy of yᵉ spoyles, we haue yet a battayll to fight: for Gorgias & his hoost are here by vs in the mountaynes, but stonde ye fast agaynst oure enemies, and ouercome them: then maye ye safely take the spoyles.

[C] As Iudas was speakynge these wordes, there apeared one parte of them vpon the mount. But when Gorgias sawe that they of his partie were fled, and the tentes brent vp (for by the smoke they might vnderstonde what was done) they perceauynge this, were very sore afrayed: and when they sawe also that Iudas and his hoost were in yᵉ felde ready to stryke battayll, they fled euerychone in to the londe of the Heithen.

So Iudas turned agayne to spoyle the tentes, where they gat moch golde and syluer, precious stones, purple & greate riches. Thus they wente home, and sunge a Psalme of thankesgeuynge and praysed God in heauen:⁽⁶⁾ for he is gracious, and his mercy endureth for euer: And so Israel had a greate victory in that daye.

Now all the Heithen that escaped, came and tolde Lysias euery thinge as it happened. Wherfore Lysias was sore afrayed and greued in his mynde, because Israel had not gottē soch mysfortune as he wolde they shulde,⁽⁷⁾ nether as the kynge commaunded. The nexte yeare folowinge, gathered Lysias thre score thousande chosen men of fote, and fyue thousande horsmen, to fight agaynst them.

[D] So they came in to Iewry, and pitched their tentes at Bethoron, where Iudas came agaynst them with ten thousande men. And when he sawe so greate mightie an hoost, he made his prayer and sayde: Blessed be thou (o sauioure of Israel) which diddest destroye the violent power of the giaunte,⁽⁸⁾ in the honde of thy seruaunt Dauid, and gauest the hoost of the Heithē in to the honde of Ionathas (the sonne of Saul) and of his weapen bearer.⁽⁹⁾

Put this hoost now in to the honde of yᵉ people of Israel, and let them be confounded in their multitude and horsmen. Make them afrayed, & discomforth the boldnes of their strength, yᵗ they maye be moued thorow their destruccion. Cast them downe thorow the swearde of thy louers, then shal all they that knowe thy name, prayse the with thankesgeuynge.

So they stroke the batell, and there were slayne of Lysias hoost, fyue thousande men. Then Lysias seynge the discomfetynge of his men, and the manlynesse of the Iewes, how they were ready, ether to lyue or to dye like men: He wente vnto Antioche and chose out men of warre: that when they were gathered together, they might come agayne in to Iewry. Then sayde Iudas and his brethren: beholde, oure enemies are discomfited: Let vs now go vp, to clēse and to repayre the Sanctuary.

[woodcut]

Vpon this, all the hoost gathered them [E] together, and wente vp vnto mount Sion.⁽¹⁰⁾ Now when they sawe the Sanctuary laied waist, the aulter defyled, the dores brent vp, the shrubbes growinge in the courtes, like as in a wod or vpon mountaynes, yee and that the prestes Celles were broken downe: They rente their clothes, made greate lamentacion, cast aszshes vpon their heades, fell downe flat to the grounde, made a greate noyse with the trompettes, and cried towarde heauen.

Then Iudas apoynted certayne men to fight against those which were in the castel, till they had clensed the Sanctuary. So he chose prestes yᵗ were vndefyled, soch as had pleasure in the lawe of God: and they clensed the Sanctuary, & bare out the defyled stones in to an vncleane place. And for so moch as the aulter of burn offerynges was vnhalowed, he toke aduysement, what he might do withall: so he thought it was best to destroye it (lest it shulde happen to do them eny shame) for the Heithen had defyled it, & therfore they brake it downe. As for the stones, they layed them vp vpon the mountayne by the house in a conuenient place: till there came a prophet to shewe, what shulde be done with them.

[F] So they toke whole stones acordinge to the lawe,⁽¹¹⁾ and buylded a new aulter soch one as was before, and made vp the Sanctuary within and without, and halowed the courtes. They made new ornamentes, & brought yᵉ candilsticke, the aulter of incense, and the table in to the temple. The incense layed they vpon the aulter, & lighted the lampes which were vpon the candilsticke, that they might burne in the temple. They set the shewbred vpon the table, and hanged vp the vale, and set vp yᵉ temple, as it was afore. And vpon the xxv. daye of the ix. moneth (which is called the moneth of Casleu) in the C. xlviij. yeare:⁽¹²⁾ they rose vp by tymes in the mornynge for to do sacrifice (acordinge to the lawe) vpon the new burnt offrynge aulter, that they had made: after the tyme and season that yᵉ Heithen had defyled it. The same daye was it set vp agayne, with songes pipes, harpes and cymbales.

[G] And all the people fell vpon their faces, worshippynge and thankynge the God of heauen, which had geuen them the victory. So they kepte the dedicacion of the aulter viij. dayes,⁽¹³⁾ offerynge burntsacrifices and thank offeringes with gladnesse. They deck to the temple also with crownes and shyldes of golde, and halowed the portes and celles, and hanged dores vpon them. Thus was there very greate gladnes amonge the people, because the blasphemy of the Heithē was put awaye.

So Iudas and his brethren with the whole cōgregacion of Israel, ordened, that the tyme of the dedicacion of yᵉ aulter shulde be kepte in his season from yeare to yeare,⁽¹⁴⁾ by the space of viij. dayes, from the xxv. daye of the moneth Casleu: yee and that wᵗ myrth and gladnesse.

And at the same tyme buylded they vp yᵉ mount Sion with hye walles and stronge towres rounde aboute: lest yᵉ Gentiles shulde come and treade it downe, as they dyd afore.⁽¹⁵⁾ Therfore Iudas set men of warre in it, to kepe it: and made it stronge, for to defende Bethsura: that the people might haue a refuge agaynst the Edomites.

Notes to Chapter 4

⁽¹⁾ Iosephu ubisupr⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ Deu. 20.

⁽³⁾ Exo. 14. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ 1. Mac. 9. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ Mac. 8. d

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩udit. 13. c ⟨illegible⟩sal. 106. a 17. a. 135. a ⟨illegible⟩nd 105. a

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Mac. 3. c

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Re. 7. g

⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩0 d ⟨illegible⟩. 27. a ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩. g

⁽¹²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ 10. a

⁽¹³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 7. b

⁽¹⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 10. c

⁽¹⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 5

IT happened also that when yᵉ Heithen [A] rounde aboute herde,⁽¹⁾ how that the aulter and the Sanctuary were set vp in their olde estate: it displeased them very sore, wherfore they thought to destroye the generacion of Iacob that was amonge them: In so moch that they beganne to slaye and to persecute certayne of yᵉ people. Then Iudas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea,⁽²⁾ and agaynst those which were at Arabathane (for they dwelt rounde aboute yᵉ Israelites) where he slewe & spoyled a greate multitude of thē.⁽³⁾ He thought also vpon the malice and vnfaithfulnes of the children of Bean, how they were a snare and stoppe vnto yᵉ people, and how they layed waite for them in the hie waye: wherfore he shut them vp in to towers, and came vnto them, condemned them, and brent vp their towres, with all that were in them.

Afterwarde wente he agaynst the children of Ammon, wherof he founde a mightie power and a greate multitude of people, with Tymothy their captayne. So he stroke many battayls with them, which were distroyed before him. And when he had slayne them, he wanne Gazer the cite, with the townes belonginge therto, and so turned agayne in to Iewry. The Heithen also in Galaad gathered them together, agaynst the Israelites that were in their quarters, to slaye them: but they fled to the castel of Datheman, and sent letters vnto Iudas and his brethren, sayenge: The Heithen are gathered [B] agaynst vs on euery syde, to destroye vs, and now they make thē for to come and laye sege to yᵉ castel, whervnto we are fled, & Timothy is the captayne of their hoost: come therfore, and delyuer vs out of their hondes: for there is a greate multitude of vs slayne all ready. Yee and oure brethren that were at Tubin, are slayne and destroyed (wel nye a thousande men) and their wyues, their children and their goodes haue the enemies led awaye captyue.

Whyle these letters were yet a readinge, beholde, there came other messaūgers from Galilee, with rente clothes: which tolde euen the same tydinges, and sayde, that they of Ptolomais, of Tirus and of Sidon were gathered agaynst them, and that all Galilee was fylled with enemies to destroye Israel. When Iudas and yᵉ people herde this, they came together (a greate congregacion) to deuyse,⁽⁴⁾ what they might do for their brethren, that were in trouble and beseged of their enemies. And Iudas sayde vnto Symon his brother: chose yᵉ out certayne men, and go delyuer thy brethren in Galilee: As for me and my brother Ionathas, we wyl go in to Galaadithim. So he left Iosephus yᵉ sonne of Zachary, and Asarias, to be captaynes of the people and to kepe the remnaunt of the hoost in Iewry, & commaunded them, sayenge: Take the ouersight of this people, and se that ye make no warre agaynst the Heithen, vntill the tyme that we come agayne. And vnto Simon he gaue thre thousande men for to go into Galilee, but Iudas himself had eight thousande in to Galaadithim.

[C] Then wente Symon in to Galilee, and stroke dyuerse batels wᵗ the Heithen: whom he discomfited, and folowed vpon them vnto the porte of Ptolomais. And there were slayne of the Heithen allmost iij. thousande men. So he toke the spoyles of them, and caried awaye the Israelites (that were in Galilee and Arbatis) with their wyues, their children and all that they had, and brought them in to Iewry with greate gladnesse. Iudas Machabeus also and his brother Ionathas, wente ouer Iordane, and trauayled iij. dayes iourney in the wyldernesse: Where the Nebuthees met them, and receaued them louyngly, and tolde thē euery thinge that had happened vnto their brethren in Galaadithim, and how that many of them were beseged in Barasa, Bosor, Alimis, Casphor, Mageth and Carnaim (all these are stronge walled and mightie greate cities) and yᵗ they were kepte in other cities of Galaad also: and tomorow they are apoynted to brynge their hoost vnto these cities, to take them and to wynne them in one daye.

So Iudas and his hoost turned in all the haist in the wildernesse towarde Bosor, and wanne the cite, slewe all the males with the swearde, toke all their goodes, and set fyre vpon the cite. And in the night they toke their iourneye from thence, and came to the castell. And by tymes in the mornynge when they loked vp, beholde, there was an innumerable people bearynge laders and other instrumētes of warre, to take the castell and to ouercome them.

When Iudas sawe that the battayll beganne, and that the noyse therof wente vp and range in to the Heauen, and that there was so greate a crie in the cite: He sayde vnto his hoost: fight this daye for youre brethren. And so came behynde their enemies in thre companies, and blewe vp the trompettes, and cried in their prayer to God.

But as soone as Tymothis hoost perceaued that Machabeus was there, they fled from him, and yᵉ other slewe them downe right sore: so that there were kylled of them that same daye, allmost eight thousande men. Then departed Iudas vnto Maspha, layed sege vnto it and wanne it, slewe all the males in it, spoyled it, and set fyre vpon it. From thence wente he and toke Casbon, Mageth, Bosor and the other cities in Galaad.

After this gathered Timothy another [D] hoost,⁽⁵⁾ which pitched their tentes before Raphon beyonde the water. Iudas sent to spye the hoost, and they brought him worde againe, sayenge: All the Heithen that be rounde aboute vs, are gathered vnto him, and the hoost is very greate: Yee they haue hyred the Arabians to helpe them, & haue pitched their tentes beyonde the water, and are ready to come and fight agaynst the. So Iudas wente on to mete them.

And Timothy sayde vnto the captaynes of his hoost: when Iudas and his hoost come nye the ryuer: yf he go ouer first, we shall not be able to withstonde him: for why, he wil be to stronge for vs. But yf he darre not come ouer, so that he pitch his tente beyonde the water: then will we go ouer, for we shalbe stronge ynough agaynst him. Now as soone as Iudas came to the ryuer, he appoynted certayne scrybes of the people, and commaunded them, sayenge: se that ye leaue none behynde vpon this syde of yᵉ ryuer, but let euery man come to the battayll. So he wente first ouer vnto them, and his people after him.

And all the Heithen were discomfited before him, and let their weapens fall, and ranne in to the temple that was at Carnaim. Which cite Iudas wanne, and brent the temple with all yᵗ were in it: So was Carnaim subdued, and might not withstōde Iudas. Then Iudas gathered all the Israelites that were in Galaadithim, from yᵉ leest vnto the most, with their wyues and their children (a very greate hoost) for to come in to the londe of Iuda.

