I Maccabees 9

¹In the mene tyme, where Demetrie herde that Nicanor felle, and his oost, in batel, he puttide to eftsoone for to sende Bachides and Alchymus in to Judee, and the riyt half schiltrun with hem.

²And thei wenten the weie that ledith in to Galgala, and thei settiden tentis in Masoloth, that is in Arbellis; and thei ocupieden it, and slowen many persoones of men.

³In the firste monethe of the hundrid and two and fifti yeer, thei applieden the oost to Jerusalem.

⁴And twenti thousynde of men, and twei thousynde of horse men, han risun, and wenten in to Berea.

⁵And Judas settide tentis in Laisa, and thre thousynde men chosun with hym.

⁶And thei siyen the multitude of oost, that thei ben manye, and thei dredden greetli; and many withdrowen hem fro tentis, and there left not of hem no but eiyte hundrid men.

⁷And Judas siy that his oost fleet awei, and batel constreynede hym, he was brokun togidere in herte, for he hadde not tyme to gadere hem, and he was discoumfortid.

⁸And he seide to these that weren residue, Rise we, and go we to oure aduersaries, if we schulen mow fiyte ayens hem.

⁹And thei turneden awei hym, and seiden, We schulen not moun, but delyuere we oure lyues, and turne ayen we to oure britheren, and thanne we schulen fiyte ayens hem; forsothe we ben fewe.

¹⁰And Judas seide, Fer be it for to do this thing, that we fle fro hem; and if oure tyme hath neiyed, die we in vertu for oure britheren, and yyue we not cryme to oure glorie.

¹¹And the oost mouyde fro tentis, and thei stoden ayens hem. And horse men weren departid in to twei partis, and slyngeris and archeris wenten bifore the oost, and the firste men of batel alle miyti.

¹²Forsothe Bachides was in the riyt schiltrun. And the legioun of twei partis cam nyy, and crieden with trumpis.

¹³Forsothe and these that weren on the part of Judas, crieden also, and the erthe was mouyd togidere of the vois of oostis, and batel was ioyned fro the morewtid til to euentid.

¹⁴And Judas siy, that the part of Bachides oost was saddere in the riyt half, and alle stidfast in herte camen togidere with hym.

¹⁵And the riyt part was al to-brokun of hem; and he pursuede hem `til to the hil of Asotus.

¹⁶And thei that weren in the left scheltrun, siyen, that the riyt scheltrun was al to-brokun, and thei sueden at the bac aftir Judas, and hem that weren with hym.

¹⁷And the batel was maad greuouse, and there fellen many woundid of these and of hem.

¹⁸And Judas felle, and the othere fledden.

¹⁹And Jonathas and Symount token her brother Judas, and birieden hym in sepulcre of his fadris, in the citee of Modyn.

²⁰And al Israel biwepten him with greet weilyng, and mourneden many daies,

²¹and seiden, Hou felle the myyti, that made Israel saaf.

²²And othere wordis of batels of Judas, and of vertues that he dide, and of his greetnessis, ben not writun; for tho weren ful many.

²³And it was don, after the deth of Judas, alle wickid men in alle coostis of Israel risiden out, and alle that wrouyten wickidnesse camen forth.

²⁴In tho daies ful greet hungur was maad, and al the cuntrey of hem bitook hem silf to Bachides with hem.

²⁵And Bachides chees vnpitouse men, and ordeynede hem lordis of the cuntrei.

²⁶And thei axiden out, and souyten the frendis of Judas, and brouyten hem to Bachides; and he vengide on hem, and scornede.

²⁷And greet tribulacioun was maad in Israel, what maner was not fro the dai in which a profete was not seyn in Israel.

²⁸And alle the frendis of Judas weren gaderid, and seiden to Jonatas, Sithen thi brother Judas is deed,

²⁹ther is no man lijk hym, that schal go out ayens enemyes, Bachides and hem that ben enemyes of oure folc.

³⁰Therfor now we chesen thee to dai for to be prince and duyk to vs for hym, for to fiyte oure batel.

³¹And Jonatas resseyuede in that tyme the prinshod, and roos in the place of Judas, his brother.

³²And Bachides knew, and souyte for to sle him.

³³And Jonatas knew, and Symount, his brother, and alle that weren with hym, and fledden in to desert of Thecue, and saten togidere at the water of the lake Asphar.

³⁴And Bachides knew, and in the dai of sabatis he cam, and al his oost, ouer Jordan.

³⁵And Jonathas sente his brother ledere of that puple, and preiede Nabutheis, his frendis, that he schulde bitake to hem his apparel, that was plenteuouse.

³⁶And sones of Jambri wenten out of Madaba, and cauyten Joon, and alle thingis that he hadde, and wenten awei, hauynge tho thingis.

