1   Bvt Iudas Machabeus and they that were with him, went in secretely into the townes: and calling together their kinsemen and taking vnto them those that continewed in Iudaisme, they brought out to them six thousand men.

2   And ^notethey inuocated our Lord, that he would haue respect vnto his people that was troden of al, and would haue mercie on the temple, that was cotaminated of the impious:

3   he would haue pitie also vpon the destruction of the citie, which was forthwith to be made flat with the ground, and would heare the voice of the bloud crying to him:

4   he would remember also the most vniust deathes of innocent children, and the blasphemies done to his name, and would take indignation for them.

5   But Machabeus hauing gathered a multitude, became intolerable to the heathen: for the wrath of our Lord was turned into mercie.

6   And coming vpon the castels, and cities vnlooked for, he burnt them: & taking commodious places, he made not few slaughters of the enemies:

7   and especially in the nightes he was caried to such excursions, and the fame of his manlines was spred abrode euerie where. ^note

8   But ^note Philip seing the man to come forward by litle and litle, and that thinges for the more part succeeded with him prosperously, wrote to Ptolomee the gouernour of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, to geue ayde to the kinges affaires.

9   And he with spede sent Nicanor the sonne of Patroclus, of the principals of his freindes, geuing him of the nations mingled together, no lesse then twentie thousand armed men, to destroy vtterly al the stocke of the Iewes, adioyning also vnto him Gorgias a man of warre, and in martial affayres of very great experience.

10   And Nicanor appointed, that he would supplie vnto the king the tribute that was to be geuen to the Romanes, two thousand talents out of the captiuitie of the Iewes:

11   and forthwith he sent to the cities by the sea side, calling men together to the buying of the Iewish slaues, promising that he would sel ninetie slaues for a talent, not looking to the vengeance, which was to folow him from the Almightie.

12   But Iudas when he vnderstood it, shewed to those Iewes that were with him, the coming of Nicanor.

13   Of whom certaine fearing, and not crediting the iustice of God, fled away:

14   and others if they had any thing left, sold it, & withal besought our Lord, that he would deliuer them from the impious Nicanor, who had sold them before he came neere them:

15   and if not for them, yet ^note for the testament that was with their fathers, and for the inuocation of his holie & magnifical name vpon them.

16   But Machabeus calling together seuen thousand, that were with him, desired that they would not be reconciled to the enemies, nor feare the multitude of the enemies coming against them vniustly, but would fight manfully:

17   hauing before their eyes the contume lie, that was vniustly done by them to the holie place, and moreouer the iniurie also of the citie being made a laughing stocke, besides also the ordinances of the ancesters broken.

18   For they in dede trust to their weapons, sayd he, and to their boldnes also: but we trust in the Almightie Lord, who can vtterly destroy both them coming against vs, and the whole world with one becke.

19   And he admonished them also of the aydes of God, that were geuen to their fathers: and that vnder Sennacherib an hundred foure score fiue thousand perished.

20   And of the battel, that they had against the Galatians in Babylonia, how al they, when it came to the point, the Macedonians their felowes staggering, being only six thousand flewe an hundred twentie thousand,

by reason of the ayde geuen them from heauen, and for these thinges obteyned verie manie benefites. ^note

21   With these wordes they were made constant, and readie to dye for the lawes, and their countrie.

22   He appointed therfore his brethren captains ouer both orders, Simon, and Ioseph, and Ionathas, vnder euerie one putting a thousand and fiue hundreth.

23   Beside this also the holie booke being read vnto them by Esdras,

24   and a signe of Gods helpe being geuen, in the foreward the duke himself ioyned battel with Nicanor. And the Almightie being made their helper, they slew aboue nine thousand men: and the greater part of Nicanors armie being made weake with woundes, they forced to flee.

25   And taking away their money that came to buy them, they pursued them on euerie hand,

26   but they returned being taken short with the time: for it was the day before the Sabbath: for the which cause they continewed not pursewing them.

27   But gathering together the armour and spoiles of them, they kept the Sabbath: blessing our Lord that deliuered them this day, distilling the beginning of mercie vpon them.

28   But after the sabbath they diuided the spoyles to the feeble and to orphans, and to widowes: & the rest themselues had with their felowes.

29   These thinges therfore being done, and obsecration being made in common of al, they desired our merciful Lord, that he would be reconciled to his seruants vnto the end.

30   And of them that were with Timothee and Bacchides fighting against them, they slew aboue twentie thousand, & wanne the high holdes: and they diuided manie prayes, making equal portion to the feeble pupils, and widowes, yea and to the elder men.

31   And when they had diligently gathered together their armour, they layd al together in conuenient places, and the residue of the spoiles they caried to Ierusalem:

32   and Philarches that was with Timothee, they slewe, a wicked man, which in manie thinges had afflicted the Iewes.

33   And when they kept the feast of victorie in Ierusalem, him that had burnt the holie gates, that is, Callisthenes, when he was fled into a certaine house, they burnt, a worthie reward being repayed him for his impieties:

34   But the most impious Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to the sale of the Iewes,

35   being humbled through the helpe of our Lord by them, whom he esteemed no bodie, laying aside his garment of glorie, fleeing by the midland, came alone to Antioch, hauing gotten

great infelicitie by the destruction of his armie.

36   And he that had promised that he would render tribute to the Romanes of the captiuitie of Ierusalem, now professed that the Iewes had God their protectour, & that for him they could not be wounded, because they folowed the lawes appointed by him. ^note

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