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

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

Whyle these letters were yet a readinge, beholde, there came other messa&ubar;gers from Galilee, with rente clothes: which tolde euen the same tydinges, and sayde, that they of Ptolomais, of Tirus and of Sidon were gathered agaynst them, and that all Galilee was fylled with enemies to destroye Israel. When Iudas and þe; people herde this, ^notethey came together (a greate congregacion) to deuyse, what they might do for their brethren,

that were in trouble and beseged of their enemies. And Iudas sayde vnto Symon his brother: chose þe; out certayne men, and go delyuer thy brethren in Galilee: As for me and my brother Ionathas, we wyl go in to Galaadithim. So he left Iosephus þe; sonne of Zachary, and Asarias, to be captaynes of the people and to kepe the remnaunt of the hoost in Iewry, ∧ commaunded them, sayenge: Take the ouersight of this people, and se that ye make no warre agaynst the Heithen, vntill the tyme that we come agayne. And vnto Simon he gaue thre thousande men for to go into Galilee, but Iudas himself had eight thousande in to Galaadithim.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

E    ^noteSo they came vnto Ephron, which was a mightie, greate and stronge cite, and laye in their waye. For they coude not go by it, nether of the right honde ner of the left, but must go thorow it. Neuerthelesse they that were in the cite, wolde not let them go thorow, but walled vp the portes with stones.

And Iudas sent vnto th&ebar; with peaceable wordes, sayenge: ^note Let vs passe thorow youre londe, that we maye go in to oure owne co&ubar;tre: there shal no body do you harme, we wil but only go thorow. But they wolde not let them in.

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