³⁷After thes wordis it was teld ayen to Jonathas, and Symount, his brother, that the sones of Jambri maken grete weddyngis, and wedden a wijf of Madaba, the douyter of oon of the grete princis of Canaan, with greet pride and apparel.

³⁸And thei bithouyten on the blood of Joon, her brother, and stieden vp, and hidden hem silf vndur kyueryng of the hil.

³⁹And thei reisiden her iyen, and siyen, and lo! noise, and greet apparel; and a hosebonde cam forth, and hise frendis, and hise britheren, ayens hem, with tympans, and musikis, and many armeris.

⁴⁰And thei risiden to hem fro buyschementis, and slowen hem, and many woundid fellen doun, and the residues fledden in to hil, and thei token alle the spuylis of hem;

⁴¹and weddyngis weren conuertid in to mourenyng, and vois of her musikis in to weilyng.

⁴²And thei vengiden the veniaunce of her brotheris blood, and turnyden ayen to the brynk of Jordan.

⁴³And Bachides herde, and cam in the dai of sabatis til to the vtmeste part of Jordan, in greet strengthe.

⁴⁴And Jonathas seide to hise, Rise we, and fiyte ayens oure enemyes; for it is not to dai as yistirdai and the thridde dai agoon.

⁴⁵For lo! batel is euene ayens; sotheli watir of Jordan is on this half and on that half, and ryuers, and mareis, and forestis, and ther is not place of turnyng awei.

⁴⁶Now therfor crie ye in to heuene, that ye be delyuerede fro hond of youre enemyes.

⁴⁷And batel was ioyned. And Jonathas strauyt out his hond, for to smyte Bachides, and he turnede awei fro him bihynde.

⁴⁸And Jonathas skipte doun, and thei that weren with hym, in to Jordan, and swommen ouer Jordan to hem.

⁴⁹And there fellen of Bachides part in that dai a thousande men, and thei turneden ayen in to Jerusalem;

⁵⁰and bildiden strong citees in Judee, the strengthe that was in Jerico, and in Ammaum, and in Betheron, and Bethel, and Thamathan, and Phara, and Copho, with hiye wallis, and yatis, and lockis.

⁵¹And he settide kepyng in hem, that thei schulden haunte enemytees in Israel;

⁵²and he strengthide the citee Bethsura, and Gazaram, and the hiy tour, and puttide in hem helpis and apparel of metis.

⁵³And he took the sones of princes of the cuntrei in ostage, and puttide hem in the hiy tour in Jerusalem, in kepyng.

⁵⁴And in the hundrid yeer and thre and fifti, in the secounde monethe, Alchymus comaundide the wallis of the hooli ynnere hous for to be distried, and the werkis of profetis for to be distried, and he bigan for to distrie.

⁵⁵In that tyme Alchymus was smytun, and the werkis of hym weren lettid. And his mouth was closid, and he was dissoluyd, `ether maad feble, bi palesie, nether he miyte speke more a word, and comaunde of his hous.

⁵⁶And Alchymus was deed in that tyme, with greet turment.

⁵⁷And Bachides siy, that Alchymus was deed, and he turnede ayen to the kyng, and the lond was stille twei yeeris.

⁵⁸And alle wickid men thouyten, seiynge, Lo! Jonathas, and thei that ben with hym, dwellen in silence, and tristen; now therfor brynge we Bachides, and he schal take hem alle in o niyt.

⁵⁹And thei wenten forth, and yauen councel to hym.

⁶⁰And he roos, for to come with myche oost. And he sente epistlis priuyli to his felowis, that weren in Judee, that thei schulden catche Jonathas, and hem that weren with hym; but thei miyten not, for her councel was knowun to hem.

⁶¹And Jonathas cauyte of men of the cuntre, that weren princis of knytyhod, fifti men, and slow hem.

⁶²And Jonathas and Symount wenten, and thei that weren with hym, in to Bethbesse, `that is in desert, and bildiden the distried thingis therof, and maden it strong.

⁶³And Bachides knew, and gaderide al his multitude, and denounside to hem that weren of Judee.

⁶⁴And he cam, and settide tentis aboue Bethbesse, and fauyte ayens it many daies, and made engynes.

⁶⁵And Jonathas lefte Symount, his brother, in the citee, and wente oute in to cuntre, and cam with noumbre;

⁶⁶and smoot Odaren, and hise britheren, and sones of Faseron, in the tabernaclis of hem, and bigan for to smyte, and wexe in vertues.

⁶⁷Symount sotheli, and thei that weren with hym, wenten out of the citee, and brenten engynes.

⁶⁸And thei fouyten ayens Bachides, and he was al to-brokun of hem; and thei turmentiden hym gretli, for his councel and his assailyng was voide.