So they came vnto Ephron, which was [E] a mightie, greate and stronge cite,⁽⁶⁾ and laye in their waye. For they coude not go by it, nether of the right honde ner of the left, but must go thorow it. Neuerthelesse they that were in the cite, wolde not let them go thorow, but walled vp the portes with stones. And Iudas sent vnto thē with peaceable wordes, sayenge: Let vs passe thorow youre londe,⁽⁷⁾ that we maye go in to oure owne coūtre: there shal no body do you harme, we wil but only go thorow. But they wolde not let them in.

Wherfore Iudas commauded a proclamacion to be made thorow out the hoost, that euery man shulde kepe his ordre: and so they dyd their best like valeaunt men.

[woodcut]

And Iudas beseged the cite all that daie and all that night, and so wanne it: where they slewe as many as were males, and destroyed the cite, and spoyled it, and wēte thorow all the cite ouer them that were slayne. Then wente they ouer Iordane in to the playne felde before Bethsan. And Iudas helped those forwarde that came behynde, and gaue the people good exortacion all yᵉ waye thorow, till they were come in to the londe of Iuda. Thus they wente vp vnto the mount Sion, where they offred with myrth and thankesgeuynge:⁽⁸⁾ because there were none of them slayne, but came home agayne peaceably.

Now what tyme as Iudas and Ionathas were in the londe of Galaad, and Symon their brother in Galilee before Ptolomais: Then Iosephus the sonne of Zachary and Asarias the captaynes, hearinge of the actes that were done and of the battels that were stroken, sayde: Let vs get vs a name also, and go fight agaynst the Heithen that are rounde aboute vs.

[F] So they gaue their hoost a commaundement, and wente towarde Iamnia. Then came Gorgias and his men out of the cite, to fight agaynst them: Iosephus also and Asarias were chased vnto yᵉ borders of Iewry, & there were slayne yᵗ daye of yᵉ people of Israel ij.M. men: so yᵗ there was a greate misery amōge yᵉ people, & all because they were not obediēt vnto Iudas & his brethren, but thought they shulde quyte them selues man fully.⁽⁹⁾ Neuertheles they came not of the sede of these men, by whom Israel was helped. But the men that were with Iudas, were greatly commended in the sight of all Israel and all Heithen, where so euer their name was herde vpō, and the people came vnto them byddinge them welcome.

After this wente Iudas forth with his brethren, and fought agaynst the children of Esau, in the londe yᵗ lieth towarde the south where he wanne the cite of Hebron and the townes that lye besyde it: and as for the walles and towres rounde aboute it, he brent them vp. Then remoued he to go in to the lōde of the Philistines, and wente thorow Samaria. At the same tyme were there many prestes slaine in yᵉ battayll, which wilfully & without advysement wente out for to fight to get them honoure. And when Iudas came to Azot in the Philistynes londe, he brake downe their altares,⁽¹⁰⁾ brent the ymages of their Idols, spoyled the cities, and came agayne in to the londe of Iuda.

Notes to Chapter 5

⁽¹⁾ Iosephu⟨illegible⟩ cap. 12. ⟨illegible⟩ bro 12.

⁽²⁾ Eze. 25. c and 35. a

⁽³⁾ 2. Ma. 10.

⁽⁴⁾ 2. Mac▪ 8.

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 10. c

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 5. b

⁽¹⁰⁾ Deut. 7.

Chapter 6

NOw when kynge Antiochus trauayled [A] thorow the hye countrees,⁽¹⁾ he herde that Elymas in Persia was a noble and plenteous cite in siluer and golde, & that there was in it a very rich temple: where as were clothes, cote armoures and shyldes of golde, which Alexander the sonne of Philippe kynge of Macedonia had left behynde him. Wherfore he wente aboute to take the cite and to spoyle it, but he was not able: for yᵉ citisēs were warned of it, & fought with him. And so he fled, and departed with greate heuynesse, & came agayne in to Babilon. Morouer there came one which brought him tidinges in Perside,⁽²⁾ yᵗ his hoostes which were in the londe of Iuda, were dryuen awaye, and how that Lisias wente forth first with a greate power, and was dryuen awaye of the Iewes: how they had wonne the victory, and gotten greate goodes out of the hoostes that peryshed: how they had broken downe the abhominacion, which he set vp vpon the altare at Ierusalem,⁽³⁾ and fenced the Sanctuary with hye walles, like as it was afore: yee and Bethsura his cite also.

So it chaunced, that when the kinge had [B] herde these wordes, he was afrayed and greued very sore. Wherfore he layed him downe vpon his bed, and fell sicke for very sorowe: and all because it had not happened as he had deuysed. And there continued he longe, for his grefe was euer more and more, so yᵗ he sawe he must nedes dye. Therfore he sent for his frendes, & sayde vnto them: yᵉ slepe is gone fro mine eyes, for yᵉ very sorowe & vexaciō of herte yᵗ I haue. For when I considre in my mynde yᵉ greate aduersite yᵗ I am come vnto and the floudes of heuynesse which I am in, where as afore tyme I was so mery, and so greatly set by (by reason of my power) Againe, cōsideringe yᵉ euell yᵗ I haue done at Ierusalē, from whence I toke all yᵉ riches of golde and syluer yᵗ were in it, & sent to fetch awaye the inhabitours of Iewry without eny reason why: I knowe, yᵗ these troubles are come vpon me for the same cause. And beholde, I must dye with greate sorow in a straūge londe.

Then called he for one Philippe a frende of his, whom he made ruler of all his realme and gaue him the crowne, his robe and his rynge: that he shulde take his sonne Antiochus vnto him and brynge him vp, till he might raigne himself.⁽⁴⁾ So the kynge Antiochus [C] dyed there, in the Cxlix. yeare. When Lysias knewe that the kynge was deed,⁽⁵⁾ he ordened Antiochus his sonne (whom he had brought vp) to raigne in his fathers steade) and called him Eupator. Now they that were in the castel (at Ierusalem) kepte in the Iewes rounde aboute the Sāctuary, and sought euer styll to do them harme, for the strengthenynge of the Heithen.

Wherfore Iudas thought to destroye them, and called all the people together, yᵗ they might laye sege vnto them. So they came together in the Cl. yeare, and beseged thē layenge forth their ordinaunce and instrumentes of warre. Then certayne of them yᵗ were beseged wente forth (vnto whom some vngodly men of Israel ioyned thē selues also) and wente vnto the kynge, sayēge: How longe wil it be, or thou punysh and avenge oure brethren? We haue bene euer mynded to do thy father seruyce, to walke in his statutes, and to obeye his commaundementes: Therfore oure people fell from vs, and where so euer they founde eny of vs, they slewe them: and they haue not only medled with vs, but with all oure countrees: and beholde, this daye are they beseginge the castell at Ierusalem, and haue made vp the stronge holde in Bethsura:⁽⁶⁾ And yf thou doest not preuente them right soone, they wil do more then these, and thou shalt not be able to ouercome them.

[D] When the kynge herde this, he was very angrie,⁽⁷⁾ and called all his frendes, the captaynes of his fote men and of all his horse men together. He hyred men of warre also out of other realmes and out of the Iles of the see, which came vnto him. And the nombre of his hoost was an hundreth thousande fote men, and twentye thousande horsmē, & xxxij. Elephantes wel exercised to battayll These came thorow Idumea vnto Bethsura, and beseged it a longe season,⁽⁸⁾ and made dyuerse instrumentes of warre agaynst it. But the Iewes came out and brent them, and fought like men. Then departed Iudas from the castell at Ierusalem, and remoued yᵉ hoost towarde Bethza carā ouer agaynst the kynges armye.

So the kynge arose before the daye, and brought the power of his hoost in to yᵉ waie to Bethzacaran, where the hoostes made them to the battayll, blowynge the trompettes.⁽⁹⁾ And to prouoke the Elephantes for to fight, they shewed them the sappe of reed grapes and molberies. And deuyded the Elephantes [E] amonge the hoost: so that by euery Elephante there stode a M. men wel harnessed, and helmettes of stele vpon their heades: Yee vnto euery one of the Elephantes also, were ordened v.C. horsmen of the best, which waited of the Elephante, goinge where so euer he wente, and departed not from him. Euery Elephant was couered wᵗ a strōge tower of wod, where vpon were xxxij. valeaunt men wᵗ weapens to fight, & within it was a man of Inde to rule the beest.

As for the remnaunt of the horsmen, he set them vpon both the sydes in two partes with trompettes, to prouoke the hoost, and to stere vp soch as were slowe in the armye. And when the Sonne shone vpon their shyldes of golde and stele, the mountaynes glistered agayne at them, & were as bright as the creszshettes of fyre. The kynges hoost also was deuyded, one parte vpon the hie mountaynes, the other lowe beneth: so they wente on, takynge good hede, and kepinge their ordre. And all they that dwelt in the londe, were afrayed at the noyse of their hoost, when the multitude wente forth, and when the the weapens smote together, for the hoost was both greate & mightie. Iudas also and his hoost entred in to the battayll, and slewe vj.C. men of the kynges armye.

Now when Eleasar the sonne of Saura dyd se one of yᵉ Elephantes deckte wᵗ the kynges badge, and was a more goodly beest thē the other: He thought yᵉ kinge shulde be vpō him, and ioperde himself to delyuer his people, and to get him a perpetuall name.

Wherfore he ranne with a corage vnto the Elephante in the myddest of the hoost, smytinge them downe of both the sydes, and slewe many aboute him. So wente he to the Elephantes fete, and gat him vnder him, and slewe him: then fell the Elephante downe vpon him, and there he dyed. Iudas also and his men seinge the power of the kinge and the mightie violence of his hoost, departed [F] from them. And the kynges armye wente vp agaynst them towarde Ierusalem, and pitched their tentes in Iewry besyde mount Sion. Morouer the kynge toke truce with them that were in Bethsura.⁽¹⁰⁾

But when they came out of the cite (because they had no vytales within,⁽¹¹⁾ and the londe laye vntylled) the kynge toke Bethsura, and set men to kepe it, & turned his hoost to the place of the Sanctuary, and layed sege to it a greate whyle. Where he made all maner ordinaunce: handbowes, fyrie dartes, rackettes to cast stones, scorpions to shute arowes, and slynges. The Iewes also made ordinaunce agaynst theirs, and fought a longe season.

But in the cite there were no vytayles, for it was the seuenth yeare of the warres, and those Heithen that remayned in Iewry had eaten vp all their stoare. And in the Sanctuary were few men lefte, for the hunger came so vpon them, that they were scatered abrode euery man to his owne place.

So when Lysias herde, that Philippe (whom Antiochus the kynge whyle he was yet lyuinge,⁽¹²⁾ had ordened to bringe vp Antiochus his sonne, that he might be kynge) was come agayne out of Persia and Media with the kynges hoost, and thought to optayne the kyngdome: He gat him to the kynge in all the haist and to the captaynes [G] of the hoost, and sayde: we decrease daylie, and oure vytales are but small: Agayne, the place that we laye sege vnto, is very stronge, and it were oure parte to se for the realme. Let vs agre with these men and take truce with them, and with all their people, and graunte them to lyue after their lawe, as they dyd a fore. For they be greued and do all these thinges agaynst vs, because we haue despysed their lawe. So the kynge and the prynces were content, and sent vnto them to make peace, and they receaued it. Now whē the kynge and the prynces had made an ooth vnto them, they came out of the castel, and the kynge wēte vp to mount Sion. But when he sawe that yᵉ place was wel fenced, he brake the ooth that he had made, and commaunded to destroye the wall rounde aboute. Then departed he in all the haist, and returned vnto Antioche, where he founde Philippe hauynge dominion of the cite. So he fought agaynst him, and toke the cite agayne in to his hondes.

Notes to Chapter 6

⁽¹⁾ Iosephu⟨illegible⟩ cap. 13. ⟨illegible⟩ 12. anti. 2. Ma. 9.

⁽²⁾ 1. Mac. 3. and. 4.

⁽³⁾ 1. Mac. 1.

