1 Macc 10

1 And in the hundrid and sixtithe yeer Alisaundre, the sone of Antiok, stiede up, that is named noble, and ocupiede Tolomaide; and thei resseyueden hym, and he regnede there. 2 And kyng Demetrie herde, and gaderide an oost ful copiouse, and wente out ayens hym in to batel. 3 And Demetrie sente epistle to Jonathas with pesible wordis, for to magnefie hym. 4 For he seide, Bifore take we for to make pees with hym, bifore that he make with Alisaundre ayens vs; 5 for he schal haue mynde of alle yuels, that we han don `ayens him, and ayens his brother, and ayens his folc. 6 And he yaf to hym power to gadere oost, and for to make armeris, and hym for to be his felowe. And he comaundide ostagis, `ether pleggis, that weren in the hiy tour, for to be youun to hym. 7 And Jonathas cam in to Jerusalem, and radde epistlis, in heryng of al the puple, and of hem that weren in the hiy tour. 8 And thei dredden with greet drede, for thei herden, that the kyng yaf to hym power to gadere an oost. 9 And ostagis weren takun to Jonathas, and he yeldide hem to her fadris and modris. 10 And Jonathas dwelte in Jerusalem, and bigan for to bilde and renule the citee. 11 And he seide to men doynge werkis, that thei schulden make up the wallis, and the hil of Sion in cumpas, with square stonys to strengthing; and thei diden so. 12 And aliens fledden, that weren in the strengthis, whiche Bachides hadde bildid; 13 and ech man lefte his place, and wente in to his lond. 14 Oneli in Bethsura dwelten sum of hem, that forsoken the lawe and heestis of God; for whi this was to hem to refuyte. 15 And Alisaundre the kyng herde biheestis, that Demetrie bihiyte to Jonathas, and thei telden to hym the batels and vertues whiche he dide, and his britheren, and the trauelis whiche thei traueliden. 16 And he seide, Whether we schulen fynde ony such man? And now make we hym our frende and felowe. 17 And he wroot epistle, and sente bi these wordis, 18 seiynge, Kyng Alisaundre to Jonathas, brother, helthe. 19 We han herde of thee, that thou art a miyti man in strengthis, and art able that thou be oure frend. 20 And now we ordeynen thee to dai hiyest prest of thi folc, and that thou be clepid frend of the kyng. And he sente to hym purpur, and a goldun coroun, that thou feele with vs what thingis ben oure, and kepe frenschipis to vs. 21 And Jonathas clothide hym with hooly stoole, in the seuenthe monethe, in the hundrid and sixtithe yeer, in the solempne dai of Senofegie. And he gaderide an ooste, and made copiouse armeris. 22 And Demetrie herde these wordis, and was maad ful sorewful, and seide, What han we do this thing, 23 that Alisaundre bifor ocupiede vs, for to catche frenschip of Jewis to his strengthing? 24 And Y schal write to hym preiynge wordis, and dignitees, and yiftis, that he be with me in help. 25 And he wroot to hym by these wordis, Kyng Demetrie to the folc of Jewis, helthe. 26 For ye kepten to vs couenaunt, and dwelten in oure frenschip, and wenten not to oure enemyes, we herden, and ioieden. 27 And now laste ye yit for to kepe to vs feith; 28 and we schulen quyte to you good thingis, for these thingis that ye diden with vs, and we schulen foryyue to you many rentis, and we schulen yyue yiftis to you. 29 And now Y asoile you, and alle Jewis, of tributis, and Y foryyue to you the prices of salt, and foryyue corouns, and the thridde part of seed; 30 and Y leeue to you fro this dai and afterward the half part of fruyt of tre, that is of my porcioun, tha tit be not takun of the lond of Juda, and of thre citees that ben addid therto, of Samarie and Galile, fro this dai and in to al tyme. 31 And Jerusalem be hooli, and fre, with hise coostis; and tithis and tributis be of it. 32 Also Y foryiue the power of the hiy tour, that is in Jerusalem; and Y yyue it to the hiyest prest, that he ordeyne therynne men, whiche euere he schal chese, that schulen kepe it. 33 And ech persoone of Jewis, that is caitif of the lond of Juda, in al my rewme, Y delyuer fre wilfuli, that alle be soilid of her tributis, yhe, of her beestis. 