1   Forsothe Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, for the Lord defendide hem, resseyuede sotheli the temple, and citee. 2   Forsothe he distriede the auteris,

that aliens maden bi stretis, and also templis of waisshyng. 3   And whanne the temple was purgid, thei maden an other auter, and of stoonys firid, `ether flyntis, bi fier conseyued, thei offriden sacrifices after two &yogh;eer, and puttiden encense, and lanternes, and looues of proposicioun. 4   And whanne these thingis weren don, thei weren cast doun to erthe, and preieden the Lord, that thei schulden no more falle in siche yuelis, but thou&yogh; in ony tyme thei hadden synned, that thei schulden be chastised of hym more esili, and schulden not be bitakun to barbaries, and blasfeme men. 5   Forsothe in what dai the temple was defoulid of aliens, it bifelle that in the same dai clensyng was maad, in the fyue and twentithe dai of the monethe, that was Casleu. 6   And with gladnesse in ei&yogh;te daies thei diden bi maner of tabernaclis, bithenkynge that bifore a litil of tyme thei hadden don the solempne dai of tabernaclis in hillis and in dennys, bi custom of beestis. 7   For which thing thei baren byfore roddis, and grene braunchis, and palmes, to hym that &yogh;af prosperite for to clense his place. 8   And thei demyden with comyn heest, and with doom, to alle the folc of Jewis, for to do these feeste daies in alle &yogh;eeris. 9   And the endyng of lijf of Antiok, that was clepid noble, hadde it thus. 10   Now forsothe we schulen telle of Eupator, sone of vnpitouse Antiok, what thingis weren don, and bregge, `ether schortli telle, the yuelis that weren don in batels. 11   For whanne this Eupator hadde resseyued the rewme, he ordeynede on nedis of the rewme a man Lisias, prince of kny&yogh;thod, of Fenece and Sirie. 12   For whi Tolome, that was seid Macer, ordeynede for to holde iust thing a&yogh;ens Jewis, and most for wickidnesse that was don a&yogh;ens hem, and pesibli for to do with hem. 13   But for this thing he was accusid of frendis anentis Eupator, whanne he

herde ofte, Thou traitour, for that he hadde forsakun Cipre, bitakun to hym of Filometor, and hadde translatid to Antiok noble, also he hadde go awei fro hym, with venym he endide the lijf. 14   Forsothe Gorgias, whanne he was duyk of places, with comelyngis takun, ouercam ofte Jewis in batel. 15   Forsothe Jewis that helden couenable strengthis, resseyueden men dryuun fro Jerusalem, and saieden for to fi&yogh;te. 16   These forsothe that weren with Machabeus, preieden the Lord bi preieris, that he schulde be helpere to hem, and thei maden asawt in to strengthis of Idumeis. 17   And thei weren bisi bi myche strengthe, and weldiden places, and slowen men rennynge a&yogh;en, and strangliden alle togidere, not lesse than fyue and twenti thousandes. 18   Forsothe whanne summe fledden togidere in to twei touris ful stronge, hauynge alle apparel to a&yogh;en fi&yogh;te, 19   Machabeus lefte Symount, and Josofus, and eft Sachee, and hem that weren with hem, many ynow, to the ouercomyng of hem; and he was conuertid to tho batels that constreyneden more. 20   Sotheli these that weren with Symount, weren led bi coueitise, and weren counselid bi monei, of summe that weren in the touris; and whanne thei hadden take seuenti thousynde double dragmes, thei leeten summe fle out. 21   Forsothe whanne that thing that was don, was teld to Machabeus, he gaderide the princes of puple, and he accuside, that thei hadden seld britheren for monei, for thei delyueriden aduersaries of hem. 22   Therfor he slow these maad traitouris ^note, and anoon ocupiede the tweye touris. 23   Forsothe in doynge alle thingis `in prosperite in armeris and hondis, he slow in the twei strengthis more than twenti thousyndis. 24   And Tymothe, that bifore was ouercomun of Jewis, clepide togidere an oost of straunge multitude, and gaderide the multitude of horse men of Asie, and cam

with armeris, as to take Judee. 25   Forsothe Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, whanne he nei&yogh;ede, bisou&yogh;ten God, and bispreynten the heed with erthe, and bifor girdiden the leendis with heiris, 26   and kneliden doun at the brynke of the auter, that he schulde be helpful to hem, forsothe that to enemyes of hem he were enemye, and were aduersarie to aduersaries, as the lawe seith. 27   And so after preier, whanne thei hadden take armeris, thei &yogh;eden forth fer fro the citee, and thei weren maad nexte to enemyes, and saten. 28   Forsothe in the firste risyng of the sunne, bothe ioyneden batel; these sotheli hadden the Lord bihetere of victorie and prosperite; for thei hadden hardynesse the duyk of batel. 29   But whanne greet fi&yogh;te was, fyue faire men ^note, on horsis with goldun bridels, apperiden to aduersaries fro heuene, and &yogh;auen ledyng to Jewis; 30   of whiche tweyne hadden Machabeus in the myddil, and set aboute with her armeris, and kepten hym sownd. Forsothe thei castiden dartis and leitis a&yogh;ens aduersaries; of which thing and thei weren schent with blyndenesse, and weren fillid with perturbacioun, and fellen doun. 31   Forsothe ther weren slayn of foote men twenti thousynde and fyue hundrid, and horse men sixe hundrid. 32   Sotheli Tymothe fledde in to the strong hold of Gasara, of which strong hold Cereas was souereyn. 33   Forsothe Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, weren glad, and bisegiden the strong hold bi foure daies. 34   And thei that weren with ynne, tristiden in the sikirnesse of the place, and cursiden aboue maner, and castiden ^note cursid wordis. 35   But whanne the fyuethe dai schynede, twenti &yogh;onge men of these that weren with Machabeus, weren kyndlid in soulis for blasfemye, and wenten manli to the wal, and thei &yogh;eden with fers wille, and stieden vp; 36   but and othere also stieden, and assailiden for

to brenne touris and &yogh;atis, and togidere brenne the curseris quyke. 37   Forsothe by contynuel twei daies thei wastiden the strong hold, and slowen Tymothe, hidynge hym silf, foundun in sum place; and thei slowen his brother Cereas, and Appolloffanes. 38   Whanne these thingis weren don, thei blessiden the Lord in ympnes and confessiouns, whiche dide grete thingis in Israel, and &yogh;af to hem victorie.

Previous section

Next section