⁽⁴⁾ Mac. 9 b. c. d. e

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩sephus ⟨illegible⟩pi. 14 ⟨illegible⟩. 12 Mac. ⟨illegible⟩. d

⁽⁶⁾ Ma. 4. g

⁽⁷⁾ Ma. 13. a

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⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 4. g

⁽¹¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 7

IN the Clj. yeare came Demetrius yᵉ [A] sonne of Seleucus from yᵉ cite of Rome wᵗ a small company of men,⁽¹⁾ vnto a cite of the see coast, and there he bare rule. And it chaunced, that when he came to Antioch the cite of his Progenitours, his hoost toke Antiochus and Lysias, to brynge them vnto him. But when it was tolde him, he saide: let me not se their faces. So the hoost put them to death. Now when Demetrius was set vpon the trone of his kyngdome, there came vnto him wicked and vngodly men of Israel: whose captayne was Alcimus, that wolde haue bene made hye prest. These men accused the people of Israel vnto the kynge, sayenge: Iudas and his brethren haue slayne thy frendes, and dryuen vs out of oure owne londe. Wherfore sende now some man (to whom thou geuest credence) that he maye go and se all the destruccion, which he hath done vnto vs and to the kynges londe, and let him be punished with all his frēdes and fauourers.

Then the kynge chose Bachides a frende [B] of his, which was a man of greate power in the realme (beyonde the greate water) and faithfull vnto the kynge: and sent him to se the destruccion that Iudas had done. And as for that wicked Alcimus, he made him hye Prest, and commaunded him to be auenged of the children of Israel. So they stode vp, and came with a greate hoost in to yᵉ londe of Iuda, sendinge messaūgers to Iudas & his brethrē, & speakinge vnto them wᵗ peaceable wordes: but vnder disceate. Therfore Iudas & his people beleued not their saiēge,⁽²⁾ for they sawe yᵗ they were come wᵗ a greate hoost

After this came yᵉ scribes together vnto Alcimus & Bachides, trustinge the best vnto them. And first, yᵉ Assideans requyred peace of them, sayenge: Alcimus yᵉ prest is come of the sede of Aarō, how can he disceaue vs? So they gaue them louīge wordes, & swore vnto them, and sayde: we wil do you no harme, nether youre frendes: and they beleued them. But the very same daye toke they lx. men of them, & slewe thē: acordinge to yᵉ wordes yᵗ are writtē:⁽³⁾ They haue cast yᵉ flesh of yᵉ sanctes, & shed their bloude roūde aboute Ierusalē, & there was nomā yᵗ wolde bury thē.

[C] So there came a greate feare and drede amonge the people, sayenge: there is nether treuth nor righteousnesse in them, for they haue brokē the appoyntment and ooth that they made. And Bachides remoued his hoost from Ierusalem, and pitched his tente at Bethzecha: where he sent forth, and toke many of them that had forsaken him: He slewe many of the people also, and cast them in to a greate pytt. Then committed he the londe vnto Alcimus, and left men of warre with him to helpe him, and Bachides himself wente vnto the kynge. And thus Alcimus defended his hie presthode, and all soch as vexed Israel, resorted vnto him: In so moch that they optayned the lōde of Iuda, and dyd moch euell vnto the Israelites.

Now when Iudas sawe all the myschefe that Alcimus and his company had done (yee more then the Heithē them selues) vnto the Israelites: He wente forth rounde aboute all the borders of Iewry, and punyshed those vnfaithfull rennagates, so that they came no more out in to the countre. So whē Alcimus sawe, that Iudas and his people had gotten the vpperhande, and that he was not able to abyde them: he wente agayne to the kynge, and sayde all the worst of them that he coude. Then the kynge sent Nicanor, one of his chefe prynces (which bare euell wyl vnto Israel) and commaunded him, that he shulde vtterly destroye the people.

[D] So Nicanor came to Ierusalem with a greate hoost, and sent vnto Iudas and his brethren with frendly wordes (but vnder disceate) sayenge:⁽⁴⁾ there shal be no warre betwixte me and you: I wil come with a few men, to se how ye do, with frenshipe. Vpon this he came vnto Iudas, and they saluted one another peaceably: but the enemies were appoynted to take Iudas by violence. Neuertheles it was tolde Iudas, yᵗ he came vnto him but vnder disceate: wherfore he gat him awaie from him, and wolde se his face nomore. When Nicanor perceaued yᵗ his councell was bewrayed, he wente out to fight agaynst Iudas, besyde Capharsalama: Where there were slayne of Nicanors hoost, v.M. men: the residue fled vnto the castell of Dauid.

After this came Nicanor vp vnto moūt Sion: and the prestes with the elders of the people wente forth to salute him peaceably, & to shewe him yᵉ burnt sacrifices yᵗ were offered for the kynge. But he laughed thē to scorne, mocked thē, defyled their offeringes, and spake diszdanedly, yee and swore in his wroth, sayenge: Yf Iudas and his hoost be [E] not delyuered now in to my hondes,⁽⁵⁾ as soone as euer I come agayne (and fayre well) I shal burne vp this house. With that, wente he out in a greate anger. Then the prestes came in, and stode before the aulter of the tēple, wepinge & sayenge: For so moch as thou (o LORDE) hast chosen this house,⁽⁶⁾ that thy name might be called vpon therin, and yᵗ it shulde be an house of praier and peticion vnto thy people:⁽⁷⁾ Be avenged of this mā & his hoost, and let them be slayne with yᵉ swearde: remembre the blasphemies of them, & suffre them not to continue eny longer.

When Nicanor was gone from Ierusasalem, he pitched his tente at Bethoron, and there an hoost met hī out of Siria. And Iudas came to Adarsa with iij.M. mē, & made his prayer vnto God, sayenge: O LORDE, because the messaungers of kynge Senacherib blasphemed the, the angel wente forth, and slewe an Clxxxv. thousande of them:⁽⁸⁾ Euen so destroye thou this hoost before vs to daie that other people maye knowe, how that he hath blasphemed thy Sanctuary: and punysh him, acordinge to his maliciousnesse.

[woodcut]

And so the hoostes stroke the felde, the thirtente daye of the moneth Adar: and [F] Nicanors hoost was discomfited, and he himself was first slayne in the battayll. When Nicanors men of warre sawe that he was kylled,⁽⁹⁾ they cast awaye their weapens and fled: but the Iewes folowed vpon them an whole dayes iourney, from Adazer vnto Gazara, blowinge with the trompettes, and makinge tokens after them. So the Iewes came forth of all the townes there aboute, and blewe out their hornes vpon them, and turned agaynst them: Thus were they all slayne, and not one of them lefte.

[woodcut]

Then they toke their substaunce for a pray, and smote of Nicanors heade & his right honde (which he helde vp so proudly) and brought it with them,⁽¹⁰⁾ and hāged it vp afore Ierusalem. Wherfore the people were exceadingly reioysed, and passed ouer that daye in greate gladnesse. And Iudas ordened, that yᵉ same daye (namely the xiij. daye of yᵉ moneth Adar) shulde be kepte in myrth euery yeare. Thus the londe of Iuda was in rest a litle whyle.

Notes to Chapter 7

⁽¹⁾ 2. Ma. 14. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ 1. Mac. 1. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ Psal. 78. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Ma. 15. a

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 8

[A] IVdas herde also the fame of the Romaynes, that they were mightie and valeaunt men, agreable to all thinges that are requyred of them, & make peace with all men, which come vnto them, and how they were doughty men of strength. Besydes that, it was tolde him of their battayls & noble actes which they dyd in Galacia, how they had conquered them and brought them vnder tribute: and what greate thinges they had done in Spayne, how that with their wyszdome and sober behauoure they had wonne the Mynes of syluer and golde that are there, and optayned all the londe, with other places farre from thē: how they had discomfited and slayne downe the kynges that came vpon them from the vttemost parte of the earth, and how other people geue them tribute euery yeare: How they had slayne and ouercome Philippe and Perses kynge of Cethim and other mo (in battayll,) which had brought their ordinaunce agaynst them: how they discomfited greate Antiochus kynge of Asia (that wolde nedes fight wᵗ them) hauynge an hundreth and xx. Elephantes, with horsmen, charettes, and a very greate hoost: how they toke him self alyue, and ordened him (with soch as shulde raigne after him) to paye thē a greate trybute,⁽¹⁾ yee and to fynde thē good suerties and plege: Besydes all this, how they had takē from him India, Media and Lydia (his best londes) and geuen them to kynge Eumenus. Agayne, how they perceauynge [B] yᵗ the Grekes were cōmynge to vexe them: sent against thē a captaine of an hoost which gaue thē battayll, slewe many of thē, led awaye ther wyues and children captyue, spoyled thē, toke possession of their londe, destroyed their stronge holdes, and subdued thē to be their bonde men vnto this daye: Morouer, how yᵗ as for other kyngdomes & Iles, which somtyme withstode thē, they destroyed them, and brought them vnder their dominion: But helped euer their owne frendes and those yᵗ were confederate with them, & conquered kyngdomes both farre & nye: & yᵗ who so euer herde of their renowne, was afrayed of them: for whom they wolde helpe to their kyngdomes, those raigned: & whō it lyked not them to raigne, they put him downe: And how they were come to greate preeminence: hauynge no kynge amonge thē, nether eny man clothed in purple, to be magnified there thorow: but had ordened thē selues a perlament, where in there sat iij.C. and xx. Senatours daylie vpon the councell, to dispatch euer the busynesse of the people, and to kepe good ordre: And how yᵗ euery yeare they chose a Mayre, to haue the gouernaun-of all their londe: to whom euery man was obedient, and yᵗ there was nether euell will ner discencion amonge them.

Then Iudas chose Eupolemus the sonne [C] of Ihon the sonne of Iacob, & Iason the sonne of Eleazar, & sent thē vnto Rome for to make frenshipe & a bonde of loue wᵗ them: yᵗ they might take frō them the bondage of yᵉ Grekes, for yᵉ Iewes sawe yᵗ the Grekes wolde subdue the kyngdome of Israel. So they wēte vnto Rome (a very greate iourney) & came in to yᵉ Perlamēt, & saide: Iudas Machabeus wᵗ his brethrē & the people of yᵉ Iewes hath sent vs vnto you, to make a bonde of frendshipe & peace wᵗ you, & ye to note vs as yoʳ louers & frendes. And yᵉ matter pleased yᵉ Romaines right well, wherfore it was writtē vp: of yᵉ which yᵉ Romaynes made a wrytinge in tables of Latō & sent it to Ierusalē: yᵗ they might haue by thē a memoriall of yᵉ same peace & bōde of frēdshipe, after this maner: God saue yᵉ Romaines & yᵉ people of the Iewes both by see & by lōde, & kepe yᵉ swearde & enemy frō thē for euermore. Yf there come first eny warre vpō yᵉ Romaynes or eny of their frēdes thorow out all their dominyō yᵉ people of yᵉ Iewes shal helpe thē (as yᵉ tyme requireth) & yᵗ wᵗ all their hertes. Also they shal nether geue nor sēde vnto their enemies vitales, weapēs, money ner shippes: but fulfil this charge at the Romaynes pleasure, & take nothinge from them therfore. Againe yf the people of the Iewes happē first to haue warre, the Romaynes shal stonde by thē with a good wil, acordinge as the tyme wil suffre: Nether shal they geue vnto the Iewes enemies, vytales, weapens, money ner shippes. Thus are the Romaynes content to do, & shal fulfill their charge without eny disceate.

Acordinge to these articles, the Romaynes made the bonde with the Iewes. Now after these articles (sayde they) yf eny of the parties wyll put to them, or take eny thinge from them: they shal do it with the consente of both: and what so euer they adde then vnto them or take from them, it shall stonde fast. And as touchinge the euell that Demetrius hath done vnto the Iewes, we haue wrytten vnto him, sayenge: Wherfore layest thou thy heuy yocke vpon the Iewes oure frendes and louers? Yf they make eny complaynte of the agayne vnto vs, we shall defende them, and fight with the by see and by londe.

Notes to Chapter 8

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 9

[A] IN yᵉ meane season when Demetrius herde that Nicanor & his hoost was slayne in the felde,⁽¹⁾ he proceded further to sende Bachides and Alcimus againe in to Iewry, and those that were in the right wynge of his hoost, with them. So they wēte forth by the waye that ledeth vnto Galgala, and pitched their tentes before Mesaloth which is in Arbellis, and wanne the cite, and slewe moch people. In yᵉ first moneth of the Clij. yeare, they brought their hoost to Ierusalem, and rose vp and came to Berea, with xx.M. fote men, and ij.M. horsmen.