34 And alle solempne daies, and sabatis, and neomenyes, and alle daies ordeyned, and thre daies bifor the solempne dai, and thre daies after the solempne dai, alle these be daies of fraunchise, and of remissioun, to alle Jewis that ben in my rewme. 35 And no man schal haue power for to do ony thing, and moue causis ayens ony of hem in ony cause. 36 And that ther be writun of Jewis in the kingis oost, to thritti thousyndis of men; and plentees schulen be youun to hem, as it bihoueth to alle oostis of the kyng. 37 And of hem schulen be ordeyned, that be in the greet strengthis of the kyng; 38 of hem schulen be ordeyned ouer nedis of the rewme, that ben don of feith, and princes be of hem; and walke thei in her lawis, as the kyng comaundide in the lond of Juda. And thre citees, that ben addid to Judee of the cuntre of Samarie, be demyd with Judee; that thei be vndur oon, and obeie not to other power, no but to the hiyeste prest; 39 Tolomaida, and coostis therof, whiche Y haue youun a yifte to hooli men that ben in Jerusalem, to nedeful costis of seyntis. 40 And Y schal yyue in ech yeer fiftene thousynde of siclis of siluer, of the kyngis resouns, that perteynen to me; 41 and al that is residue, which thei that weren ouer nedis yeldiden not in formere yeeris, fro this tyme thei schulen yyue in to werkis of the hous. 42 And ouer this fyue thousynde siclis of siluer, whiche thei token of resoun of hooli thingis bi ech yeer; and these thingis schulen perteyne to prestis, that vsen mynysterie. 43 And who euere schulen fle to the temple that is in Jerusalem, and in alle coostis therof, and ben gilti to the king in ony cause, be releesid; and haue thei fre alle thingis, that ben to hem in my rewme. 44 And to bilde werkis of hooli thingis, costis schulen be youun of the kyngis rent, 45 and for to bilde out the wallis of Jerusalem; and for to make strong in cumpas, spensis schulen be youun of the kyngis rent, for to make out wallis in Judee. 46 As Jonathas and the puple herde these wordis, thei bileueden not to hem, nether resseyueden hem; for thei hadden mynde of the greet malice that he hadde don in Israel, and hadde troblid hem greetli. 47 And it pleside togidere to hem in to Alisaundre, for he was to hem prince of wordis of pees, and to hym thei baren help in alle daies. 48 And kyng Alisaundre gaderide a greet oost, and mouyde tentis ayens Demetrie. 49 And the kyngis ioyneden batel, and the oost of Demetrie fledde; and Alisaundre pursuede him, and lai on hem; 50 and the batel was ful strong, til the sunne wente doun, and Demetrie felle in that dai. 51 And Alisaundre sente to Tolome, king of Egipt, legatis bi these wordis, 52 and seide, For Y cam ayen in to my rewme, and sat in the seete of my fadris; and Y haue weldid princehod, and Y haue al to-brokun Demetrie, and haue weldid oure cuntrei; 53 and Y haue ioyned fiyt with hym, and he and his oostis ben al to-foulid of vs, and we saten in seete of his rewme. 54 And now ordeyne we togidere frenschip, and yyue thi douyter a wijf to me, and Y schal be thi douyter hosebonde; and Y schal yyue to thee yiftis, and to hir dignytee. 55 And `Tolome, kyng, answeride, seiynge, Blessid is the dai in which thou turnedist ayen to the lond of thi fadris, and hast sotun in the seete of rewme of hem. 56 And now Y schal do to thee whiche thingis thou hast writun; but come thou ayens me to Tolomaida, that we se vs togidere, and Y biheete to thee, as thou seidist. 57 And Tolome wente out of Egipt, he, and Cleopatra, his douyter; and he cam to Tolomaida, in the hundrid and two and sixtithe yeer. 58 And Alisaundre, the king, came to hym; and he yaf to hym Cleopatra, his douytir, and made his weddingis at Tolomaida, as kyngis in greet glorie. 