1    ^noteThen came Iohn vp from Gazara, and tolde Simon his father, what Cendebeus had done.

2   So Simon called two of his eldest sonnes, Iudas and Iohn, and saide vnto them, I, and my brethren, and my fathers house, haue euer from our youth vnto this day fought against the enemies of Israel, & the matters haue had good successe vnder our hands, and we haue deliuered Israel oftentimes.

3   But I am nowe olde, and ye by Gods mercie are of a sufficient age: be ye therefore in steade of me, and my brother, and goe foorth and fight for our nation, and the helpe of heauen be with you.

4   So he chose twentie thousand fighting men of the countrey with the horsemen, which went foorth against Cendebeus, and rested at Modin.

5   In the morning they arose, and went into the plaine fielde: and beholde, a mightie great hoste came against them both of footemen, and horsemen: but there was a riuer betwixt them.

6   And Iohn ranged his armie ouer against him, and when he sawe that the people was afraide to go ouer the riuer, he went ouer first himselfe, and the men seeing him, passed through after him.

7   Then he deuided his men, and set the horsemen in the middes of the footemen.

8   For their enemies horsemen were very many: but when they blewe the trumpets, Cendebeus fled with his host, whereof many were slaine, and the remnant gate them to the fortresse.

9   Then was Iudas Iohns brother wounded: but Iohn followed after them, till he came to Cedron, which Cendebeus had built.

10   Also they fled vnto the towres, that were in the fieldes of Azotus, and those did Iohn burne with fire: thus were there slaine two thousande men of them: so he returned peaceably into the land of Iuda.

11   ¶2; Nowe in the fielde of Iericho was Ptolemeus the sonne of Abubus made captaine, and he had abundance of siluer and gold.

12   (For he had married the daughter of the hie Priest)

13   Therefore he waxed proude in his mind, and thought to rule the land, and thought to slay Simon and his sonnes by deceit.

14   Nowe as Simon went about thorowe the cities of the countrey, and studied carefully for them, he came downe to Iericho with Mattathias, and Iudas his sonnes in the hundreth, seuentie and seuen yeere, in the eleuenth moneth, which is the moneth Sabat.

15   Then the sonne of Abubus receiued them by treason into a litle holde, called Dochus, which he had built, where he made them a great banket, and had hid men there.

16   So when Simon and his sonnes had made good cheere, Ptolemeus stoode vp with his men, and tooke their weapons, and entred in to Simon in the banket house, and slewe him with his two sonnes, and certaine of his seruants.

17   Whereby he committed a great vilenie, and recompensed euill for good.

18   Then wrote Ptolemeus these things and sent to þe; King, that he might send him an hoste to helpe him, and so would deliuer him the countrey with the cities.

19   He sent other men also vnto Gazara, to take Iohn, and sent letters vnto the captaines to come to him, and he woulde giue them siluer, and golde and rewardes.

20   And to Ierusalem he sent other to take it, and the mountaine of the Temple.

21   But one ranne before, and tolde Iohn in Gazara, that his father, and his brethren were slaine, and that Ptolemeus had sent to slay him.

22   When he heard this, he was sore astonished, and laid hands of them that were come to him, and slewe them: for he knewe that they went about to kill him.

23   Concerning other things of Iohn, both of his warres, and of his noble actes (wherein he behaued himselfe manfully) of the building of walles which he made, and other of his deedes,

24   Beholde, they are written in the Chronicles of his Priesthood, from the time, that he was made high Priest after his father.

Previous section