Now Iudas had pitched his tente at Laisa, with thre thousande chosen men. And when they sawe the multitude of the other army yᵗ it was so greate, they were sore afrayed, & many conveyed them selues out of the hoost, In so moch yᵗ there abode no mo of them but viij.C. men. When Iudas sawe that his hoost fayled him, and that he must nedes fight: it brake his herte, yᵗ he had no tyme to gather them together: wherfore the man was in extreme trouble. Neuerthelesse he sayde vnto them, yᵗ remayned with him: Vp, let vs go agaynst oure enemies, peraduanture we shal be able to fight with them. But they wolde haue stopped him, sayenge: we shall not be able, therfore let vs now saue oure lyues, and turne agayne to oʳ brethren, and then wil we fight agaynst thē, for we are here but fewe. And Iudas sayde:[B] God forbyd, that we shulde fle from them. Wherfore yf oure tyme be come, let vs dye manfully for oure brethren, and let vs not stayne oure honoure. Then the hoost remoued out of the tentes, & stode agaynst them. The horsmen were deuyded in two partes: the slynge casters and the archers wente before the hoost, and all the mightie men were formest in the felde. Bachides himself was in the right wynge of the batell, & the hoost drewe nye in two partes, and blewe the trompettes. They of Iudas syde blewe yᵉ trompettes also, & the earth shoke at the noyse of the hoostes, and they stroke a felde from the morow till night. And when Iudas sawe yᵗ Bachides hoost was strongest of the right syde, he toke with him all the hardy mē, and brake the right wynge of their ordre, and folowed vpon them vnto the mount Azot.

Now when they which were of the lefte wynge, sawe that the right side was discomfited, they persecuted Iudas and them that were wᵗ him. Then was there a sore battayll, for many were slayne and wounded of both the parties, Iudas also himself was kylled, and the remnaunt fled. So Ionathas and Symō toke Iudas their brother, and buried him in his fathers sepulcre in the cite of Modin. And all the people of Israel made greate lamentacion for him, and mourned longe, sayenge: Alas, that this worthy shulde be slayne, which delyuered yᵉ people of Israel. As for other thinges pertayninge to yᵉ battayls of Iudas, the nobles actes that he did and of his worthynesse: they are not writtē, for they were very many.

And after the death of Iudas, wicked mē [C] came vp in all the coastes of Israel,⁽²⁾ and there arose all soch as worke vngodlynesse. In those dayes was there a greate derth in the londe, and all the countre gaue ouer them selues & theirs vnto Bachides. So Bachides those wicked men, and made them lordes in the londe. These sought out and made search for Iudas frendes, and brought them vnto Bachides: which auenged himself vpon thē with greate despite. And there came so greate trouble in Israel, as was not sens the time that no prophet was sene there.

Then came all Iudas frendes together, and sayde vnto Ionathas: For so moch as thy brother Iudas is deed, there is none like him to go forth agaynst oʳ enemies, agaynst Bachides, and soch as are aduersaries vnto oure people. Wherfore this daye we chose the for him, to be oure prynce and captayne to ordre oure batell. And Ionathas toke the gouernaunce vpon him at the same tyme, and ruled in steade of his brother Iudas. When Bachides gat knowlege therof, he sought for to slaye him: But Ionathas and Symon his brother, perceauynge that, fled in to yᵉ wildernesse of Thecua with all their company, and pitched their tētes by the water pole of Asphar.

Which when Bachides vnderstode, he came ouer Iordane with all his hoost vpon yᵉ Sabbath daye. Now had Ionathas sent his brother Ihon (a captayne of the people) to praye his frendes the Nabuthites, yᵗ they wolde lende them their ordinaunce, for they [D] had moch. So the children of Iambry came out of Madaba, & toke Ihon & all yᵗ he had, & wente their waye withall. Then came worde vnto Ionathas & Symon his brother, yᵗ the children of Iambri made a greate mariage, & brought yᵉ bryde from Madaba with greate pompe: for she was doughter to one of the noblest prynces of Canaan. Wherfore they remembred the bloude of Ihon their brother, and wente vp, and hyd them selues vnder the shadowe of the mountayne.

So they lift vp their eyes, and loked: and beholde, there was moch a doo, & greate repayre: for the brydegrome came forth, & his frēdes and his brethren met them with tympanys, instrumentes of musick, and many weapēs. Then Ionathas and they that were with him, rose out of their skoukinge places agaynst them, and slewe many of them. As for the remnaunt, they fled in to yᵉ mountaynes, and they toke all their substaunce. Thus the mariage was turned to mournynge, and yᵉ noyse of their melody in to lamentacion. And so when they had auenged the bloude of their brother, they turned agayne vnto Iordane.

Bachides hearinge this, came vnto yᵉ very border of Iordane with a greate power vpon the Sabbath daye. And Ionathas sayde to his company: let vs get vp, & fyght agaynst oure enemies: for it stondeth not [E] with vs to daye, as in tymes past: Beholde, oʳ enemies are in oure waye, yᵉ water of Iordane vpon the one syde of vs, with banckes, fennes and woddes of yᵉ other syde, so yᵗ there is no place for vs to departe vnto.⁽³⁾ Wherfore crie now vnto heauen, that ye maye be delyuered from the power of youre enemies. So they stroke the batell. And Ionathas stretched out his honde to smyte Bachides, but he fled bacwarde. Then Ionathas and they yᵗ were with him leapte in to Iordane, & swymmed ouer Iordane vnto him, & there were slayne of Bachides syde that daye, a thousande men.

Therfore Bachides wᵗ his hoost turned againe to Ierusalem, & buylte vp yᵉ castels & stronge holdes that were in Iewry, Iericho, Emaus, Bethoron, Bethel, Thānata, Phara & Thopo, wᵗ hye walles, wᵗ portes & with lockes: & set men to kepe them, yᵗ they might vse their malice vpon Israel. He walled vp Bethsura, Gazara & the castell at Ierusalē also, & prouyded them wᵗ men & vytales: He toke also the chefest mens sonnes in the countre for pledges, and put them in the castel at Ierusalem to be kepte.

Afterwarde in the C.liij. yeare in the seconde moneth, Alcimus cōmaunded, that yᵉ walles of the ynmost Sanctuary shulde be destroyed, & the buyldinges of yᵉ prophetes also. And when he beganne to destroye thē, yᵉ thinges yᵗ he wēte aboute, were hyndered: for he was smytten wᵗ a palsey, & his mouth [F] shutt, so yᵗ he coude nomore speake ner commaunde eny of his house cōcerninge his busynesse. Thus dyed Alcimus in greate misery at the same tyme. And whē Bachides sawe yᵗ Alcimus was deed, he turned agayne to yᵉ kynge, & so the londe was in rest ij. yeares. Then all the vngodly men helde a councell, sayenge: Beholde, Ionathas and his cōpany are at ease, & dwell without care. Wherfore let vs brynge Bachides hither, & he shall take them all in one night.

So they wēte & gaue Bachides this councell, which arose to come wᵗ a greate hoost, & sent letters priuely to his adherentes which were in Iewry, to take Ionathas & those yᵗ were with him: but they might not, for the other had gotten knowlege of their deuyce. And Ionathas toke L. men of the countre (which were the ryngleders of them) & slewe them. Then Ionathas and Symon wᵗ their cōpany departed vnto the cite Bethbessen, which lieth in the wyldernesse, and repayred the decaye therof, & made it stronge. When Bachides knewe this, he gathered all his hoost, and sent worde to them that were of Iewry. Thē came he and layed sege to Bethbessen, and fought against it a longe season, and made instrumentes of warre. Now Ionathas [G] lefte his brother Symon in the cite, and wente forth himself in to the countre, and came with a certayne nombre, and slewe Odares and his brethren and the children of Phaseron in their tentes: so yᵗ he beganne to be stronge, & to increase in power.

As for Symon and his company, they wente out of the cite, and brēt vp the instrumētes of warre, and fought agaynst Bachides, and discōfited him. And Bachides was sore vexed, because his councell and trauayle was in vayne. Wherfore he was wroth at yᵉ wicked men (that gaue him councell to come in to their londe) and slew many of them. Then purposed he with his company to go awaye in to his owne countre: wherof whē Ionathas had knowlege, he sent embassitours vnto him, for to make peace with him, & yᵗ he shulde deliuer him his presoners againe. To the which Bachides cōsented gladly, and dyd acordinge to his desyre: yee and made an ooth, that he shulde neuer do him harme all the dayes of his life. So he restored vnto him all the presoners that he had taken out of the londe of Iuda, and thē turned and wente his waye in to his owne londe, nether proceded he eny further to come vnto yᵉ borders of Iuda. Thus Israel had no more warre. And Ionathas dwelt at Machmas, and beganne there to gouerne the people, and destroyed the vngodly men out of Israel.

Notes to Chapter 9

⁽¹⁾ 1. Mac. 7. f ⟨illegible⟩ose. ca. 17 libro 32.

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩0. a ⟨illegible⟩. 4. b

Chapter 10

[A] IN the C.lx. yeare came Alexander yᵉ sonne of noble Antiochus,⁽¹⁾ and toke Ptolomais, whose citisens receaued him, and there he raigned. When Demetrius herde therof, he gathered an exceadinge greate hoost, and wēte forth agaynst him to fight. Wherfore Demetrius sent letters vnto Ionathas with louynge wordes, and praysed him greatly. For he sayde: we wyll first make peace with him, before he bynde him selfe with Alexander agaynst vs: els he shall remembre the euell that we haue done against him, his brother & his people. And so he gaue Ionathas leue to gather an hoost, to make weapens,⁽²⁾ and to be confederate wᵗ him, and commaunded the pledges that were in the castell, to be delyuered vnto him.

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Then came Ionathas to Ierusalem, and red the letters in the audience of all the people, and of them that were in yᵉ castell. And therfore were they sore afrayed, because they herde, that the kynge had geuē him licence to gather an hoost. Thus were the pledges delyuered vnto Ionathas, which restored them to their elders. Ionathas also dwelt at Ierusalem, and begāne to buylde vp and [B] to repayre the cite: commaundinge the worke men, to wall it, and the mount Sion rounde aboute with fre stone, to be a stronge holde, and so they dyd. As for the Heithen that were in yᵉ castels which Bachides had made vp, they fled: so that euery man left the place, and wēte in to his owne countre. Onely at Bethsura remayned certayne of the Iewes, which had forsaken the lawe and cōmaundementes of God, for Bethsura was their refuge.

Now when kynge Alexander herde of yᵉ promises yᵗ Demetrius had made vnto Ionathas, and when it was tolde him of yᵉ batels and noble actes, which he and his brethren had done, and of the greate trauayles that they had taken: he saide: where shal we fynde soch a man? wel, we will make him oure frende, & be confederate with him. Vpon this he wrote a lettre vnto him, wᵗ these wordes: kinge Alexāder saluteth his brother Ionathas. We haue herde of the, yᵗ thou art a valeaunt man, & mete to be oʳ frende: wherfore this daye we ordene the to be the hye prest of thy people, and to be called the kynges frende. Vpon this, he sente him a purple clothinge & a crowne of golde) yᵗ thou mayest considre what is for oure profit, & kepe frendshipe towarde vs.

So in the vij. moneth of the C.lx. yeare [C] vpon the solempne feast daye of the tabernacles, Ionathas put the holy rayment vpon him. Then gathered he an hoost, & made many weapēs. Which when Demetrius herde, he was maruelous sory, & sayde: Alas, what haue we done, yᵗ Alexander hath preuented vs in gettinge the frendshipe of the Iewes, for his owne defence? Yet wil I wryte louingly vnto them also, yee & promise them dignities & rewardes, yᵗ they maye be of my syde. Whervpon he wrote vnto thē these wordes: Kinge Demetrius sendeth gretinge vnto yᵉ people of the Iewes. Where as ye haue kepte yoʳ couenaunt towarde vs, & cōtinued in oʳ frendshipe, not enclyninge to oure enemies we were glad, when we herde therof. Wherfore remayne still & be faithfull to vs: & we shal wel recōpense you for the thinges, yᵗ ye haue done on oʳ partie: we shall release you of many charges, and geue you rewardes.

And now I discharge you & all yᵉ Iewes from tributes, I forgeue you the customes of salt, and release you of the crowne taxes, of the thirde parte of sede, and half of the frute of trees, which is myne owne dewty. These I leaue for you, from this daye forth: so that they shall not be taken of the londe of Iuda ner of the thre cities which are added [D] thervnto out of Samaria and Galilee, from this daye forth for euermore. Ierusalē also with all thinges belōginge therto, shal be holy and fre, yee yᵗ tithes & tributes shal pertayne vnto it. As for the power of yᵉ castell which is at Ierusalem, I remytte & geue it vnto the hye prest, that he maye set in it soch men, as he shall chose to kepe it. I frely delyuer all the Iewes that are presoners thorow out all my realme: so that euery one of them shalbe fre from payenge eny tribute, yee euen of their catell.

