1 Macc 11

1 And the kyng of Egipt gaderide an oost, as grauel that is aboute the brynke of the see, and many schippis; and souyte for to welde the rewme of Alisaundre in gile, and adde it to his rewme. 2 And he wente out in to Sirie with pesible wordis, and thei openyden to hym citees, and camen to hym; for whi kyng Alisaundre comaundide for to go out ayens him, for he was fadir of the kyngis wijf. 3 Sotheli whanne Tolome entride in to a citee, he puttide kepyngis of kniytis in ech citee. And as he neiyede to Azotus, thei schewiden to hym the temple of Dagon brent in fier, and Azotus, and othere thingis therof distried, and bodies cast forth, and the biriels of hem that weren slayn in batel, whiche thei maden bisidis the weie. 5 And thei telden to the kyng, that Jonathas dide these thingis, for to make enuye to hym; and the kyng was stille. 6 And Jonathas cam to the kyng with glorie in to Joppen, and thei gretten hem togidere; and thei slepten there. 7 And Jonathas wente with the king til to the flood that is clepid Eleutherus, and turnede ayen in to Jerusalem. 8 Sotheli kyng Tolome weldide the lordschip of citees til to Seleuce, bi the eest coost, and thouyte ayens Alisaundre yuel counsels; 9 and sente legatis to Demetrie, and seide, Come thou, make we bitwixe vs couenaunt, and Y schal yyue to thee my douyter, whom Alisaundre hath, and thou schalt regne in rewme of thi fadir. 10 For it rewith me, that Y yaf to hym my douyter; for he souyte for to sle me. 11 And he dispiside him therfor, for he coueitide the rewme of hym. 12 And he took a wey his douyter, and yaf hir to Demetrie, and alienyde hym fro Alisaundre; and hise enemytees weren maad knowun. 13 And Tolome entride in to Antiochie, and puttide twei diademys to his heed, of Egipt and of Asie. 14 Forsothe Alisaundre, the kyng, was in Cilice in tho tymes, for thei rebelliden, that weren in tho places. 15 And Alisaundre herde, and cam to hym in to batel; and Tolome, kyng, brouyt forth oost, and cam to hym in strong hond, and droof hym. 16 And Alisaundre flei in to Arabie, for to be defendid there; sotheli kyng Tolome was enhaunsid. 17 And Gadiel of Arabie took awei Alisaundris heed, and sente to Tolome. 18 And kyng Tolome was deed in the thridde dai; and thei that weren in strengthis perischiden, of hem that weren with ynne the castels. 19 And Demetrie regnede in the hundrid yeer and seuene and sixtithe. 20 In tho daies Jonathas gaderide hem that weren in Judee, for to ouercome the hiy tour, that is in Jerusalem; and thei maden ayens it many engynes. 21 And summe wickid men, that hatiden her folc, wenten to the kyng Demetrie, and telden to hym, that Jonathas bisegide the hiy tour. 22 And as he herde, he was wroth, and anoon he cam to Tolomaida, and wroot to Jonathas, that he schulde not bisege the hiy tour, but schulde come to hym in haaste, to speke togidere. 23 Sotheli as Jonathas herde, he comaundide for to bisege; and he chees of the eldere men of Israel, and of prestis, and yaf hym to perel. 24 And he took gold, and siluer, and cloth, and many other presentis; and wente to the kyng, to Tolomaida, and foond grace in the siyt of hym. 25 And summe wickid men of his folc axiden ayens hym; 26 `and the kyng dide to him, as thei that weren bifore hym, diden to hym; and he enhaunside him in siyt of alle his frendis, 27 and ordeynede to hym prinsehod of presthod, and what euere othere preciouse thingis he hadde bifore; and made hym prince of hise frendis. 28 And Jonatas axide of the kyng, that he schulde make Judee fre, and thre prinshedis of thre places, and Samarie and niy coostis therof; and he bihiyte to hym thre hundrid talentis. 29 And the kyng consentide, and wroot to Jonatas epistles of alle these thingis, conteynynge this maner. 30 Kyng Demetrie to Jonathas, brother, heelthe, and to the folc of Jewis. 31 The ensaumple of epistle, which we han writun to Lascheny, oure fadir, of you, we senten to you, that ye schulden wite. 32 Kyng Demetrie to Lascheny, fadur, heelthe. 33 To the puple of Jewis, oure frendis, and kepynge whiche thingis ben iust anentis vs, we demyden for to do wel, for benygnyte of hem that thei han anentis vs. 34 Therfor we ordeynen to hem, alle the coostis of Judee, and thre citees of offryngis, Liddea, and Ramatha, and Faseron, that ben addid to Judee, and Samarie, and alle the niy coostis of hem, for to be departid to alle men doynge sacrifice in Jerusalem, for these thingis that the kyng took bifore of hem bi alle yeeris, and for fruytis of the erthe, and of applis. 35 And other thingis that perteyneden to vs, of tithis, and tributis, fro this tyme we foryyuen to hem; and the pleyn places of salt makyng, and the corouns that weren borun to vs, alle thingis we graunten to hem; 36 and no thing of these schal be voide, fro this and in to al tyme. 37 Now therfor bisie ye for to make ensaumple of these thingis, and be it youun to Jonathas, and be put in the holi mount, and in the solempne place. 