1 Maccabees, in The Douay Old Testament (1609–1610)

The history of Mathathias and his sons, the Machabees, and their war for the Law against the Seleucid kings. This is 1 Maccabees as it stands in the second tome of the Douay Old Testament (Doway: Laurence Kellam, 1610), the English College of Douai’s Catholic translation from the Latin Vulgate, in its original spelling. The page gives the matter that the edition prints at the head of this part of the Old Testament and every chapter with its printed summary, the verse text and the marginal notes.

THE BOOKES OF MACHABEES PERTEYNING TO THE HISTORICAL PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

The argument of the bookes of Machabees, with other prooemial Annotations.

BEFORE we declare the contents, the reader perhaps wil require to [Margin: Prooemial queſtiōs touching theſe bookes.] know, why they are called the Bookes of MACHABEES: how manie they be; who writ them; in what language; & eſpecially whether al, or anie, or which of them are Canonical Scripture? For ſatisfaction of al which demandes, diſtinguishing betwen certaine and vncertaine, we shal briefly shew that which ſemeth more probable in the doubtful pointes; and the aſſured certaintie of that which is decided by the Catholique Church of Chriſt. [Margin: They are called Machabees of Iudas Machabeus. Iudas had this ſurname for his ſtreingth and val⟨illegible⟩e.] Concerning therefore the name and inſcription. S. Ierom, very probably ſuppoſeth that theſe Bookes haue their title of Iudas MACHABEVS; the narration of whoſe heroical vertues, and noble Act⟨illegible⟩s occupieth the greateſt part of this whole hiſtorie. And this ſurname Machabeus ſignifying valient of ſtreingth (or by an vſual hebrew contraction, Mobi, more explicated, Milchamach Coach bihuda, that is, Force of battel, or Streingth in Iuda) was geuen him by his father Mathathias, when before his death diſpoſing of his ſonnes & exhorting them, he ſayd to them al: You my ſonnes take corege, and doe manfully in the law, becauſe in it you shal be [Margin: li. 1. c. 2. v. 64, 65, & 66.] glorious. And behold Simon your brother I know that he is a man of counſel: heare ye him alwayes, and he shal be father to you. Next headdeth: And Iudas Machabeus, valient of ſtreingth from his youth, let him be to you the prince of warfayre, and he shal manage the battel of the people. And from him this name was alſo aſcribed [Margin: Others alſo called Machabees.] to his bretheren, and to al the reſt that ioyned with them either in the holie warres, or otherwiſe shewed their valure, profeſſing Gods law in ſpiritual combate euen to death. As Nicetas writeth in Orat. 22. S. Greg. Nazian. [Margin: li. 2. c. 6. & 7.] VVherupon old Eleazarus and the ſeuen young bretheren, with their mother are alſo called Machabees.

There be in al, foure bookes called Machabees. The firſt S. Ierom [Margin: There be foure bookes.] found in Hebrew, the ſecond in Greke, as he teſtifieth Epiſt. 106. The third is alſo extant in Greke, and Latin in Biblijs Complutenſibus. The fourth [Margin: VVritten by vncertaine auctors. The tvvo laſt are not Canonical.] ſemeth to be that which is mentioned in the end of the firſt booke. And either [Margin: v. 24.] the ſame, or an other vnder that title, is alſo extant in Greke, as teſtifieth Sixtus Senenſis, li. 1. Bibliothecae. VVho writte them is more vncertaine: but moſt probable euerie one had a diuers auctor. Neither are the two laſt approued for Canonical by anie authentical auctoritie.

It reſteth therfore to ſpeake of the two firſt, which the Iewes and Proteſtants [Margin: Ievves & Proteſtantes denie alſo theſe two firſt. Their arguments.] denie, becauſe they are not in the Hebrew Canon. The Proteſtants further alleaging that they are not in the former Canon of the Church, before S. Ieroms time. Moreouer obiecting certaine places of theſe bookes, which they ſay, are contrarie to ſound doctrine, & to the truth of other authentical hiſtories; or contradictorie in themſelues. None of which thinges can procede from the Holie Ghoſt, the principal auctor of al Diuine Scriptures. Al which textes we shal more conueniently explicate, according to their true ſenſe, in [Margin (*): li. 1. c. 1. v. 1. 7. 11. & 57. ch. 4. v. 52. ch. 6. v. 16. ch. 8. v. 16. li. 2. ch. 1. v. 19. ch. 2. v. 25. ch. 12. v. 43. ch. 14 v. 41. ch. 15. v. 39. Euſeb. li. 3. c. 25. hiſt. S. Ierom de viru illuſtrib.] their proper places. As for the exception, that theſe bookes are not in the Canon of [Margin: Anſvvers.] the Iewes, it is anſwered already (Praef. Tobiae.) that the Canon of the Chriſtian Catholique Church is of ſouereigne auctoritie, though the Iewes Canon haue them not. Finally wheras theſe bookes were not canonized in the former General Councels, it ſufficeth that they are ſince declared to be Canonical, & Diuine Scripture, as ſome other partes haue likewiſe bene, which English Proteſtants do not denie. As the Epiſtle of S. Iames, the ſecond of S. Peter, the ſecond and third of S. Iohn, and S. Iudes epiſtle: of al which Euſebius, and S. Ierom testifie, that ſome lerned Fathers doubled ſometimes, whether they were Apoſtolical or no. But afterwards the ſame, with theſe two bookes of Machabees, and others were expreſly declared to be Diuine Scripture, by the third Councel of Carthage, can. 47. By the Councel of ſeuentie [Margin: Approued by Councels.] Biſhops vnder Gelaſius, though by the name of one booke, as alſo Eſdras and Nehemias as but one booke. Laſt by the Councels of Florence, and Trent.

If anie further require the iudgement of more ancient Fathers, diuers doe [Margin: And by Ancient▪ Fathers.] alleage theſe bookes as Diuine Scriptures. S. Dyoniſe, c. 2. celeſt. Hierar. S. Clemens Alexan. li. 1. Stromat. S. Cyprian li. 1. Epiſt. ep. 3. ad Cornelium. li. 4. ep. 1. & de exhort. ad Martyrium. c. 11. Iſidorus li. 16. c. 1. Etym. S. Gregorie Nazianzen hath a whole Oration of the ſeuen Machabees Martyrs, and their mother. S. Ambroſe li. 1. c. 41. Offic. But to omite others, albeit S. Ierom vrged not theſe bookes against the Iewes, yet he much eſtemed them, as appeareth in his commentaries vpon Daniel. c. 1. 11. & 12. S. Auguſtin moſt clerly auoucheth li. 2. c. 8. de doct. chriſt. & li. 18. c. 36. de ciuit. that notwithſtanding the Iewes denie theſe bookes, the Church holdeth them Canonical. And wheras one Gaudentius an heretike alleaged for defenſe of his haereſie the example of Razias, who ſlew him ſelf. 2. Mac. 14. S. Augustin denieth not the auctoritie of the booke, but diſcuſseth the fact, and admonisheth that it is not vnprofitably receiued by the Church; ſi ſobrie legatur, vel audiatur: if it be read, or heard ſoberly. VVhich was a neceſsarie admonition to thoſe Donatistes: who not vnderſtanding the holie Scriptures, depraued them (as S. Peter ſpeaketh of like heretikes, ⟨illegible⟩p. 2. c. 3.) to their owne perdition.

Now touching the contentes, a great part of the ſame hiſtorie, which is [Margin: The ſame contentes of both the bookes.] written in the former booke, is repeted in the ſecond, with ſuch varietie of ſome thinges added, ſome omitted, as in the bookes of Kinges and Paralipomenon: and as the Gospel is written by the foure Euangeliſtes. Ioyning therfore theſe [Margin: Foure principal partes.] two bookes together, the Concordance therof conteyneth foure principal partes. The Preface; the Hiſtorie: an Appendix, & the Concluſion. But the three former partes are very extraordinarily dispoſed. For the [Margin: The occaſion of ſo extraordinarie diſpoſition.] writer of the ſecond booke (who doubtles was a diſtinct perſon from him that writte the former) firſt of al added an Appendix to the hiſtorie (written before) making mention of two Epiſtles, and reciting the ſumme of one of them, in the firſt chapter and part of the ſecond, as though he meant to haue writte no more of the ſame matter. But then, as it may ſeme vpon new reſolution, intending to abridge the hiſtorical bookes of Iaſon, maketh a preface to [Margin: ⟨illegible⟩. 2. c. 2. v. 24.] his worke, in the reſt of that ſecond chapter. And ſo proſecuteth his purpoſe: and finally maketh a briefe concluſion in the three laſt verſes of the ſame ſecond booke. The mayne hiſtorie conteyneth two ſpecial partes. The [Margin: The hiſtorie conteyneth tvvo partes.] firſt sheweth the ſtate of Gods peculiar people, the Iewish nation, from the beginning of the Grecian Monarchie, parted after the death of Alexander amongſt his folowers: of which ſome did exceedingly perſecute the Iewes, by diuers both ſuttle and cruel meanes, to the ruine of manie, and euen to death and martyrdom of ſome moſt conſtant obſeruers of Gods Lawes, and true Religion, til the warres of the Machabees, in the firſt chapter of the firſt booke, and in the 3. 4 5 6. and 7. chapters of the ſecond booke. In the other fiftene chapters of the former booke, and other eight of the ſecond, are deſcribed the battles, victories, & triumphes of the valient Machabees. Of which holie warres Mathathias was the beginner and firſt captaine: Iudas the ſecond: the third Ionathas: and Simon the fourth: after whoſe death his ſonne Iohn Hyrcanus ſucceded Duke and Hieghprieſt.

But becauſe theſe bookes are intermixed the one with the other, wh⟨illegible⟩ſoeuer [Margin: An order how to reade theſe bookes.] pleaſe to read them in order of the hiſtorie, may folow the direction of the Alphabet letters, ſet in the inner margen, beginning with A. at the twentith verſe of the ſecond chapter of the ſecond booke, to the end of the ſame chapter. Thence procede as the ſigne of a ſtarre directeth to the next letter B. which is at the beginning of the firſt booke, the firſt chapter firſt verſe. And ſo in the reſt. And when the capital letters are ended, the ſmaller wil direct you.

THE FIRST BOOKE OF MACABEES.

Chapter 1

CHAP. I. King Alexander conquering manie countries, erecteth a new Monarchie. 6. who dying, his chief folowers ſucceede in ſeueral kingdomes of the ſame [Margin: Read firſt the preface. li. 2. ch. 2. v. 20.] Monarchie. 11. King Antiochus approueth that a prophane ſchole be ſetup in Ieruſalem, 17. ſubdueth Aegypt; 21. inuadeth Iudea; entreth by force into Ieruſalem; ſpoyleth the temple, 25. and killeth manie. 30. Two yeares after ſendeth an other ſpoyler; who killing manie, robbeth and burneth leruſalem: [Margin: The firſt part of the hiſtorie. The perſecution of the Church by Antiochus.] 35. fortiſieth the towre of Dauid; 38. prophaneth al holie thinges: 4⟨illegible⟩. commandeth al to committe idolatrie; 47. and to forſake the rites of Gods law, 52. vpon paine of death. 57. He ſetteth vp an abominable idol in the Temple, 60. perſecuteth, and murdereth thoſe that conforme not themſelues to theſe innouations.

1 AND it came to paſſe, after that Alexander Philips ſonne the Macedonian, that [::] firſt reigned in Greece, being gone out of the land of Cethim, ſtroke Darius king of the Perſians and the Medes:

2 he made manie battels, and obteyned the munition of al, and ſlewe the kinges of the earth:

3 and he paſſed through euen to the ends of the earth: and tooke the ſpoiles of the multitude of the Gentils: and the earth was ſilent in his ſight.

4 And he gathered powre, and an armie exceding ſtrong: and his hart was exalted and eleuated:

5 and he obtayned the regions of the Gentils, and the tyrantes: and they were made tributaries to him.

6 And after theſe thinges, he fel downe in his bed, and he knew that he should dye.

7 And he called his ſeruants the Nobles, that were brought vp with him from his youth: & he [::] diuided his kingdom to them, when he yet liued.

8 And Alexander reigned twelue yeares, and he died.

9 And his ſeruants poſſeſſed the kingdom, euerie one in his place:

10 and they did al put crownes on them after his death, & their ſonnes after them manie yeares, & euils were multiplied in the earth [*].

11 And there came forth of them a ſinful roote Antiochus [::] Illuſtre, the ſonne of king Antiochus, that had bene at Rome an hoſtage: and he reigned in [::] the hundreth and ſeuen and thirteth yeare of the kingdom of the Greekes.

12 In thoſe dayes there went forth of Iſrael wicked children, & perſwaded manie, ſaying: Let vs goe, and make a couenant with the Gentils, that are about vs: becauſe ſince we departed from them, manie euils haue found vs.

13 And the talke ſemed good in their eyes.

14 And ſome of the people determined, and went to the king: and he gaue them leaue to doe the iuſtice of the Gentils.

15 And they built a ſchoole in Ieruſalem, according to the lawes of the Nations:

16 and they made to them ſelues prepuces, and reuolted from the holie teſtament, and were ioyned to the Nations, and were ſolde to doe euil. [*]

17 And the kingdom was prepared in the ſight of Antiochus, & he begane to reigne in the land of Egypt, [::] that he might reigne ouer two kingdoms.

18 And he entered into Aegypt with great multitude, with chariots and elephants, and horſemen, and a copious multitude of shippes:

19 And he made warre agaynſt Ptolomee the king of Egypt, and Ptolomee was afrayd at his preſence, and fled, and manie fel wounded.

20 And he tooke the fenſed cities in the land of Aegypt: and he tooke the ſpoiles of the land of Aegypt. [*]

21 And Antiochus turned, after he ſtrooke Aegypt in the hundreth and three and fourtith yeare: and he went vp to Iſrael,

22 and went vp to Ieruſalem with a great multitude.

23 And he entered into [::] the ſanctification with pride, & tooke the golden altar, and the candleſticke of light, and al the veſſels therof, and the table of propoſition, and the libatories, and the phials, and the litle morrers of gold, and the vele, and the crownes, and the golden ornament, that was in the face of the temple: and he brake al into p⟨illegible⟩eces.

24 And he tooke the ſiluer and gold, and the deſiderable veſſels: and he tooke the hidden treaſures which he found: and carying away he departed into his owne land.

25 And he made a ſlaughter of men, and ſpake in great pride.

26 And great lamentation was made in Iſrael, and in euerie, place of theirs:

27 and the princes, and the ancients mourned, and the youngmen, and the virgins were weakned, and the beautifulnes of the wemen was changed.

28 Euerie husband tooke lamentation: and the wemen that ſate in the mariage bed, mourned:

29 and the land was moued vpon the inhabitants therein, & al the houſe of Iacob did put on confuſion.

30 And after two yeares of dayes the king ſent a prince of tributes into the cities of Iuda, & [::] he came to Ieruſalem with a great multitude.

31 And he ſpake vnto them peaceable wordes in guile: and they beleued him.

32 And he fel vpon the citie ſodenly, and ſtroke it with a great plague, and deſtroyed much people in Iſrael.

33 And he tooke the ſpoiles of the citie, and burnt it with fyre, and deſtroyed the houſes therof, and the walles therof round about:

34 and they led the wemen captiue, and the children, and the cattel they poſſeſſed.

35 And they built [::] the citie of Dauid with a great wal, and a ſtrong, and with firme towers, and it was made a caſtel for them:

36 and they placed there a [::] ſinful nation, wicked men, and they waxed ſtrong therein: And they layd armour, and victuals, and gathered together the ſpoiles of Ieruſalem:

37 and layd them vp there: and they became a great ſnare.

38 And this was made for an embushment of the ſanctification, and to be an il deuil in Iſrael.

39 And they shed innocent bloud round about the ſanctification, and contaminated the ſanctification.

40 And the inhabitants of Ieruſalem fled by reaſon of them, and it became the habitation of ſtrangers, and she became ſtranger to her owne ſeede, and her children forſooke her.

41 Her ſanctification was deſolate as a wildernes, her feſtiual dayes were turned into mourning, her ſabbaths into reproche, her honours into naught.

42 According to her glorie was her ignominie multiplied, and her highnes was turned into mourning.

43 And king Antiochus [::] wrote to al his kingdom, that al the people should be one: and euerie one should leaue his owne law.

44 And al Nations conſented according to the word of king Antiochus.

45 and manie of Iſrael conſented to his ſeruice, and they ſacrificed to idols, and defiled the ſabbath.

46 And the king ſent bookes by the handes of meſſengers into Ieruſalem, & into al the cities of Iuda: that they should folow the law of the Nations of the earth,

47 and should prohibite holocauſts and ſacrifices, & placations to be made in the temple of God,

48 and should prohibite the ſabbath to be celebrated, and the ſolemne dayes.

49 And he commanded the holie places to be defiled, and the holie people of Iſrael.

50 And he commanded altars to be built, and temples, and idols, and ſwines flesh to be immolated, and common beaſts,

51 and to leaue their children vncircumciſed, and their ſoules to be contaminated in al vncleanneſſes, and abominations, ſo that they should forget the law, and should change al the iuſtifications of God.

52 And whoſoeuer had not done acording to the word of king Antiochus, they should dye.

53 According to al theſe words wrote he to al his kingdom: and he appoynted princes ouer the people, that should force theſe thinges to be done.

54 And they commanded the cities of Iuda to ſacrifice.

55 And manie of the people were gathered to them, they that had forſaken the law of our Lord: and they did euils vpon the land:

56 and they chaſed forth the people of Iſrael in hidden corners, and in the ſecret places of fugitiues.

57 The fiftenth day of the moneth Caſleu, the hundreth fiue and fourtith yeare king Antiochus [::] built the abominable idol of deſolation vpon the altar of God, and through out al the cities of Iuda round about they builded altars:

58 and before the gates of houſes, and in the ſtretes they burnt frankincenſe, & ſacrificed.

59 and the bookes of the law of God they burnt with fyre, cutting them:

60 and with whomſoeuer were found the bookes of the teſtament of our Lord, and whoſoeuer obſerued the law of our Lord, they murdered him, according to the edict of the king.

61 In their powre did they theſe thinges to the people of Iſrael, that was found in euerie moneth and moneth in the cities:

62 And the fiue and twentith day of the moneth they ſacrificed vpon the altar that was agaynſt the altar.

63 And the wemen that circumcided their children, were murdered according to the commandment of king Antiochus,

64 and they hang vp the children by the necks through out al their houſes, and thoſe that had circumcided them, they murdered.

65 And manie of the people of Iſrael determined with themſelues, that they would not eate the vncleane thinges: & they choſe rather to dye, then to be defiled with vncleane meates:

66 & they would not breake the holie law of God, & they were murdered,

67 and there was made great wrath vpon the people excedingly [*].

Marginal notes to Chapter 1

• 1 B
• 1 [::] Other kings reigned before Alexander in Grece but he vvas the firſt that reigned in that great Monarchie erected by himſelfe.
• 7 [::] By deliuering his ring to Perdicca, he gaue him auctoritie to diſtribute his kingdomes. I⟨illegible⟩ſ⟨illegible⟩nu⟨illegible⟩ li. 12. ⟨illegible⟩ ⟨illegible⟩urtius. li. 10.
• 10 [*] li. 2. c. 3. v. 1.
• 11 [::] Epiphanes, Noble in re⟨illegible⟩owme.
• 11 D
• 11 [::] This Antiochus begane his reigne in the yeare 137. from Seleuchus the firſt king of Syria after Alexander. otherwiſe this vvas the 156 yeare of the Grecian Monarchie, Euſeb in chroni⟨illegible⟩o.
• 16 [*] li. 2. c. 4. v. 7.
• 17 F
• 17 [::] Being eſtabliſhed in the kingdom of Syria, he coueted alſo the kingdom of Aegypt.
• 20 [*] li. 2. c. 4. v. 21.
• 21 H
• 23 [::] Ioſephus. li. 12. c. 6. vvriteth that Antiochus firſt killed ſuch as vvould haue hindred his entrance into Ieruſalem and aftervvards thoſe that opened the gates vnto him, but vvould haue hindered him from ſpoyling the temple.
• 30 [::] This vvas Apollonius, as appeareth li. 2. c. 5. v. 2⟨illegible⟩.
• 35 [::] The tovvre of Sion fortified and kept.
• 36 [::] by a garriſon of Macedonians.
• 43 [::] It ſufficed not this cruel tyrant to ſpoile Gods people of their goodes, and manie of their liues, but he alſo peruerted manie in religion: becauſe his maſter the diuel ſeeketh to deſtroy mens ſoules.
• 57 [::] Daniels prophecie. ch. 9. vvas here in part fulfilled, as in a figure, and our Sauiour confirmeth it. ⟨illegible⟩la⟨illegible⟩. 24 of Antichriſt ſetting vp abomination of deſolation in the holie place.
• 67 [*] li. 2. c. 5. v. 11.