All the solēpne feastes, Sabbathes, New mones, the dayes appoynted, the thre daies before and after the feast shall be fre for all the Iewes in my realme: so that in them no man shal haue power to do eny thinge, or to moue eny busynesse agaynst eny of them in eny maner of cause. There shal xxx.M. also of the Iewes be written vp in the kynges hoost, and haue their wages payed, as all other men of warre of the kynges shulde haue: and of them shalbe ordened certayne, to kepe the kynges stronge holdes: yee and some of them shalbe set ouer the kynges busynesse, that they maye faithfully deale with the same. The Iewes also shal haue prynces of their owne, & walke in their owne lawes, as the kynge hath commaunded in the londe of Iuda.

And the thre cities that are fallen vnto Iewry from the countre of Samaria and Galilee: shalbe taken as Iewry, and be vnder one: nether be subiecte to eny straunge lorde, but to the hye prest. As for Ptolomais and the londe pertayninge therto, I geue it vnto the Sanctuary at Ierusalem, for the necessary expēces of the holy thinges. Morouer, [E] I will geue euery yeare xv.M. Sycles of syluer out of yᵉ kynges checker (which pertayneth vnto me) to the worke of the temple: yee & loke what remayneth (which they yᵗ had oure matters in honde in tymes past, haue not payed) that same shal they geue vnto them also. And besydes all this, the v.M. sycles which they toke yearly of the rētes of the Sanctuary, shal belonge vnto the prestes that do seruyce.

Item, who so euer they be that fle vnto the temple at Ierusalem or within the liberties therof, where as they are fallen in to the kynges daunger for eny maner of busynes, they shall be pardoned, and all the goodes that they haue in my realme, shalbe fre. For the buyldinge also & repayringe of the worke of the Sanctuary, expenses shalbe geuen out of the kynges Checker: Yee and for the makinge of the walles rounde aboute Ierusalem, for the breakinge downe of the olde, and for the settinge vp of the stronge holdes in Iewry, shal yᵉ costes and charges be geuen out of the kynges Checker.

But when Ionathas and the people herde these wordes,⁽³⁾ they gaue no credence vnto them, nether receaued them: for they remembred the greate wickednesse that he had done vnto Israel, and how sore he had vexed them. Wherfore they agreed vnto Alexander, for he was a prynce that had dealte frendly with them, and so they stode by him allwaye. Thē gathered kynge Alexāder a greate hoost, and brought his armye agaynst Demetrius. So yᵉ two kynges stroke battayll together,⁽⁴⁾ but Demetrius hoost fled, and Alexander folowed after and fell vpon them. A mightie sore felde was it, continuynge till the Sonne wente downe, and Demetrius was slayne the same daye.

And Alexander sente embassitours vnto [F] Ptolomy the kynge of Egipte with these wordes, sayenge: For so moch as I am come agayne to my realme, and am set in the trone of my progenitours, and haue gotten the dominion, ouer come Demetrius, conquered the londe, and striken a felde with him, so that we haue discomfited both him and his hoost, and syt in the trone of his kyngdome: Let vs now make frendshipe together, geue me thy daughter to wife: so shall I be thy sonne in lawe, and both geue the rewardes, and hir greate dignite. Ptolomy the kynge gaue answere, sayenge: Happy be the daye wherin thou art come agayne to the londe of thy progenitours, and set in the trone of their kyngdome. And now will I fulfill thy writynge: but mete me at Ptolomais, yᵗ we maye se one another, and that I maye mary my doughter vnto the acordinge to thy desyre. So Ptolomy wēte out of Egipte with his doughter Cleopatra, & came vnto Ptolomais in yᵉ Clxij. yeare: where kynge Alexāder met him, & he gaue Alexander his doughter Cleopatra, and maried them at Ptolomais with greate worshipe, like as the maner of kynges is to be.

Then wrote kynge Alexander vnto Ionathas, that he shulde come and mete him. So he wente honorably vnto Ptolomais, & there he met the two kinges, and gaue them greate presentes of golde and syluer, & founde [G] fauoure in their sight. And there came together agaynst Ionathas certayne wicked men and vngracious personnes of Israel, makynge complayntes of him, but the kynge regarded them not. As for Ionathas, the kynge commaunded to take of his garmentes, and to clothe him in purple: and so they dyd. Then the kynge appoynted him to syt by him, and sayde vnto his prynces: Go with him in to the myddest of the cite, and make a proclamacion, that no man complayne agaynst him of eny matter, and that no man trouble him for eny maner of cause.

So it happened that when his accusers sawe the worshipe which was proclamed of him, & yᵗ he was clothed in purple: they fled euerychone. And the kynge made moch of him, wrote him amonge his chefe frendes, made him a duke, and partaker of his dominion. Thus Ionathas wente agayne to Ierusalem with peace and gladnesse.⁽⁵⁾ In the Clxv. yeare came Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius from Creta in to his fathers londe: wherof when Alexander herde tell, he was right sory, and returned vnto Antioche. And Demetrius chose Appollonius (which had the gouernaunce of Celosyria) to be his captayne.⁽⁶⁾

So he gathered a greate hoost and came vnto Iamnia, and sende worde vnto Ionathas the hye prest, sayenge: Darrest thou wᵗ stonde vs thy self alone? As for me, I am but laughed to scorne and shamed, because thou prouest thy strength agaynst vs in the [H] mountaynes. Now therfore yf thou trustest in thyne owne strength, come downe to vs in to the playne felde, and there let vs proue oure strength together: thou shalt fynde, that I haue valeaunt men of warre with me: and shalt knowe who I am, & the other that stonde by me.

Which saye, that youre fote is not able to stonde before oure face, for thy fathers haue bene twyse chaced in to their owne londe. And now, how wylt thou be able to abyde so greate an hoost of horsmen and fotemen in the felde, where as is nether rocke, stone ner place to fle vnto?

When Ionathas herde the wordes of Appollonius, he was moued in his mynde: wherfore he chose x. thousande men and wente out of Ierusalem, and Symon his brother met him for to helpe him: And they pitched their tentes at Ioppa, but the cite kepte him forth, for Ioppa was an holde of Appollonius. Then Ionathas layed sege to it, and they that were in the cite, for very feare let him in: and so Ionathas wanne Ioppa. Appollonius hearinge of this, toke thre thousande horsmen, with a greate hoost of fote, and wente as though he wolde go to Azotus, & came Immediatly in to the playne felde: because he had so many horsmē, and put his trust in thē. So Ionathas folowed vpon him to Azotus, & there they stroke the battayll. Now had Appollonius lefte a M. horsmen behynde them pryuely in the tētes. And when Ionathas knewe that soch waite was layed behynde them, they wēte rounde aboute the enemies hoost, and shot dartes at the people from the mornynge to the euenynge. As for Ionathas people, they kepte their ordre as he had commaunded them, & the enemies horses were euer labouringe.

Then brought Symon forth his hoost,[I] and set them agaynst the fote men. For the horsmē were weery allready. So he discomfited them, and they fled. And they that were scatred in the felde, gat them to Azotus, and came in to the temple of Dagon their Idol, yᵗ they might there saue their lyues. But Ionathas set fyre vpon Azotus and all the cities rounde aboute it, & toke their goodes,⁽⁷⁾ and brēt vp the temple of Dagon with all them that were fled in to it.

Thus were slayne and brēt well nye viij. thousande men. So Ionathas remoued the hoost from thence, and brought them to Ascalon: where yᵉ men of the cite came forth, and met him with greate worshipe. After this wente Ionathas and his hoost agayne to Ierusalem, with greate substaunce of good. And when kynge Alexander herde the se thinges, he thought to do Ionathas more worshipe, & sent him a colar of golde, as the vse is to be geuen vnto soch as are of the kynges nexte bloude. He gaue him also yᵉ cite of Accaron (with the londes belongynge therto) in possession.

Notes to Chapter 10

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩osephus ⟨illegible⟩ap. 2.3. li⟨illegible⟩ro 13.

⁽²⁾ Mac. 9. c

⁽³⁾ 1. Mac. 7. b

⁽⁴⁾ Iosephus ca. 5. lib. 1⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ Iosephus ⟨illegible⟩ap. 6. lib. ⟨illegible⟩. Antiq.

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Mac. 3. a

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 11

ANd yᵉ kynge of Egipte gathered an [A] hoost,⁽¹⁾ (like the sonde yᵗ lieth vpon the see shore) and many shippes: and wente aboute thorow disceate to optayne yᵉ kingdome of Alexāder, & to ioyne it vnto his owne realme. Vpon this he toke his iourneye in to Syria, & was letten in to the cities, and mē came forth to mete him: for kinge Alexāder had cōmaunded them so to do, because he was his father in lawe. Now when Ptolomy entred in to eny cite, he lefte mē of warre to kepe it, and this he dyd thorow out all yᵉ cities. And when he came to Azotus, they shewed him the temple of Dagon and Azotus that was brent vp,⁽²⁾ with the other thinges which were destroyed, the deed bodies cast abrode, and yᵉ graues that they had made by the waye syde, for soch as were slayne in the felde: And tolde the kynge that Ionathas had done all these thinges, to the intēt they might get him euell will. But the kynge sayde not a worde therto.

And Ionathas met the kynge with greate honoʳ at Ioppa, where they saluted one another, and toke their rest. So when Ionathas had gone with yᵉ kynge, vnto the water that was called Eleutherus, he turned agayne to Ierusalem. Now Ptolomy had gotten the dominion of the cities vnto Selencia vpon the see coost, ymaginynge wicked councels agaynst Alexander, & sent embassitours vnto Demetrius, sayenge: Come, let vs make a bonde betwixte vs, so shall I geue the my doughter that Alexander hath, and thou shalt raigne in thy fathers kyngdome. [B] I repente that I gaue Alexander my doughter, for he goeth aboute to slaye me. And thus he slaundred Alexander, because he wolde haue had his realme.

Thus he toke his doughter from him, gaue her vnto Demetrius, and forsoke Alexander, so that his malice was openly knowne. And Ptolomy came to Antioche, where he set two crownes vpon his owne heade: the crowne of Egipte and of Asia. In the meane season was kynge Alexander in Cilicia, for they that dwelt in those places, had rebelled agaynst him. But when Alexāder herde of this, he came to warre agaynst him. So kinge Ptolomy brought forth his hoost and met him with a mightie power, and chaced him awaye. Then fled Alexander in to Araby, there to be defended, and kynge Ptolomys honoure increased. And Zabdiel the Arabian smote of Alexanders heade, and sent it vnto Ptolomy. But the thirde daye after, died kynge Ptolomy himself: and they whom he had set in the stronge holdes, were slayne of those that were within yᵉ cities. And Demetrius raigned in yᵉ hundreth and seuen and sixtie yeare.

[C] At the same tyme gathered Ionathas them that were in Iewry to laye sege vnto the castell which was at Ierusalem, and so they made many instrumentes of warre agaynst it. Then wente there certaine vngodly personnes (which hated their owne people) vnto kynge Demetrius, and tolde him, that Ionathas beseged yᵉ castell. So when he herde it, he was angrie, and Immediatly came to Ptolomais, and wrote vnto Ionathas, that he shulde not laye sege to the castell, but come and speake with him in all the haist. Neuerthelesse when Ionathas herde this he commaunded to besege it. He chose also certayne of the elders and prestes of Israel, and put him self in the parell, and toke with him golde, syluer, clothinge and diuerse presentes▪ and wente to Ptolomais vnto the kynge, and founde him gracious.

And though certayne vngodly men of his owne people made complayntes vpon him, yet the kynge intreated him,⁽³⁾ like as his predecessours had done before: and promoted him in the sight of all his frendes, confirmed him in the hye presthode with all the worshipe yᵗ he had afore, and made him his chefe frende. Ionathas also desyred the kynge that he wolde make Iewry fre, with the thre head cities of Samaria and the londes pertayninge therto:⁽⁴⁾ vpon this dyd Ionathas promyse him thre C. talentes. Where vnto the kynge consented, and gaue Ionathas wrytinge of the same, conteyninge these wordes: kynge Demetrius sendeth gretinge [D] vnto his brother Ionathas and to the people of yᵉ Iewes. We sende you here a copy of the lettre which we dyd wryte vnto oure elder Lasthenus, concernynge you, that ye shulde knowe it.

