I Maccabees 6

¹And kyng Antiok walkide thorouy the hiyere cuntreis, and herde that a citee, Elymaides, was in Persis, the nobleste and plenteuouse in siluer and gold;

²and a temple in it was ful riche, and there weren goldun veilis, and haburiowns, and scheldis, whiche Alisaundre of Filip, kyng of Macedo, lefte, that regnede the firste in Greece.

³And he cam, and souyte for to take the citee, and robbe it; and miyte not, for the word was knowun to hem that weren in the citee.

⁴And thei risiden vp in to batel, and he flei fro thennus, and wente awei with greet heuynesse, and turnede ayen to Babyloyne.

⁵And ther cam, that telde to hym in Persis, that the oostis that weren in the lond `of Juda weren dryuun,

⁶and that Lisias wente with strong vertu in the beste men, and was dryuun fro the face of Jewis, and thei wexiden stronge in armeris, and strengthis, and many preies, whiche thei token of tentis, `ether oostis, that thei slowen;

⁷and that thei distrieden the abhomynacioun, which he bildide on the auter that was in Jerusalem, and thei cumpassiden with hiye wallis the halewyng, as bifore, but and Betsura, his citee.

⁸And it was don, as the kyng herde these wordis, he dredde, and was mouyd greetli, and felle doun in to a bed, and felle in to a greet sikenesse for heuynesse, for it was not don as he thouyte.

⁹And he was there many daies, for greet heuynesse was renulid in him, and he demide hym silf for to die.

¹⁰And he clepide alle hise frendis, and seide to hem, Sleep passide awei fro myn iyen, and Y failide `in herte, and felle doun for bisynesse;

¹¹and seide in myn herte, In to hou greet tribulacioun bicam Y, and in to what wawis of heuynesse in which Y am now, that was myrie, and `bolnyde, ether delicat in my power?

¹²Now forsothe Y bithenke on the yuels that Y dide to Jerusalem, fro whennus and Y took alle goldun spuylis, and siluerne, that weren ther ynne; and Y sente with out cause, that men dwellynge in Judee be don awei.

¹³Therfor Y knew that these yuels founden me therfor, and lo! Y perische bi greet heuynesse in alien lond.

¹⁴And he clepid Filip, oon of his frendis, and made him souereyn on al his rewme;

¹⁵and yaf to hym diademe, and his stole, and ryng, for to lede Antiok, his sone, and nurische hym, and that he schulde regne.

¹⁶And kyng Antiok diede there, in the hundrid and nyne and fourti yeer.

¹⁷And Lisias knew, that the kyng was deed, and ordeynede Antiok, the sone of hym, for to regne, whom he nurschide yong; and clepide his name Eupator.

¹⁸And thei that weren in the hiy tour, closiden togidere Israel in cumpas of hooli thingis, and souyten to hem yuels euer more, to strengthing of hethene men.

¹⁹And Judas thouyte for to distrie hem, and clepide togidere al the puple, for to bisege hem.

²⁰And thei camen togidere, and bisegiden hem, in the hundrid and fiftithe yeer; and thei maden arblastis, `ether trepeiettis, that is, an instrument for to caste schaftis, and stoonys, and engynes.

²¹And summe of hem that weren bisegid, wenten out; and summe of vnfeithful men of Israel ioyneden hem silf to hem,

²²and wenten to the kyng, and seiden, Hou long doist thou not dom, and vengist not oure britheren?

²³And we demyden for to serue thi fadir, and for to walke in hise heestis, and obeische to hise comaundementis.

²⁴And the sones of oure puple alienyden hem fro vs for this thing; and whiche euere weren foundun of vs, weren slayn, and oure eritagis weren rauyschid awei.

²⁵And not oneli to vs thei stretchiden out the hond, but and in to alle oure coostis.

²⁶And lo! thei applieden to day to the hiy tour in Jerusalem, for to ocupie it, and thei strengthiden a strengthing in Bethsura.

²⁷And if thou schalt not bifore come hem more swiftli, thei schulen do grettere thingis than thes, and thou schalt not mowe welde hem.

²⁸And the kyng was wroth, as he herde this thing, and clepide togidere alle hise frendis, and princes of his oost, and hem that weren ouer horsemen;

²⁹but also an hirid oost fro othere rewmes, and ilis, and see coostis camen to hym.

³⁰And the noumbre of his oost was an hundrid thousynde of foot men, and twenti thousynde of horse men, and two and thritti olifauntis tauyt to batel.