Chapter 2

CHAP. II. Mathathias with his fiue ſonnes, lamenteth the calamities of the people, 8. and prophanation of holie thinges, 15. reſiſteth the kings wicked decrees, 23. killeth an idolater, and the kings commiſſioner, ſo flyeth into the mountaines with others. 31. Manie are ſlaine not reſiſting in battel on the ſabbath dayes. 40. Vpon further conſideration the rest defend themſelues in the ſabbath; 45. kil their enimies, and deſtroy idolatrie. 49. Mathathias dying exhorteth his ſonnes to be zelous in the law: 65. appoynting Simon their counſeler, and Iudas their capitaine.

1 IN thoſe dayes aroſe Mathathias the ſonne of Iohn, the ſonne of Simeon, prieſt of the ſonnes of Ioarib from Ieruſalem, and he ſate in the mountayne of Modin:

2 and he had fiue ſonnes, Iohn who was ſurnamed Gaddis:

3 and Simon, who was ſurnamed Thaſi:

4 and Iudas, who was called Machabeus:

5 and Eleazar, who was ſurnamed Abaron: and Ionathan, who was ſurnamed Apphus.

6 Theſe ſaw the euils, that were done in the people of Iuda, and in Ieruſalem.

7 And Mathathias ſayd: Wo is me, wherfore was I borne to ſee the affliction of my people, and the affliction of the holie citie, and to ſitte there, when it is geuen in the handes of the enemies?

8 The holie places are come into the hand of ſtrangers: the temple therof as an ignoble man.

9 The veſſels of her glorie are caried away captiue: her old men are murdered in the ſtreets, and her youngmen are fallen by the ſword of the enemies.

10 What nation hath not inherited her kingdom, and hath not obteyned her ſpoiles?

11 Al her beautie is taken away. She that was free, is made a ſeruant.

12 And loe our holies, and out beautie, and our glorie is deſolate, and the Nations haue defiled them.

13 Whereto then is it for vs yet to liue?

14 And Mathathias rent his garments, & his ſonnes: and they couered themſelues with heareclothes, and lamented excedingly.

15 And there came thither they that were ſent from king Antiochus, to compel them, that were fled into the citie of Modin, to immolate, and to burne frankincenſe, and to depart from the law of God.

16 And manie of the people of Iſrael conſenting came to them: but Mathathias, and his ſonnes ſtood conſtantly.

17 And they that were ſent from Antiochus anſwering ſayd to Mathathias: Thou art the prince, and moſt honorable, and great in this citie, and adorned with ſonnes, and bretheren.

18 Therfore come thou firſt, and doe the kings commandement, as al Nations haue done, and the men of Iuda, and they that are remayning in Ieruſalem: & thou shalt be, and thy ſonnes among the kings frends, & amplified with gold, and ſiluer, and manie giftes.

19 And Mathathias anſwered, & ſayd with a lowde voice: Although al Nations obey king Antiochus, that euerie man reuolt from the ſeruice of the law of his fathers, and conſent to his commandements:

20 I and my ſonnes, and my bretheren wil obey the law of our fathers.

21 God be merciful vnto vs: it is not profitable for vs to forſake the law, and the iuſtices of God:

22 we wil not heare the wordes of king Antiochus, neither wil we ſacrifice, tranſgreſſing the commandments of our law, to go an other way.

23 And as he ceaſed to ſpeake theſe words, there came a certayne lewe in the eyes of al to ſacrifice to the idols vpon the altar in the citie of Modin, according to the kings commandment.

24 And Mathathias ſaw, and was ſorie, and his reynes trembled, and his furie was kindled [::] according to the iudgement of the law, and flying vpon him he ſlew him vpon the altar:

25 yea and the man, whom king Antiochus had ſent, which compelled them to immolate, he ſlewe in that verie time, and deſtroyed the altar,

26 and zeled the law, as did Phinees to Zamri the ſonne of Salomi.

27 And Mathathias cried out with a lowde voice in the citie, ſaying: Euerie one that hath zele of the law, eſtablishing his teſtament, let him comeforth after me.

28 And he fled himſelf, and his ſonnes into the mountaynes, and left al thinges whatſoeuer they had in the citie.

29 Then came downe manie ſeeking iudgement, and iuſtice, into the deſert:

30 and they ſate there them ſelues, and their children, and their wiues, and their cattel: becauſe the euils ouerflowed vpon them.

31 And it was reported to the kings men, and to the armie that was in Ieruſalem in the citie of Dauid, that certayne men which diſſipated the kings commandment, were departed into ſecrete places in the deſert, and manie were gone after them.

32 And forthwith they went forwards towards them, and ſet battel againſt them in the day of the Sabbaths,

33 and they ſayd to them: Doe you reſiſt now alſo as yet? comeforth, and doe accordidg to the word of king Antiochus, and you shal liue.

34 And they ſayd: We wil not come forth, neither wil we doe the kings word, to pollute the day of the Sabbaths.

35 And they haſtened battel againſt them.

36 And they anſwered them not, neither did they caſt a ſtone at them, nor ſtopped the ſecrete places,

37 ſaying: [::] Let vs dye al in our ſimplicitie: and heauen and earth shal be witneſſes, vpon vs that you vniuſtly deſtroy vs.

38 And they gaue them battel on the Sabbaths: and there died they, & their wiues, & their children, and their cattel euen to a thouſand ſoules of men.

39 And Mathathias vnderſtood it and his freinds, and they had lamentation vpon them excedingly.

40 And euerie man ſayd to his neighbour: If we shal al doe as our bretheren haue done, and shal not fight againſt the heathen for our liues, and our iuſtifications: now wil they quickly deſtroy vs from the earth.

41 And they thought in that day, ſaying: Euerie man whoſoeuer shal come vnto vs in battel on the day of the Sabbaths, let vs fight againſt him: and we wil not al dye, as our bretheren died in ſecrete places.

42 Then was there gathered to them the ſynagoge of [::] the Aſſide ans ſtrong of force out of Iſrael, euerie voluntarie in the law:

43 and al that fled from the euils, were added to them, & were made a ſtrength to them.

44 And they gathered an armie, and ſtroke the ſinners in their wrath, and the wicked men in their indignation: and the reſt fled to the nations to eſcape.

45 And Mathathias went round about, and his freindes, and they deſtroyed the altars:

46 and they circumcided the vncircumciſed children, as manie as they found in the coſts of Iſrael: and in ſtrength.

47 And they perſecuted the children of pride, and the worke proſpered in their handes:

48 and they obteyned the law out of the handes of the nations, and out of the handes of the kinges: & they gaue not the horne to the ſinner.

49 And the dayes of Mathathias approched to dye, & he ſayd to his ſonnes: Now is pride ſtrengthned, and chaſtiſement, and the time of ſubuerſion, & the wrath of indignation:

50 Now therfore ô my ſonnes, be ye emulatours of the law, & geue your liues for the teſtament of your fathers.

51 And remember the workes of the fathers, which they haue done in their generations: & you shal receiue great glorie, and an eternal name.

52 Abraham was he not in tentation found faythful, and it was reputed to him vnto iuſtice?

53 Ioſeph in the time of his diſtreſſe kept the commandment, and he was made lord of Aegypt.

54 Phinees our father, feruent in the zele of God, receiued the teſtament of an euerlaſting prieſthood.

55 Ieſus whiles he accomplished the word, was made the duke in Iſrael.

56 Caleb whiles he teſtifieth in the church, receiued an inheritance.

57 Dauid in his mercie obteyned the ſeate of the kingdom for euer.

58 Elias whiles he zeleth the zele of the law, was receiued into heauen.

59 Ananias and Azarias and Miſael beleuing, were deliuered out of the flame.

60 Daniel in his ſimplicitie was deliuered out of the lions mouth.

61 And ſo thinke ye through generation & generation: that al that hope in him, are not weakened.

62 And of the wordes of the ſinful man be not afrayd: becauſe his glorie is dung, & worme:

63 to day he is extolled, & to morow he shal not be found: becauſe he is turned into his earth, & his cogitation is perished.

64 You therfore my ſonnes take courege, & doe manfully in the law: becauſe in it you shal be glorious.

65 [::] And behold Simon your brother, I know that he is a man of counſel: heare ye him alwayes, & he shal be a father to you.

66 And Iudas Machabeus valiant of ſtrength from his youth, let him be to you the prince of warfare, & he shal manage the battel of the people.

67 And you shal bring to you al the doers of the law: and reuenge ye the reuenge of your people.

68 Repay retribution to the Gentiles, and attend to the precept of the law.

69 And he bleſſed them, and was layd to his fathers.

70 And he died the hundreth and ſix and fourtith yeare and he was buried by his ſonnes in the ſepulchers of his fathers in Modin, and al Iſrael lamented him with great lamentation.

Marginal notes to Chapter 2

• 1 The 2. part. The warres of the Machabees, begune by this Mathathias, and proſecuted by his ſonnes, eſpecially by Iudas as in the ſeuen chapters folovving and more largely in the ſecond booke from 8. chapter to the end of the laſt.
• 1 K
• 11 :: This ſmal helpe of great importance, is that ayde wher of Daniel prophecied ch. 11. v ⟨illegible⟩4.
• 24 [::] Mathathias not of priuate ſpirite, but being general capitaine of the people, did this iuſtice according to the lavv, vvhere it is commanded to kil the auctors of falſe pretended religion. Deut. 13. S. Cyprian. Exhort, ad Martyrium. c. 5. S. Beruar. Epiſt. 158. ad Innocent.
• 26 Num. 25.
• 37 [::] Theſe are commended by S. Ambroſe li. 1. Offic. c. 40. and other fathers, dying in the ſimplicitie of doues, though they had not the prudence of ſerpents, which others obſeruing are more commended, eſpecially in reſpect of the whole Church ſo dangerouſly impugned, which God in dede wil euer defend, and conſerue from vtter ruine: Yet he vſeth alſo ordinarie meanes, by lawful vvarres and the like.
• 42 [::] Aſſideans othervviſe called Eſſeni not hypoch⟨illegible⟩y⟨illegible⟩ically as the Phariſes, nor erroniouſly as the Sadduces, but ſincerely profeſſed a peculiar holie rule of life. Ioſephus li. 2, c. ⟨illegible⟩2. de bello Iudaico.
• 52 Gen. 22.
• 53 Gen. 41. Num. 25.
• 55 Ioſue. 1. Num. 14. 2. Reg 2.
• 58 4. Reg 2. Dan. 3. Dan. 6.
• 65 [::] In al affayres order is of ſingural importance that euerie office be deſigned to ⟨illegible⟩eſt perſons. As here Mathathias appointed Simon the chiefe for determining matters in counſel, & Iudas the firſt for execution, and that the reſt ſhould obey theſe two, and ech of theſe the other in his office.

Chapter 3

CHAP. III. Iudas Machabeus punisheth the wicked: 10. killeth Apollonius in battel. 13. Seron braggeth, but is alſo ouerthrowen. 25. Antiochus furiouſly incenſed, 29. gathereth money in Perſis, 32. leauing Lyſias viceroy; 38. who ſending a great armie againſt the Iſraelites, 42. Iudas and his bretheren commending the cauſe to God, by prayer and penance, 54. reſolue to fight againſt their enemies.

1 AND Iudas, that was called Machabeus his ſonne [::] aroſe in his ſteed:

2 and al his bretheren helped him, and al that had ioyned themſelues to his father, and they fought the battel of Iſrael with ioy.

3 And he dilated glorie to his people, and put on him a brigantine as a giant, and girded about him his warlie armour in battels, and protected the campe with his ſword.

4 He became like a lion in his actes, and as a lions whelpe roaring in hunting.

5 And he perſecuted the wicked enquiring them out, and ſuch as trubled his people, them he burnt with fyre:

6 and his enemies were repelled for feare of him, al the workers of iniquitie were trubled: and ſaluation was directed in his hand.

7 And he exaſperated manie kinges, and reioyced Iacob in his workes, and for euer his memorie is in benediction.

8 And he walked through the cities of Iuda, and deſtroyed the impious out of them, and turned away wrath from Iſrael.

9 And he was renowned euen to the vttermoſt part of the earth, & he gathered thē that perished. [*]

10 And Apollonius gathered together the Gentils, and from Samaria a powre much and great, to make battel againſt Iſrael.

11 And Iudas vnderſtood it, and wentforth to meete him: and he ſtroke, and killed him: and there fel manie wounded, and the reſt fled away.

12 And he tooke the ſpoiles of them, and the ſword of Apollonius Iudas tooke away, and he fought with it al his dayes.

13 And [::] Seron capitaine of the armie of Syria heard that Iudas gathered a congregation of the faithful, and an aſſemblie with him,

14 and he ſayd: I wil make me a name, & wil be glorified in kingdom, & wil ouerthrow Iudas, and thoſe that are with him, that deſpiſed the word of the king.

15 And he prepared himſelf: and there went vp with him a campe of the impious ſtrong helpers, to doe vengeance vpon the children of Iſrael.

16 And they approched euen as far as Bethoron: & Iudas went forth to meete him with few.

17 But as they ſaw the armie coming to meete them, they ſayd to Iudas: How shal we a few be able to fight againſt ſo great a multitude and ſo ſtrong, and we are wearied with faſting to day?

18 And Iudas ſayd: It is an eaſie matter for manie to be incloſed in the hand of few: & [::] there is no difference in the ſight of the God of heauen to deliuer in manie, and in few.

19 Becauſe not in the multitude of the armie is the victorie of battel, but from heauen is the ſtrength.

20 They come to vs in an obſtinate multitude, and in pride, to deſtroy vs, and our wiues, and our children, and to ſpoile vs.

21 But we wil fight for our liues, and our lawes:

22 and our Lord himſelf wil deſtroy them before our face, but you feare them not.

23 And as he ceaſed to ſpeake, he flew vpon them ſodenly: and Seron was deſtroyed, and his hoſt in his ſight:

24 and he purſewed him in the deſcent of Bethoron euen to the playne, and there fel of them eight hundred men, and the reſt fled into the land of the Phyliſthims.

25 And the feare of Iudas and of his bretheren, and the dread f⟨illegible⟩l vpon al the nations round about them.

26 And his name came to the king, and al nations told of the battels of Iudas.

27 And as king Antiochus heard theſe wordes he was wrath in his mind: and he ſent, and gathered the armie of al his kingdom, a campe exceding ſtrong:

28 and he opened his treaſurie, and gaue wages to the armie for a yeare: and he commanded them, that they should be readie at al aſſayes.

29 And he ſaw that money fayled out of his treaſures, and the tributes of the region ſmal becauſe of [::] the diſſenſion, and :: the plague, that he had made in the land, to take away the ordinances, that were from the firſt dayes:

30 and he feared leſt he should not haue as once and twiſe, for coſts and gifts, which he had geuen before with a large hand: and he had abunded aboue the kinges, that had bene before him.

31 And he was excedingly aſtonied in minde, & purpoſed to goe into Perſis, and to take the tributes of the regions, and to gather together much ſiluer.

32 And he left Lyſias a noble man of the bloud royal, ouer the kings affayres, from the riuer Euphrates euen to the riuer of Aegypt:

33 and that he should bring vp Antiochus his ſonne, til he returned.

34 And he deliuered to him half the armie, and Elephants: and he gaue him in commandment concerning al thinges that he would, & concerning the inhabitants of Iurie, and Ieruſalem:

35 and that he should ſend an armie to them, to deſtroy and roote out the powre of Iſrael, and the remnant of Ieruſalem, and to take away the memorie of them out of the place:

36 and that he should appoynt inhabitants in al their coſts, children ſtrangers, & should by lot diſtribute their land.

37 And the king tooke the part of the armie that remayned, and went forth from Antioch the citie of his kingdom in the yeare an hundreth and ſeuen and fourtie: and he paſſed ouer the riuer Euphrates, & walked through the higher countries.

38 And Lyſias choſe Ptolomee the ſonne of Doryminus, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mightie men of the kings freindes.

39 And he ſent with them fourtie thouſand men, and ſeuen thouſand horſemen: that they should come into the land of Iuda, and should deſtroy it according to the word of the king.

40 And they went forth with al their power, and came, and ioyned nere to Enimaum in the champaine countrie.

41 And the merchants of the countries heard the name of them: and they tooke ſiluer and gold exceding much, and ſeruants: and they came into the campe, to take the children of Iſrael for ſlaues, and there were added to them the armie of Syria, and of the land of the ſtrangers.

42 And Iudas ſaw, and his bretheren, that the euils were multiplied, and the armies approched to their borders: and they knew the kings words, which he commanded to doe to the people vnto deſtruction and conſummation:

43 and they ſayd euerie one to his neighbour: Let vs ſet vp the abaſing of our people, and let vs fight for our people, and our holies.

44 And an aſſemblie was gathered, that they should be readie vnto battel: and that they should [::] pray and deſire mercie and miſerations.

45 And Ieruſalem was not inhabited, but was as a deſert: there was none that came in and went out of her children: and the holie place was conculcated: and the children of ſtrangers were in the caſtel, there was the inhabitation of the Gentils, and pleaſure was taken away from Iacob, and there failed their pipe, and harpe.

46 And they gathered together, and came into Maſpha againſt Ieruſalem: becauſe the place of prayer in Iſrael was in Maſpha [::] before.

47 And they faſted that day, and clothed themſelues with heareclothes, and put ashes on their head: and they rent their garments:

48 and they layd open the bookes of the law, out of which the Gentils ſearched the ſimilitude of their idols:

49 and they brought the ornaments of prieſts, and firſt fruites, and tithes, and rayſed vp Nazareits, that had fulfilled their dayes:

50 and they cried with a lowd voice to heauen, ſaying: What shal we doe with theſe, & whither shal we carie them?

51 And thy holies are conculcated, and they are contaminated, and thy prieſts are brought into mourning, and into humiliation.

52 And behold the Nations are come together againſt vs, to deſtroy vs: thou knoweſt what thinges they intend againſt vs.

53 How shal we be able to ſtand before their face, vnles thou ô God doe helpe vs?

54 And with trumpets they cried out with a lowd voice.

55 And after theſe thinges Iudas appointed captaynes of the people, tribunes, and centurions, and a ſeargents, and decurions.

56 And he ſayd to them, that built houſes, and deſpouſed wiues, and planted vyneyards, and to the fearful, that euerie one should returne into his houſe according to the law.

57 And they remoued the campe, and pitched at the South of Emmaum.

58 And Iudas ſayd: Gird vp your ſelues, and be mightie ſonnes, and be readie agaynſt the morning, that you may fight againſt theſe nations, which are aſſembled againſt vs to deſtroy vs, and our holies:

59 becauſe it is better for vs to dye in battel, then to ſee the euils of our nation, and of the holies:

60 but [::] as it shal be the wil in heauen, ſo be it done.

Marginal notes to Chapter 3

• 1 [::] He did not arrogate to himſelf to be chief, but being deſigned by his father, vvas ſo accepted by his bretheren, & the good people ioyned vvith them in defence of the lavv of God.
• 8 :: Iudas had foure battles, and victories, againſt foure general captaines ſent by king Antiochus Epiphanes. The firſt againſt this Apollonius.
• 9 [*] li. 2. c. 8. v. 1.
• 10 M
• 13 [::] The ſecond againſt Seron.
• 18 [::] The natural frailtie of man feareth to encounter vvith a ſtrong enemie, but true confidence in Gods helpe, which is euer aſſured in a good cauſe, geueth corege and getteth the victorie.
• 29 [::] Not only the Ievves reſiſted Antiochus innouations in religion, but alſo diuers other nations reuolted and rebelled becauſe he commanded al ⟨illegible⟩o leaue their for merrites and goddes, and to accept of his goddes only. ch. 1. v. 43.
• 34 :: perſecuting al that did not therto conforme themſelues.
• 44 [::] Praying faſting & other vvorkes of penance are the beſt armour in holie vvarres for religion.
• 46 [::] Publique place of prayer vvas, firſt in Silo. Ioſue. 18. after in Maſpha. 1. Reg. 7. laſtly in Ieruſalem.
• 55 a penta contarchos.
• 56 Deu. 20.
• 60 [::] This moſt godlie reſolution encoreged themſelues, & procured Gods merciful protection.