Kynge Demetrius sendeth gretinge vnto Lasthenus his elder. For the faithfulnes that oure frendes the people of the Iewes kepe vnto vs, and for the louynge kyndnesse which they beare towarde vs: we are determed to do them good. Wherfore we ordene all yᵉ coostes of Iewry with the thre cities, Lyda and Ramatha (which are added vnto Iewry from Samaria) & all yᵉ lōdes pertayninge there vnto, to be frely separated for soch as do sacrifice in Ierusalē: both concernynge the paymētes which the kynge toke yearly afore tyme, & yᵉ frutes also of the earth & trees. As for other tithes & tributes yᵗ belonged vnto vs, we discharge thē therof from this tyme forth. In like maner we graūte vnto thē all the customes of salt and crowne taxes, which were brought vnto vs. And this fredome shal they haue firme & stedfast, frō this tyme forth for euermore. Therfore se yᵗ ye make a copy of these oʳ letters, and delyuer it vnto Ionathas: that it maye be kepte vpon yᵉ holy mount in a cōuenient place.

[E] After this, when Demetrius the kynge sawe that his londe was in rest, and that no resistaunce was made him: he sent awaye all his hoost euery man to his owne place, excepte an armye of straungers, whom he brought from the Iles of the Heithen, wherfore all his fathers hoost had euell wyll at him.⁽⁵⁾ Now was there one Triphon (that had bene of Alexanders parte afore) which when he sawe that all the hoost murmured agaynst Demetrius: he wente to Emalcuel the Arabian (that brought vp Antiochus the sonne of Alexander) and laye sore vpon him, to delyuer him this yonge Antiochus: that he might raigne in his fathers steade. He tolde him also what greate euell Demetrius had done, & how his mē of warre loued him not: & so remayned there a lōge season.

And Ionathas sent vnto kynge Demetrius, to dryue them out which were in the castell at Ierusalem and in the other refugies, for they dyd Israel greate harme. So Demetrius sent worde vnto Ionathas, sayenge: I wil not only do these thinges for the and thy people, but at tyme conueniēt I wil do both the & thy people greate worshipe. But now thou shalt do me a pleasure, yf thou wilt sende me men to helpe me: for all myne armye is [F] gone fro me. So Ionathas sent him iij.M. stronge men vnto Antioche, and they came vnto the kynge, wherfore the kynge was very glad at their commynge. But they that were of the cite (euen an Cxx. thousande mē) gathered them together, & wolde haue slayne the kynge, which fled in to his courte: & the citesyns kepte the stretes of the cite, and beganne to fight.

Then the kynge called for the Iewes helpe, which came vnto him all together, & wente abrode thorow the cite, and slewe the same daye an C.M. men: set fyre vpon the cite, gat many spoyles in that daye, and delyuered yᵉ kynge. So when the citesyns sawe that the Iewes had gotten their wyll of the cite, and they them selues dispoynted of their purpose: they made their supplicacion vnto the kynge, sayēge: Graunte vs peace, and let the Iewes ceasse from troublinge vs and the cite, and vpon this they cast awaye their weapens. Thus they made peace, and yᵉ Iewes gat greate worshipe in the sight of the kynge, and in the sight of all that were in his realme, and were spoken of thorow out the kyngdome: and so they came agayne to Ierusalem with greate goodes.

[G] So the kynge Demetrius sat in the trone of his kyngdome, and had peace in his lōde Neuertheles he dyssembled in all that euer he spake, & with drewe himself from Ionathas, nether rewarded him acordinge to the benefites which he had done for him, but troubled him very sore. After this came Triphon agayne with yonge Antiochus, which raigned & was crowned kynge. Then there gathered vnto him all yᵉ men of warre, whō Demetrius had put awaye: these fought agaynst Demetrius, which fled & turned his backe. So Triphon toke the Elephantes, & wanne Antioche. And yōge Antiochus wrote vnto Ionathas, sayenge: I confirme the in thy presthode, & make yᵉ ruler of iiij. countrees, yᵗ thou mayest be a frende of yᵉ kinges.

Vpon this he sent him golden vessel to be serued in, and gaue him leue to drynke in golde, to be clothed in purple, and to weere a colar of golde, He made his brother Symon also captayne, from the coostes of Tyrus vnto the borders of Egipte. Then Ionathas toke his iourney, & wente thorow yᵉ cities beyōde the water (of Iordane) and all the men of warre of Syria gathered thē vnto him for to helpe him. So he came vnto Ascalon, and they of the cite receaued him honorably: & from thence wente he vnto Gaza, but they wolde not let him in: wherfore he layed sege vnto it, burnynge vp and spoylinge the places that were aboute the cite.

[woodcut]

And the citesyns of Gaza submytted thēselues [H] vnto Ionathas, which made peace with them, but toke of their sonnes to pledge, sent thē to Ierusalē, & wente thorow the countre vnto Damascus. Now when Ionathas herde that Demetrius princes were come in to Cades (which is in Galilee) with a greate hoost, purposinge to put Demetrius out from medlinge in the realme: he came agaynst them, and lefte Symon his brother in the londe: which came to Bethsura, and layed sege to it a longe season, and discomfited them. So they desyred to haue peace wᵗ him, which he graunted them, & afterwarde put them out from thence, toke the cite, and set mē to kepe it. And Ionathas with his hoost came to the water of Genesar, & by tymes in the mornynge gat them to the playne felde of Azor.

And beholde, the hoostes of the Heithen met thē in the felde, & layed watch for thē in the mountaynes: so yᵗ when Ionathas came agaynst thē, the other (which were layed to watch) rose out of their places, & fought, & they that were of Ionathas syde, fled euery man: & there was not one of thē lefte, excepte Matathias the sonne of Absalomus, and Iudas the sonne of Calphi the captayne of the hoost. Thē Ionathas rente his clothes, layed earth vpō his heade, made his prayer, & turned againe to thē in yᵉ felde: where they fought together, and he put them to flight. Now when his owne mē yᵗ were fled, sawe this: they turned agayne vnto him, & helped him to folowe vpon all their enemies vnto their tentes at Cades. So there were slayne of the Heithen the same daye, iij.M. men, & Ionathas turned agayne to Ierusalem.

Notes to Chapter 11

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ Mac. 10. i

⁽³⁾ 1. Ma. 10. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ 1. Ma. 10.

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ Mac. 12. c

Chapter 12

IOnathas seynge that yᵉ tyme was [A] mete for him, chose certayne men and sent them vnto Rome for to stablish & to renue the frendshipe wᵗ thē. He sent lettres also vnto Sparta,⁽¹⁾ and to other places in like maner. So they wēte vnto Rome and entred in to yᵉ councell, & sayde: Ionathas yᵉ hye prest & the people of yᵉ Iewes sent vs vnto you, for to renue yᵉ olde frēdshipe & bonde of loue. Vpō this yᵉ Romaynes gaue thē fre pasportes, yᵗ mē shulde lede thē home in to yᵉ lōde of Iuda peaceably. And this is yᵉ copy of the lettres that Ionathas wrote vnto the Sparcians:

Ionathas yᵉ hye prest wᵗ yᵉ elders, prestes, & the other people of yᵉ Iewes, sende gretinge vnto yᵉ Sparciās their brethrē. There were lettres sente lōge agoo vnto Onias yᵉ hye prest, from Arius which than raigned amonge you: that ye are oure brethren, as the wrytinge made thervpon specifieth. And Onias intreated the embassitoure that was sent, honorably, and receaued yᵉ lettres: wherin there was mencion made of the bonde of loue & [B] frendshipe. But as for vs, we nede no soch writinges: for why, we haue the holy bokes of scripture in oure hondes to oure comforte. Neuerthelesse we had rather sende vnto you, for the re⟨illegible⟩uynge of yᵉ brotherhode and frendshipe: lest we shulde be straunge vnto you, for it is longe, sens yᵉ tyme yᵗ ye sent worde vnto vs. Wherfore in yᵉ sacrifices yᵗ we offre & other ceremonies vpon yᵉ hye solempne dayes and other we allwaye remembre you without ceassynge (like as reason is, and as it becommeth vs to thynke vpon oure brethren) yee and are right glad of youre prosperous honoure.

And though we haue had greate troubles and warres, so that the kynges aboute vs haue foughten agaynst vs: yet wolde we not be greuous vnto you ner to other of oure louers and frendes in these warres. For we haue had helpe frō heauē, so that we are delyuered, and oure enemies subdued. Wherfore we chose Numenius the sonne of Antiochus and Antipater the sonne of Iason, and sente them vnto the Romaynes, for to renue the olde bonde of frendshipe and loue with them. We commaunded them also to come vnto you, to salute you, and to delyuer you oʳ lettres, concerninge the renouacion of oʳ brotherhode. And now ye shal do right wel, to geue vs an answere there vnto.

And this is the copy of the wrytinge,[C] which Arius the kynge of Sparta sente vnto Onias: Arius kinge of the Sparcians sendeth gretynge vnto Onias the hye prest. It is founde in wrytynge, that the Sparcians and Iewes are brethren, and come of the generacion of Abraham. And now for so moch as this is come to oure knowlege, ye shal do wel, to wryte vnto vs of youre prosperite. As for vs, we haue wrytten o mynde vnto you: Oure catell and goodes are yours and yours, ours. These thinges haue we cōmaunded to be shewed vnto you.

When Ionathas herde, that Demetrius prīces were come forth to fight against him with a greater hoost thē afore, he wente frō Ierusalem, & met thē in the lōde of Hemath, for he gaue them not space to come in to his owne countre. And he sent spyes vnto their tentes, which came agayne and tolde him, that they were appoynted to come vpō him in the night season. Wherfore when the Sōne was gone downe, Ionathas cōmaunded his men to watch all yᵉ night, & to be ready wᵗ weapens for to fight: and set watchmen rounde aboute the hoost. But when the aduersaries [D] herde that Ionathas was re⟨illegible⟩y wᵗ his men to the battayll, they feared & were afrayed in their hertes, & kyndled fyres in their tentes, brake vp, and gat them awaye. Neuertheles Ionathas and his company knewe it not till the morninge, for they sawe the fyres burnynge.

Then Ionathas folowed vpon thē, but he might not ouertake them, for they were gone ouer the water Eleutherus. So Ionathas departed vnto yᵉ Arabiās (which were called Zabadei) slewe them, & toke their goodes. He proceded furthur also, and came vnto Damascus, & wente thorow all that countre. But Simon his brother toke his iourney and came to Ascalon and to the nexte stronge holdes: departinge vnto Ioppa, and wanne it. For he herde, that they wolde stonde of Demetrius partie: wherfore he sent mē of warre in the cite, to kepe it. After this came Ionathas home agayne, & called the elders of the people together: and deuysed with thē for to buylde vp the strōge holdes in Iewry, and the walles of Ierusalem, to set vp an hye wall betwixte the castell and yᵉ cite, for to separate it from the cite, that it might be alone, and that men shulde nether bye nor sell in it.

[woodcut]

Vpō this they came together for to buylde vp the cite: and for moch as the wall vpō the broke of the west syde (called Caphetheta) was fallen downe, they repayred it. And Symon set vp Adiada in Sephela, and made it stronge, settinge portes & lockes vpō it. [E] Now when Triphon purposed to raigne in Asia.⁽²⁾ to be crowned, and to slaye the kynge Antiochus: he was afrayed that Ionathas wolde not suffre him, but fight against him. Wherfore he wente aboute to take Ionathas, and to kyll him.

So he departed, and came vnto Bethsan. Then wente Ionathas forth against him to the battayll with fourtye thousande chosen men, and came vnto Bethsan also. But whē Triphon sawe that Ionathas came with so greae an hoost to destroye him, he was afrayed: and therfore he receaued him honorably, commended him vnto all his frendes, gaue him rewardes, and commaunded his men of warre to be as obediēt vnto him as to himself.

And saide vnto Ionathas: why hast thou caused this people to take soch trauayle, seynge there is no warre betwixte vs? Therfore sende them home agayne, & chose certaine mē to waite vpon the, & come thou wᵗ me to Ptolomais: for I wil geue it the, wᵗ the other strōge holdes, men of warre and their officers: As for me, I must departe, this is only yᵉ cause of my cōmynge. Ionathas beleued him, & [F] dyd as he sayde, puttinge awaye his hoost, which wente in to yᵉ londe of Iuda. He kepte but iij.M. by him, wherof he sente ij.M. in to Galilee, & one M. wente with himself.