38 And kyng Demetrie siy, that the lond was stille in his siyt, and that no thing ayenstood hym, and lefte al his oost, ech man in to his place, outakun the straunge oost, that he drow fro ilis of hethene men; and alle the oostis of his fadris wcren enemyes to hym. 39 Forsothe oon Trifon was of the partis of Alisaundre bifore, and he siy that al the oost grutchide ayens Demetrie; and he wente to Machuel Arabian, that nurschide Antiok, the sone of Alisaundre. 40 And he maad greet instaunce to hym, that he schulde bitake him to hym, for to regne in stide of his fadir; and telde out to hym, hou grete thingis Demetrie hadde don, and the enemytees of his oostis ayens hym; and he dwelte there many daies. 41 And Jonathas sente to kyng Demetrie, that he schulde caste out hem, that weren in the hiy tour in Jerusalem, and whiche weren in strengthis, for thei inpugnyden Israel. 42 And Demetrie sente to Jonatas, and seide, Not oneli this Y schal do to thee, and thi folc, but Y schal make thee noble bi glorie, and thi folc, whanne it schal be couenable. 43 Now therfor riytli thou schalt do, if thou schalt sende men in to help to me, for al myn oost wente awei. 44 And Jonathas sente to hym thre thousynde of stronge men, to Antiochie; and thei camen to the kyng, and the kyng delitide in the comyng of hem. 45 And there camen togidere that weren of the citee sixe score thousynde of men, and wolden sle the kyng. 46 And the kyng fledde in to the halle. And thei that weren of the citee ocupieden the weies of the citee, and bigunnen for to fiyte. 47 And the kyng clepide Jewis in to help, and alle camen togidere to hym, and alle weren scaterid bi the citee; 48 and slowen in that dai an hundrid thousynde of men, and brenten the citee, and token many spuylis in that dai, and delyueriden the kyng. 49 And thei siyen, that weren of the citee, that Jewis hadden take the citee as thei wolden; and thei weren maad vnstidefast in her soule, and crieden to the king with preieris, and seiden, 50 Yyue to vs riythondis, and ceesse the Jewis for to fiyte ayens vs and the citee. 51 And thei castiden awei her armeris, and maden pees. And Jewis weren glorified in the siyt of the kyng, and in the siyt of alle men that weren in his rewme, and weren named in the rewme. And thei wenten ayen in to Jerusalem, hauynge many spuylis. 52 And kyng Demetrie sat in seete of his rewme, and the lond was stille in his siyt. 53 And he liede alle thingis, what euere he seide, and alienyde hym fro Jonathas, and yeldide not to hym bi beneficis, whiche he hadde youun to hym; and Demetrie trauelide hym greetli. 54 Aftir these thingis Trifon turnede ayen, and Antiok, a yong child, with hym; and regnede, and puttide on hym a diademe. 55 And alle oostis weren gaderid to him, whiche kyng Demetrie scateride; and thei fouyten ayens hym, and he flei, and turnyde backis. 56 And Trifon took beestis, and weldide Antiochie. 57 And Antiok the yonge wroot to Jonatas, and seide, Y ordeyne to thee presthod, and Y ordeyne thee on foure citees, that thou be of the kyngis frendis. 58 And he sente to hym goldun vessels, in to mynysterie, and yaf to hym power to drynk in gold, and for to be in purpur, and for to haue a goldun lace, `ether nouche. 59 And he ordeynede Symount, his brother, duyk fro the endis of Tirie til to the endis of Egipt. 60 And Jonathas wente out, and walkide ouer the flood bi citees; and al the oost of Sirie was gaderid to hym in to help. And he cam to Ascalon, and thei of the citee camen ayens hym worschipfuli. 61 And fro thennus he wente `in to Gasa, and thei that weren at Gasa closiden hem togidere, and he bisegide it. And he brente what thingis weren in cumpas of the citee, and spuylide it bi prey. 62 And men of Gasa preyeden Jonatas, and he yaf to hem riyt hond, `ether pees. And he took the sones of hem in ostage, and he sente hem in to Jerusalem, and walkide thorou the cuntre til to Damask. 63 And Jonathas herde, that the princes of Demetrie trespassiden in Cades, that is in Galilee, with myche oost, willynge for to remoue him fro nede of the rewme; and he cam ayens hem. 64 Forsothe he lefte Symount, his brother, withynne the prouynce. 65 And Symount appliede to Bethsura, and fauyt ayens it many daies, and closide togidere hem. 66 And thei axiden of hym for to take riythondis, and he yaf to hem. And he castide out hem fro thennus, and took the citee, and puttide ther ynne strengthe. 67 And Jonathas and his tentis, `ether oost, applieden to the water of Genasar, and bifor the liyt thei walkiden in the liyt of Asor. 68 And lo! the tentis, `ether oostis, of aliens camen ayens in the feeld, and settiden to him aspies in the hillis. Sotheli he cam ayens of the contrarie part. 69 Sotheli the aspies risiden vp of her places, and ioyneden batel. 70 And alle that weren of Jonathas part fledden, and no man of hem was left, no but Matathias, sone of Absalomy, and Judas, sone of Calphi, prince of knyythod and oost. 71 And Jonathas torente hise clothingis, and puttide erthe in his heed, and preiede. 72 And Jonathas turnede ayen to hem in to batel, and togidere turnyde hem in to fliyt, and fouyten. 73 And thei of his part that fledden sayn, and thei turnyden ayen to hym, and pursueden with hym til to Cades, to her tentis, and fulli camen til thidur. 74 And ther felden doun in that dai of aliens thre thousynde of men, and Jonathas turnede ayen in to Jerusalem.