Chapter 4

CHAP. IIII. Gorgias with ſix thouſand ſouldiars wel appointed, intending ſudenly to deſtroy the Iſraelites armie of three thouſand not wel armed, 8. is defeated; halfe of his men ſlaine, the reſt running away. 16. Iudas ſtaying his men from ſpoyling, til the enemies were out of ſight, then they take rich prayes; and render thankes to God. 28. The next yeare, Lyſias with three ſcore thouſand foote, and ſix thouſand horſemen inuading Iurie, Iudas with tenne thouſand (making his prayer to God) killeth fiue thouſand: 35. the reſt flying, Lyſias gathereth more ſouldiars. 36. Iudas with his bretheren, and others clenſe the temple, and renew holie thinges. 55. Offer Sacrifice, 58. and inſtitute a feaſt of the dedication of a new Altar.

1 AND [::] Gorgias tooke fiue thouſand choſen horſemen: & they remoued the campe by night,

2 that they might approch to the campe of the Iewes, and might ſtrike them ſodenly: and the children that were of the caſtel, were their guides.

3 And Iudas [::] heard, and aroſe, he and the mighties to ſtrike the powre of the kings armie, that were in Emmaum.

4 For as yet the armie was diſperſed from the campe.

5 And Gorgias came into the campe of Iudas by night, and found no man, and he ſought them in the mountaynes: becauſe he ſayd: Theſe flee from vs.

6 And when the day was come, Iudas appeared in the filde with three thouſand men onlie, which had not harnes, and ſwords as they would:

7 and they ſaw the campe of the Gentils ſtrong, and the men in brigantines, and horſemen round about them, and theſe were skilful to battel.

8 And Iudas ſayd to the men that were with him: [::] Feare not the multitude of them, & of their aſſault be not afrayd.

9 Remember in what ſort our fathers were ſaued in the redſea, when Pharao with a great armie folowed them.

10 And now let vs crie towards heauen: and our Lord wil haue mercie on vs, and wil be mindful of the teſtament of our fathers, & wil deſtroy this armie, before our face this day:

11 and al Nations shal know that there is one that redemeth and deliuereth Iſrael.

12 And the aliens lifted vp their eyes, and ſaw them coming againſt them.

13 And they went out of the campe into battel, and theſe that were with Iudas, ſounded with the trumpet.

14 And they mette together: and the Gentils were diſcomfited, and fled into the playne.

15 but al the hi⟨illegible⟩ moſt fel by the ſword, and they purſewed them as far as Gezeron, and euen to the playnes of Idumea, and of Azotus, and of Iamnia: and there fel of them euen to three thouſand men.

16 And Iudas returned, and his armie folowing him.

17 And he ſayd to the people: Couet not the ſpoiles: becauſe there is battel againſt vs,

18 and Gorgias and his armie are neere vs in the mount: but ſtand ye now againſt our enemies, and ouerthrow them, and you shal take the ſpoiles afterwards ſecure.

19 And as Iudas was ſpeaking theſe wordes, loe a certaine part appeared looking forth from the montayne.

20 And Gorgias ſaw that his men were turned to flight, & that they burnt the campe: for the ſmoke that was ſene declared what was done.

21 Which thinges ſeene they feared excedingly, beholding withal both Iudas, & the armie in the playne readie to battel.

22 And they did al flee into the playne of the aliens:

23 and Iudas returned to the ſpoiles of the campe, & they tooke much gold, and ſiluer, and hiacynth, and purple of the ſea, and great riches.

24 And turning they ſung an hymne, and bleſſed God towards heauen, becauſe he is good, becauſe his mercie is for euer.

25 And great ſaluation was made in Iſrael in that day.

26 And whoſoeuer eſcaped of the aliens, they came and told Lyſias al thinges that had chanced.

27 Which when he heard being amaſed he faynted in mynd: that ſuch thinges chanced not in Iſrael, as he would, and ſuch as the king commanded. [*]

28 And the yeare folowing [::] Lyſias gathered of choſen men three ſcore thouſand, and of horſemen fiue thouſand, to ouerthrow them.

29 And they came into Iewrie, and pitched the campe in Bethoron, and Iudas mette them with ten thouſand men.

30 And they ſaw the armie ſtrong, and he prayed, and ſayd: Bleſſed art thou ô ſauiour of Iſrael, which brakeſt the aſſault of the mightie by the hand of thy ſeruant Dauid, and didſt deliuer the campe of the aliens into the hand of Ionathas Sauls ſonne, and of his eſquyer.

31 shut vp this armie in the hand of thy people Iſrael, and let them be confounded in their armie and horſemen.

32 Geue them feare, and conſume the bouldnes of their ſtrength, and let them be shaken with their contrition,

33 caſt them downe with the ſword of them, that loue thee: & let al that know thy name, prayſe thee in hymnes.

34 And they ioyned battel: and there fel of the armie of Lyſias fiue thouſand men.

35 And Lyſias ſeing the flight of his men, and the boldnes of the Iewes, and that they are readie either to liue or to dye manfully, he went to Antioch, and choſe ſouldiars, that being multiplied they might come agayne into Iewrie.

36 But Iudas, and his bretheren ſayd: Behold our enemies are diſcomfited: [::] let vs goe vp now to clenſe the holie places, and to renew them.

37 And al the armie aſſembled together, and they went vp into mount Sion.

38 And they ſaw the ſanctification deſert, and the altar prophaned, and the gates burnt, and in the courts shrubbes growen vp as in a foreſt, or on the mountaynes, & the chambers throwen downe.

39 And they rent their garments, and lamented with a great lamentation, and layd ashes vpon their head:

40 and they fel on their face vpon the earth, and cried out with trumpets of ſignifications, and cried towards heauen.

41 Then Iudas ordayned men, to fight againſt them that were in the caſtel, til they clenſed the holie places.

42 And he choſe prieſts without ſpotte, hauing their wil in the law of God:

43 and they clenſed the holie places, and tooke away [::] the ſtones of contamination into an vncleane place.

44 And he conſidered of the altar of holocauſts, that was prophaned, what he should doe with it.

45 And good counſel came to their mindes, to deſtroy it: leſt perhaps it might be a reproch to them, becauſe the Gentils contaminated it, and they threw it downe.

46 And they layd vp the ſtones in the mount of the houſe in a place conuenient, til there should come a prophete, and geue anſwer concerning them.

47 And they tooke whole ſtones according to the law, and builded a new altar according to that which was before:

48 and they built the holie places, and the thinges that were within the temple inward: and the temple, and the courts they ſanctified.

49 And they made the holie veſſels new, and brought in the candleſtike, and the altar of incenſes, and the table into the temple.

50 And they put incenſe vpon the altar, and lighted the lampes, that were vpon the candleſticke, and they gaue light in the temple.

51 And they ſet loaues vpon the table, and hung vp the veles, and finished al the workes, that they had made.

52 And before the morning they aroſe the fiue and twentith day of the ninth moneth (this is the moneth of Caſleu) of [::] the hundreth and eight and fourtith yeare:

53 and they offered ſacrifice according to the law vpon the new altar of holocauſts, which they made.

54 According to the time and according to the day, wherin the heathen contaminated it, in the ſame was it renewed in canticles, and harps, and lutes, and in cymbals.

55 And al the people fel on their face, and they adored toward heauen, and bleſſed him that proſpered them.

56 And [::] they made the dedication of the altar eight dayes, and they offered holocauſts with ioy, and ſacrifice of ſaluation, and of prayſe.

57 And they adorned the face of the temple with golden crownes, & litle shieldes: and they dedicated the gates, and the chambers, and hanged doores vpon them.

58 And there was made exceding great ioy in the people, and the reproch of the Gentils was turned away.

59 And Iudas decreed, and his bretheren, and al the church of Iſrael, that the day of the dedication of the altar be kept in the times therof from yeare to yeare for eight dayes, from the fiue and twentith day of the moneth Caſleu, with ioy and gladnes.

60 And they builded at that time mount Sion, & round about high walles, and ſtrong towres, leſt ſometime the Gentils ſhould come, & conculcate it as they did before.

61 And he placed an armie there, to keepe it, and he fenſed it to keepe Bethſura, that the people might haue a munition againſt the face of Idumea. [*]

Marginal notes to Chapter 4

• 1 [::] The third battle made by Iudas vvas againſt this Gorgias an other captaine of Antiochus Epiphanes.
• 3 [::] Vigilancie in rulers and paſtors preſerueth from al the diuels ſtratagems.
• 8 [::] Confidence in God procureth his aſſiſtance.
• 24 Pſa. 106.
• 27 [*] li. 2. c. 8. v. 8.
• 27 O
• 28 [::] The fourth great battle of Iudas vvas agaynſt Lyſias ſent by Antiochus into Iurie.
• 30 1. Reg. 17. 1. Reg. 14.
• 36 [::] As it vvas the firſt and chiefe intention of Iudas to defend religion & holie things ſo hauing expugned their enimies, his chief care is to purge the temple, and to reſtore al holie rites of Gods true ſeruice.
• 43 [::] Altars, temples, & ſtatues of falſe goddes made of ſtone, and ſet vp in the temple. ch. 1. v. 50. vvere novv deſtroyed.
• 52 [::] The temple vvas purged tvvo yeares & ſome thing more after the prophanation vvhich vvas in the yeare 145. ch. 1. v. 57.
• 56 [::] Our Sauiour obſerued this feaſt being inſtituted long after the Lavv of Moyſes. Ioan. 10. v. 226▪
• 56 Ioan. 10.
• 61 [*] li. 2. ⟨illegible⟩. 10. v. ⟨illegible⟩ ▪

Chapter 5

CHAP. V. Iudas and his bretheren expugne their bordering enimies, 9. deliuer them that were diſtreſſed. 17. Simon prospereth in Galeley, 24. Iudas in Galaad, 45. taketh Ephron, and al returne ſafe into Ieruſalem. 55. Ioſephus and Azarias attempting ambiciouſly without order to fight againſt their enemies, are defeated. 63. And Iudas hath more victories.

1 AND it came to paſſe, as [::] the Gentils round about heard that the altar was builded vp, & the ſanctuarie as before, they were exceding angrie:

2 and they thought to take away the ſtocke of Iacob, that were among them, & they began to kil of the people, and to perſecute.

3 And Iudas fought againſt [::] the children of Eſau in Idumea, and them that were in Acrabathane: becauſe they beſette the Iſraelites round about, and he ſtroke them with a great plague.

4 And he remembred the malice of the children [::] of Bean, which were to the people a ſnare and a ſcandal, lying in waite for them in the way.

5 And they were shut vp by him in towres, & he came nere to them, & [a] anathematized them, & burnt their towres with fyre, with al that were in them.

6 and he paſſed to the children [::] of Ammon, and found a ſtrong band, and a copious people, and Timothee their captaine:

7 & he made manie battels with them, and they were diſcomfited in their ſight, and he ſtroke them:

8 and he tooke Gazer the citie, & her [b] daughters, and returned into Iewrie.

9 And the Gentils that are [::] in Galaad, gathered together agaynſt the Iſraelites, that were in their coſts to diſpatch them: and they fled into the fortreſſe of Batheman.

10 And they ſent letters to Iudas, & his bretheren, ſaying: The heathen round about are gathered together againſt vs, to diſpatch vs:

11 and they prepare to come, and to occupie the fortreſſe into which we are fled: and Timothee is the captayne of their hoſt.

12 Now therfore come, & deliuer vs, out of their handes, becauſe a multitude of vs is fallen.

13 And al our bretheren, that were in the places of Tubin, are ſlaine: & they led away their wiues captiues, and the children, and the ſpoiles, and they haue ſlaine there almoſt a thouſand men.

14 And the epiſtles were yet in reading, and loe other meſſengers came our of Galilee their coates rent reporting according to theſe wordes:

15 ſaying that there were aſſembled againſt them from Ptolemais, and Tyre, and Sidon, and al Galilee is replenished with alienes, to conſume vs.

16 And as Iudas and the people heard theſe wordes, a great aſſemblie aſſembled together to conſider what they should doe for their bretheren, that were in tribulation, and were expugned of them.

17 And Iudas ſayd to Simon his brother: Chooſe thee men, and goe, and deliuer thy bretheren in [::] Galilee: and I, and my brother Ionathas wil goe into the countrie of Galaad.

18 And he left Ioſeph the ſonne of zacharie, and Azarias captaynes of the people with the reſidue of the armie in Iurie to keepe it:

19 and he commanded them, ſaying: Be ye ouer this people: & make no battel againſt the heathen, til we returne.

20 And there were parted to Simon three thouſand men, to goe into Galilee: but to Iudas eight thouſand to goe into the countrie of Galaad.

21 And Simon went into Galilee, and made manie battels with the heathen: & the heathen were diſcomfited before his face, and he purſewed them euen to the gate of Ptolemais.

22 And there fel of the heathen almoſt three thouſand men, & he tooke the ſpoiles of them,

23 and he toke them that were in Galilee & in Arbatis with their wiues, and children, & al thinges that they had, and he brought them into Iurie with great ioy.

24 And Iudas Machabeus, and Ionathas his brother paſſed ouer Iordan, and went three dayes iorney through the deſert.

25 And the Nabutheians mette them, and receiued them peaceably, and told them al thinges, that had happened to their bretheren in the countrie of Galaad,

26 and that manie of them were comprehended in Baraſa, and Boſor, and in Alimis, and in Caſphor, and Mageth, and Carnaim, al theſe cities fenſed, and great.

27 Yea and in the reſt of the cities of Galaad they are held captiue, & on the morow they appoynted to remoue the armie nere to theſe cities, and to take them, & to diſpatch them in one day.

28 And Iudas turned, and his armie the way into Boſor ſodenly, and tooke the citie: and he ſlew euerie male in the edge of the ſword, and tooke al their ſpoiles, and burnt it with fire.

29 And they aroſe thence by night, and went euen to the fortreſſe.

30 And it came to paſſe early in the morning, when they had lifted vp their eyes, and behold much people, wherof there was no number, carying ladders, and engins, to take the fortreſſe, and they expugned them.

31 And Iudas ſaw that the battel began, and the crie of the battel aſcended to heauen as a trumpet, and a great crie out of the citie:

32 and he ſayd to his hoſt: Fight ye to day for your bretheren.

33 And he came with three rankes behind them, and they cried out with trumpets, and cried in prayer.

34 And the campe of Timothee vnderſtood that it was Machabeus, and they fled backe from his preſence: and they ſtroke them with a great plague: and there fel of them in that day almoſt eight thouſand men.

35 And Iudas turned aſide into Maſpha, and expugned, and tooke it, and he ſlew euerie male therof, and he tooke the ſpoiles therof, and burnt it with fyre.

36 From thence he marched, and tooke Casbon, and Mageth, and Boſor, and the reſt of the cities of Galaad.

37 But after theſe wordes Timothee gathered an other armie, & camped againſt Raphon beyond the torrent.

38 And Iudas ſent to vewe the armie: and they reported vnto him, ſaying: That al the nations, that are round about vs, are aſſembled againſt vs, an armie exceding great:

39 and they haue hyred the Arabians to helpe them, and they haue camped beyond the torrent, being readie to come vnto thee into battel. And Iudas went to meete them.

40 And Timothee ſayd to the princes of his armie: When Iudas shal approch, and his armie to the torrent of water: if he paſſe ouer vnto vs firſt, we shal not be able to ſuſtaine him: becauſe preuayling he wil preuaile againſt vs.

41 but if he be afrayd to paſſe ouer, and campe without the riuer, let vs paſſe ouer to them, and we shal preuaile againſt him.

42 But as Iudas approched to the torrent of water, he ſet the ſcribes of the people by the torrent, and commanded them, ſaying: Leaue not a man: but let al come into the battel.

43 And he paſſed ouer to them firſt, and al the people after him, and al the heathen were diſcomfited at their preſence, and they threw away their weapons, and fled to the temple, that was in Carnaim.

44 And he tooke [::] the citie itſelf, and the temple he burnt with fire, with al thinges that were therein: & Carnaim was ſubdewed, and could not ſtand againſt the face of Iudas.

45 And Iudas gathered together al the Iſraelites, that were in the countrie of Galaad, from the leaſt euen to the greateſt, and their wiues, and children, and an armie exceding great, to come into the land of Iuda.

46 And they came as far as [::] Ephron, and this citie was great ſituate in the entrance, fenced excedingly, and there was no meanes to decline from it on the right hand or on the left, but the way was through the middes.

47 And they that were in the citie, shut in themſelues, and ſtopped the gates with ſtones: and Iudas ſent to them in peaceable wordes,

48 ſaying: Let vs paſſe through your land, and goe into our countrie: and no man shal hurt you, onlie on foote we wil paſſe. And they would not open vnto them

49 And Iudas commanded proclamation to be made in the campe, that they should approch euerie man in the place wherein he was.

50–51 and the men of ſtrength approched, and he aſſaulted that citie al the day, and al the night, and the citie was deliuered into his hand: and they ſlew euerie male in the edge of the ſword, and he rooted it vp, and tooke the ſpoiles therof, and paſſed through al the citie vpon the ſlaine.

52 And they p⟨illegible⟩ſſed ouer Iordan in the great playne, againſt the face of Bethſan.

53 And Iudas gathered together :: the hin moſt, and he [::] exhorted the people throughout al the way, til they came into the land of Iuda:

54 and they went vp into mount Sion with ioy, and gladnes, & offered holocauſts becauſe none of them was fallen til they returned in peace.

55 And in the dayes, that Iudas and Ionathas were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brother in Galilee againſt the face of Prolomais,

56 [::] Ioſeph the ſonne of Zacharie heard, and Azarias, the princes of the band, the thinges wel atcheiued, and the battels that were made,

57 and he ſayd: Let vs alſo make vs a name, and let vs goe fight againſt the heathen, that are round about vs.

58 And he commanded them that were in his armie, and they went to Iamnia.

59 And Gorgias went forth out of the citie, and his men to meete them into battel.

60 And Ioſeph and Azarias were chaſed in flight euen vnto the borders of Iurie: and there fel that day of the people of Iſrael about two thouſand men, and there was made a great tumult in the people:

61 becauſe they heard not Iudas, and his bretheren, thinking that they should doe manfully.

62 But they were not of the ſeede of thoſe men by whom ſaluation was made in Iſrael.

63 And the men of Iuda were magnified excedingly in the ſight of al Iſrael, and of al nations where their name was heard

64 And they came together vnto them, with acclamations for their good ſucceſſe.

65 And Iudas went out, and his bretheren, and they expugned the children of [::] Eſau in the land, that is toward the South, and they ſtroke Chebron, and her daughters: and the walles therof and the towres he burnt with fyre round about.

66 And he remoued the campe to goe into the land of the aliens, and he walked through [::] Samaria.

67 In that day fel the prieſts in battel, whiles they wil doe manfully, whiles they goe forth without counſel into battel.

68 And Iudas declined [::] to Azotus into the land of the aliens, and he threw downe their altars, and the ſculptils of their goddes he burnt with fyre: and he tooke the ſpoiles of the cities, and returned into the land of Iuda.

Marginal notes to Chapter 5

• 1 [::] In this chapter is mention of tenne battles in vvhich Iudas or his bretheren Ionathas and Simon vvere victors.
• 1 Q
• 3 [::] The firſt againſt the Idumeans in A⟨illegible⟩rabathane.
• 4 [::] The ſecond againſt the Beanites.
• 5 [a] vtterly deſtroyed.
• 6 [::] The third againſt the Ammonites.
• 8 [b] villages.
• 9 [::] The fourth againſt the Galadites.
• 17 [::] The fifth againſt the Galileans of the Gentiles.
• 44 [::] The ſixth againſt the Carnaimites.
• 46 [::] The ſeuenth againſt the Ephronites.
• 48 Num. 20.
• 53 [::] A good and pious captaine cheriſheth and comforteth the vveake ſouldiars: :: and en⟨illegible⟩oreged ⟨illegible⟩l to ſhew their ſo⟨illegible⟩titude.
• 56 [::] Men that pre⟨illegible⟩ume of their ovvne ſtrength without commiſſion from lawful auctotitie, haue not Gods aſſiſtance, and ſo faylein their attemptes, as not called of God amongſt thoſe men, by vvhom ſaluation is made in Iſrael. v. 62.
• 65 [::] The eight againſt the Idumeans, in Chebron.
• 66 [::] The ninth againſt the Samaritanes.
• 68 [::] The tenth againſt the Philiſtimes in Azotus.

Chapter 6

CHAP. VI. Antiochus repulſed from Elimais, 5. and hearing of the ouerthrow of his armie in lurie, falleth vehemently ſick: 11. and acknowleging his calamities to haue happened, for he hath done againſt the Iewes, dyeth. 17. His young ſonne Antiochus Eupator ſuccedeth. 18. Iudas beſiegeth the Macedonians fortreſſe. 21. Relapſed Iewes ſolicite the king, 28. and he cometh with a terrible huge armie. 32. Iudas therfore leauing the ſiege meeteth the enemie. 43. Eleazar going vnder an elephant killeth him and ſo himſelfe is alſo ſlaine. 47. The king taketh Bethſura by compoſition. 51. and bendeth his forces againſt Ieruſalem. 55. By Lyſias aduice the king maketh peace with the Iewes; 62. but breaking his othe deſtroyeth the wal of Sion; 63. and returning recouereth Antioch from Philippe.