⁶⁹And he was wrooth ayens wickid men, that yauen councel to hym for to come in to her cuntre, and slow many of hem; forsothe he thouyte with othere for to go in to his cuntre.

⁷⁰And Jonathas knew, and sente legatis to hym, for to make pees with hym, and to yelde to him prisoneris.

⁷¹And wilfuli he took, and dide bi his wordis, and swoor that he schulde not do to him ony yuel in alle daies of his lijf.

⁷²And he yeldide to him caitifte, which he took bi prey bifore of the lond of Juda. And he turnede, and wente in to his lond, and puttide no more for to come in to his coostis.

⁷³And swerd ceesside fro Israel. And Jonatas dwellide in Machynas, and there Jonathas bigan for to deme the puple, and he distriede the vnfeithful men of Israel.

I Maccabees 9

¹Furthermore, when Demetrius heard the Nicanor and his host were slain in battle, he sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judea the second time, and with them the chief strength of his host:

²Who went forth by the way that leadeth to Galgala, and pitched their tents before Masaloth, which is in Arbela, and after they had won it, they slew much people.

³Also the first month of the hundred fifty and second year they encamped before Jerusalem:

⁴From whence they removed, and went to Berea, with twenty thousand footmen and two thousand horsemen.

⁵Now Judas had pitched his tents at Eleasa, and three thousand chosen men with him:

⁶Who seeing the multitude of the other army to he so great were sore afraid; whereupon many conveyed themselves out of the host, insomuch as abode of them no more but eight hundred men.

⁷When Judas therefore saw that his host slipt away, and that the battle pressed upon him, he was sore troubled in mind, and much distressed, for that he had no time to gather them together.

⁸Nevertheless unto them that remained he said, Let us arise and go up against our enemies, if peradventure we may be able to fight with them.

⁹But they dehorted him, saying, We shall never be able: let us now rather save our lives, and hereafter we will return with our brethren, and fight against them: for we are but few.

¹⁰Then Judas said, God forbid that I should do this thing, and flee away from them: if our time be come, let us die manfully for our brethren, and let us not stain our honour.

¹¹With that the host of Bacchides removed out of their tents, and stood over against them, their horsemen being divided into two troops, and their slingers and archers going before the host and they that marched in the foreward were all mighty men.

¹²As for Bacchides, he was in the right wing: so the host drew near on the two parts, and sounded their trumpets.

¹³They also of Judas’ side, even they sounded their trumpets also, so that the earth shook at the noise of the armies, and the battle continued from morning till night.

¹⁴Now when Judas perceived that Bacchides and the strength of his army were on the right side, he took with him all the hardy men,

¹⁵Who discomfited the right wing, and pursued them unto the mount Azotus.

¹⁶But when they of the left wing saw that they of the right wing were discomfited, they followed upon Judas and those that were with him hard at the heels from behind:

¹⁷Whereupon there was a sore battle, insomuch as many were slain on both parts.

¹⁸Judas also was killed, and the remnant fled.

¹⁹Then Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother, and buried him in the sepulchre of his fathers in Modin.

²⁰Moreover they bewailed him, and all Israel made great lamentation for him, and mourned many days, saying,

²¹How is the valiant man fallen, that delivered Israel!

²²As for the other things concerning Judas and his wars, and the noble acts which he did, and his greatness, they are not written: for they were very many.

²³Now after the death of Judas the wicked began to put forth their heads in all the coasts of Israel, and there arose up all such as wrought iniquity.

²⁴In those days also was there a very great famine, by reason whereof the country revolted, and went with them.

²⁵Then Bacchides chose the wicked men, and made them lords of the country.

²⁶And they made enquiry and search for Judas’ friends, and brought them unto Bacchides, who took vengeance of them, and used them despitefully.

²⁷So was there a great affliction in Israel, the like whereof was not since the time that a prophet was not seen among them.

²⁸For this cause all Judas’ friends came together, and said unto Jonathan,

²⁹Since thy brother Judas died, we have no man like him to go forth against our enemies, and Bacchides, and against them of our nation that are adversaries to us.

³⁰Now therefore we have chosen thee this day to be our prince and captain in his stead, that thou mayest fight our battles.

³¹Upon this Jonathan took the governance upon him at that time, and rose up instead of his brother Judas.

³²But when Bacchides gat knowledge thereof, he sought for to slay him

³³Then Jonathan, and Simon his brother, and all that were with him, perceiving that, fled into the wilderness of Thecoe, and pitched their tents by the water of the pool Asphar.

³⁴Which when Bacchides understood, he came near to Jordan with all his host upon the sabbath day.

³⁵Now Jonathan had sent his brother John, a captain of the people, to pray his friends the Nabathites, that they might leave with them their carriage, which was much.

³⁶But the children of Jambri came out of Medaba, and took John, and all that he had, and went their way with it.

