1 Macc 5

1 And it was don, as hethene men herden in cumpas, that the auter was bildid, and the seyntuarie as bifore, thei weren wroth greetli. 2 And thei thouyten for to do awei, `ether distrie, the kyn of Jacob, that was among hem; and thei bigunnen for to sle of the puple, and pursue. 3 And Judas ouercam the sones of Esau in Ydume, and hem that weren in Arabathane, for thei saten aboute men of Israel; and he smoot hem with a greet wounde. 4 And he thouyte on the malice of sones of Bean, that weren in to gnare, and in to sclaundre to the puple of Israel, and aspieden it, `ether settiden `buyschementis to it, in the weie. 5 And thes weren closid togidere fro hym in the touris; and he appliede to hem, and curside hem, and brente with fier the touris of hem, with alle men that weren in hem. 6 And he passide to the sones of Amon, and foond strong hond, and plenteuouse puple, and Tymothe, duyk of hem. 7 And he smoot many batels with hem, and thei weren brokun in siyt of hym; and he smoot hem. 8 And he took the citee Jaser, and vilages therof; and he turnede ayen in to Judee. 9 And hethene men that weren in Galaad, weren gaderid ayens Israelitis, that weren in coostis of hem, for to do awei hem; and thei fledden in to the strengthing of Datheman. 10 And thei senten lettris to Judas, and hise britheren, and seiden, Hethene men ben gaderid ayens vs bi cumpas, that thei do awei vs; 11 and thei maken redi for to come, and ocupie the strengthing, in to which we fledden; and Tymothe is duyk of the oost of hem. 12 Now therfor come thou, and delyuere vs fro her hondis, for a multitude of vs felle doun; 13 and alle oure britheren that weren in places of Tubyn, euerywhere ben slayn; and thei ledden awei caitif the wyues of hem, and children, and token spuylis, and killiden there almeste a thousynde men. 14 And yit epistlis weren rad, and lo! othere messangeris camen fro Galile, with cootis to-rent, 15 and telden bi these wordis, and seiden, that men camen togidere ayens hem fro Tolomaida, and Tire, and Sidon, and al Galile is fillid with aliens, for to distrie vs. 16 Sotheli as Judas herde, and the puple, these wordis, a greet chirche cam togidere, for to thenke what thei schulden do to her britheren, that weren in tribulacioun, and weren ouer comun of hem. 17 And Judas seide to Symount, his brother, Chese to thee men, and go, and delyuere thi britheren in Galile; Y forsothe and my brother Jonathas schulen go in to Galatithym. 18 And he lefte Josafus, sone of Sacarie, and Azarie, duykis of the puple, with the residue oost in Judee to kepyng; 19 and comaundide to hem, and seide, Be ye souereyns to this puple, and nyle ye smyte batel ayens hethene men, til we turnen ayen. 20 And men weren youun to Simount thre thousyndis, for to go in to Galile; to Judas sotheli eiyte thousynde, in to Galatithym. 21 And Symount wente in to Galile, and ioynede many batels with hethene men. And hethene men weren al to-brokun fro his face, and 22 he pursuede hem til the yate of Tolomaida. And there fellen doun of hethene men almest thre thousynde of men; 23 and he took the spuylis of hem. And he took hem that weren in Galile, and in Arbathis, with wyues, and children, and alle thingis that weren to hem; and brouyte in to Judee with greet gladnesse. 24 And Judas Machabeis, and Jonathas, and hise britheren passiden Jordan, and wenten forth the weie of thre daies in to desert. 25 And Nabutheis camen ayens hem, and resseyueden hem pesibli, and telden to hem alle thingis that bifellen to her britheren in Galadithym; 26 and that manye of hem weren takun in Barasa, and Bosor, and in Alymys, and in Casphor, and Mathet, and Carnaym; alle these were strong citees and grete. 27 But and in othere citees of Galatithis thei ben holdun cauyt. And on the morewe thei ordeyneden for to moue oost to tho citees, and for to take, and do awei hem in o dai. 28 And Judas turnede, and his oost, the weie in to desert of Bosor sudenli; and ocupiede the citee, and slow ech male bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and took alle the spuylis of hem, and brente it with fier. 29 And thei risiden thennus in nyyt, and wenten `til to the strengthing. 30 And it was maad in sprynging of dai, whanne thei reisiden her iyen, and lo! myche puple, of whom was no noumbre, berynge laddris and engynes, for to take the strengthing, and ouer come hem. 31 And Judas siy, that batel bigan, and crie of batel stiede in to heuene, as trumpe, and greet cry of citee. 32 And he seide to his oost, Fiyte ye to dai for youre britheren. 33 And he cam, and thre ordris after hem, and thei crieden with trumpis, and crieden in preier. 