1 AND king Antiochus walked through the higher countries, and he heard that there was a citie Elymais in Perſis moſt noble, and plentiful in ſiluer, and gold,

2 and a temple therin exceding rich: and couerings thereof gold, and brigantines, and shildes, which Alexander philips ſonne the king of Macedonia that reigned firſt in Grece left there.

3 And he came, and ſought to take the citie, and to ſpoile it, and he could not, becauſe the word was knowen to them that were in the citie.

4 And they roſe vp into battel, and he fled from thence, and departed with great ſorow, and returned into [::] Babylonia.

5 And there came one that told him in Perſis, that the campes that were in the land of Iuda, were put to flight:

6 and that Lyſias went with great powre with the firſt, and was put to flight before the face of the Iewes, and they grew ſtrong with armour, and force, and manie ſpoiles, which they tooke out of the campes, which they deſtroyed:

7 and that they threw downe the abomination which they had builded vpon the altar that was in Ieruſalem, and the ſanctification they compaſſed about as before with high walles, yea and Bethſura his citie.

8 And it came to paſſe as the king heard theſe wordes, he was ſore afrayd, and was moued excedingly: and he lay downe vpon his bed, and fel into ſicknes for ſorow, becauſe it was not chanced to him as he thought.

9 And he was there for manie dayes: becauſe there was renewed in him great ſorowfulnes, and he made account to dye.

10 And he called al his freindes, and ſayd to them: Sleepe is departed from mine eyes, and I am fallen away, & my hart is gone for penſifenes:

11 and I ſayd in my hart: Into how great tribulation am I come, & into what waues of ſorow, wherin now I am: who was pleaſant, and beloued in my powre!

12 But [::] now I remember the euils, that I haue done in Ieruſalem, from whence alſo I tooke away al the ſpoiles of gold, and of ſiluer, that were in it, and I ſent to take away the inhabitants of Iewrie, without cauſe.

13 I know therfore that for this cauſe haue theſe euils found me: and loe I perish with great ſorow in a ſtrange countrie.

14 And he called philip, one of his frendes, and he made him chiefe ouer al his kingdom.

15 And he gaue him the crowne, and his robe, and ring, that he should bring Antiochus his ſonne, & should bring him vp to reigne.

16 And Antiochus the king died there in the yeare [::] an hundreth fourtie nine. [*]

17 And Lyſias vnderſtood that the king was dead, and he appoynted Antiochus his ſonne to reigne, whom he brought vp a young man: and he called his name Eupator. [*]

18 And they that were in the caſtel, had incloſed Iſrael round about the holie places: and they ſought them euils alwayes, and the ſtrengthning of the Gentils,

19 And Iudas thought to deſtroy them: and he called together al the people, to beſiege them.

20 And they came together, and beſieged them in the yeare an hundredth fiftie, and they made baliſts and engins.

21 And certaine of them that were beſieged, went forth: & ſome impious men of Iſrael ioyned them ſelues vnto them,

22 and they went to the king, and ſayd: How long doeſt thou not iudgements, and reuengeſt our bretheren?

23 We decreed to ſerue thy father, and to walke in his precepts, and obey his edicts:

24 and the children of our people for this alienated them ſelues from vs, and whoſoeuer were found of vs, they were ſlayne, and our inheritances were ſpoiled.

25 And not to vs only haue they extended the hand, but alſo into al our coaſts.

26 and behold they haue approched this day to the caſtel in Ieruſalem to take it, and they haue fortified a fortreſſe in Bethſura:

27 and vnles thou preuent them more ſpedely, they wil doe greater thinges then theſe, and thou shalt not be able to winne them.

28 And the king was angrie, as he heard theſe thinges: and he called together al his freinds, and the princes of his armie, and them that were ouer the horſemen.

29 Yea and of other realmes, and of the ilands by the ſea there came vnto him hyred armies.

30 And the number of his armie was an hundred thouſand footemen, and twentie thouſand horſemen, and elephants thirtie two, taught to battel.

31 And they came through Idumea, and approched to Bethſura, and fought manie dayes, and they made engins and came forth, and burnt them with fyre, and fought manfully.

32 And Iudas departed from the caſtel, and remoued the campe to Bethzacaram againſt the kings campe.

33 And the king aroſe before it was light, and ſtirred the bands into fiercenes againſt the way to Bethzacaram: and the armies made themſelues readie to the battel, and they ſounded with trumpets:

34 and to the elephants they shewed [::] the bloud of the grape, and of the mulberie, to prouoke them to the battel.

35 And they diuided the beaſts by the legions: and there ſtood by euerie elephant a thouſand men in coates of maile, & helmets of braſſe on their heads: and fiue hundred horſemen ſet in order were choſen for cuerie beaſt.

36 Theſe before the time wherſoeuer the beaſt was, there were they: and whither ſoeuer it went, they went, and they departed not from it.

37 Yea & vpon them were ſtrong woodden to wres prorecting euerie beaſt: & vpon them engins, and vpon euerie one thirtie two men of ſtrength, which fought from aboue: & within the maſter of the beaſt.

38 And the reſidue of the horſemen he placed on this ſide and on that ſide into two parts, with trumpets to ſtir vp the armie, & to vrge them that ſtood thicke together in the legions therof.

39 And as the ſunne did shine vpon the bucklers of gold, and of braſſe, the mountaynes gliſtered there with, and they gliſtered as lampes of fire.

40 And part of the kings armie was ſeuered by the high montaynes, and an other part by the low places: and they marched warely and orderly.

41 And al the inhabitants of the land were moued at the voice of the multitude of them, and the marching of the troupe, & the ratling of the armour, for it was an armie exceding great and ſtrong.

42 And Iudas approched, and his armie into battel: & there fel of the kings armie ſix hundred men.

43 And Eleazar the ſonne of Saura ſaw one of the beaſts harneſſed with the kings harnes: and it was eminent aboue the other beaſts; and it ſemed to him that the king was on it:

44 and he gaue himſelf to deliuer his people, and to get him ſelf an euerlaſting name.

45 And he ranne to it boldly in the middes of the legion, killing on the right hand, & on the left, and they were ſlaine of him on this ſide and that ſide.

46 And [::] he went vnder the feete of the elephant, and put himſelf vnder him, and ſlew him: and it fel to the ground vpon him, and he died there

47 And they ſeing the kinges powre, and the fiercenes of his armie, turned them ſelues aſide from them.

48 But the kings campe went vp againſt them vnto Ieruſalem: and the kings campe approched to Iurie and mount Sion.

49 And he made peace with them that were in Bethſura: and they came forth out of the citie, becauſe there were no victuals for them there benig shút vp, becauſe it was the ſabbaths of the land.

50 And the king tooke Bethſura: and he placed there a garriſon to kepe it.

51 And he turned the place of the ſanctification manie dayes: & he placed there arbaliſts and engins, and inſtruments to caſt fyre, and peeces to caſt ſtones, and arrowes, & ſcorpions to shoote arrowes, and ſlings.

52 And they alſo made engins againſt their engins, and they fought manie dayes.

53 But there were no victuals in the citie, for that it was the ſeuenth yeare: and they that had remayned in Iurie of the Gentils, had conſumed their remaynes, that had bene layd vp.

54 And there remayned in the holies few men, becauſe famine had preuailed ouer them: and they were diſperſed euerie man into his place.

55 And Lyſias heard that Philip, whom king Antiochus when he liued, had appointed to bring vp his ſonne to reigne,

56 was returned from Perſis, and Media, and the armie that went with him, and that he ſought to take vpon him the affayres of the kingdom:

57 and he haſtened to goe, and to ſay to the king, and to the princes of the armie: We decay dayly, and there is litle victual for vs, and the place that we beſiege, is fenſed, & it lyeth vpon vs to take order for the kingdom.

58 Now therfore let vs geue the right handes to theſe men, and make peace with them, and with al their nation.

59 And let vs decree for them, that they walke in their owne ordinances as before. For, becauſe of their ordinances which we diſpiſed, they haue bene wrath, and haue done al theſe thinges.

60 And the word was liked in the ſight of the king, and of the princes: and he ſent vnto them to make peace: and they receiued it.

61 And the king and the princes ſware to them: and they came out of the fortreſſe.

62 And the king entred mount Sion, and ſaw the munition of the place: and he brake quickly the othe which he ſware, and commanded to deſtroy the wal round about.

63 And he departed in haſt, and returned to Antioche, and found Philip ruling ouer the citie: and he fought againſt him and wanne the citie. [*]

Marginal notes to Chapter 6

• 4 [::] The ful hiſtorie of Antiochus Epiphanes his death is vvritten in this chapter to the 16. v. and in al the 9. of the ſecond booke.
• 4 :: Finally he returned into the countrie of Babylon: :: but before he arriued there he heard the bad newes of his armie in Iurie, & fel into intolerable and deſperate diſeaſes, v. 8. and li. 2. ch. 9. v 5.
• 12 [::] Al this vvas but ſeaned repentance li. ⟨illegible⟩ ch. 9. v 13.
• 16 [::] Antiochus begane to perſecute the Ievves in the yeare. 143. ch 1. v. 21. and dying this yeare, 149 it appeareth that his perſecution dured about ſix yeares, or ſome vvhat more agreable to the anſwer of the Angel. Dan. 8. v. 14. that it ſhould indure. 2300. dayes, vvhich make ſix yeares, & almoſt foure monethes. vvithin vvhich time Iudas by his valure obteyned & purged the holie places, in the yeare 148. ch. 6. v 52 ſome monethes before Antiochus death.
• 16 [*] li. 2. c. 9. v. 1.
• 17 S
• 17 [*] li. 2. c. 10. v. 10.
• 18 V
• 34 [::] Bloud of the grup (vvine Deut ⟨illegible⟩2. v 14.) a⟨illegible⟩ iuyce of mulberies do incite elephantes to fight. A⟨illegible⟩ ſome kinde of bloud or ſmel therof doth incire houndes to hunt. Valleſius c. 82 ſacrae Philoſophia.
• 46 [::] S Ambioſe li. 1 c. 40 Offic. highly commendeth the fortitude of this ſouldiat putting himſelf in ſo preſent danger of death fighting for religion.
• 63 [*] li. 2. c. 13. v. 1.

Chapter 7

CHAP. VII. Demetrius commandeth to kil Antiochus and Lyſias being eaptiues. 5. Alcimus and other wicked Iewes ſolicite the king, 8. and he ſendeth a great armie into Iurie: appointeth Bacchides general, and Alcimus highprieſt. 10. Who falſly pretending peace, Iudas doth not credite them, but the Aſſidians are deceiued: 16. and manie are ſlayne. 23. Iudas reſiſting, the perſecuters depart. 26. Wherupon Nicanor is ſent with an other armie, fighteth, and loſeth manie men; 33. parteth in great rage, 39. aſſaulteth Bethoron, 42. is ſlayne; and his armie flying is al deſtroyed. 48. They celebrate that day with ioy, and haue peace for a while.

1 IN the yeare an hundreth fiftie firſt went forth Demetrius the ſonne [::] of Seleucus from the citie of Rome, and he aſcended with few men into a citie by the ſea ſide, and reigned there.

2 And it came to paſſe, as he entered into the houſe of the kingdom of his fathers, the armie tooke Antiochus, and Lyſias, to bring them vnto him.

3 And the king was knowne to him: and he ſayd: Shew me not their face.

4 And the armie ſlew them. And Demetrius ſate vpon the ſeate of his kingdom:

5 and there came to him the wicked and impious men of Iſrael: & Alcimus the captaine of them, who [::] would be made the prieſt.

6 And [::] they accuſed the people to the king, ſaying: Iudas and his bretheren haue deſtroyed al thy freindes, and vs he hath deſtroyed out of our land.

7 Now therfore ſend a man, whom thou doeſt credite, that he may goe, and ſee al the deſtruction, that he hath done to vs, and to the kings countries: and let him puniſh al his freinds, and their ayders.

8 And the king choſe of his freinds Bacchides, that ruled beyond the great riuer in the kingdom, and was faythful to the king: and he ſent him,

9 to ſee the deſtruction that Iudas hath made: and Alcimus the impious man he appointed to the prieſthood, and gaue him in commandment to make reuenge vpon the children of Iſrael.

10 And they aroſe, and came with a great armie into the land of Iuda: and they ſent meſſengers, and ſpake to Iudas, & his brethren with peaceable wordes in guile.

11 And they attended not to their wordes: for they ſaw that they came with a great armie.

12 And there aſſembled to Alcimus & Bacchides a congregation of the ſcribes to require the thinges that are iuſt:

13 and [::] firſt, the Aſſideans that were in the children of Iſrael, and they ſought peace of them.

14 for [::] they ſayd: A man that is a prieſt of the ſeede of Aaron is come, he wil not deceiue vs.

15 And he ſpake with-them peaceable wordes: and he ſware to them, ſaying: We wil doe you no harme, nor your freindes.

16 And they beleued him. And he tooke of them threeſcore men, and ſlew them in one day according to the word, that is written:

17 The flesh of thy ſaincts, and the bloud of them they haue shed round about Ieruſalem, and there was none to burie them.

18 And there fel feare, and trembling vpon al the people, becauſe they ſayd: There is no truth, & iudgement in them: for they haue tranſgreſſed the appointment, and the othe which they ſware.

19 And Bacchides remoued the campe from Ieruſalem, and approched to Bethzecha: and he ſent, & tooke manie of them that were fled from him, and certaine of the people he killed, and threw them into a great pitte.

20 And he committed the countrie to Alcimus, and left with him ayde to helpe him. And Bacchides went away to the king:

21 and Alcimus did what he could for the principalitie of his prieſthood:

22 and there gathered together vnto him al that diſturbed their people, and the obteyned the land of Iuda, & made a great plague in Iſrael.

23 And Iudas ſaw al the euils that Alcimus did, and they that were with him, to the children of Iſrael, much more then the Gentils.

24 And he went out into al the coaſts of Iurie round about, and did vengeance vpon the men that reuolted, and they ceaſed to goe forth any more into the countrie.

25 But Alcimus ſaw that Iudas preuailed, and they that were with him: and he knew that he could not ſtand with them, and he went backe to the king, and accuſed them of manie crimes. [*]

26 And the king ſent [::] Nicanor, one of his nobler princes: that practiſed emnities againſt Iſrael: and he commanded him to deſtroy the people.

27 And Nicanor came into Ieruſalem with a great armie, and he ſent to Iudas and to his bretheren in peaceable wordes with guile,

28 ſaying: Let there be no fighting betwen me and you: I wil come with few men, to ſee your faces with peace.

29 And he came to Iudas, and they ſaluted one an other peaceably: and the enemies were readie to catch Iudas.

30 And the thing was knowne to Iudas that he was come with guile: and he was ſore afrayd of him, & would not ſee his face any more.

31 And Nicanor knew that his counſel was diſcloſed: and he went forth to Iudas into battel beſide Capharſalama.

32 And there fel of Nicanors armie almoſt fiue thouſand men, and they fled into the citie of Dauid.

33 And after theſe wordes Nicanor went vp into mount Sion: & there went forth of the prieſts of the people to ſalute him in peace, and to ſhew him the holocauſts, that were offered for the king.

34 And ſcorning he contemned them, and polluted them: and he ſpake proudly,

35 and ſware with anger, ſaying: Vnles Iudas be deliuered, and his armie into my handes, incontinent when Ishal returne in peace, I wil burne this houſe. And he went out with great anger:

36 and the prieſts entered in, and ſtood before the face of the altar and the temple: and weeping they ſayd:

37 Thou ô Lord haſt choſen this houſe for thy name to be inuocated therin, that it might be a houſe of prayer, and obſecration for thy people.

38 Take vengeance vpon this man, and his armie, and let them fal by the ſword: remember their blaſphemies, and grant not vnto them to be permanent. [*]

39 And [::] Nicanor went out from Ieruſalem, and moued the campe neere to Bethhoron: and the armie of Syria mette him.

40 And Iudas approched in Adarſa with three thouſand men: and Iudas prayed, and ſayd:

41 They that were ſent by king Sennacherib, ô Lord, becauſe they blaſphemed thee, an angel came forth, and ſtroke of them an hundred eightie fiue thouſand:

42 ſo deſtroy this armie in our ſight to day, and let the reſt know that he hath ſpoken il vpon the holy places: and iudge thou him according to his malice.

43 And the armies ioyned battel the thirtenth day of the moneth Adar: and the campe of Nicanor was diſcomfited, and himſelf was ſlaine firſt in the battel.

44 And as his armie ſaw that Nicanor was ſlaine, they threw away their weapons, & fled:

45 and they purſewed them one dayes iorney from Adazer, euen til ye come into Gazara, and with trumpets they ſounded after them with ſignifications.

46 And they went forth out of al the townes of Iurie round about, and they pushed them with the hornes, and they turned againe to them, and they were al ſlaine with the ſword, and there was not left of them ſo much as one.

47 And they tooke the ſpoiles of them for a praye: and Nicanors head they cut of, and his right hand, which he had proudly ſtretched forth, and they brought it, and hung it vp againſt Ieruſalem.

48 And the people reioyced excedingly, and they ſpent that day in great gladnes.

49 And he ordayned that this day should be kept euerie yeare the thirtenth of the moneth Adar.

50 And the land of Iuda was quiet for [::] a few dayes. [*]

Marginal notes to Chapter 7

• 1 X
• 1 [::] This Scleucus vvas brother to Antiochus Epiphanes: & ſo Antiochus Eupator vvas Demetrius his conſin german.
• 5 [::] Alcimus was novv in place of the highprieſt, as Menelaus had bene before him, ſet vp by Antiochus: & therfore is righ⟨illegible⟩ly here ſayd: he vvould haue bene the chiefe prieſt, but in dede vvas not. For the true highprieſthood vvas amongſt the Machabees
• 6 [::] This vſurper vvith his complices deuiſed falſe accuſations againſt Iudas, and the reſt to incenſe the king againſt them. And by great giftes gayned the kings fauour. li. 2 c. 14. v. 4.
• 13 [::] Among the Scribes the Aſſideans vvere firſt conſulted being as lerned as the Phariſes, or anie other, and in dede more ſincere, as we noted, ch. 2. v. 42.
• 14 [::] And ſo Alcimus deceiuing them in a matter of fact, tovvitte, that himſelf meant truly (as he did not) cruelly murdered thre⟨illegible⟩ ſcore of them.
• 17 Pſal. 78.
• 25 [*] li. 2. c. 14. v. 1.
• 26 [::] This Nicanor vvas the moſt terrible enimie againſt Iudas, but was at laſt ſlaine by him. v. 43. & li. 2. c. 15. v. 28.
• 26 Z
• 38 [*] li. 2 c. 14. v. 12.
• 39 [::] This was the laſt conflict betwen Iudas and Nicanor vvritten more largely in the laſt chapter of the ſecond booke.
• 41 4. Reg. 19.
• 50 [::] VVhiles Iudas diſpoſed thinges perteyning to religion, and the commonvvealth: Demetrius prepared for warres ch. 9. v. 3.
• 50 [*] li. 2. c. 15. v. 1.

Chapter 8

CHAP. VIII. Iudas knowing the Romanes to be a moſt renowmed nation, reciting their worthie actes, 17. ſendeth Embaſſaders to enter league with them: 21. Wherto they a greing confirme a perpetual amitie with mutual conditions.

1 AND Iudas heard of [::] the name of the Romanes, that they are mightie of power, and agree vnto al thinges that are requeſted of them: and whoſoeuer haue come vnto them, they haue made amitie with them, and that they are mightie of powre.

2 And they heard of their battels, & goodlie acts, which they did in Galatia, that they ouercame them, and brought them vnder tribute:

3 & how great thinges they did in the countrie of Spaine, & that they brought into their powre the metalles of ſiluer and gold, that are there, and poſſeſſed euerie place by their counſel, & patience:

4 and deſtroyed [::] the places that were very far of from them, & the kings that came vpon them from the ends of the earth, and ſtroke them with a greate plague: and the reſt geue them tribute euerie yeare.