³⁷After this came word to Jonathan and Simon his brother, that the children of Jambri made a great marriage, and were bringing the bride from Nadabatha with a great train, as being the daughter of one of the great princes of Chanaan.

³⁸Therefore they remembered John their brother, and went up, and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain:

³⁹Where they lifted up their eyes, and looked, and, behold, there was much ado and great carriage: and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends and brethren, to meet them with drums, and instruments of musick, and many weapons.

⁴⁰Then Jonathan and they that were with him rose up against them from the place where they lay in ambush, and made a slaughter of them in such sort, as many fell down dead, and the remnant fled into the mountain, and they took all their spoils.

⁴¹Thus was the marriage turned into mourning, and the noise of their melody into lamentation.

⁴²So when they had avenged fully the blood of their brother, they turned again to the marsh of Jordan.

⁴³Now when Bacchides heard hereof, he came on the sabbath day unto the banks of Jordan with a great power.

⁴⁴Then Jonathan said to his company, Let us go up now and fight for our lives, for it standeth not with us to day, as in time past:

⁴⁵For, behold, the battle is before us and behind us, and the water of Jordan on this side and that side, the marsh likewise and wood, neither is there place for us to turn aside.

⁴⁶Wherefore cry ye now unto heaven, that ye may be delivered from the hand of your enemies.

⁴⁷With that they joined battle, and Jonathan stretched forth his hand to smite Bacchides, but he turned back from him.

⁴⁸Then Jonathan and they that were with him leapt into Jordan, and swam over unto the other bank: howbeit the other passed not over Jordan unto them.

⁴⁹So there were slain of Bacchides’ side that day about a thousand men.

⁵⁰Afterward returned Bacchides to Jerusalem and repaired the strong cites in Judea; the fort in Jericho, and Emmaus, and Bethhoron, and Bethel, and Thamnatha, Pharathoni, and Taphon, these did he strengthen with high walls, with gates and with bars.

⁵¹And in them he set a garrison, that they might work malice upon Israel.

⁵²He fortified also the city Bethsura, and Gazera, and the tower, and put forces in them, and provision of victuals.

⁵³Besides, he took the chief men’s sons in the country for hostages, and put them into the tower at Jerusalem to be kept.

⁵⁴Moreover in the hundred fifty and third year, in the second month, Alcimus commanded that the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary should be pulled down; he pulled down also the works of the prophets

⁵⁵And as he began to pull down, even at that time was Alcimus plagued, and his enterprizes hindered: for his mouth was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, so that he could no more speak any thing, nor give order concerning his house.

⁵⁶So Alcimus died at that time with great torment.

⁵⁷Now when Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead, he returned to the king: whereupon the land of Judea was in rest two years.

⁵⁸Then all the ungodly men held a council, saying, Behold, Jonathan and his company are at ease, and dwell without care: now therefore we will bring Bacchides hither, who shall take them all in one night.

⁵⁹So they went and consulted with him.

⁶⁰Then removed he, and came with a great host, and sent letters privily to his adherents in Judea, that they should take Jonathan and those that were with him: howbeit they could not, because their counsel was known unto them.

⁶¹Wherefore they took of the men of the country, that were authors of that mischief, about fifty persons, and slew them.

⁶²Afterward Jonathan, and Simon, and they that were with him, got them away to Bethbasi, which is in the wilderness, and they repaired the decays thereof, and made it strong.

⁶³Which thing when Bacchides knew, he gathered together all his host, and sent word to them that were of Judea.

⁶⁴Then went he and laid siege against Bethbasi; and they fought against it a long season and made engines of war.

⁶⁵But Jonathan left his brother Simon in the city, and went forth himself into the country, and with a certain number went he forth.

⁶⁶And he smote Odonarkes and his brethren, and the children of Phasiron in their tent.

⁶⁷And when he began to smite them, and came up with his forces, Simon and his company went out of the city, and burned up the engines of war,

⁶⁸And fought against Bacchides, who was discomfited by them, and they afflicted him sore: for his counsel and travail was in vain.

⁶⁹Wherefore he was very wroth at the wicked men that gave him counsel to come into the country, inasmuch as he slew many of them, and purposed to return into his own country.

⁷⁰Whereof when Jonathan had knowledge, he sent ambassadors unto him, to the end he should make peace with him, and deliver them the prisoners.

⁷¹Which thing he accepted, and did according to his demands, and sware unto him that he would never do him harm all the days of his life.

⁷²When therefore he had restored unto him the prisoners that he had taken aforetime out of the land of Judea, he returned and went his way into his own land, neither came he any more into their borders.

⁷³Thus the sword ceased from Israel: but Jonathan dwelt at Machmas, and began to govern the people; and he destroyed the ungodly men out of Israel.