1 Macc 9

1 In 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. 2 And 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. 3 In the firste monethe of the hundrid and two and fifti yeer, thei applieden the oost to Jerusalem. 4 And twenti thousynde of men, and twei thousynde of horse men, han risun, and wenten in to Berea. 5 And Judas settide tentis in Laisa, and thre thousynde men chosun with hym. 6 And 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. 7 And 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. 8 And he seide to these that weren residue, Rise we, and go we to oure aduersaries, if we schulen mow fiyte ayens hem. 9 And 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. 10 And 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. 11 And 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. 12 Forsothe Bachides was in the riyt schiltrun. And the legioun of twei partis cam nyy, and crieden with trumpis. 13 Forsothe 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. 14 And Judas siy, that the part of Bachides oost was saddere in the riyt half, and alle stidfast in herte camen togidere with hym. 15 And the riyt part was al to-brokun of hem; and he pursuede hem `til to the hil of Asotus. 16 And 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. 17 And the batel was maad greuouse, and there fellen many woundid of these and of hem. 18 And Judas felle, and the othere fledden. 19 And Jonathas and Symount token her brother Judas, and birieden hym in sepulcre of his fadris, in the citee of Modyn. 20 And al Israel biwepten him with greet weilyng, and mourneden many daies, 21 and seiden, Hou felle the myyti, that made Israel saaf. 22 And othere wordis of batels of Judas, and of vertues that he dide, and of his greetnessis, ben not writun; for tho weren ful many. 23 And 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. 24 In tho daies ful greet hungur was maad, and al the cuntrey of hem bitook hem silf to Bachides with hem. 25 And Bachides chees vnpitouse men, and ordeynede hem lordis of the cuntrei. 26 And thei axiden out, and souyten the frendis of Judas, and brouyten hem to Bachides; and he vengide on hem, and scornede. 27 And greet tribulacioun was maad in Israel, what maner was not fro the dai in which a profete was not seyn in Israel. 28 And alle the frendis of Judas weren gaderid, and seiden to Jonatas, Sithen thi brother Judas is deed, 29 ther is no man lijk hym, that schal go out ayens enemyes, Bachides and hem that ben enemyes of oure folc. 30 Therfor now we chesen thee to dai for to be prince and duyk to vs for hym, for to fiyte oure batel. 31 And Jonatas resseyuede in that tyme the prinshod, and roos in the place of Judas, his brother. 32 And Bachides knew, and souyte for to sle him. 33 And 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. 34 And Bachides knew, and in the dai of sabatis he cam, and al his oost, ouer Jordan. 35 And Jonathas sente his brother ledere of that puple, and preiede Nabutheis, his frendis, that he schulde bitake to hem his apparel, that was plenteuouse. 36 And sones of Jambri wenten out of Madaba, and cauyten Joon, and alle thingis that he hadde, and wenten awei, hauynge tho thingis. 37 After 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. 38 And thei bithouyten on the blood of Joon, her brother, and stieden vp, and hidden hem silf vndur kyueryng of the hil. 39 And 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. 40 And 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; 41 and weddyngis weren conuertid in to mourenyng, and vois of her musikis in to weilyng. 42 And thei vengiden the veniaunce of her brotheris blood, and turnyden ayen to the brynk of Jordan. 43 And Bachides herde, and cam in the dai of sabatis til to the vtmeste part of Jordan, in greet strengthe. 44 And Jonathas seide to hise, Rise we, and fiyte ayens oure enemyes; for it is not to dai as yistirdai and the thridde dai agoon. 45 For 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. 46 Now therfor crie ye in to heuene, that ye be delyuerede fro hond of youre enemyes. 47 And batel was ioyned. And Jonathas strauyt out his hond, for to smyte Bachides, and he turnede awei fro him bihynde. 48 And Jonathas skipte doun, and thei that weren with hym, in to Jordan, and swommen ouer Jordan to hem. 49 And there fellen of Bachides part in that dai a thousande men, and thei turneden ayen in to Jerusalem; 50 and 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. 51 And he settide kepyng in hem, that thei schulden haunte enemytees in Israel; 52 and he strengthide the citee Bethsura, and Gazaram, and the hiy tour, and puttide in hem helpis and apparel of metis. 53 And he took the sones of princes of the cuntrei in ostage, and puttide hem in the hiy tour in Jerusalem, in kepyng. 54 And 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. 55 In 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. 56 And Alchymus was deed in that tyme, with greet turment. 57 And Bachides siy, that Alchymus was deed, and he turnede ayen to the kyng, and the lond was stille twei yeeris. 58 And 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. 59 And thei wenten forth, and yauen councel to hym. 60 And 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. 61 And Jonathas cauyte of men of the cuntre, that weren princis of knytyhod, fifti men, and slow hem. 62 And 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. 63 And Bachides knew, and gaderide al his multitude, and denounside to hem that weren of Judee. 64 And he cam, and settide tentis aboue Bethbesse, and fauyte ayens it many daies, and made engynes. 65 And Jonathas lefte Symount, his brother, in the citee, and wente oute in to cuntre, and cam with noumbre; 66 and smoot Odaren, and hise britheren, and sones of Faseron, in the tabernaclis of hem, and bigan for to smyte, and wexe in vertues. 67 Symount sotheli, and thei that weren with hym, wenten out of the citee, and brenten engynes. 68 And 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. 69 And 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. 70 And Jonathas knew, and sente legatis to hym, for to make pees with hym, and to yelde to him prisoneris. 71 And 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. 72 And 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. 73 And 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.