5 And Philip and Perſes the king of the Ceteans, and the reſt that had borne weapon againſt them, they diſcomfited in battel, and ouercame them:

6 and that Antiochus the great king of Aſia, who made battel againſt them, hauing [::] an hundred and twentie elephants, & horſemen, & chariottes an armie exceding great was diſcomfited by them:

7 & that they tooke him aliue, and appointed him, that himſelf and they that should reigne after him, should geue a great tribute, and he should geue hoſtages, and the thing appointed him.

8 and the region of the Indes, & the Medes, & the Bydiains of their beſt countries: and the ſame being taken of them, they gaue to Eumenes the king.

9 And that they which were in Hellada, would haue gone to diſpatch them: and the word was knowen to them,

10 and they ſent vnto them one captayne, and they ſought againſt them, & manie of them were ſlaine, and they led away their wiues captiue, and their children, and ſpoiled them, and poſſeſſed their land, and deſtroyed their walles, and brought them into bondage euen vntil this day:

11 and the reſidue of kingdoms, and iles that ſome time had reſiſted them, they ſpoyled, and brought vnder their powre.

12 But with their freinds, and thoſe that reſted in them, they kept amitie, and obteyned the kingdoms, that were next, and that were far of: that whoſoeuer heard their name, feared them.

13 But ſuch as they would helpe to reigne, thoſe reigned: and whom they would, they depoſed from the kingdom: and they were exalted excedingly.

14 And in al theſe none bare a crowne, nor was clothed with purple, to be magnified therin.

15 And that they made them ſelues a court, and conſulted dayly three hundred and twentie, that ſate in counſel alwayes for the multitude, that they might doe the thinges that were conuenient:

16 and they committe their gouerment [::] to one man euerie yeare to rule ouer al their land, & al they obey one, & there is no enuie, nor emulation amongſt them.

17 And Iudas choſe Eupolemus the ſonne of Iohn, the ſonne of Iacob, and Iaſon the ſonne of Eleazar, & he ſent them to Rome to make amitie and ſocietie with them:

18 and that they should take from them the yoke of the Greeks, becauſe they ſaw that they preſſed the kingdom of Iſrael vnto bondage.

19 And they went to Rome, a way exceding great, and they entered into the court, and ſayd:

20 Iudas Machabeus, and his bretheren, and the people of the Iewes haue ſent vs vnto you to make ſocietie and peace with you, and to write vs your felowes and freindes.

21 And the word was liked in their ſight.

22 And this is the reſcript, that they wrote againe in tables of braſſe, and ſent into Ieruſalem, that it might be with them there a memorial of peace, & ſocietie.

23 BE IT WEL TO THE ROMANES, and to the nation of the Iewes by ſea, & by land for euer: and ſword and enemie be far from them.

24 But and if warre be toward the Romanes firſt, or al their felowes in al their dominion:

25 the nation of the Iewes shal geue ayde, according as the time shal appoint, with ful hart:

26 and to them fighting, they shal not geue nor allow wheate, armour, money, shippes, as it hath pleaſed the Romanes: and they shal keepe their charge, taking nothing of them.

27 In like maner alſo and if warre shal happen firſt to the nation of the Iewes, the Romanes shal helpe with al their hart, according as the time shal permitte them:

28 and to them helping shal not be geuen wheate, armour, money, shippes, as it hath pleaſed the Romanes: and they shal keepe their charge without guile.

29 According to theſe wordes did the Romanes agree to the people of the Iewes.

30 And if after theſe wordes theſe or they wil adde to theſe, or take away any thing, they shal doe it at their pleaſure: and whatſoeuer they shal adde, or take away, shal be ratified.

31 Yea and concerning the euils, that Demetrius the king hath done againſt them, we haue writen to him, ſaying: Why haſt thou aggrauated thy yoke vpon our freinds, and felowes the Iewes?

32 If therfore they come againe vnto vs againſt thee, we wil doe iudgement for them, and wil fight with thee by ſea and land.

Marginal notes to Chapter 8

• 1 [::] Of the renow med actes of the Romans, other Hiſtoriographers haue alſo vvritten largely: eſpecially Liuius, Diodorus, Iuſtinus Florus Varre Plutarchus, and manie others.
• 1 d
• 4 [::] Vvhat places theſe vvere loſephus expreſſeth. li. 12. c. 17.
• 6 [::] Polybius li. 5. vvriteth that Antiochus had 102. elephants in his vvarre againſt Prolemeus, & therfore it is not to be merueled that he had 120. againſt the Romans.
• 16 [::] Though Rome vvas then gouerned by tvvo conſuls. Yet one only ruled euerie day in their courſe, not both in one day, for ſo ſaith Liuius (li. 2 hiſt.) it ſhould haue bene more terror of tvvo rulers, then before it had bene of one king.

Chapter 9

CHAP. IX. Bacchides and Alcimus returning into Iurie make great ſlaughter. 5. More then two partes of Iudas ſmal troupe flying away, he with eight hundred, ſetteth vpon the enemie, 14. ouerthroweth the ſtrongeſt part of their armie: 16. but an other part coming at his back, with great ſlaughter on both parties, Iudas is ſlaine: 19. and moſt honorably buried. 23. Much euil encreaſeth in Iſrael. 28. Ionathas is made captaine general. 36. The children of Iambrie kil his brother, which he reuengeth. 43. Being enuironed by Bacchides chaceth him away to his fenſed places, killing manie. 54. Alcimus beginning to deface the temple, is ſtriken with a palſie, and dyeth miſerably. 57. So they haue peace two yeares. 58. Bacchides coming with a new armie: 62. Ionathas and Simon retyre into Bethbeſsen. 65. there defend themſelues, and annoy the enemie. 69. who blaming his counſellers, maketh peace, and departeth.

1 IN [::] the meane time as Demetrius heard that Nicanor was fallen and his armie in the battel, he added to ſend Bacchides and Alcimus againe into Iurie, and the right wing with them.

2 And they went the way, that leadeth into Galgal, and camped in Maſaloth, which is in Arbellis: and they wanne it, & ſlew of men manie ſoules.

3 In the firſt moneth of :: the yeare an hundreth and fiftie two they brought the armie nere to Ieruſalem:

4 and they aroſe, and went into Beraea twentie thouſand men, and two thouſand horſemen.

5 And Iudas had camped in Laiſa, and three thouſand choſen men with him:

6 & they ſaw the multitude of the armie that they were manie, and they feared excedingly: and manie withdrew themſelues out of the campe, and there remayned of them but eight hundred men.

7 And Iudas ſaw that his armie shrunke away, and the battel preſſed vpon him, and [::] his hart was broken: becauſe he had not time to gathr them together, and he was diſcoureged.

8 And he ſayd to them that were remayning: Let vs riſe, and goe to our aduerſaries, if we may be able to fight againſt them.

9 And they diſwaded him, ſaying: We are not able, but let vs ſaue our liues now, and returne to our brethren, and then we wil fight againſt them: and we are few.

10 And Iudas ſayd: God forbid we should doe this thing, to flee from them: and if our time be neere, let vs dye manfully for our bretheren, and let vs not ſtayne our glorie.

11 And the armie moued out of the campe, and they ſtood to meete them: and the horſemen were diuided into two parts, and the ſlingers, and the archers went before the armie, and of the foreward al mightie.

12 And Bacchides was in the right wing, and the legion approched on two ſides, and they ſounded with trumpets:

13 and they alſo cried out that were on Iudas ſide, euen they alſo, and the earth was moued at the voice of the armies: and the battel was fought from morning euen vntil the euening.

14 And Iudas ſaw that the ſtronger part of the armie was on the right hand, & al the ſtout of hart came together with him:

15 and the right ſide was diſcomfited of them, and he purſewed them euen to the mount of Azotus.

16 And they that were in the left wing, ſaw that the right wing was diſcomfited, and they folowed after Iudas, and them that were with him at the backe:

17 and the battel grew ſore, and there fel manie wounded of theſe and of them.

18 And Iudas was ſlaine, and the reſt fled.

19 And Ionathas and Simon tooke Iudas their brother, and buried him in the ſepulcher of their fathers in the citie Modin.

20 And al the people of Iſrael lamented him with great lamentation, and they mourned manie dayes,

21 and ſayd: [::] How is the mightie fallen, that ſaued the people of Iſrael!

22 And the reſt of the wordes of Iudas battels, and of the valient acts that he did, and of his greatnes are not deſcribed: for they were exceding manie.

23 And it came to paſſe: [::] after the death of Iudas, there came forth the wicked men in al the coſts of Iſrael, and there aroſe al that wrought iniquitie.

24 In thoſe dayes was made an exceding great famine, and al their countrie with themſelues yelded to Bacchides.

25 And Bacchides choſe the impious men, and appointed them lords of the countrie:

26 and they ſought out, and ſearched for the freindes of Iudas, and brought them to Bacchides, and he tooke reuenge on them, & ſcorned them.

27 And there was made great tribulation in Iſrael, ſuch as was no⟨illegible⟩ ſince the day, that there was no prophete ſeene in Iſrael.

28 And al the freinds of Iudas gathered, and ſayd to [::] Ionathas:

29 Since thy brother Iudas died, there is not a man like vnto him, to goe forth againſt the enemies, Bacchides, & them that are the enemies of our nation.

30 Now therfore thee haue we choſen this day to be for him our prince, and captayne to wage our battel.

31 And Ionathas tooke vpon him at that time the princedom, and aroſe in the place of Iudas his brother.

32 And Bacchides vnderſtood it, and ſought to kil him.

33 And Ionathas vnderſtood it, & Simon his brother, and al that were with them: and they fled into the deſert of Thecua, and they pitched by the water of the lake Aſphar.

34 And Bacchides vnderſtood it, and in the day of the Sabbaths came him ſelf, and al his armie ouer Iordan.

35 And Ionathas ſent his brother captayne of the people, to deſire the Nabutheians his freindes, that they would lend him their prouiſion, which was copious.

36 And the children of Iambri iſſued forth of Madaba, and [::] tooke Iohn, and al thinges that he had, and went away hauing them.

37 After theſe wordes, it was told Ionathas, and Simon his brother, that the children of Iambri make a great mariage, and bring the bride out of Madaba, the daughter of one of the great princes of Chanaan with great pompe.

38 And they remembred the bloud of Iohn their brother: and they went vp, and hid them ſelues vnder the couert of the mountayne.

39 And they lifted vp their eyes, and ſaw: and loe a tumult, and great preparation: and the bridegrome came forth, and his freindes, and his bretheren to meete them with timbrils, and muſical inſtruments, and manie weapons.

40 And they roſe vpon them out of the embushement, and ſlew them, and there fel manie wounded, & the reſt fled into the mountaines, and they tooke al the ſpoiles of them:

41 & the mariage was turned into mourning, and the voice of their muſical inſtruments into lamentation.

42 And they [::] tooke reuenge of the bloud of their brother: & they returned to the banke of Iordan.

43 And Bacchides heard it, and he came on the day of the Sabbaths euen to the brinke of Iordan with a great powre.

44 And Ionathas ſayd to his companie: Let vs ariſe, and fight againſt our enemies: for it is not to day as yeſterday, and the day before.

45 For loe battel directly againſt vs, and the water of Iordan on this ſide and on that ſide, & bankes, and marriſes, and foreſts: and there is no place to turne aſide.

46 Now therfore crie ye vnto heauen, that you may be deliuered out of the hand of your enemies. And battel was ioyned.

47 And Ionathas ſtretched forth his hand to ſtrike Bacchides, and he turned aſide from him backwards.

48 And Ionathas lept aſide, and they that were with him into Iordan, and they ſwame [::] ouer Iordan to them:

49 and there fel of Bacchides part that day a thouſand men: and they returned into Ieruſalem,

50 and built fenſed cities in Iurie, the fortreſſe that was in Iericho, and in Ammaum, & in Bethoron, and in Bethel, and Thamnata, and Phara, and Thopo with high walles, and gates, and lockes.

51 And he placed a garriſon in them, that they might exerciſe emnities againſt Iſrael:

52 and he fenſed the citie Bethſura, and Gazara, and the caſtel, and ſet gariſons in them, and prouiſion of victuals:

53 and he tooke the ſonnes of the princes of the countrie for hoſtages, & put them in the caſtel in Ieruſalem into ward.

54 And in [::] the yeare an hundred fiftie three, the ſecond moneth, Alcimus commanded the walles of the inner holie houſe to be deſtroyed, and the workes of the prophets to be deſtroyed: and he began to deſtroy.

55 In that time was Alcimus ſtrooken: and his workes were ſtayed, and his mouth was ſtopped, and he was diſſolued with the palſey, neither could he ſpeake a word any more, and geue commandement touching his houſe.

56 And Alcimus died at that time with great torment.

57 And Bacchides ſaw that Alcimus was dead: and he returned to the king, and the land was quiet for two yeares.

58 And al the wicked thought ſaying: Behold Ionathas, and they that are with him, dwel in ſilence ſecurely: now therfore let vs bring Bacchides, and he shal take them al in one night.

59 And they went, and gaue him counſel.

60 And he aroſe to come with a great armie: and he ſent ſecretly epiſtles to his felowes that were in Iurie, to take Ionathas, and them that were with him: but they could not, becauſe their counſel was knowen to them.

61 And he apprehended of the men of the countrie, that were the principal of the miſchife, fiftie men, and he ſlew them.

62 And Ionathas retyred aſide, and Simon, and they that were with him into Bethbeſſen, which is in the deſert: and he built vp the ruins therof, and they fortified it.

63 And Bacchides vnderſtood it, and gathered together al his multitude: and ſent word to them that were of Iurie.

64 And he came, and camped aboue Bethbeſſen, and aſſaulted it manie dayes, and made engins.

65 And Ionathas left Simon his brother in the citie, and went forth into the countrie, and came with a number,

66 and ſtroke Odares, and his bretheren, and the children of Phaſeron in their tabernacles, & he began to ſlay, and to grow in forces.

67 But Simon and they that were with him, went out of the citie, and burnt the engins,

68 and they fought againſt Bacchides, and he was diſcomfited by them: and they afflicted him excedingly, becauſe his counſel, and his conflict was in vayne.

69 And being angrie againſt the wicked men, that had geuen him counſel to come into their countrie, [::] he ſlewe manie of them: but himſelf thought with the reſt to depart into their countrie.

70 And Ionathas vnderſtood it, and he ſent vnto him legates to make peace with him, and to render vnto him the captiues.

71 And he tooke it gladly, and did according to his wordes, & ſware that he would doe him no harme al the dayes of his life.

72 And he rendered vnto him the captiues, which he before had taken for a praye, out of the land of Iuda: and returning he departed into his owne countrie, and he added no more to come into their coaſts.

73 And the ſword ceaſed out of Iſrael: and Ionathas dwelt in Machmas, & Ionathas began there to iudge the people, and he deſtroyed the impious out of Iſrael.

Marginal notes to Chapter 9

• 1 [::] This happened about a yeare after the death of Nicanor. ch. 7. v. 50, li. 2, c. 15, 38.
• 7 [::] Strongeſt men are not free from firſt motions of perturbation, but reflecting vpon their ovvne infirmitie, and conſiding in Gods prouidence, take corege in a good cauſe, being aſſured either of temporal victorie, or of eternal glorie As now it happened to this moſt glorious Champion. v. 18.
• 21 [::] The mightie may fal in the ſight of men, but Iudas his fortitude proued and confirmed by former heroical actes, vvith proſperous ſucceſſe, vvas now perfectly conſummate by this moſt glorious end. S. Ambr. li. 1. c. 4⟨illegible⟩ ▪ Offre.
• 23 [::] VVhere there is no gouernour the people ſhal fal. Pro. 11. v. 14.
• 28 [::] Ionathas the third general captaine of the Macha, bees vvas alſo high prieſt after the death of Iudas. Though Alcimus by the kinges fauoure vniuſtly vſurped the office, (ch. 7. v. 9.) vvhiles Iudas yet liued, and vntil this time. v 54.
• 36 [::] They alſo killed him. v. 38. 42.
• 42 [::] To reuenge or puniſh faultes in due meaſure, & other right circumſtances is a ſpecial vertue, moderating mans defence of his perſon, honour, or right vvithout crueltie, or remiſnes: and ſo the children ſometimes are temporally puniſhed, for their parents finnes, and the communitie for their leaders, either for their conſent before the fact or after; or to preuent that they doe not the like. S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 108.
• 46 2. Par. 20. v. 3.
• 48 [::] Ionathas and his men ſvvame not to the other ſide, but to an other place on the ſame ſide: for othervviſe the armies had bene parted by the riuer: and ſo there had bene no conflict that time.
• 54 [::] Ioſephus li. 12. c. 17. confeſſeth that Iudas vvas highprieſt, but erreth in ſaying he ſucceded after Alcimus: neither conſidering that Alcimus vvas not in dede high prieſt, but an vſurper: nor that he liued after Iudas: vvho vvas ſlaine a yeare before this time v. 3 & 18. VVherby, and by manie other ſuch errors, vve ſee that Ioſephus is rather to be corrected by this booke then to diſalovv this booke becauſe it differeth from Ioſephus, or other like auctors.
• 69 [::] Euil counſel hovv ſoeuer it happeneth to them that folovv it, is euer hurtful to them that geue it.

Chapter 10

CHAP. X. Demetrius inuaded by Alexander, 3. ſeeketh helpe of Ionathas: 15. but he ioyneth with Alexander, a ſurer freind: 22. though Demetrius ſolicite him againe, offering rewardes, with remiſſion of tributes, 31. and great priuilegies, 46. Al which he ſuſpecting to be feaned, perſiſteth with Alexander: 48. who in battel killeth Demetrius: 52. eſpouſeth the kings daughter of Aegypt: 59. calleth Ionathas to the mariage: 62. and honoreth him as a king. 67. Demetrius (the ſonne) coming into Syria, ſendeth Apollonius againſt Ionathas: 70. prouoketh him, 74. and is ouerthrowen (79. notwithſtanding his ambushment of a thouſand horſemen) 83. Ionathas burneth Aſotus, with their idol Dagon. 86. ſo returneth by Aſcalon to Ieruſalem with great glorie.

1 AND in the yeare an hundreth threeſcore came vp Alexander [::] the ſonne of Antiochus, that was ſurnamed Noble: and he tooke Ptolemais, and they receiued him, and he reigned there.

2 And Demetrius the king heard it, and he gathered together an exceding great armie, and went forth to meete him into battel.

3 And Demetrius ſent an epiſtle to Ionathas in peaceable wordes, to magnifie him.

4 For he ſayd: Let vs preuent to make peace with him, before he make with Alexander againſt vs:

5 for he wil remember al the euils, that we haue done againſt him, and againſt his brother, and againſt his nation.

6 And he gaue him authoritie to gather an armie, and to make weapons, and to be himſelf his felow: and the hoſtages that were in the caſtel, he commanded to be deliuered to him.

7 And Ionathas came into Ieruſalem, and read the epiſtles in the hearing of al the people, and of them that were in the caſtle.

8 And they feared with great feare, becauſe they heard that the king gaue him authoritie to gather an armie.

9 And the hoſtages were deliuered to Ionathas, & he rendered them to their parents.

10 And Ionathas dwelt in Ieruſalem, and began to build, and to renew the citie.

11 And he ſpake to them that made the workes, that they should build the walles, and mount Sion round about with ſquare ſtones for munition: and ſo they did.

12 And the Aliens fled that were in the holdes, which Bacchides had built:

13 and euerie man left his place, and departed into his owne countrie:

14 onlie in Bethſura there remained ſome of them, that had forſaken the law, and the precepts of God: for this was for a refuge to them.

15 And Alexander the king heard of the promiſes, that Demetrius had promiſed to Ionathas: and they told him the battels, and the worthie acts that he did, and his bretheren, and the labours, that they endured:

16 and he ſayd: Why, shal we find any ſuch man? and now we wil make him a freind, & our felow.

17 And he wrote an epiſtle, & ſent it to him according to theſe wordes, ſaying:

18 KING Alexander to his brother Ionathas greeting.

19 We haue heard of thee, that thou art mightie of powre, and art meete to be our freind:

20 & now [::] we make thee this day high prieſt of thy nation, that thou be called the kings freind (and he ſent him purple, and a crowne of gold) and in our affayres thou be of one minde with vs, and keepe amitie towards vs.

21 And Ionathas put on him the holie ſtole the ſeuenth moneth, in the yeare an hundreth threeſcore in the ſolemne day of Scenopegia: and he gathered an armie, and made very manie weapons.

22 And Demetrius heard theſe wordes, and was exceding ſorie, and ſayd:

23 What is this that we haue done, that Alexander hath preuented vs to take the frendshippe of the Iewes for his ſtrength?

24 I alſo wil write to them wordes of requeſt, and dignities, and gifts: that they may be with me to ayde me.

25 And he wrote to them in theſe wordes: KING Demetrius to the nation of the Iewes greeting.

26 Becauſe you haue kept couenant towards vs, and haue continewed in our amitie, and haue not ioyned to our enemies, [::] we haue heard of it, & are glad.