34 And oostis of Thymothe knewen, that it was Machabeus, and thei fledden fro his face. And thei han smytun hem with greet wounde; and there fellen doun of hem in that dai almest eiyte thousynde of men. 35 And Judas turnede awei in to Maspha; and ouercam and took it, and slow ech male therof, and took spuylis of it, and brente it with fier. 36 Fro thennus he wente, and took Casbon, and Mageth, and Bosor, and othere citees of Galathite. 37 Forsothe after these wordis Thymothe gaderide an other oost, and puttide tentis ayens Raphon, ouer the streem. 38 And Judas sente for to biholde the oost, and thei telden ayen to hym, and seide, That alle hethene men that ben in oure cumpas, ful myche oost, camen togidere to hym. 39 And thei hiriden Arabiens in to help to him, and thei han set tentis ouer the streem, and ben redi for to come to thee in to batel. And Judas wente ayens hem. 40 And Tymothe seide to princes of his oost, Whanne Judas neiyeth, and his oost, to the streem of water, if he passith formere to vs, we schulen not mowe abide hym, for he miyti schal mowe ayens vs. 41 Sotheli if he dredith for to passe, and settith tentis biyende the flood, passe we ouer to hem, and we schulen mowe ayens hym. 42 Forsothe as Judas neiyede to the streem of water, he ordeynede scribis, `ether writeris of the puple, bisidis the streem, and comaundide to hem, and seide, Leeue ye noon of men, but come alle in to batel. 43 And he the formere passide ouer to hem, and al the puple after hym. And alle these hethene men weren brokun fro the face of hem, and thei castiden awei her armeris; and thei fledden to the temple, that was at Carnaym. 44 And Judas ocupiede `the ilke citee, and brente the temple with fier, with alle that weren in it; and Carnaym was oppressid, and miyte not abide ayens the face of Judas. 45 And Judas gaderide alle Israelitis that weren in Galadithes, fro the leeste to the moste, and wyues of hem, and children, and ful greet oost, that thei schulden come in to the lond of Judee. 46 And thei camen til to Efron, and this greet citee put in the entre was ful strong; and ther was not for to bowe awei fro it, in riyt half or left, but the weie was thorou the myddil. 47 And thei that weren in the citee closiden in hem, and stoppiden the yatis with stoonys. And Judas sente to hem with pesible wordis, and seide, 48 Passe we bi youre lond, for to go in to oure lond, and no man schal anoie you, oneli on feet we schulen go. 49 And thei wolden not opene to hem. And Judas comaundide for to preche in tentis, `ether oost, that ech man schulde applie, `that is, asaile the citee, in what place he was. 50 And men of vertu applieden hem, and he fauyt ayens that citee al dai and al niyt, and the citee was bitakun in his hond. 51 And thei slowen ech `knaue child bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and drow vp bi the rootis it, and took the spuylis therof, and passide bi al the citee on the slayn men. 52 And thei passiden ouer Jordan, in the greet feeld ayens the face of Bethsan. 53 And Judas was gaderynge the laste men, and monestide the puple bi al the weie, til thei camen in to the lond of Juda. 54 And thei stieden in to the hil of Sion with gladnesse and ioie, and offriden brent sacrifices, that no man of hem `was deed, til thei turneden ayen in pees. 55 And in the daies in whiche Judas was, and Jonathas, in the lond of Galaad, and Symount, his brother, in Galilee, ayens the face of Tholomaida, 56 Josofus, sone of Zacarie, herde, and Azarias, prince of vertu, the thingis doon wel, and batels that weren maad. 57 And he seide, Make we also a name to vs, and go we for to fiyte ayens hethene men, that ben in oure cumpas. 58 And he comaundide to these that weren in his oost, and thei wenten forth to Jamnyan. 59 And Gorgias wente out of the citee, and hise men, ayens hem, in to fiyt. 60 And Josofus and Azarias weren dryuun `til to the endis of Judee; and ther fellen doun in that dai of the puple of Israel, men to twei thousyndis. And a greet wounde was maad in the puple; 61 for thei herden not Judas and hise britheren, and gessiden hem to do strongli. 62 Forsothe thei weren not of the seed of tho men, bi whiche helthe was maad in Israel. 63 And men of Juda weren magnefied greetli in the siyt of al Israel, and of alle hethene men, where the name of hem was herd. 64 And thei camen togidere, criynge to hem `prosperite, ether preisyngis. 65 And Judas wente out, and his britheren, and ouercamen the sones of Esau, in the lond that is at the south; and he smoot Chebron, and vilagis therof, and distriede `the wardyngis therof, and wallis therof, and brente in fier touris therof in cumpas. 66 And he mouede tentis, for to go in to the lond of aliens; and wente thorou Samarie. 67 In that dai prestis fellen doun in batel, while thei wolden do strongli, while with out counsel thei wenten out in to batel. 68 And Judas bowide awei in to Asotus, in the lond of aliens, and distriede auteris of hem, and brenten in fier the spuylis of her goddis, and took preies of citees; and turnede ayen in to the lond of Juda.