Now as soone as Ionathas entred in to Ptolomais, the citesyns sparred the gates of the cite, and toke him, and slewe all them with the swerde, that came in with him. Then sent Triphon an hoost of fote mē and horsmen in to Galilee and in to the greate playne felde, to destroye all Ionathas company. But when they knew that Ionathas was taken, and all they slayne that wayted vpon him: they toke councell together, and came forth ready to the battayll. So when they which folowed vpon them, sawe, that it was a matter of life, they turned backe agayne. As for the other, they wente in to yᵉ londe of Iuda peacealy, & bewayled Ionathas, & them that were with him right sore. And Israel made greate lamentacion. Thē all the Heithen yᵗ were rounde aboute them, sought to destroye thē. For they sayde: now haue they no captayne, nor eny man to helpe them. Therfore let vs ouercome them, and rote out their name from amonge men.

Notes to Chapter 12

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ Ma. 11. c ⟨illegible⟩osephus ⟨illegible⟩api. 19. ⟨illegible⟩bro. 13.

Chapter 13

NOw whan Symon herde that Triphon [A] gathered a greate hoost, to come in to yᵉ londe of Iuda, and to destroye it: and sawe yᵗ the people was in greate fearfulnesse and care: He came vp to Ierusalem, and gathered the people together, & gaue thē exortacion, sayenge: Ye knowe what greate battayls I and my brethren & my fathers house haue stryken for the lawe & the Sāctuary, and what maner of troubles we haue sene: thorow occasion wherof, all my brethren are slayne for Israels sake,⁽¹⁾ and I am left alone. And now let not me spare myne owne life in eny maner of trouble, for I am no better then my brethren: but wil avenge my people and the Sanctuary, oure children and oure wyues: for all the Heithen are gathered together, to destroye vs of very malice.

At these wordes the hartes of the people were kyndled together, so that they cried with a loude voyce, sayenge: Thou shalt be o captayne in steade of Iudas & Ionathas thy brethren, ordre thou oure batell, & what so euer thou commaundest vs, we shall do it. So he gathered all the men of warre, makinge haist to fynish all the walles of Ierusalem, which he made stronge rounde aboute. [B] Then sent he Ionathas the sonne of Absalomus wᵗ a fresh hoost vnto Ioppa, which droue them out yᵗ were in the castell, and remayned there himself. Triphon also remoued from Ptolomais with a greate armye, to come in to the londe of Iuda, and Ionathas with him in warde. And Simon pitched his tentes at Addus before the playne felde.

But when Triphon knewe that Symon stode vp in steade of his brother Ionathas, and that he wolde warre agaynst him: he sent messaungers vnto him, sayenge: Where as we haue kepte Ionathas thy brother, it is for money that he is owynge in the kynges accompte, concernynge the busynesse yᵗ he had in honde. Wherfore sende now an C. talētes of syluer and his two sonnes for suertie, that when he is lettē forth he shal not forsake vs: and we shal sende him agayne. Neuerthelesse Symon knewe, that he dyssembled in his wordes: yet commaunded he the money & children to be delyuered vnto him: lest he shulde be the greater enemye agaynst yᵉ people of Israel, and saye: because he sent him not the money and the children, therfore is Ionathas deed.

[C] So Symon sent him the children and an hundreth talentes, but he dyssembled, & wolde not let Ionathas go. Afterwarde came Triphon in to the londe, to destroye it, and wente rounde aboute by the waye, yᵗ ledeth vnto Ador. But where so euer they wente, thither wente Symon and his hoost also. Now they that were in the castell, sent messaungers vnto Triphon, that he shulde make haist to come by the wyldernesse, and to sende them vytales: And Triphon made ready all his horsmen to come that same night. Neuerthelesse it was a very greate snowe, so that he came not in Galaadithim. And whē he drewe nye Baschama, he slewe Ionathas and his sonnes there, and then turned for to go home in to his owne londe.

Thē sente Symon for to fet his brothers deed coarse, and buried it in Modin his fathers cite. So all Israel bewayled him with greate lamentacion, and mourned for him very longe. And Symon made vpon the sepulcre of his father and his brethrē a buyldynge hye to loke vnto of fre stone behynde and before: and set vp seuen pylers, one agaynst another (for his father, his mother and foure brethren) and set greate pilers roūde aboute, with armes vpon them for a perpetuall memory, and carued shippes besyde the armes: yᵗ they might be sene of mē saylinge in the see. This sepulcre which he made at Modin, stondeth yet vnto this daye.

Now as Triphō wente forth to walke wᵗ [D] yᵉ yōge kynge Antiochus,⁽²⁾ he slewe him trayterously, and raigned in his steade, crowned himself kynge of Asia, and dyd moch euell in the londe. Symon also buylte vp the castels in Iewry, makynge them stronge with hye towres, greate walles, portes and lockes, and layed vp vytales in the stronge holdes. And Symon chose certayne men, and sente them to kynge Demetrius: to desyre him, yᵗ he wolde discharge the londe from all bondage, for Triphon had spoyled it very sore. Where vpon Demetrius the kynge answered him, & wrote vnto him after this maner:

Demetrius yᵉ kīge sendeth gretinge vnto Symon the hye prest his frende, with the elders and people of the Iewes. The golden crowne and precious stone yᵗ ye sente vnto vs, haue we receaued: and are ready to make a stedfast peace with you, yee and to wryte vnto oure officers, for to release you, concernynge the thinges wherin we made you fre: and the appoyntment yᵗ we make with you, shalbe firme and stable. The stronge holdes which ye haue buylded, shal be youre owne. As for eny ouer sight or fawte committed vnto this daye, we forgeue it, and the crowne taxe that ye ought vs also. And where as was eny other tribute in Ierusalem, it shal now be no tribute: and loke who are mete amonge you to be in oure courte, let them be written vp, that there maye be peace betwixte vs.

Thus the yock of the Heithen was taken [E] from Israel, in the hundreth and seuentie yeare. And the peple of the Iewes beganne to write in their lettres and actes on this maner: In yᵉ first yeare of Symon the hye prest,⁽³⁾ and prynce of the Iewes.

In those dayes wente Symon vnto Gaza, and beseged it rounde aboute, where he set vp ordinaunce of warre. And wanne a towre, which he toke. So they that gat in to the towre leapte into the cite, which was in a greate feare: In so moch that the people of the cite rente their clothes, and clymmed vp vpon the walles with their wyues and children, besekynge Symon to be at one with them, sayenge:

O rewarde vs not after o wickednes, but be gracious vnto vs, and we shal do yᵉ seruyce. [F] Then Symon for very pite, wolde fight nomore agaynst them, but put them out of the cite, and caused the houses (wherin the ymages were) to be clensed: and so entred the cite with Psalmes of prayse, geuinge thankes vnto the LORDE. So when he had cast all abhominaciōs out of the cite, he set soch men in it as kepte the lawe of God, and made the cite stronge, and builded a dwellinge place for himself.

Now when they in the castell at Ierusalem were kepte so strately, that they coude not come forth ner in to countre, and might nether bye ner sell: they were very hungrie, and many of them famished to death: In so moch that they besought Symon to be at one with them, which he graunted them. So he put them out from thence, and clensed the castell from fylthynesse. And vpon the xxiij. daye of the seconde moneth in the Clxxj. yeare they entred in to it with thankesgeuynge and braunches of palme trees, with harpes, crowdes, cymbals, and lutes, synginge psalmes and songes of prayse vnto God, for that the greate enemy of Israel was ouer come.

And Symon ordened that the same daye shulde be kepte euery yeare in gladnesse, and made stronge the hyll of the temple that was besyde the castell, where he dwelt him self with his company. Symon also perceauynge that Ihon his sonne was a mightie man of armes, made him captayne of all the hoostes, and caused him to dwell at Gaza.

Notes to Chapter 13

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ Iosephus capite 10⟨illegible⟩ libro 1⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ 1. Mach⟨illegible⟩. 14. d

Chapter 14

IN the Clxxij. yeare gathered kynge [A] Demetrius his hoost, and departed vnto Media, to gett him helpe for to fight agaynst Triphon. Now when Arsaces the kynge of Persia and Media herde, that Demetrius was entred within his borders: he sente one of his prynces to take him alyue, and to brynge him vnto him. So he wente and slewe Demetrius hoost, toke himselfe, brought him to Arsaces, which kepte him in warde. And all the londe of Iuda was in rest, so longe as Symon lyued: for he sought the wealth of his people, therfore were they glad to haue him for their ruler, and to do him worshipe allwaye.

Symon wanne the cite of Ioppa also for an hauen towne, and made it an intraunce in to the Iles of the see. He enlarged the borders of his people, and cōquered them more londe: He gathered vp many of their people that were presoners: he had the dominiō of Gaza, Bethsura and the castell, which he clensed from fylthines, and there was no mā that resisted him: So that euery man tylled his grounde in peace, the londe of Iuda and the trees gaue their frute and encreace. The [B] elders sat all in iudgment, and toke their deuyce for the wealth of the londe: the yonge men put on worshipe and harnesse vpon them. He prouyded vytayles for the cities, and made goodly stronge holdes of them: so that the fame of his worshipe was spoken of vnto the ende of yᵉ worlde.⁽¹⁾ For he made peace thorow out the londe, and Israel was full of myrth and ioye.

Euery mā sat vnder his vyne & fyge trees and there was no man to fraye them awaye. There was none in yᵉ londe to fight agaynst them, for then the kinges were ouercome. He helped those that were in aduersite amonge his people, he was diligent to se yᵉ lawe kepte: as for soch as were vngodly and wicked he toke thē awaye. He set vp yᵉ Sanctuary, & encreased the holy vessels of the temple.

When yᵉ Romaynes and Sparcians had gotten worde, yᵗ Ionathas was deed, they were right sory. But when they herde yᵗ Symon his brother was made hye prest in his steade, and how he had wonne the londe agayne wᵗ the cities in it: they wrote vnto him in tables of laton, to renue the frendshipe & bonde of loue, which they had made afore with Iudas & Ionathas his brethrē.⁽²⁾ Which writinges were red before the congregacion at Ierusalem.

And this is the copy of the lettres, that [C] the Sparcians sent: The Senatours and citesyns of Sparta sende gretinge vnto Simō yᵉ greate prest wᵗ the elders, prestes, & yᵉ other people of the Iewes their brethrē: Whē yo embassitours that were sente vnto o people, certified vs of youre worshipe, honoure and prosperous wealth: we were glad of their cōminge, and haue written the earande which they spake before the councell of the people: namely, that Numenius the sonne of Antiochus, and Antipater the sonne of Iason the Iewes embassitours are come vnto vs, for to renue the olde frendshipe with vs. Vpon this the people consented, that the men shulde be honorably intreated, and that the copy of their earande shulde be written in the speciall bokes of the people, for a perpetuall memory vnto the Sparcians: yee and that we shulde sende a copy of the same vnto Symon the greate prest.

[D] After this dyd Symon sende Numenius vnto Rome, with a golden shylde of a thousande pounde weight, to confirme the frendshipe with them: which when the Romaynes vnderstode, they saide: what thākes shal we recompence agayne vnto Symon & his children? For he hath stablished his brethrē, and ouercome the enemies of Israel. Wherfore they graūted him to be fre. And all this wrote the Iewes in tables of laton, and naled it vnto the pilers vpon the mount Sion. The copy of the writinge is this:

The xviij. daye of yᵉ moneth Elul in the Clxxij. yeare in the thirde yeare of Symon the hye prest, in the greate congregacion of yᵉ prestes, rulers of the people, and elders of the countre at Asaramel, were these wordes openly declared:

[E] For so moch as there was moch warre in oure londe, therfore Symon yᵉ sonne of Matathias (come of the children of Iareb) and his brethren, put them selues in parell, and resisted the enemies of their people: that their Sanctuary and lawe might be manteyned, and dyd their people greate worshipe. Ionathas in like maner, after that he had gouerned his people and bene their hye prest: dyed, and lyeth buried besyde his elders.

After that wolde their enemies haue trodden their holy thinges vnder fote, destroyed their londe, and vtterly waisted their Sanctuary. Then Symon withstode them, and fought for his people, spent moch of his owne money, weapened the valeaunt men of his people, gaue them wages, made stronge yᵉ cities of Iuda, with Bethsura that lieth vpon the borders of Iewry, (where the ordinaunce of their enemies laye somtyme) & set Iewes there for to kepe it.