27 And now perſeuere ſtil to keepe fidelitie towards vs, & we wil reward you with good thinges, ⟨illegible⟩or that you haue done with vs.

28 And we wil remitte you manie charges, and wil geue you manie gifts.

29 And now I releaſe you, and al the Iewes from tributes, and I pardon you the prices of ſalt, and remitte the crownes, and the thirds of the ſeede:

30 and the halfe of the fruite of trees, which is my portion, I leaue to you from this day forward, that it be not taken of the land of Iuda, and of the three cities that are added therto of Samaria, and Galilee from this day and for euer:

31 and let Ieruſalem be holie, and free with the coaſts therof: and the tithes, & tributes be they to it.

32 I releaſe alſo the authoritie of the caſtel, that is in Ieruſalem, and I geue it to the high prieſt, to place therin men whomſoeuer he shal chooſe, that may keepe it.

33 And euerie ſoule of the Iewes, that is captiue from the land of Iuda in al my kingdom, I diſmiſſe free for nothing, that al may be diſcharged alſo from tributes of their cattel.

34 And al the ſolemne dayes, and the ſabbaths, and the new moones, and the dayes appointed, and three dayes before the ſolemne day, and three dayes after the ſolemne day let them al be of immunitie and remiſſion, to al the Iewes that are in my kingdom:

35 and no man shal haue powre to do any thing, and to make buſineſſes againſt any of them in any cauſe.

36 And let there be inrolled of the Iewes in the kinges armie to the number of thirtie thouſand men: and allowance ſhal be geuen them as behoueth to al the kings bands, and of them there ſhal be ordayned certaine, that shal be in the fortreſſes of the great king:

37 and of theſe there shal be appoynted ouer the affayres of the kingdom, that are done of truſt, and let there be princes of them, and let them walke in their owne lawes, as the king hath commanded in the land of Iuda.

38 And the three cities that are added to Iurie of the countrie of Samaria, let them be accounted with Iurie: that they may be vnder one, and obey no other powre, but the high prieſtes:

39 Prolomais, and the confines therof, which I haue geuen for a gift to the holies, that are in Ieruſalem, to the neceſſarie charges of the holie thinges.

40 And I geue euerie yeare fiftene thouſand ſicles of ſiluer of the kings accounts, that belong to me:

41 and al that is aboue which they had not rendred, that were ouer the affayres the yeares before, from this time they shal geue it to the workes of the houſe.

42 And beſide theſe fiue thouſand ſicles of ſiluer, which they receiued of the account of the holies euerie yeare: and let theſe perteyne to the prieſts, that execute the miniſterie.

43 And whoſoeuer flee into the temple that is in Ieruſalem, & in al the coaſts therof, in the kings danger for matter, let them be diſmiſſed, & al thinges, that they haue in my kingdom, let them haue it free.

44 And to build or repayre the workes of the holie places, the charges shal be geuen of the kings account:

45 and to build the walles in Ieruſalem, and to fortifie them round about, the charges shal be geuen of the kings account, and to build the walles in Iurie.

46 But as Ionathas, and the people heard theſe wordes, [::] they beleued them not, nor receiued them: becauſe they remembred the great miſchife, that he had done in Iſrael, and had afflicted them excedingly.

47 And their liking was toward Alexander, becauſe he had bene the firſt mouer of the wordes of peace vnto them, and him they ayded al dayes.

48 And king Alexander gathered a great armie, and moued the campe nere to Demetrius.

49 And the two kinges ioyned battel, and the armie of Demetrius fled, and Alexander purſewed him, and vrged them ſore.

50 And the battel grew very ſore, til the ſunne went downe: and Demetrius was ſlaine in that day.

51 And Alexander ſent legates to [::] Ptolomee king of Aegypt according to theſe wordes, ſaying:

52 BECAVSE I am returned into my kingdom, and am ſet in the ſeate of my fathers, and haue obteyned the princedom, and haue deſtroyed Demetrius, and poſſeſſed our countrie,

53 and haue ioyned battel with him, and he is deſtroyed him ſelf, & his campe by vs, and we ſit in the ſeate of his kingdom:

54 and now let vs make amitie one with an other: and geue me thy daughter to wife, and I wil be thy ſonne in law, and I wil geue thee gifts, and to her, dignitie.

55 And king Ptolomee anſwered, ſaying: HAPPIE is the day wherin thou art returned to the land of thy fathers, and art ſet in the ſeate of their kingdom.

56 And now I wil doe to thee that which thou haſt writen: but meete me at Ptolemais, that we may ſee one an other, and I may deſpouſe her to thee as thou haſt ſayd.

57 And Ptolomee went out of Aegypt, he and Cleopatra his daughter, and he came to Ptolomais in the yeare an hundred threeſcore and two.

58 And Alexander the king mette him, and he gaue him Cleopatra his daughter: and he made her mariage at Ptolomais, as kinges in great glorie.

59 And king Alexander wrote to Ionathas, that he ſhould come to meete him.

60 And he went with glorie to Ptolomais, and he mette there the two kinges, and he gaue them much ſiluer, and gold, and gifts: and he found grace in their ſight.

61 And there aſſembled againſt him peſtilent men of Iſrael, wicked men ſoliciting againſt him: and the king attended not to them.

62 And he commanded Ionathas to be changed of his garments, and that he should be clothed with purple: and ſo they did. And the king placed him to ſit with him ſelf.

63 And he ſayd to his princes: Goe ye out with him into the middes of the citie, & proclame, that no man ſolicite againſt him for any matter, and that no man be trubleſome vnto him for any cauſe.

64 And it came to paſſe, as they that ſolicited, [::] ſaw his glorie that was published, & him couered with purple, they al fled:

65 and the king magnified him, and wrote him amongſt his chiefe freindes, and made him Duke, and partaker of the princedom.

66 And Ionathas returned into Ieruſalem with peace, and ioy.

67 In the yeare an hundreth ſixtie fiue came Demetrius the ſonne of Denetrius from Crete into the land of his fathers.

68 And Alexander the king heard it, and he was verie ſorie, and returned to Antioche.

69 And Demetrius the king made Apollonius general, who was ruler of Coeleſiria: & he gathered a great armie, & came to Iamnia: and he ſent to Ionathas the high prieſt,

70 ſaying: Thou onlie reſiſteſt vs, and I am brought into deriſion, and into reproch, becauſe thou doeſt exerciſe powre againſt vs in the mountains.

71 Now therfore if thou truſt in thy forces, come downe to vs into the plaine, let vs compare there one with an other: becauſe with me is the force of battels.

72 Aske, and learne who I am, and the reſt, that ayde me, who alſo ſay that your foote can not ſtand before our face, becauſe twiſe haue thy fathers bene put to flight in their owne land:

73 and now how wilt thou be able to abide the horſemen, & ſo great an armie in the plaine, where is no ſtone, nor rocke, nor place to flee?

74 But as Ionathas heard the wordes of Apollonius, he was moued in minde: and he choſe tenne thouſand men, and went forth from Ieruſalem, & Simon his brother mette him to ayde him.

75 And they moued the campe to Ioppe, and it shut him out of the citie: becauſe the gariſon of Apollonius was in Ioppe, and he aſſaulted it.

76 And they that were in the citie being put in great feare, opened to him, and Ionathas obteyned Ioppe.

77 And Apollonius heard it, & he tooke three thouſand horſemen, and a great armie.

78 And he went to Azotus as making iorney, and immediatly he went forth into the plaine: becauſe he had a multitude of horſemen, and he truſted in them. And Ionathas purſewed him vnto Azorus, and they ioyned battel.

79 And Apollonius left in the campe a thouſand horſemen behinde them ſecretly.

80 And Ionathas vnderſtood that there was an embushement behind him, and they compaſſed his campe, and they threw dartes vpon the people from morning euen vnto euening.

81 But [::] the people ſtood, as Ionathas had commanded: and their horſes laboured.

82 And Simon put forth his armie, and ioyned it againſt the legion: for the horſemen were wearied: and they were diſcomfited by him, and fled.

83 And they that were ſcattered by the playne, fled into Azotus, and entered into Bethdagon their idol houſe, there to ſaue them ſelues.

84 And Ionathas burnt Azorus, and the cities that were round about it, and he tooke the ſpoiles of them, and the temple of Dagon: and al that fled into it, he burnt with fire.

85 And there were that were ſlayne by the ſword, with theſe that were burnt, almoſt eight thouſand men.

86 And Ionathas remoued the campe from thence, and brought it to Aſcalon: and they went out of the citie to meete him in great glorie.

87 And Ionathas returned into Ieruſalem with his companie, hauing manie ſpoiles.

88 And it came to paſſe: as Alexander the king heard theſe wordes, he added yet to glorifie Ionathas.

89 And he ſent him a cheyne of gold, as the cuſtome is to be geuen to the coſins of kings. And he gaue him Accaron and al the borders therof in poſſeſſion.

Marginal notes to Chapter 10

• 1 [::] He falſely auovvched that he vvas the ſonne of Antiochus Epiphanes. for he was in dede of very meane birth. Iuſtinus, li. 35.
• 20 [::] It vvas not in the kinges povvre to make Ionatha⟨illegible⟩ high prieſt but he being ſo before, the ⟨illegible⟩ing from this time did ſo account him▪
• 26 [::] This king Demetrius to gette his deſired purpoſe, ſticked not to vvrite a plainelye, for he had heard that the Ievves had refuſed him and made league vvith his enimie Alexander v, 22, 23.
• 46 [::] Notwithſtanding the great offers of euil diſpoſed men, Ionathas and al prudent men conſidering their former vvicked dedes do not geue credite to glorious vvordes.
• 46 ch. 7. v. 11.
• 51 [::] This Ptolomeus Philometor decided a controuerſie that the Iewes had the true temple in Ieruſalem, and that the Samaritanes temple in Garizim vvas ſchiſmatical: vvhich he iudged becauſe albeit both pleaded antiquitie, yet only the Iewes proued by continual ſucceſſion of high prieſtes from Aaron, and ſhewed that the other departed from them, firſt in the time of Ieroboam, and aftervvardes, built that temple in Garizim, vvhen ſome were returned from captiuitie: vvherof Ioſephus vvriteth. li. 13. c. 6. Antiquit. Our Sauiour alſo iudged that the cauſe of the Ievves vvas better, Ioan. 4. v. 22.
• 64 [::] VVhen caluminators ſee that the innocent is iuſtified and honored, they faile in their hart to procede againſt him.
• 81 [::] Ionathas ſet his armie in that maner as on euerie ſide his men ſtood in front readie to reſiſt the force of the enemie coming towards them, al their backes ſo turned vvithin their ovvne ſquadron, that the enemie could no vvay enter without preſent reſiſtance: and ſo thoſe of the embuſhment could only caſt dartes, but could not breake the aray of Ionathas campe, not make anie entrance with out their owne preſent death.

Chapter 11

CHAP. XI. Ptolomeus king of Aegypt deceiptfully coming into Syria, 8. ſurpriſeth certaine cities, & taking his daughter from Alexander geueth her to Demetrius. 15. Alexander flying away, 17. is treacherouſly ſlaine. 18. Ptolomeus dyeth the third day, and Demetrius reigneth. 20. Ionathas beſiegeth the fortreſſe which reſiſted him in Ieruſalem. 24. obtayneth of Demetrius remiſſion of tributes, and other priuilegies. 38 Demetrius diſmiſſing his armie, the ſouldiars conſpire with Tryphon againſt him. 43. Ionathas aydeth him with three thouſand men, who kil an hundred thouſand mutiners. 53. Demetrius breaking league with Ionathas, is ouerthrowen by Tryphon. 57, Young Antiochus reneweth league with Ionathas: and he (65. as likewiſe his brother Simon) proſpereth: 67. in great danger prayeth and preuaileth.

1 AND the king of Egypt gathered an armie, [::] as the ſand that is about the ſea shore, and manie shippes: and he ſought to winne the kingdom of Alexander by guile, and to adde it to his owne kingdom.

2 And he went out into Syria with peaceable wordes, and they opened to him the cities, and mette him: becauſe Alexander the king had commanded them to goe forth to meete him, for that he was his father in law.

3 But when Ptolomee entered the cities, he put garriſons of ſouldiars in euerie citie.

4 And as he approched to Azotus, they shewed him the temple of dagon burnt with fyre, and Azotus, and the reſt therof throwen downe, and the bodies caſt forth, and the graues of them that were ſlaine in the battel, which they had made neere the way.

5 And they told the king that Ionathas did theſe thinges: to raiſe enuie againſt him: and the king held his peace.

6 And Ionathas came to meete the king into Ioppe with glorie, and they ſaluted one an other, and they ſlept there.

7 And Ionathas went with the king euen to the riuer, that was called Eleutherus: and he returned into Ieruſalem.

8 And king Ptolomee obteyned the dominion of the cities euen to Seleucia by the ſea ſide, and he purpoſed euil purpoſes againſt Alexander.

9 And ſent legates to Demetrius, ſaying: Come, let vs make a league betwen vs, and I wil geue thee my daughter that Alexander hath, & thou shalt reigne in the kingdom of thy father.

10 For it repenteth me that I haue geuen him my daughter: for he hath ſought to kil me.

11 And he diſpraſed him, for that he coueted his kingdom,

12 and he tooke away his daughter, & gaue her to Demetrius, and alienated him ſelf from Alexander, and his emnities were made manifeſt.

13 And Ptolomee entered into Antioch, & he put two crownes vpon his head, of Egypt, & of Aſia.

14 But Alexander the king was in Cilicia at that time: becauſe they rebelled that were in thoſe places.

15 And Alexander heard it, and came to him into battel: and Ptolomee the king brought forth an armie, and mette him with a ſtrong power, and put him to flight.

16 And Alexander fled into Arabia, there to be protected: and king Ptolomee was exalted.

17 And Zabdiel an Arabian tooke of Alexanders head, & ſent it to Ptolomee.

18 And king Ptolomee died the third day: and they that were in the fortreſſes, perished by them that were within the campe.

19 And Demetrius reigned the yeare an hundreth ſixtie ſeuen.

20 In thoſe dayes Ionathas gathered together them, that were in Iurie, to winne the caſtel in Ieruſalem: and they made engins againſt it.

21 And certaine [::] that hated their owne nation wicked men, went to king Demetrius, and told him that Ionathas beſieged the caſtel.

22 And as he heard it, he was wrath: and forth with he came to P⟨illegible⟩olemais, and wrote to Ionathas, that he should not beſiege the caſtel, but should meete him to talke together in haſt.

23 But as Ionathas heard it, [::] he bade them beſiege it: and he choſe of the ancients of Iſrael, and of the prieſts, and put himſelf in hazard.

24 And he tooke gold, and ſiluer and rayments, and manie other preſents, and went to the king to P⟨illegible⟩olomais, and he found grace in his ſight.

25 And certaine wicked men of his nation ſolicited againſt him.

26 And [::] the king did to him, as they had done to him which had bene before him: and he exalted him in the ſight of al his freinds,

27 and he eſtablished to him the chiefe prieſthood, and whatſoeuer other thinges he had before precious, and he made him the chiefe of his freindes.

28 And Ionathas requeſted of the king that he would make Iurie free, and the three [::] toparchies, & Samaria, & the confines therof: and he promiſed him three hundred talents.

29 And the king conſented: and he wrote to Ionathas epiſtles of al theſe thinges, conteyning this tenure.

30 KING Demetrius to his brother Ionathas greeting, & to the nation of the Iewes.

31 A copie of the epiſtle, which we haue writen to Laſthenes our parent concerning you, we haue ſent to you that you might know it.

32 KING Demetrius to Laſthenes his parent greeting.

33 We haue determined to do good to the nation of the Iewes our freinds, & that keepe the thinges that are iuſt with vs, for their gentlenes which they beare towards vs.

34 We haue ordayned therfore vnto them al the coaſts of Iurie, & the three cities, Apherema, Lyda, & Ramatha, which are added to Iurie of Samaria, & al their confines, to be ſequeſtred to al them that ſacrifice in Ieruſalem, for theſe thinges, which the king receiued of them euerie yeare, and for the fruits of the land, and of the trees.

35 And other thinges, that perteined to vs of the tithes, and of the tributes, from this time we remitte to them: and the ſalt floores, and the crownes, that were preſented to vs,

36 we grant al to them, and nothing of theſe shal be broken from this time, and for euer.

37 Now therfore prouide to make a copie of theſe, and let it be geuen to Ionathas, and let it be layd in the holie mount, and in a ſolemne place.

38 And Demetrius the king ſeing that the land was quiet in his ſight, and nothing reſiſted him, he diſmiſſed al his armie, euerie man to his place, except the forren armie, which he brought from the iles of the Gentils: and al the bandes of his fathers were enemies to him.

39 And there was one Tryphon of Alexanders part before: and he ſaw that al the armie murmured againſt Demetrius, & he went to Em⟨illegible⟩lchuel the Arabian, that brought vp Antiochus the ſonne of Alexander:

40 And he lay vpon him, to deliuer this Antiochus vnto him, to reigne in his fathers place: and he declared vnto him what great thinges Demetrius did, & the emnities of his hoſts againſt him. And he taried there manie dayes.

41 And Ionathas ſent to Demetrius the king, that he would caſt out them, that were in the caſtel in Ieruſalem, and that were in the holdes: becauſe they impugned Iſrael.

42 And Demetrius ſent to Ionathas, ſaying: I wil not onlie doe theſe thinges for thee, and for thy nation, but with glorie I wil honour thee, and thy nation, when it shal be time conuenient.

43 Now therfore thou shalt doe wel if thou wilt ſend men to helpe me: becauſe al mine armie is departed.

44 And Ionathas ſent him [::] three thouſand valient men to Antioch: and they came to the king, and the king was delighted at their coming.

45 And there aſſembled they that were of the citie, an hundred twentie thouſand men, and they would haue ſlaine the king.

46 And the king fled into the court: and they that were of the citie kept the wayes of the citie, and began to ⟨illegible⟩ight.

47 And the king called the Iewes for ayde: and they came together to him al at once, and they were al diſperſed through the citie.

48 And they ſlew in that day an hundred thouſand men, and they burnt the citie, and tooke manie ſpoiles in that day, and deliuered the king.

49 And they that were of the citie ſaw, that the Iewes had obteyned the citie as they would: and they were diſcomfited in their minde, and cried to the king with petitions, ſaying:

50 Geue vs the right hand, and let the Iewes ceaſe to oppugne vs, and the citie.

51 And they threw away their weapons, & made peace, and the Iewes were glorified in the kings ſight, & were renowmed in the ſight of al that were in his kingdom, & returned into Ieruſalem with manie ſpoiles.

52 And king Demetrius ſate in the ſeat of his kingdom: & the land was at reſt in his ſight.

53 And he feaned al thinges whatſoeuer he ſayd, and alienated himſelf from Ionathas, and he requited him not according to the benefites, that he had geuen him, and he vexed him excedingly.

54 And after theſe thinges Tryphon returned, and with him Antiochus the yong boy, who reigned, and put the crowne vpon him.

55 And there gathered vnto him al the bandes, which Demetrius had diſperſed, and they fought agaynſt him: and he fled, and turned the backe.

56 And Tryphon tooke the beaſtes, and wanne Antioch.

57 And Antiochus the yong man wrote to Ionathas, ſaying: I appoynt to thee the prieſthood, and I place thee ouer the foure cities, that thou mayſt be of the kings freinds.

58 And he ſent him veſſels of gold for his ſeruice, and he gaue him leaue [::] to drinke in gold, and to be in purple, and to haue a cheyne of gold:

59 And he appointed Simon his brother gouerner from the borders of Tyre euen to the coaſts of Aegypt.

60 And Ionathas went forth, and walked through the cities beyond the riuer: and al the band of Syria gathered vnto him to helpe him, and he came to Aſcalon, & they mette him honorably out of the citie.

61 And he went from thence to Gaza: and they that were in Gaza, shut in them ſelues: and he beſieged it, & burnt the thinges that were round about the citie, and he ſpoiled it.

62 And the men of Gaza beſought Ionathas, and he gaue them the right hand: and he tooke their ſonnes for hoſtages, and ſent them into Ieruſalem: and he walked through the countrie euen to Damaſcus.

63 And Ionathas heard that the princes of Demetrius preuaricated in Cades, which is in Galilee, with a great armie meaning to remoue him from the affayres of the kingdom:

64 and he went againſt them: but his brother Simon he left within the prouince.

