1   After that Alexander king of Macedonia sonne of Phillip went forth of the lande of ^note Cethim, and ^note slew Darius king of the Persians and Medes, and raigned for him as he had done before in Grecia:

2   It happened that he toke great warres in hand, wanne very many strong cities, and slue many kinges of the earth,

3   Going through to the endes of the worlde, and getting many spoyles of the people, insomuch that the whole worlde stoode in awe of him, ^note and therfore was he proude in his heart.

4    ^noteNow when he had gathered a mightie strong hoast,

5   And subdued the landes and people with their princes, so that they became tributaries vnto him,

6   Then he fell sicke, and when he perceaued that he must needes dye, B   

7   He called for his noble estates, which had ben brought vp with him of childr&ebar;, ^note and parted his kingdome among them while he was yet aliue.

8   So Alexander raigned twelue yeres, and then dyed.

9    ^noteAfter his death fell the kingdome vnto his princes, and they obtayned it euery one in his roome,

10   And caused them selues to be crowned as kinges: and so did their children after them many yeres, and much wickednes increased in the worlde.

11   Out of these came the vngratious roote ^note noble Antiochus, the sonne of Antiochus the king, ^note which had ben a pledge at Rome: and he raigned in the hundred thirtie and seuen yere of the empire of the Grekes.

12    ^noteIn those dayes went there out of Israel wicked men, which moued much people with their counsel, saying, ^note Let vs go and make a couenaunt with the heathen that are rounde about vs: ^note for since we departed from them, we haue had much sorowe. C   

13   So this deuice pleased them well,

14    ^noteAnd certaine of the people toke vpon them for to go vnto the king, which gaue them licence to do after the ordinaunce of the heathen.

15    ^{note note}Then set they vp an open schoole at Hierusalem of the lawes of the Heathen:

16    ^noteAnd made themselues vncircumsized, but forsooke the holy testament, and ioyned them selues to the heathen, and were cleane soulde to do mischiefe.

17   So when Antiochus began to be mightie in his kingdome, he went about to obtayne the lande of Egypt also, that he might haue the dominion of two realmes.

18    ^noteUpon this entred he into Egypt with a strong hoast, with charets, Elephants, horsemen, and a great number of ships,

19    ^noteAnd began to warre against Ptolome the king of Egypt: But Ptolome was afrayde of him, and fled, and many of his people were wounded to death. D   

20   Thus Antiochus wanne many strong cities, and toke away great good out of the lande of Egypt.

21    ^noteAnd after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt, he turned againe in the hundred fourtie and three yere, and went toward Israel,

22   And came vp to Hierusalem with a mightie people,

23   And entred proudely into the sanctuarie, and toke away the golden alter, the candelsticke, and al the ornaments therof, the table of the shewbread, the pouring

vessels, the chargers, the golden spoones, the vayle, the crownes, ∧ golden apparell of the temple, and brake downe all in peeces.

24   He toke also the siluer and golde, the precious iewels, and the secret treasures that he founde.

25   And when he had taken away altogether, caused a great murther of men, and spoken very proudly, the departed ino his owne lande.

26   Therefore there was great lamentation throughout all Israel. E   

27   The princes and the elders of the people mourned, the young men and the maydens were ^note defiled, and the faire beautie of women was chaunged:

28   The bridegrome and the bryde toke them to mourning,

29   The lande and those that dwelt therein was moued: for all the house of Iacob was brought to confusion.

30    ^noteAfter two yeres the king sent his chiefe treasurer vnto the cities of Iuda, which came to Hierusalem with a great multitude of people,

31   Speaking peaceable wordes vnto th&ebar;, but all was deceite: for when they had geuen him credence,

32   He fell sodenly vpon the citie, ∧ smote it sore, ∧ destroyed much people of Israel:

33    ^noteAnd when he had spoyled the citie, he set fire on it, casting downe houses and walles on euery side.