[F] He made fast Ioppa also, which lieth vpon the see, and Gaza that bordreth vpon Azotus, (where the enemies dwelt afore) and there he set Iewes to kepe it: and what so euer was mete for the subduynge of the aduersaries, that layed he therin. Now whē the people sawe the noble actes of Symon. and what worshipe he purposed to do for them, his godly behauoure, and faithfulnesse which he kepte vnto them, & how he sought by all waies yᵉ wealth of his people, because he dyd all this, therfore they chose him to be their prynce & hye prest. And in his tyme they prospered wel by him, so yᵗ the Heithē were takē out of their londe: & they also which were in the cite of Dauid at Ierusalē in the castell (where they wente out and defiled all thinges that were aboute the Sanctuary, and did greate harme vnto clenlynes) and Symon put men of the Iewes in it, for the defence of the londe and the cite, and set vp the walles of Ierusalem.

And kynge Demetrius confirmed him in [G] his hye presthode, made him his frende, and dyd him greate worshipe. For he herde that the Romayns called yᵉ Iewes their frendes, louers and brethren: how honorably they receaued Symons embassitours: how yᵉ Iewes and prestes consented that he shulde be their prynce and hye prest perpetually (till God raysed vp the true prophet) and that he shulde be their captayne, to care for the Sanctuary, and to set officers vpon the workes therof, ouer the londe, ouer the weapens, ouer the houses of defence, to make prouysion for the holy thynges, and to be obeyed of euery man, and all the writynges of yᵉ londe to be made in his name: that he shulde be clothed in purple and golde, and that it shulde be laufull for none of the people nor prestes to breake eny of these thynges, to withstonde his wordes, ner to call eny congregacion in the londe without him: that he shulde be clothed in purple, and weere a colar of golde: And yf there were eny which disobeyed or brake this ordinaunce, that he shulde be punyshed.

So all the people consented to alowe Symon, and to do acordynge to these wordes. Symon also himself toke it vpon him, and was contente to be the hye prest, the captayne and prynce of the Iewes and prestes, and to gouerne them all. And they commaunded to make this writinge in tables of laton, and to fasten it vnto the compasse of the Sanctuary in an open place: and to laye vp a copy of the same in the treasury, that Symon and his posterite might haue it.

Notes to Chapter 14

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 15

MOrouer, kynge Antiochus the sonne of Demetrius sente lettres from [A] the Iles of the see, vnto Symon the hye prest and prynce of the Iewes, and to all the people, conteyninge these wordes: Antiochus the kynge sendeth gretinge vnto Symon the hye prest and to the people of the Iewes. For so moch as certayne wicked men haue gotten the kyngdome of oure progenitours, I am purposed to chalenge the realme agayne, and to restore it to the olde estate.

Wherfore I haue gathered a greate hoost and made shyppes of warre: that I maye go thorow the countre, and be auenged of them which haue destroyed oure londe, and waysted many cities in my realme. And therfore now I make the fre also from all the tributes, wherof all kynges my progenitours haue discharged the, and from other customes (wher from they haue released the) what so euer they be: Yee I geue the leaue to smyte money of thine owne within thy londe. As for Ierusalem, I wil that it be holy and fre: and all the weapens and houses of defence which thou hast buylded and kepest in thine hondes, shal be thine. Where as eny thinge [B] is or shal be owynge vnto the kynge, I forgeue it the, from this tyme forth for euermore. And when we haue optayned oure kyngdome, we shal do the, thy people and the temple greate worshipe: so that youre honoure shal be knowne thorow out yᵉ whole worlde.

In the Clxxiiij. yeare wente Antiochus in to his fathers londe, and all the men of warre came together vnto him, so that fewe were left with Triphon. So the kynge Antiochus folowed vpon him, but he fled vnto Dora, which lieth by the see syde: for he sawe yᵗ there was myschefe comminge vnto him, and that his hoost had forsaken him. Then came Antiochus vnto Dora wᵗ an hūdreth & twentye thousande men of armes vpon fote, and eight thousande horsmen. So he compased the cite rounde aboute, and yᵉ shippes came by the see. Thus they vexed the cite by londe and by water, in so moch that they suffred no man to go in nor out.

In the meane season came Numenius (& they that had bene with him) from the cite of Rome,⁽¹⁾ hauynge lettres written vnto the kynges and prouyncies, wherin were conteyned [C] these wordes: Lucius the Mayre of Rome sendeth gretinge vnto Ptolomy the kynge. The embassitours of the Iewes oure frēdes beinge sent from Symon the hye prest and from the people of the Iewes, came vnto vs, for to renue the olde frendshipe and bonde of loue, and brought a shylde of golde weyenge a thousande pounde, which we were contente to receaue of them. Wherfore we thought it good to wryte vnto the kynges & prouincies, to do them no harme, nor to take parte agaynst thē, their cities ner countrees nether to mayntene their enemies agaynst them. Yf there be eny wicked personnes therfore fled from their countre vnto you, dely-them vnto Symon the hye prest, yᵗ he maye punysh them acordinge to their owne lawe.

The same wordes wrote the Romaynes also vnto Demetrius the kynge, to Atta⟨illegible⟩us, Araba, Arsaces and to all regions: as Samsanes, to them of Sparta, Delo, Mio⟨illegible⟩, Sydon, Caria, Samos, Pamphilia, Lycia, Alicarnassum, and to yᵉ Rhodes: to Faselis, Coo, Sida, Arado, Gortyna, Gnydum, to Cypres and to Cyren. And of euery lettre they sent a [D] copy to Symon the hye prest and to the people of the Iewes. So Antiochus the kynge brought his host vnto Dora the seconde tyme, to take it: where he made diuerse ordinaūce of warre, and kepte Triphon in, yᵗ he shulde not come forth. Then Symon sent Antiochus two thousande chosen mē to helpe him with golde, syluer and other plenteous geer Neuerthelesse he wolde not receaue them, but brake all yᵉ couenaunt which he made wᵗ Symon afore, & withdrewe himself frō him.

He sent Athenobius also a frende of his vnto Symon, for to reason with him, sayenge: Ye witholde fro me Ioppa and Gaza (wᵗ the castell that is at Ierusalē) which are cities of my realme, whose borders ye haue destroyed, and done greate euell in the londe, hauynge the dominaciō in many other places of my kyngdome. Wherfore delyuer now yᵉ [E] cities which ye haue takē, wᵗ yᵉ tributes of yᵉ places yᵗ ye haue rule vpon without the borders of Iewry: Or els geue me fyue hūdreth talentes of syluer, yee and for the harme that ye haue done in the cities and for the tributes of the same, other fyue hundreth talētes. Yf no, we shal come and fight agaynst you.

So Athenobius the kynges frende came to Ierusalē, and when he sawe yᵉ greate worshipe and honoure of Symō in golde, syluer and so greate plenty of ornamentes: he marveled, and tolde Symon as the kynge commaunded him. Then answered Symon and saide vnto him: As for vs,⁽²⁾ we haue nether taken other mēs londe, ner witholdē them, but only oure fathers heretage, which oure enemies had vnrighteously in possession a certayne tyme. This heretage of oure fathers haue we chalenged in processe of tyme. And where as thou cōplaynest concernynge Ioppa and Gaza, they dyd greate harme to oʳ people and in o londe, yet wyll we geue an C. talentes for them.

Neuertheles Athenobius answered him not one worde, but turned agayne wrothfully vnto yᵉ kynge, and tolde him all these wordes, and the greate dignite of Symon with all that he had sene, and the kinge was very angrie. In the meane tyme fled Triphon by shippe vnto Orthosaida. Then the kynge made Cendebeus captayne of the see coost, & gaue him an hoost of fote men and horsmen, cōmaundinge him to remoue yᵉ hoost towarde Iewry, & to buylde vp the cite of Cedron, to make vp yᵉ portes, & to warre agaynst yᵉ people of the Iewes. As for the kynge himself, he folowed vpon Triphon. So Cendebe us came vnto Iamnia, & beganne to vexe yᵉ people, to treade downe Iewry, to take the people presoners,⁽³⁾ to slaye thē & to buylde vp Cedron: where he set horsmē & other men of warre, that they might come forth and go thorow the stretes of Iewry, like as the kynge had commaunded him.

Notes to Chapter 15

⁽¹⁾ 1. Ma. 14. d

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 16. b

Chapter 16

[A] THen came Ihon vp from Gaza, and tolde Symon his father,⁽¹⁾ what Cendebeus had done amonge their people. Vpon this called Symon two of his eldest sonnes, Iudas & Ihon, and sayde vnto them: I and my brethren & my fathers house, haue euer from oure youth vp vnto this daye, foughten agaynst the enemies of Israel, & God gaue vs good fortune to delyuer Israel oft tymes. And now for so moch as I am olde, be ye in steade of me & my brother, to go forth & fight for oure people, & the helpe of God be wᵗ you. So he chose xx.M. fightingemen of the countre, with horsmen also, which wente forth agaynst Cendebeus and rested at Modin.

[woodcut]

In the mornynge they arose, & wēte in to yᵉ playne felde: and beholde, a mightie greate hoost came agaynst thē, both of fotemen & horsmen. Now was there a water broke betwixte them, & Ihon remoued the hoost towarde them. And when he sawe that the people was afrayed to go ouer yᵉ water broke, he wente ouer first him self: and the men seynge this, folowed him.

[B] Then Ihon set his horsmen & fote men in ordre, the one by the other, for their enemies horsmen were very many. But when they blewe vp the prestes trompettes, Cendebeus fled wᵗ his hoost, wherof many were slayne, and the remnaunt gat them to their stronge holde. Iudas also Ihōs brother whas woūded at yᵉ same tyme. And Ihon folowed still vpon yᵉ enemies, till he came to Cedrō which he buylded.⁽²⁾ The enemies fled also vnto the towres yᵗ were in yᵉ feldes of Azotus, & those dyd Ihon burne vp. Thus there were slayne ij.M. men of them, & Ihon turned agayne peaceably in to Iewry.

And in the felde of Iericho was Ptolomy the sonne of Abobus made captayne: which because he had abundaunce of syluer & golde, (for he had maried the doughter of Symon the hye prest) waxed proude in his mynde, & thought to conquere the lōde, ymageninge falsed agaynst Symō & his sonnes, to destroye thē. Now as Symon was goynge [C] aboute thorow the cities, yᵗ were in yᵗ coūtre of Iewry, and carynge for them: he came downe to Iericho, with Matathias & Iudas his sonnes, in the Clxxvij. yeare, in yᵉ xj. moneth called Sabat. Then Ptolomy yᵉ sonne of Abobus receaued them (but wᵗ disceate) into a stronge house of his called Doch, which he had buylded, where he made them a bancket.

So when Symon & his sonnes were mery & had dronken well, Ptolomy stode vp wᵗ his men (whō he had hyd there) & toke their weapens, entred in to the banckethouse, & slewe Symon wᵗ his two sonnes, & certayne of his seruaūtes. Soch greate vnfaithfulnesse dyd Ptolomy in Israel, and recōpensed euell for good. Then wrote this Ptolomy yᵉ same vnto kynge Antiochus, requyringe him that he shulde sende him an hoost to helpe him: & so shulde he delyuer him the londe, wᵗ the cities & tributes of the same. He sent other men also vnto Gaza, for to take Ihon: & wrote vnto [D] the captaynes to come to him, & he shulde geue them syluer, golde and rewardes. And to Ierusalem he sent other, to take it and the Sanctuary.

Thē ranne there one before, & tolde Ihon in Gaza, that his father & his brethren were slayne, and how that Ptolomy had sent to slaie him also. Whē Ihon herde this, he was sore abaszshed, and layed hōdes of them that were come to destroye him, and slewe them: for he knowe, that they wente aboute to kyll him.

As for other thinges concernynge Ihon: of his warres, of his noble actes (wherin he behaued him self manfully) of the buyldinge of walles which he made, and other of his dedes: They are written in the cronicles of his presthode, from the tyme forth yᵗ he was made hye prest after his father.

Notes to Chapter 16

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 13. f

⁽²⁾ 1. Ma⟨illegible⟩

The ende of the first boke of the Machabees.

Colophon

This page is an archival transcription of the printed text, not a Good Works Translation. Source: Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe (M.D.XXXV; STC 2063.3), translated by Myles Coverdale, the copy in Cambridge University Library, keyed and encoded by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A10349, 2005) and released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.

6 places illegible in the Cambridge copy were filled from Samuel Bagster’s 1838 page-for-page reprint of the edition (archive.org, holyscriptures00cove), only where the reprint’s reading is certain; each fill is listed on this room’s Supplied Readings page; 138 places are still marked ⟨illegible⟩ (4 in the text, 134 in the marginal notes).

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