³¹And thei camen bi Idumee, and thei applieden to Bethsura, and fouyten many daies; and thei maden engynes, and thei wenten out, and brenten hem in fier, and fouyten manli.

³²And Judas wente fro the hiy tour, and mouede tentis to Bethsacharan, ayens tentis of the kyng.

³³And the kyng roos bifore the liyt, and stiride the oost in to feersnesse, ayens the weie of Bethsacharan; and the oostis maden redi hem togidere in to batel, and songen in trumpis.

³⁴And to olifauntis thei schewiden blood of grape, and morus, `or mulberie trees, for to whette hem in to batel.

³⁵And thei departiden the beestis bi legyouns; and to ech olifaunt a thousynde men stoden niy in haburiownes mailid togidere, and brasun helmes in her heedis, and fyue hundrid horse men chosun weren ordeyned to ech beeste.

³⁶These weren there bifore the tyme, where euere the beeste was; and whidur euere it wente, thei wente, and departiden not ther fro.

³⁷But and sadde touris of tre weren on hem, defendinge bi alle the beestis, and on hem weren engynes, and on ech bi hem silf men of vertu two and thritti, whiche fouyten fro aboue, and with ynne was the maister of the beeste.

³⁸And he ordeinede the residue multitude of horse men on this half and that half, `in to twei partis, for to moue togidere the oost with trumpis, and for to constreyne the men maad thicke in her legiouns.

³⁹And as the sunne schynede in to the goldun scheldis, and brasun, the hillis schyneden ayen of hem, and schyneden ayen, as laumpis of fier.

⁴⁰And a part of the kyngis oost was departid bi hiy hillis, and other bi lowe places; and thei wenten warli, and ordynatli.

⁴¹And alle men dwellynge in the lond weren mouyd togidere of the vois of multitude of hem, and ingoyng of cumpeny, and hurtlyng togidere of armeris; for the oost was ful grete and strong.

⁴²And Judas and his oost neiyide in to batel; and there fellen doun of the kyngis oost sixe hundrid men.

⁴³And Eleasar, the sone of Saura, siy oon of the beestis haburiowned with haburiownes of the kyng, and it was hiy stondynge ouer othere beestis; and it was seyn to hym, that the kyng was on it.

⁴⁴And he yaf hym silf for to delyuere his puple, and for to gete to hym a name euerlastynge.

⁴⁵And he ran ther to hardili, in to the myddil of legioun, and killide on the riyt half and left; and thei fellen doun fro hym hidur and thidur.

⁴⁶And he wente vndur the feet of the olifaunt, and vndur puttide hym silf ther to, and slow it; and it felle doun in to erthe on hym, and he was deed there.

⁴⁷And thei siyen the vertu of the kyng, and fersnesse of his oost, and turneden awei hem silf fro hem.

⁴⁸Forsothe tentis of the kyng stieden vp ayens hem, in to Jerusalem; and tentis of the king applieden to Judee, and to the hil of Syon;

⁴⁹and he made pees with these that weren in Bethsura. And thei wenten out of the citee, for foodis weren not to hem closid togidere there, for the sabatis of erthe weren.

⁵⁰And the kyng took Bethsura, and ordeynede there kepyng, for to kepe it.

⁵¹And he turnede the tentis to the place of halewyng many daies; and ordeynede there arblastis, and engynes, and dartis of fier, and turmentis for to caste stoonys and dartis, and scorpiens for to schete arows, and slyngis.

⁵²Forsothe and thei maden engynes ayens the engynes of hem, and fouyten many daies.

⁵³Forsothe metis weren not in the citee, for that it was the seuenthe yeer; and thei that leften of hethene men in Judee, hadden wastid the relifs of tho thingis that weren kept.

⁵⁴And fewe men leften in hooli thingis, for hungur hadde take hem; and thei weren scaterid, ech man in to his place.

⁵⁵And Lisias herde, that Filip, whom kyng Antiok ordeynede, whanne he lyuyde yit, that he schulde nursche Antiok, his sone, that he schulde regne,

⁵⁶turnede ayen fro Perse and Medei, and the oost that wente with hym. And that he sekith for to take the causis of the rewme,

⁵⁷Lisias hastide for to go, and seie to the kyng, and duykis of the oost, We failen ech dai, and litil mete is to vs, and the place which we bisegen, is strong, and it fallith to vs for to ordeyne of the rewme.