34   The women and their children toke they captiue, and led away their cattell. F   

35   Then builded they the citie of Dauid with a great and thicke wall, and with mightie towres, and made it a strong holde for them.

36   Beside all this, they set wicked people and vngodlie men to kepe it,

37   Stored it with weapons and vitailes, gathered the goodes of Hierusalem, and layed them vp there: Thus became it a theenishe castel.

38   Thus they became a heauy burthen, laying wayte for the people that went into the sanctuary, and for the cruell destruction of Israel.

39   Thus they shed innocent blood on euery side of the sanctuary, and defiled it:

40   Insomuch that the citezins were faine to depart, and the citie became an habitation of straungers, being desolate of her owne seede: for her owne natiues were faine to leaue her.

41    ^noteHer sanctuary was cleane wasted, her holy dayes were turned into mourning, her Sabbathes were had in derision, ∧ her honour brought to naught.

42    ^noteLoke how great her glory was before, so great was her confusion, and her ioye turned into sorowe.

43    ^noteAntiochus also the king sent out a commission vnto all his kingdome, that all the people should be one.

44   Then they left euery man his lawe, and al the heathen agreed to the commaundement of king Antiochus:

45   Yea, many of the Israelites consented therevnto, offering vnto idols, and defiling the Sabbath.

46   So the king Antiochus sent his mess&ebar;gers with his commission vnto Hierusalem, and to all the cities of Iuda, that they should folow the lawes of the heathen:

47   And forbad either burnt offering, meate offering, or peace offering to be made in the temple of God, ∧ that there should no Sabbath nor hie feast day be kept: G   

48   But commaunded that the sanctuary and the holy people of Israel should be defiled:

49   He commaunded also, that there should be set vp other aulters, temples, ∧ idols, to offer vp swines flesh, and other vncleane beastes,

50   That men should leaue their children vncircumcized, to defile their soules with all maner of vncleannesse and abhominations:

51   That they might so forget the lawe, and chaunge all the holy ordinaunces of God,

52   And that whosoeuer would not do according to the commaundement of king Antiochus, should suffer death.

53   In lyke maner c&obar;maunded he throughout all his realme, and set rulers ouer the people, for to compell them to do these thinges:

54   Commaunding al the cities of Iuda to do sacrifice vnto idols.

55   Then went the people vnto the heathen by heapes, forsooke the law of the Lorde, and committed much euil in the lande:

56   And the droue the Israelites into secrete places, euen where so euer they coulde flee for succour.

57   The fifteenth day of the moneth ^note Casleu,

in the hundred threescore and fifth yere, set king Antiochus an ^note abhominable idoll of desolation vpon the aulter of God, and they builded aulters throughout all the cities of Iuda on euery side,

58   Before the doores of the houses, and in the streates, where they brent incense and did sacrifice.

59    ^noteAnd as for the bookes of the lawe of God, they brent them in the fire, ^note and rent them in peeces.

60   Whatsoeuer he was that had a booke of the testament of the Lorde founde by him, yea whosoeuer endeuoured him selfe to kepe the lawe of the Lorde, the kinges c&obar;maundement was, that they should put him to death.

61   And through his aucthoritie they executed these thinges euery moneth, vpon the people of Israel that were founde in the cities.

62    ^noteThe twentie and fifth day of the moneth, what time as they did sacrifice vpon the aulter, which stoode in the steade of the aulter of the Lorde:

63   According to the commaundement of king Antiochus they put certaine women to death, which had caused their children to be circumcized:

64   Not onely that, but they hanged vp the childr&ebar; by the neckes throughout al their houses, and slue the circumcizers of th&ebar;.

65   Yet were there many of the people of Israel, which determined in th&ebar; selues that they woulde not eate vncleane thinges: but chose rather to suffer death, then to be defiled with vncleane meates:

66   So because they would not breake the blessed lawe of God, they were cruelly slaine.

67   And this great tiranny encreased very sore vpon the people of Israel.

Next section