65 And Simon approched to Bethſura, and expugned it manie dayes, and incloſed them.

66 And they requeſted of him [::] to take the right handes, and he gaue it them: and he caſt them out from thence, and tooke the citie, and placed therin a gartiſon.

67 And Ionathas, and his campe approched to the water of Geneſar, and before it was light they watched in the plaine Aſor.

68 And loe the campe of the aliens mette him in the playne, & they layd embushments for him in the mountaines: but he went againſt them.

69 And the embushments roſe out of their places, and they ioyned battel.

70 And al fled that were on Ionathas part, and [::] none was left of them, but Mathathias the ſonne of Abſolom, and Iudas the ſonne of Calphi, chiefe captayne of the chiualrie of the hoſt.

71 And Ionathas rent his garments, and put earth vpon his head, and prayed.

72 And Ionathas returned to them into battel, & he put them to flight, and they fought.

73 And they of his part that fled; ſaw, and returned to him, and Purſewed with him euen to Cades to their campe, and they came euen thither.

74 And there fel of the aliens in that day three thouſand men: and Ionathas returned into Ieruſalem.

Marginal notes to Chapter 11

• 1 [::] By this hyperbolical deſcription (very frequent in holie ſcripture) is ſignified that Ptolomeus armie vvas exceding great, yea greater then can be eaſily conceiued, & therfore is deſcribed by exceſſiue termes.
• 21 [::] VVhen paſtors endeuour to extirpate ſi⟨illegible⟩ne out of the mindes of the people, thoſe that hate godlines, ſuggeſt to temporal princes that▪ ſuch ſpiritual preaching is dangerous to their ſtate.
• 23 [::] But zelous men ceaſe not from ſo neceſſarie a worke, becauſe Gods vvord is not ⟨illegible⟩yed▪ 2. Tim. 2.
• 26 [::] And vviſe kinges vvil moſt eſteme of ſuch men, knovving that their fidelitie tovvards God, is an aſſurance that they vvil alſo be faithful to princes.
• 28 [::] The king had before adioyned principal places to Iudea vvhich were called ⟨illegible⟩opa⟨illegible⟩chi⟨illegible⟩ that is places of principalitie, or principal gouernments: novv he granted alſo immunities to them as to al Iudea and Samaria.
• 44 [::] Three thouſand faithful enco⟨illegible⟩ing vvith an hundred & twentie thouſand infidels, killed of them in one day an hundred thouſand.
• 58 [::] As to vveare purple, and to bare a crowne ſo to drinke in gold cuppes and to vveare a gold cheyne, vvas proper to kinges, and to vvhom they gaue licenſe.
• 66 [::] It is an ancient ceremonie in al uations, often mentioned in theſe bookes, to confirme peace by geuing ech other the right hand.
• 70 [::] Only tvvo captaines remained and vvith them ſome ſouldiars (as Ioſephus vvriteth, about 50) for it is not to be thought that Ionathas vvould haue returned to battel. v 72. being but three men in al to beginne a new aſſault.

Chapter 12

CHAP. XII. Ionathas confirmeth league with the Romanes, and Spartiates, by letters: 19. with mention of letters receiued before, 24. By diligent guard he defendeth the countrie from the enimies inuaſions, putting them to flight. 31. ſubdueth the Arabians, and returneth by Damaſcus. (33. Simon proſpering in other places.) fortifieth Ieruſalem, 39. Finally is deceiued by Tryphon. 48. and al his men are ſlaine.

1 AND Ionathas ſaw that the time helped him, he choſe men and ſent them to Rome, to eſtablish and to renew amitie with them:

2 and to [::] the Spartiats, and to other places he ſent epiſtles according to the ſame tenure.

3 And they went to Rome, and entered into the court, and ſayd: Ionathas the hight prieſt, and the nation of the Iewes haue ſent vs to renew the amitie, and ſocietie according as before.

4 And they gaue them epiſtles vnto them by place and place, to conduct them into the land of Iuda with peace.

5 And this is a copie of the epiſtles which Ionathas wrote to the Spartiats:

6 IONATHAS the high prieſt, and the ancients of the nation, and the prieſts, and the reſt of the people of the Iewes, to the Spartiats [::] their bretheren greeting.

7 Long agoe were epiſtles ſent to Onias the high prieſt from Arius who reigned with you, that you are our bretheren, as the writing conteyneth, that here beneath foloweth.

8 And Onias receiued the man; that was ſent, with honour: and he receiued the epiſtles, where in there was ſignification of the ſocietie, and amitie.

9 We wheras we neded none of theſe hauing for our comfort the holie bookes, that are in our handes,

10 choſe rather to ſend vnto you to renew the fraternitie, leſt perhaps we be made aliens from you: for much time is paſſed, ſince you ſent to vs.

11 We therfore at al time without intermiſſion in the ſolenne dayes, and the reſt where in we should, are mindful of you in the ſacrifices, that we offer, and in the obſeruances, as it is meete, and becometh to remember bretheren.

12 We reioyce therfore of your glorie.

13 But manie tribulations haue compaſſed vs, and manie battels, and the kinges that are round about vs, haue impugned vs.

14 We therfore would not be trubleſome to you, nor to the reſt our felowes and freindes in theſe battels.

15 For we haue had ayde from heauen, and we are deliuered, and our enemies are humbled.

16 We haue choſen therfore Numenius the ſonne of Antiochus, and Autipater the ſonne of Iaſon, and haue ſent to the Romanes to renew with them the old amitie and ſocietie.

17 We therfore haue commanded them that they come vnto you alſo, & ſalute you, and deliuer you our epiſtles, concerning the renewing of our fraternitie.

18 And now you shal doe wel in anſwering vs to theſe thinges.

19 And this is [::] the reſcript of the epiſtles, which he had ſent to Onias:

20 ARIVS the king of the Spartians to Onias the grand prieſt greeting.

21 It is found [::] in ſcripture of the Spartians, and the Iewes that they are bretheren, & that they are of the ſtocke of Abraham.

22 And now ſince we vnderſtood theſe thinges, you doe wel in writing to vs of your peace.

23 Yea and we haue writen agayne to you, Our cattel, & our poſſeſſions, are yours: and yours, ours. We therfore haue commanded that theſe thinges be told you.

24 And Ionathas heard that the princes of Demetrius were come agayne with a great armie more then before to fight againſt him.

25 And he went out from Ieruſalem, aud mette them in the countrie of Amathis: for he gaue them not ſpace to enter into his countrie.

26 And he ſent ſpies into their campe, & they returning reported that they appointed to come vpon them in the night.

27 And when the ſunne was ſet, Ionathas cammanded his men to watch, and to be in armour readie to fight al night, & he ſet watchmen round about the campe.

28 And the aduerſaries heard that Ionathas with his companie was prepared to battel: & they feared, and were afrayd in their hart: and they kindled fyres in their campe.

29 But Ionathas, and they that were with him, knew it not til the morning: and they ſaw light burning,

30 and Ionathas folowed them, and ouertooke them not: for they had paſſed the riuer Eleutherus.

31 And Ionathas turned aſide to the Arabians, that were called Zabadeans: and he ſtroke them, and tooke the ſpoiles of them.

32 And he ioyned, and came to Damaſcus, and walked through al that countrie.

33 But Simon went forth, and came euen to Aſcalon, and to the next holdes, and he declined into Ioppe, and tooke it. (

34 For he heard that they would deliuer the hold to Demetrius part) and he put a garriſon there to keepe it.

35 And Ionathas returned, & called together the ancients of the people, and he conſulted with them to build fortreſſes in Iurie,

36 and to build the walles in Ieruſalem, and to reate a mount of a great height betwen the caſtel and the citie, to ſeparate it from the citie, that it might be alone, and they might neither bye nor ſel:

37 And they came together to build the citie: and the wal fel that was vpon the torrent toward the riſing of the ſunne, and he repayred it, which is called Caphetetha:

38 and Simon built Adiada in Sephela, and fortified it, & hanged on gates aud lockes.

39 And when [::] Tryphon had purpoſed to reigne ouer Aſia, and to take the crowne & to extend his hand againſt Antiochus the king:

40 fearing leſt perhaps Ionathas would not permit him, but would fight againſt him: he ſought to take him: & to kil him. And riſing vp he went into Bethſan.

41 And Ionathas went forth to meete him with fourtie thouſand choſen men into battel, and came to Bethſam.

42 And Tryphon ſaw that Ionathas came with a great armie, to extend his handes vpon him: and he feared:

43 and receiued him with honour, and commended him to al his freindes, and gaue him gifts: and he commanded his hoſts to obey him, as him ſelf.

44 And he ſayd to ſonathas: Why haſt thou trubled al the people: wheras we haue no warre?

45 And now ſend them backe to their houſes, but chooſe thee a few men, that may be with thee, and come with me to Prolemais, and I wil deliuer it to thee, and the other holdes, and the armie, and al the ouerſeers of the affayres, and returning I wil depart: for therfore I came.

46 And Ionathas beleued him, and did as he ſayd: and diſmiſſed his armie, and they departed into the land of Iuda:

47 but he reteyned with him three thouſand men: of whom he ſent backe two thouſand into Galilee, and a thouſand came with him.

48 But as Ionathas entered into Prolemais, they of Ptolemais shut the gates of the citie: and they tooke him, and al that had entered with him they ſlew with the ſword.

49 And Tryphon ſent an armie and horſemen into Galilee, and into the great playne to deſtroy al Ionathas felowes.

50 But they when they vnderſtood that Ionathas was taken, and was perished, and al that were with him, they encouraged them ſelues, & went forth readie to battel

51 And theſe that had purſewed, ſeing that the matter ſtood vpon their life, they returned.

52 But they came al with peace into the land of Iuda. And they lamented Ionathas, and them that were with him excedingly: and Iſrael mourned with great mourning.

53 And al the heathen that were round abour them, ſought to deſtroy them. for they ſayd:

54 They haue no prince, and helper: now therfore let vs expugne them, and take away from men the memorie of them.

Marginal notes to Chapter 12

• 2 [::] Sparta the chief citie of Lacedemonia called alſo Lacedemon, and Theramne.
• 6 [::] Spartians otherwiſe called Lacedemonians (by Ioſephus and other vvriters) deſcended from Abraham, v. 21. and vvere in great league vvith the Ievves.
• 19 [::] The Spartianes had written this epiſtle before Onias vvritte to thē, though it be here placed after.
• 21 [::] There remained vvith the Spartiates old vvrites of genealogies, as Ioſephus ſuppoſeth. li. 12. c. 5. & li. 13. c. 9.
• 39 [::] Morally in Tryphon is noted the practiſe of the diuel: vvho intending to ouerthrovv a king or a kingdom firſt ſeeketh to deceiue the paſtores, and to deſtroy them: eſpecially by error or other ſinne. For (as S. Gregorie teacheth. ho. 38.) if the paſtors life be corrupted, his doctrine vvil be contemned.

Chapter 13

CHAP. XIII. Simon exhorteth the people to defend themſelues, and religion: 7. is made general captaine. 14. Tryphon demandeth an bundred talents of ſiluer, and hoſtages for Ionathas. 17. which are ſent (to ſatisfie the people) Tryphon receiueth the rarſom, 23. killeth Ionathas, and his ſonnes. 25 Simon erecteth a memorie to his parentes and bretheren. 31. Tryphon murthereth his young king. 33. Simon fortifieth the countrie, obteyneth peace, and liberties of Demetrius: 42. ſubdueth the citie Gaza, and the rebellious caſtle within Ieruſalem.

1 AND [::] Simon heard that Tryphon gathered a very great armie, to come into the land of Iuda, and to deſtroy it.

2 Seing that the people was in dread, and in feare, he went vp to Iuruſalem, and aſſembled the people:

3 and exhorting he ſayd: You know what great battels I and my bretheren, and the houſe of my father, haue made for the lawes, & the holies, and the diſtreſſes that we haue ſene:

4 by reaſon of theſe are al my bretheren perished for Iſrael, and I onlie am left.

5 And now let it not fal to me to ſpate my life in al time of tribulation: for I am not better then my bretheren.

6 I wil [::] auenge therfore my nation and the holies, our children alſo, & wiues: becauſe al the heathen are gathered together to deſtroy vs of emnitie.

7 And the ſpirit of the people was kindled as ſoone as they heard theſe wordes:

8 and they anſwered with a lowd voice, ſaying: Thou art our captayne in the place of Iudas, and Ionathas thy brother:

9 fight thou our battel, & we wil doe al thinges whatſoeuer thou shalt ſay to vs.

10 And gathering together al the men of warre, he haſtened to finish al the walles of Ieruſalem, and fortified it round about.

11 And he ſent Ionathas the ſonne of Abſalom, & with him a new armie into Ioppe, and they that were in the caſtel being caſt out, he remayned there.

12 And Tryphon remoued from Prolemais with a great armie, to come into the land of Iuda, & Ionathas with him in ward.

13 But Simon pitched in Addus againſt the face of the playne.

14 And a Tryphon vnderſtood that Simon was riſen in the place of his brother Ionathas: and that he would ioyne battel with him, he ſent legats to him,

15 ſaying: For the ſiluer, that thy brother Ionathas owed in the kings account, for the affayres which he had, we haue ſtayed him.

16 And now ſend an hundred talents of ſiluer, and his two ſonnes for hoſtages, that being diſmiſſed he flee not from vs, and we wil releaſe him.

17 And Simon knew that with guile he ſpake with him, [::] neuertheles he commanded the ſiluer, and the children to be geuen: leſt he should get great emnitie with the people of Iſrael, ſaying:

18 Becauſe he ſent not the ſiluer, & the children, therfore is he perished.

19 And he ſent the children, and the hundred talents: and helyed, and diſmiſſed not Ionathas.

20 And after theſe thinges came Tryphon within the countrie, to deſtroy it, and they compaſſed by the way that leadeth to Addar, & Simon, and his campe marched into euerie place whither ſoeuer they went.

21 And they that were in the caſtel, ſent legates to Tryphon, that he should haſten to come through the deſert, and should ſend them victuals.

22 And Tryphon prepared al the horſemen, to come that night: but there was an exceding great ſnow, and he came not into the countrie of Galaad.

23 And when he had approched to Baſcama, he ſlew Ionathas and his ſonnes there.

24 And Tryphon returned, & went into his countrie.

25 And Simon ſent, and tooke the bones of Ionathas his brother, and buried them in Modin the citie of his fathers.

26 And al Iſrael lamented him with great lamentation: & they mourned for him manie dayes,

27 And Simon [::] built ouer the ſepulcher of his father and of his bretheren, a building high to behold, of ſtone polished behind and before:

28 and he erected ſeuen ſpyres one againſt one, to his father and mother, and to his foure bretheren:

29 and about theſe he ſet great pillers: and vpon the pillers armour for an eternal memorie: and by the armour shippes grauen, which might be ſene of al that ſayled the ſea.

30 This is the ſepulcher, that he made in Modin euen vntil this day.

31 But Tryphon whē he iourneyed with Antiochus the king being but a yong man, by guile he ſlew him.

32 And he reigned in his place, and put the crowne of Aſia vpon him ſelf, and made a great plague in the land.

33 And Simon built the fortreſſes of Iurie, fortifying them with high towres, and great walles, and gates, and lockes: and he put victuals in the fortreſſes.

34 And Simon choſe men & ſent to Demetrius the king, that he would make a releaſe to the countrie: becauſe al Tryphons actes had bene done by ſpoile.

35 And Demetrius the king according to theſe wordes anſwered him, and wrote an epiſtle in this maner:

36 KING demetrius to Simon the high prieſt, and the freind of kinges, and to the ancients, and to the nation of the Iewes, greeting.

37 The crowne of gold, and [*] the bahem, which you ſent, we haue receiued: and we are readie to make with you great peace, and to write to the kings chiefe officers to releaſe you the thinges that we haue releaſed.

38 For what ſoeuer thinges we haue decreed vnto you, ſtand in force. The holdes that you haue built, let them be to you.

39 We remitte alſo the ignorances, and offences euen vntil this day, and the crowne which you owed: and if any other thing was tributarie in Ieruſalem, now let it not be tributarie.

40 And if anie of you be fitte to be inrolled among ours, let them be inrolled, and let there be peace betwen vs.

41 In the yeare an hundreth ſeuentie was the yoke of the Gentils taken away from Iſrael.

42 And the people of Iſrael began to write in the tables, and publique inſtruments. The firſt yeare vnder Simon the high prieſt, the great duke, and the prince of the Iewes.

43 in theſe dayes Simon approched to Gaza, and compaſſed it with campes, and he made engins, & ſet them to the citie, and he ſtroke one towre, and tooke it.

44 And they that were within the engin, brake out into the citie and there was made a great ſturre in the citie.

45 And they that were in the citie went vp with their wiues, & children vpon the wal their coates rent, and they cried with a lowd voice, deſyring of Simon that the right handes might be geuen them,

46 and they ſayd: Requite vs not according to our malices, but occording to thy mercies.

47 And Simon yelding deſtroyed them not: but [::] yet he caſt them out of the citie, and clenſed the houſes, wherein there had bene idols, and then he entered into it with hymes bleſſing our Lord:

48 and al filthines being caſt out of it, he placed in it men that should doe the law: and he fortified it, and made it his habitation.

49 But they that were in the caſtel of Ieruſalem, were prohibited to goe out and to come in to the countrie, & to bye, and ſel: and they were exceding hungrie, and manie of them perished for famine,

50 and they cried to Simon to receiue the right handes, and he gaue it them: and he caſt them out from thence, and clenſed the caſtel from the contaminations:

51 and they entered into it the three and twentith day of the ſecond moneth, the yeare an hundreth ſeuentie one, with prayſe, and boughes of palme trees, and harpes, and cymbals, & nables, and hymnes, and canticles, becauſe the great enemie was deſtroyed out of Iſrael.

52 And he ordayned that euerie yeare theſe dayes should be kept with gladnes.

53 And he fortified the mount of the temple, that was by the caſtel, and he dwelt there him ſelf, and they that were with him.

54 And Simon ſaw [::] Iohn his ſonne, that he was a valient man of warre: & he made him captayne of al the hoſts: and he dwelt in Gazara.

Marginal notes to Chapter 13

• 1 [::] Simon the fourth general captaine of the Machabees, & highprieſt excelled his bretheren in vviſdome, by the reſtimonie of his father. c. 2. v 65.
• 6 [::] He vndertooke by al his endeuour to defend and deliuer his nation from danger, and to reſtore their former libertie.
• 17 [::] Simon being vviſe choiſe the leſſe euil, and leſſe danger. For if he had not ſent that vvas demanded it was very like and almoſt cettaine, that Ionathas ſhould be ſlaine, and it vvould haue bene imputed to Simon, that he had not taken iuſt care of his brothers life, vvherby the people vvould haue bene alienated from him, and perhaps haue reuolted from him, and alſo from religion. S. Tho. in hunc locum.
• 27 [::] This vvas not vaine glory, but true glorie to kepe memorie of ſo great vertue: therby to ſtur vp others to imitation. He that loueth honour (ſaith S. Auguſtin. li. cont. Secundin. c. 17.) imitateth God. But humble ſoules deſire houour in God, proud men vvil be honoured more then God. or vvithout God. O hovv manie Epitaphes are of vvicked men, nothing els but perpetual monuments of their ambition, vanitie, iniuſtice, crucltie, & other vices! but thoſe that are of true vertues are to Gods more honour: the auctor of al vertues.
• 37 [*] a precious chaine.
• 47 [::] By hovv much more, that mercie is admixed vvith iuſtice, ſo that iuſtice be not deſtroyed, and that religion be aduanced, the better it pleaſeth God, and edifieth the vvel diſpoſed.
• 54 [::] This Iohn Hyreanus defended the countrie againſt inuaders, ch. 16.

Chapter 14

CHAP. XIIII. Demetrius inuading Media is taken captiue: 4. and Iurie is in peace. 14. Simon cherisheth the godlie, and punisheth the wicked: 16. receiueth freindlie letters from the Romanes, and Spartiates: 20. vvherof the copie is recited: 24. ſendeth a legate to Rome with a preſent. 25. And is eſtablished highprieſt, and gouernour by publique conſent.

1 IN THE yeare an hundreth ſeuentie two, king Demetrius gathered his armie, and went into Media to get him aydes to expugne Tryphon.

2 And Arſaces the king of Perſia, and Media heard, that Demetrius was entered his confines, and he ſent one of his princes to take him aliue.

3 And he went, and ſtroke the campe of Demetrius: and tooke him, and brought him to Arſaces, and he put him into ward.

4 And [::] al the land of Iuda was at reſt al the dayes of Simon, and he ſought good to his nation: and his powre, and his glorie pleaſed them al dayes.