⁵⁸Therfor now yyue we riythondis to these men, and make we pees with hem, and with al the folc of hem;

⁵⁹and ordeyne we to hem, that thei go in lawful thingis as bifore; for whi for the lawful thingis of hem whiche we dispisiden, thei ben wrooth, and han don alle these thingis.

⁶⁰And the word plesid in the siyt of the kyng, and of princes; and he sente to hem for to make pees, and thei resseyueden it.

⁶¹And the kyng swoor to hem, and princes; and thei wenten out of the strengthing.

⁶²And the kyng entride in to the mount Sion, and he siy the strengthing of the place; and he brak ful soone the ooth that he swoor, and comaundide for to distrie the wal in cumpas.

⁶³And he departide awei hastili, and turnede ayen to Antiochie, and foond Filip regnynge in the citee; and he fauyt ayens hym, and ocupiede the cyte bi strengthe.

I Maccabees 6

¹About that time king Antiochus travelling through the high countries heard say, that Elymais in the country of Persia was a city greatly renowned for riches, silver, and gold;

²And that there was in it a very rich temple, wherein were coverings of gold, and breastplates, and shields, which Alexander, son of Philip, the Macedonian king, who reigned first among the Grecians, had left there.

³Wherefore he came and sought to take the city, and to spoil it; but he was not able, because they of the city, having had warning thereof,

⁴Rose up against him in battle: so he fled, and departed thence with great heaviness, and returned to Babylon.

⁵Moreover there came one who brought him tidings into Persia, that the armies, which went against the land of Judea, were put to flight:

⁶And that Lysias, who went forth first with a great power was driven away of the Jews; and that they were made strong by the armour, and power, and store of spoils, which they had gotten of the armies, whom they had destroyed:

⁷Also that they had pulled down the abomination, which he had set up upon the altar in Jerusalem, and that they had compassed about the sanctuary with high walls, as before, and his city Bethsura.

⁸Now when the king heard these words, he was astonished and sore moved: whereupon he laid him down upon his bed, and fell sick for grief, because it had not befallen him as he looked for.

⁹And there he continued many days: for his grief was ever more and more, and he made account that he should die.

¹⁰Wherefore he called for all his friends, and said unto them, The sleep is gone from mine eyes, and my heart faileth for very care.

¹¹And I thought with myself, Into what tribulation am I come, and how great a flood of misery is it, wherein now I am! for I was bountiful and beloved in my power.

¹²But now I remember the evils that I did at Jerusalem, and that I took all the vessels of gold and silver that were therein, and sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judea without a cause.

¹³I perceive therefore that for this cause these troubles are come upon me, and, behold, I perish through great grief in a strange land.

¹⁴Then called he for Philip, one of his friends, who he made ruler over all his realm,

¹⁵And gave him the crown, and his robe, and his signet, to the end he should bring up his son Antiochus, and nourish him up for the kingdom.

¹⁶So king Antiochus died there in the hundred forty and ninth year.

¹⁷Now when Lysias knew that the king was dead, he set up Antiochus his son, whom he had brought up being young, to reign in his stead, and his name he called Eupator.

¹⁸About this time they that were in the tower shut up the Israelites round about the sanctuary, and sought always their hurt, and the strengthening of the heathen.

¹⁹Wherefore Judas, purposing to destroy them, called all the people together to besiege them.

²⁰So they came together, and besieged them in the hundred and fiftieth year, and he made mounts for shot against them, and other engines.

²¹Howbeit certain of them that were besieged got forth, unto whom some ungodly men of Israel joined themselves:

²²And they went unto the king, and said, How long will it be ere thou execute judgment, and avenge our brethren?

²³We have been willing to serve thy father, and to do as he would have us, and to obey his commandments;

²⁴For which cause they of our nation besiege the tower, and are alienated from us: moreover as many of us as they could light on they slew, and spoiled our inheritance.

²⁵Neither have they stretched out their hand against us only, but also against their borders.

²⁶And, behold, this day are they besieging the tower at Jerusalem, to take it: the sanctuary also and Bethsura have they fortified.

²⁷Wherefore if thou dost not prevent them quickly, they will do the greater things than these, neither shalt thou be able to rule them.

²⁸Now when the king heard this, he was angry, and gathered together all his friends, and the captains of his army, and those that had charge of the horse.

²⁹There came also unto him from other kingdoms, and from isles of the sea, bands of hired soldiers.