59 And kyng Alisaundre wroot to Jonathas, that he schulde come ayens hym. 60 And he wente with glorie to Tolomaida, and mette there twei kyngis, and yaue to hem myche siluer, and gold, and yiftis; and foond grace in the siyte of hem. 61 And men of Israel, ful of venym, camen togidere ayens hym, wickid men, axynge ayens hym, and the kyng took no tent to hem; 62 and comaundide Jonathas for to be maad nakid of his clothis, and hym for to be clothid in purpur; and thei diden so. And the king settide hym for to sitte with hym, 63 and seide to hise princis, Go ye out with hym in to the myddil of the citee, and preche ye, that no man axe ayens hym of ony cause, nether ony man be heuy to hym of ony resoun. 64 And it was don, as thei that axiden sien his glorie that was prechid, and hym kyuered with purpur, alle fledden. 65 And the kyng magnefiede hym, and wroot hym among the firste frendis, and puttide hym duyk, and felow of prinshod. 66 And Jonathas turnede ayen in to Jerusalem, with pees and gladnesse. 67 In the hundrid yeer and fyue and sixtithe, Demetrie, the sone of Demetrie, cam fro Crete in to the lond of his fadris. 68 And kyng Alisaundre herde, and was maad ful soreuful, and turnede ayen to Antiochie. 69 And Demetrie ordeynede Appolyne duyk, that was souereyn of Celesirie; and he gaderide his greet oost, and cam to Jamnam; and sente to Jonathas, hiyeste prest, and seide, Thou aloone ayenstondist vs; 70 Y am maad in to scorn and schenschip therfor, for thou hauntist power in hillis ayens vs. 71 Now therfor if thou tristist in thi vertues, come doun to vs in to the feeld; and there asemble we togidere, for with me is vertu of batels. 72 Axe thou, and lerne who Y am, and othere that ben in help to me, and whiche seien, that youre foot may not stonde ayens oure face, for thi fadris weren conuertid in to fliyt twies in to her lond. 73 And now hou schalt thou mow susteyne multitude of horse men, and so greet oost in the feeld, where is no stoon, ne rocke, nether place of fleynge? 74 Sotheli as Jonathas herde these wordis of Appollonye, he was mouyd in herte; and he chees ten thousynde of men, and wente out fro Jerusalem, and Symount, his brother, cam to hym in to help. 75 And thei applieden tentis in Joppe, and it schittide out hym fro the citee, for Joppe was the keping of Appolyne; and he fouyte ayens it. 76 And thei weren agast, that weren with ynne the citee, and openyden to hym; and Jonathas weldide Joppe. 77 And Appolyne herde, and mouyde thre thousynde of horse men, and myche oost; 78 and wente to Asotus, as makynge weie. And anoon he wente out in to the feeld, for that he hadde multitude of horse men, and tristnyde in hem; and Jonathas suede hym in to Asotus, and thei ioyneden batel. 79 And Appoloyne lefte in tentis a thousynde horse men bihynde hem priueli. 80 And Jonathas knewe that buschementis weren bihynde hym, and thei enuirowneden his tentis, and castiden dartis in to the puple, fro morew til to euentid. 81 Forsothe the puple stood, as Jonathas comaundide, and the horsis of hem traueliden out. 82 And Symount ledde his oost, and ioynede ayens the legioun; forsothe horse men weren maad weri, and weren al to-brokun of hym, and fledden. 83 And thei that weren scaterid in to the feeld, fledden in to Asotus; and entriden in to the hous of Dagon, her idol, that there thei schulden delyuere hem silf. 84 And Jonathas brente Asotus, and citees that weren in cumpas therof, and took spuylis of hem; and he brente in fier the temple of Dagon, and hem that fledden in to it. 85 And ther weren that fellen bi swerd with hem that weren brent, almeste eiyte thousynde of men. 86 And fro thennus Jonathas mouyde tentis, and appliede hem to Ascalon; and thei wenten out of the citee ayens hym in greet glorie. 87 And Jonathas turnede ayen in to Jerusalem with hise men, hauynge many spuylis. 88 And it was don, as king Alisaundre herde these wordis, he puttide to yit for to glorifie Jonathas. 89 And he sente to hym a goldun lace, `ether nouche, as custom is for to be youun to cosyns of kingis; and he yaf to him Accoron, and alle coostis therof in to possessioun.