5 And with al his glorie he tooke Ioppe for an hauen, and made it an entrance vnto the iles of the ſea.

6 And he enlarged the borders of his nation, and obteyned the countrie.

7 And he gathered a great [::] captiuitie, and had the dominion of Gazara, and of Bethſura, and of the caſtle: and tooke away the vncleanes out of it, and there was none that reſiſted him.

8 And euerie man tilled his land with peace: & the land of Iuda yelded her fruites, and the trees of the fildes their fruit.

9 The ancients ſate al in the ſtreetes, and treated of the good thinges of the land, & the yongmen did on them glorie, and the ſtoles of warre.

10 And he gaue victuals to the cities, and he appointed them that they should be veſſels of munition, til the name of his glorie was renowmed euen to the end of the earth.

11 He made peace vpon the land, & Iſrael reioyced with great ioy.

12 And euerie man ſate vnder his vine, and vnder his figtree: and there was none to make them aſrayd.

13 There was none left that impugned them vpon the earth: kinges were diſcomfited in thoſe dayes.

14 And he confirmed al the humble of his people, and ſought the law, and tooke away euerie wicked and euil man:

15 he glorified the holies, and multiplied the veſſels of the holie places.

16 And it was heard at Rome that Ionathas was dead, and euen vnto the Spartiats: and they were very ſorie.

17 But as they heard that Simon his brother was made the high prieſt in his place, and he obteyned al the countrie, and the cities therein;

18 they wrote to him in braſen tables, to renew the amities and ſocietie, which they had made with Iudas, & with Ionathas his bretheren.

19 And they were read in the ſight of the church in Ieruſalem. And this is a copie of the epiſtles, that the Spartiates ſent.

20 THE PRINCES and [::] the cities of the Spartians to Simon the grand prieſt, and to the ancients, and the prieſts, and the reſt of the people of the Iewes their bretheren, greeting.

21 The legates, that were ſent to our people, haue told vs of your glorie, and honour, and ioy: and we reioyced at their entrance.

22 And we wrote that, which was ſayd of them in the counſels of the people, thus: Numenius the ſonne of Antiochus, and Antipater the ſonne of Iaſon legates of the Iewes, came to vs, renewing with vs old amitie.

23 And it pleaſed the people to receiue the men gloriouſly, and to put a copie of their wordes in the ſeuered booke of the people, to be for a memorie to the people of the Spartiats. And a copie of theſe we haue writen to Simon the grand prieſt.

24 And after theſe thinges Simon ſent Numenius to Rome, hauing a great buckler of gold, of the weight of thouſand poundes, to eſtablish amitie with them. But when the people of Rome had heard

25 theſe wordes, they ſayd: [::] What thankes geuing shal we render to Simon, and his children?

26 For he hath reſtored his bretheren, and hath expugned the enemies of Iſrael from them: & they decreed him libertie, and regiſtred it in tables of braſſe, and put it in titles in mount Sion.

27 And this is a copie of the wriring. THE EIGHTENTH day of the moneth Elul, in the yeare an hundreth ſeuentie two, the third yeare vnder Simon the grand prieſt in Aſaramel,

28 in a great aſſemblie of the prieſts, & of the people and the princes of the nation, and the ancients of the countrie, theſe thinges were notified: that there haue often bene battels made in our countrie.

29 But Simon the ſonne of Mathathias of the children of Iarib, and his bretheren put themſelues in danger, and reſiſted the aduerſaries of their nation, that their holies, and law might ſtand: & with great glorie haue they glorified their nation.

30 And Ionathas gathered together his nation, and was made their grand prieſt, and he was layd to his people.

31 And their enemies would conculcate, and deſtroy their countrie, and extend their handes againſt the holies.

32 Then Simon, reſiſted and fought for his nation, and beſtowed much money, and armed the valient men of his nation, & gaue them wages:

33 and he fortified the cities of Iurie, and Bethſura, that was in the borders of Iurie, where the armour of the enimies was before: and he placed there Iewes for a garriſon.

34 And he fortified Ioppe, which was by the ſea: and Gazara, which is in the borders of Azotus, wherin the enemies dwelt before, and he placed Iewes there:and whatſoeuer was fitte for their correption, he put in them.

35 And the people ſaw the fact of Simon, and the glorie that he meant to doe to his nation, & they made him their duke, and grand prieſt, for that he had done al theſ⟨illegible⟩ thinges, and for the iuſtice, and fayth, which he kept to his nation, & for that he ſought by al meanes to aduance his people.

36 And in his dayes it proſpered in his hands, ſo that the heathen were taken away out of their countrie, and they that were in the citie of of Dauid in Ieruſalem in the caſtel, out of which they came forth, and contaminated al thinges that were round about the holies, & they brought great plague vpon chaſtitie:

37 & he placed in it men of Iurie to the defence of the countrie, & of the citie, & he rayſed the walles of Ieruſalem.

38 And king Demetrius appointed him the high prieſthood.

39 According to theſe thinges he made him his friend, and glorified him with great glorie.

40 For he heard that the Iewes were called of the Romanes, freinds, and felowes, and bretheren, and that they receiued Simons legates gloriouſly:

41 and that the Iewes, and their prieſts conſented that he should be their duke, and high prieſt [::] for euer, til there riſe the faithful prophete:

42 and that he be duke ouer them, and that he should haue the care of the holies, and that he should appoint rulers ouer their workes, and ouer the countrie, and ouer the armour, and ouer the holdes.

43 And that he haue care of the holies: and that he be heard of al, and that al writinges in the countrie be writen in his name: and that he be clothed with purple, and gold:

44 and that it be not lawful for any of the people, and of the prieſts to diſanul anie of theſe, and to gainſay thoſe thinges, that are ſayd of him, or to cal together an aſſemblie in the countrie without him: and to be clothed with purple, and to weare a cheyne of gold.

45 But he that shal doe beſide theſe thinges, or shal make fruſtrate any of theſe he shal be guiltie.

46 And it pleaſed al the people to appoiut Simon, and to doe according to theſe wordes.

47 And Simon tooke it vpon him, and it pleaſed him to execute high prieſthood, and to be duke, and prince of the nation of the Iewes, and of the prieſts, and to be chiefe ouer al.

48 And this writing they bad them put in tables of braſſe, and to ſet them in the circuite of the holies, in a famous place:

49 and to put a copie therof in the treaſurie, that Simon may haue it, and his children.

Marginal notes to Chapter 14

• 4 [::] Simon had novv gouerned the people two yeares beginning with great difficulties, but hence forth enioyed peace til Antiochus Sedetes brake the league, & inuaded Iurie. ch. 15. v. 27. & 39.
• 7 [::] He reduced manie Ievves from captiuitie.
• 20 [::] Sparta being the chief citie of Lacedemonia, had manie cities ſubiect & depending as vpon their Metropolitane.
• 25 [::] Vvhen peace was eſtabiſhed in al Iurie, and friendſhippe confirmed vvith the Romanes, & Lacedemonians, the vvhole nation of the Ievves in gratitude tovvards Simon, vvho onlie novv remained of Mathathias ſonnes, confirmed him in the office of highprieſt perpetually or for euer, v. 41 that is, during his life. & to his progenie, v. 49▪
• 41 [::] The hieghprieſthood continevved in this familie of the Machabees vntil Herod tooke it from them ſelling it for money, and then ſhortly came Chriſt the faith ful Prophet.

Chapter 15

CHAP. XV. Antiochus by his letters granteth great priuilegies to simon: 10. purſueth Thryphon, and inuironeth him. 15. The Romanes commend the Iewes to other nations. 25. Antiochus refuſing ayde ſent by Simon, breaketh league, 30. and exacteth certaine cities, and tribute. 37. Tryphon eſcapeth, and other of the kings forces inuade and ſpoîle lurie.

1 AND king Antiochus [::] the ſonne of Demetrius ſent epiſtles from the iles of the ſea to Simon the prieſt, and prince of the nation of the Iewes, and to al the nation:

2 and they conteyned this tenure: KING Antiochus to Simon the grand prieſt, and to the nation of the Iewes greeting.

3 Becauſe certaine peſtilent men haue obteyned the kingdom of our fathers, and I meane to chalenge the kingdom, and to reſtore it as it was before: and I haue choſen a great armie, & haue made shippes of warre.

4 And I wil march through the countrie, that I may take reuenge of them, that haue deſtroyed our countrie, and that haue made manie cities deſolate in my realme.

5 Now therfore I eſtablish vnto thee al the oblations, which al the kinges before me remitted vnto thee, and what other gifts ſoeuer they remitted thee:

6 and I permitte thee to make a coyne of thy owne money in thy countrie:

7 and Ieruſalem to be holie and free, and al the armour that is made, and the fortreſſes which thou haſt built, and which thou doſt hold, let them remayne to thee.

8 And al that is dew to the king, and the thinges that are to be the kings hereafter, from this preſent and for al time, they are remitted to thee.

9 And when we shal haue obteyned our kingdom, we wil glorifie thee, and thy nation, and the temple with great glorie, ſo that your glorie shal be made manifeſt in al the earth.

10 In the yeare an hundreth ſeuentie foure went forth Antiochus into the land of his fathers, and al the hoſts aſſembled vnto him, ſo that there were few left with Tryphon.

11 And Antiochus the king purſewed him, and he came to Dora flying by the ſeacoſt.

12 For he knew that euils were heaped vpon him, and the armie forſooke him.

13 And Antiochus camped vpon Dora with an hundred twentie thouſand men of warre, and eight thouſand horſemen:

14 and he compaſſed the citie, and the shippes approched to the ſea: and they vexed the citie by land, and by ſea, and ſuffered none to come in, or to goe out.

15 And [::] Numenius came, and they that had bene with him, from the citie of Rome, hauing epiſtles written to kinges, and countries, wherein were conteyned theſe wordes:

16 LVCIVS the conſul of the Romanes, to Ptolomee the king greeting.

17 The ambaſſadours of the Iewes our freindes came to vs, renewing the old amitie, and ſocietie, being ſent from Simon the prince of the prieſts, and the people of the Iewes.

18 And they brought alſo a buckler of gold of a thouſand powndes.

19 It hath pleaſed vs therfore to write to the kinges, and countries, that they doe them no harme, nor impugne them, and their cities, and their countries: and that they geue no ayde to them that fight againſt them.

20 And it hath ſemed good vnto vs to take the buckler of them.

21 If therfore anie peſtilent men are fled out of their countrie to you, deliuer them to Simon the prince of the prieſts, that he may puniſh them according to their law.

22 Theſe ſelf ſame thinges were written to Demetrius the king, & to Attalus, and to Ariarathes, and to Arſaces,

23 and into al countries: and to Lampſaces, and to the Spartiats, and to Delus, and to Myndus, and to Sicyon, and to Caria, and to Samus, & Pamphilia, and Lycia, and Alicarnaſſus, and Coo, and Siden, and Aradon, and Rhodes, & Phaſelis, and Gortyna, and Gnidus, and Cypres, and Cyrenee.

24 And a copie therof they wrote to Simon the prince of the prieſts & people of the Iewes.

25 But king Antiochus moued his campe vnto Dora the ſecond time, ſetting handes alwayes vpon it, & making engins: & he shut vp Tryphon, that he could not goe forth.

26 And Simon ſent vnto him two thouſand choſen men for ayde, and ſiluer, and gold, and abundance of furniture.

27 And he would not take them, but brake al thinges that he couenanted with him before, & alienated him ſelf from him.

28 And he ſent to him Athenobius one of his freinds, to treate with him, ſaying: You hold Ioppe, and Gazara, and the caſtel, that is in Ieruſalem, cities of my kingdom:

29 their borders you haue made deſolate, and you haue made a great plague in the land, and haue ruled in manie places in my kingdom.

30 Now therfore deliuer the cities, that you haue taken, and the tributes of the places, wherin you haue ruled without the borders of Iurie.

31 But if not, geue you for them fiue hundred talents of ſiluer, and for the deſtruction, that you haue made, and the tributes of cities other fiue hundred talents: but if not, we wil come and expugne you.

32 And Athenobius the kings freind came into Ieruſalem, & ſaw the glorie of Simon, and his magnificence in gold, & ſiluer, and furniture abundant, and he was aſtonied, and told him the kings wordes.

33 And Simon anſwered him, and ſayd to him: Neither haue we taken other mens land, neither do we hold that is other mens: but the inheritance of our fathers, which was a certaine ſeaſon vniuſtly poſſeſſed of our enemies.

34 But we hauing oportunitie challenge the inheritance of our fathers.

35 For concerning Ioppe, and Gazara, that thou complayneſt [::] they made a great plague among the people, and in our countrie: for theſe :: we geue an hundred talents. And Athenobius anſwered him not a word.

36 But with anger returning to the king, he reported vnto him theſe wordes, and the glorie of Simon, & al thinges that he ſaw, and the king was wrath with great anger.

37 And Tryphon fled by shippe to Orthoſias.

38 And the king appointed Cendebaeus captaine by the ſea coſt, and gaue him an armie of foote men and horſemen.

39 And he commanded him to moue the campe againſt the face of Iurie: and he commanded him to build [::] Cedron, and to fortifie the gates of the citie, and to conquer the people. But the king purſewed Tryphon.

40 And Cendebaeus came to Iamnia, and began to prouoke the people, & to conculcate Iurie, and to take the people captiue, and to kil, and to build Cedron.

41 And he placed there horſemen, and an hoſt: that going forth they might walke by the way of Iurie, as the king appointed him.

Marginal notes to Chapter 15

• 1 [::] This Antiochus Sedetes ſonne of Demetrius Soter, vvas brother to Demetrius the ſecond, who was now captiue in Per ⟨illegible⟩a. ch. 14. v. 3.
• 15 [::] This legate vvas ſent almoſt two yeares before to Rome. ch. 14. v. 24. and now brought letters not only to the Ievves but alſo to ſundrie kinges and peoples in their behalf.
• 35 [::] Simon ſubdued theſe tvvo tovvnes becauſe they anoyed the Ievves: but becauſe they othervviſe perteyned not to Iurie he payed for them an hundred talentes.
• 39 [::] By the riuer of Cedron (ouer which Dauid paſſed. 2. Reg ⟨illegible⟩ v. 23. and our Sauiour. Ioa. 18.) a citie vvas novv built, or rather repared being decayed before.

Chapter 16

CHAP. XVI. Simon ſendeth two of his ſonnes to fight againſt Cendebaeus, 8. whom they ouerthrow. 11. Ptolemee Simons ſonne in law, inuiting him to a feaſt treacherouſly killeth him, and his ſonnes Iudas and Mathathias: 19. ſendeth alſo men to kil Iohn, but he being warned of the treaſon, killeth them: 23. and ſucceedeth to his father in the gouernment.

1 AND [::] Iohn went vp from Gazara, and told Simon his father what Cendebaeus did amongſt their people.

2 And Simon called his two elder ſonnes, Iudas & Iohn, and he ſayd to them: I and my bretheren, and the houſe of my father, haue expugned the enemies of Iſrael from our youth euen to this day: and it hath proſpered in our handes to deliuer Iſrael oftentimes.

3 And now I am old, but be you in place of me, and my bretheren, & going forth fight for our nation: & the helpe from heauen be with you.

4 And he choſe out of the countrie twentie thouſand fighting men, and horſemen, and they went forth to Cendebaeus: and they ſlept in Modin.

5 And they aroſe in the morning, and went into the plaine filde: and loe a mightie great armie coming to meete them of foote men, and horſemen, & there was a running riuer betwen them.

6 And he camped agaynſt the face of them, him ſelf and his people, and he ſaw the people fearful to paſſe through the torrent, and he paſſed through firſt: and the men ſaw him, and they paſſed ouer after him.

7 And he diuided the people, and the horſemen in the middes of the footemen: and the horſemen of the aduerſaries were exceding manie.

8 And they ſounded with the holie trompets: and Cendebaeus was put to flight, and his campe: and there fel manie of them wounded, and the reſt fled into the hold.

9 Then was Iudas Iohns brother wounded: But Iohn purſewed them, til he came to Cedron. which he built:

10 and they fled euen to the towres, that were in the fildes of Azotus, and he burnt them with fyre. And there fel of them two thouſand men, and he returned into Iurie in peace.

11 And Ptolomee the ſonne of Abobus was appointed captayne in the plaine of Iericho, and he had much ſiluer, and gold.

12 For he was the ſonne in law of the high prieſt.

13 And his hart was exalted, and he would gayne the countrie, and he purpoſed treacherie againſt Simon, and his ſonnes to diſpatch them.

14 And Simon walking through the cities, that were in in the countrie of Iurie, and being careful of them, went downe into Iericho, he and Mathathias his ſonne, and Iudas [::] the yeare an hundreth ſeuentie ſeuen, the eleuenth moneth: this is the moneth Sabath.

15 And the ſonne of Abobus receiued them with guile into a litle fortreſſe, that is called Doch which he built: and he made them a great feaſt, and hid men there.

16 And when Simon was :: inebriated and his ſonnes, Ptolomee aroſe with his companie, and they tooke their weapons, and entered into the feaſt, and ſlew him, and his two ſonnes, and certain of his ſeruants.

17 And he did great deceite in Iſrael, & rendered euil for good.

18 And Ptolomee wrote theſe thinges, and ſent to the king that he should ſend him an armie for ayde, and he would deliuer him the countrie, and their cities, and tributes.

19 And he ſent others into Gazara to diſpatch Iohn: and to the tribunes he ſent epiſtles, that they should come to him, & he would geue them ſiluer, & gold, and gifts.

20 And he ſent others to take Ieruſalem, & the mount of the temple.

21 And one running before, told Iohn in Gazara, that his father was perished, and his bretheren, & that he hath ſent that thou alſo mayſt be ſlayne.

22 But as he heard it, he was excedingly afrayd: and he apprehended the men, that came to deſtroy him, & he ſlew them: for he knew that they ſought to deſtroy him.

23 And the reſt concerning the wordes of Iohn, & his battels, and the valient actes, which he did manfully, and the building of the walles, which he built, & the thinges that he did:

24 loe theſe are writen in [::] the booke of the dayes of his prieſthood, from the time that he was made prince of the prieſts after his father. [*]

Marginal notes to Chapter 16

• 1 [::] After Simons death, his eldeſt ſonne Iohn ſurnamed Hyrcanus ſucceeded him in gouernment ſpiritual and temporal v. 24.
• 14 [::] He beginning to gouerne in the yeare 170. ch. 13. v. 41. 42. had difficulties the firſt & laſt yeares, in the reſt they had peace. To be inebriated ſignifieth no more but to be rep⟨illegible⟩eniſhed vvith drinke competently, or abundantly, vvithout exceſſe. As Pſal. 64. v. 10 the earth inebriated, and v. 11. riuers inebriated. That is, abundantly repleniſhed vvithout exceſſe S. Auguſt. q. 144. in Gen.
• 24 [::] Out of the booke here mentioned ſome thinke the fourth booke of Machabees vvas tranſlated. See Six⟨illegible⟩us Se⟨illegible⟩en. li. 1. Biblioth. pag. ⟨illegible⟩.
• 24 [*] li. 2. ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩. v. ⟨illegible⟩.

Colophon

The holie Bible faithfully translated into English, out of the authentical Latin. Diligently conferred with the Hebrew, Greeke, and other editions in diuers languages. With arguments of the bookes, and chapters: annotations. tables: and other helpes. By the English College of Doway. The second tome (Psalms to 2 Machabees, with the Prayer of Manasses and the third and fourth books of Esdras), Doway: Laurence Kellam, 1610 (STC 2207). Copy: Henry E. Huntington Library, as reproduced in Early English Books Online (image set 2087).

Transcription: Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP), Phase I text A11777 (2007), released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal public-domain dedication.

This is an archival transcription, not a Good Works Translation: the English is the Douay translators’ own, kept in the original spelling, with long s (ſ), u and v, i and j as printed. The Good Works Library converted the TCP text to this page, removing only markup, page breaks and line-end hyphens. In the print a cross (†) opens each verse and the verse number stands in the margin; here each verse is its own paragraph headed by that number. Marginal notes are gathered after each chapter under the number of the verse beside which they stand; where the print sets a reference mark in the text (a letter, four pricks ::, or a star *), the mark is kept at its place in square brackets. In prose sections the marginal notes stand at their places in square brackets. Marks that the transcription records in the text are kept as they stand: ▪ is the transcribers’ sign for a printed mark they could not set, which this edition’s key to its marks uses to point to an Annotation after the chapter, and “ is another such printed mark. Words the transcribers could not read are marked ⟨illegible⟩ (64 on this page); none has been filled in by conjecture.

In 1 place on this page the transcription has no verse cross between two numbered verses; there both numbers head a single paragraph (for example “12–13”) rather than cutting the text by guesswork.

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