³⁰So that the number of his army was an hundred thousand footmen, and twenty thousand horsemen, and two and thirty elephants exercised in battle.

³¹These went through Idumea, and pitched against Bethsura, which they assaulted many days, making engines of war; but they of Bethsura came out, and burned them with fire, and fought valiantly.

³²Upon this Judas removed from the tower, and pitched in Bathzacharias, over against the king’s camp.

³³Then the king rising very early marched fiercely with his host toward Bathzacharias, where his armies made them ready to battle, and sounded the trumpets.

³⁴And to the end they might provoke the elephants to fight, they shewed them the blood of grapes and mulberries.

³⁵Moreover they divided the beasts among the armies, and for every elephant they appointed a thousand men, armed with coats of mail, and with helmets of brass on their heads; and beside this, for every beast were ordained five hundred horsemen of the best.

³⁶These were ready at every occasion: wheresoever the beast was, and whithersoever the beast went, they went also, neither departed they from him.

³⁷And upon the beasts were there strong towers of wood, which covered every one of them, and were girt fast unto them with devices: there were also upon every one two and thirty strong men, that fought upon them, beside the Indian that ruled him.

³⁸As for the remnant of the horsemen, they set them on this side and that side at the two parts of the host giving them signs what to do, and being harnessed all over amidst the ranks.

³⁹Now when the sun shone upon the shields of gold and brass, the mountains glistered therewith, and shined like lamps of fire.

⁴⁰So part of the king’s army being spread upon the high mountains, and part on the valleys below, they marched on safely and in order.

⁴¹Wherefore all that heard the noise of their multitude, and the marching of the company, and the rattling of the harness, were moved: for the army was very great and mighty.

⁴²Then Judas and his host drew near, and entered into battle, and there were slain of the king’s army six hundred men.

⁴³Eleazar also, surnamed Savaran, perceiving that one of the beasts, armed with royal harness, was higher than all the rest, and supposing that the king was upon him,

⁴⁴Put himself in jeopardy, to the end he might deliver his people, and get him a perpetual name:

⁴⁵Wherefore he ran upon him courageously through the midst of the battle, slaying on the right hand and on the left, so that they were divided from him on both sides.

⁴⁶Which done, he crept under the elephant, and thrust him under, and slew him: whereupon the elephant fell down upon him, and there he died.

⁴⁷Howbeit the rest of the Jews seeing the strength of the king, and the violence of his forces, turned away from them.

⁴⁸Then the king’s army went up to Jerusalem to meet them, and the king pitched his tents against Judea, and against mount Sion.

⁴⁹But with them that were in Bethsura he made peace: for they came out of the city, because they had no victuals there to endure the siege, it being a year of rest to the land.

⁵⁰So the king took Bethsura, and set a garrison there to keep it.

⁵¹As for the sanctuary, he besieged it many days: and set there artillery with engines and instruments to cast fire and stones, and pieces to cast darts and slings.

⁵²Whereupon they also made engines against their engines, and held them battle a long season.

⁵³Yet at the last, their vessels being without victuals, (for that it was the seventh year, and they in Judea that were delivered from the Gentiles, had eaten up the residue of the store;)

⁵⁴There were but a few left in the sanctuary, because the famine did so prevail against them, that they were fain to disperse themselves, every man to his own place.

⁵⁵At that time Lysias heard say, that Philip, whom Antiochus the king, whiles he lived, had appointed to bring up his son Antiochus, that he might be king,

⁵⁶Was returned out of Persia and Media, and the king’s host also that went with him, and that he sought to take unto him the ruling of the affairs.

⁵⁷Wherefore he went in all haste, and said to the king and the captains of the host and the company, We decay daily, and our victuals are but small, and the place we lay siege unto is strong, and the affairs of the kingdom lie upon us:

⁵⁸Now therefore let us be friends with these men, and make peace with them, and with all their nation;

⁵⁹And covenant with them, that they shall live after their laws, as they did before: for they are therefore displeased, and have done all these things, because we abolished their laws.

⁶⁰So the king and the princes were content: wherefore he sent unto them to make peace; and they accepted thereof.

⁶¹Also the king and the princes made an oath unto them: whereupon they went out of the strong hold.

⁶²Then the king entered into mount Sion; but when he saw the strength of the place, he broke his oath that he had made, and gave commandment to pull down the wall round about.

⁶³Afterward departed he in all haste, and returned unto Antiochia, where he found Philip to be master of the city: so he fought against him, and took the city by force.