1 Macchabeus autem et qui cum illo erant Domino se protegente
templum quidem et civitatem recepit
2 aras autem quas alienigenae per plateas extruxerant
itemque delubra demolitus est
3 et purgato templo aliud altare fecerunt
et de ignitis lapidibus igne concepto
obtulerunt sacrificia post biennium
et incensum et lucernas et panes propositionis posuerunt
4 quibus gestis rogabant Dominum prostrati in terram
ne amplius malis talibus inciderent
sed et si quando peccassent ut ab ipso mitius corriperentur
et non blasphemis ac barbaris hominibus traderentur
5 qua die autem templum ab alienigenis pollutum fuerat
contigit eadem die purgationem fieri
vicesima et quinta mensis qui fuit casleu
6 et cum laetitia diebus octo egerunt in modum tabernaculorum
recordantes quod ante modicum temporis
diem sollemnem tabernaculorum in montibus
more bestiarum egerant
7 propter quod tyrsos et ramos virides
et palmas praeferebant ei qui prosperavit mundari locum suum
8 et decreverunt communi praecepto et decreto universae genti Iudaeorum
omnibus annis agere dies istos
9 et Antiochi quidem qui appellatus est Nobilis
vitae excessus ita se habuit
10 nunc autem de Eupatore Antiochi filio impii
quae gesta sunt narrabimus
breviantes mala quae in bellis gesta sunt
11 hic suscepto regno
constituit super negotia regni Lysiam quendam
Foenicis et Syriae militiae principem
12 nam Ptolomeus qui dicebatur Macer
iusti tenax erga Iudaeos esse instituit
et praecipue propter iniquitatem quae facta erat in eos
et pacifice agere cum eis
13 sed ob hoc accusatus ab amicis apud Eupatorem
cum frequenter proditor audiret
eo quod Cyprum creditus a Filometore Nobilem translatus etiam ab eo recessisset
veneno vitam finivit
14 Gorgias autem cum esset dux locorum
adsumptis advenis frequenter Iudaeos debellabat
15 Iudaei vero qui tenebant oportunas munitiones
fugatos ab Hierosolymis suscipiebant et bellare temptabant
16 hii vero qui erant cum Macchabeo
per orationes Dominum rogantes ut esset sibi adiutor
impetum fecerunt in munitiones Idumeorum
17 multaque vi insistentes loca obtinuerunt occurrentes interemerunt
et omnes simul non minus a viginti milibus trucidaverunt
18 quidam autem cum confugissent in duas turres valde munitas
omnem adparatum ad repugnandum habentes
19 Macchabeus ad eorum expugnationem relicto Simone et Ioseppho
item Macchabeo eisque qui cum
ipsis erant satis multis
ipse ad eas quae amplius perurguebant pugnas conversus est
20 hii vero qui cum Simone erant cupiditate ducti
a quibusdam qui in turribus erant suasi sunt pecunia
et septuaginta milibus didragmis acceptis
dimiserunt quosdam effugere
21 cum autem Macchabeo nuntiatum esset quod factum est
congregatis principibus populi
accusavit quod pecunia fratres vendidissent
adversariis eorum dimissis
22 hos igitur proditores factos interfecit
et confestim duas turres occupavit
23 armis autem ac manibus omnia prospere agendo
in duabus munitionibus plus quam viginti milia peremit
24 Timotheus qui prius a Iudaeis fuerat superatus
convocato exercitu peregrinae multitudinis
et congregato exercitu asiano advenit
quasi armis Iudaeam capturus
25 Macchabeus autem et qui cum ipso erant
adpropiante illo deprecabantur Deum
caput terra aspergentes lumbosque ciliciis praecincti
26 ad altaris crepidinem provoluti ut sibi propitius
inimicis autem eorum esset inimicus
et adversaretur sicut lex dicit
27 et ita post orationem sumptis armis longius de civitate procedentes
et proximi hostibus effecti resederunt
28 primo autem solis ortu utrique commiserunt
isti quidem victoriae et prosperitatis sponsorem cum virtute Dominum
habentes
illi autem ducem belli animum habebant
29 sed cum vehemens pugna esset
apparuerunt adversariis de caelo viri quinque
in equis frenis aureis decori ducatum Iudaeis praestantes
30 ex quibus duo Macchabeum medium habentes
armis suis circumseptum incolomem conservabant
in adversarios autem tela et fulmina iaciebant
ex quo et caecitate confusi et repleti perturbatione cadebant
31 interfecti sunt autem viginti milia quingenti et equites sescenti
32 Timotheus autem confugit in Gazara
praesidium munitum cui praeerat Caereas
33 Macchabeus autem et qui cum eo erant
laetantes obsederunt praesidium diebus quattuor
34 at hii qui in turres erant loci
firmitate confisi
super modum maledicebant et sermones nefandos iactabant
35 sed cum dies quinta inlucesceret
viginti iuvenes ex his qui cum Macchabeo erant
accensi animis propter blasphemiam
viriliter accesserunt ad murum
et feroci animo incedentes ascendebant
36 sed et alii similiter ascendentes turres
portasque succendere adgressi
atque ipsos maledicos vivos concremare
37 per continuum autem biduum praesidio vastato
Timotheum occultantem se in quodam reppertum loco peremerunt
et fratrem illius Caerean et Apollofanem occiderunt
38 quibus gestis in hymnis et confessionibus benedicebant Dominum
qui magna fecit cum Israhel
et victoriam illi dedit
1 Now Maccabeus and his company, the Lord guiding them, recovered the temple and the city:
2 But the altars which the heathen had built in the open street, and also the chapels, they pulled down.
3 And having cleansed the temple they made another altar, and striking stones they took fire out of them, and offered a sacrifice after two years, and set forth incense, and lights, and shewbread.
4 When that was done, they fell flat down, and besought the Lord that they might come no more into such troubles; but if they sinned any more against him, that he himself would chasten them with mercy, and that they might not be delivered unto the blasphemous and barbarous nations.
5 Now upon the same day that the strangers profaned the temple, on the very same day it was cleansed again, even the five and twentieth day of the same month, which is Casleu.
6 And they kept the eight days with gladness, as in the feast of the tabernacles, remembering that not long afore they had held the feast of the tabernacles, when as they wandered in the mountains and dens like beasts.
7 Therefore they bare branches, and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms unto him that had given them good success in cleansing his place.
8 They ordained also by a common statute and decree, That every year those days should be kept of the whole nation of the Jews.
9 And this was the end of Antiochus, called Epiphanes.
10 Now will we declare the acts of Antiochus Eupator, who was the son of this wicked man, gathering briefly the calamities of the wars.
11 So when he was come to the crown, he set one Lysias over the affairs of his realm, and appointed him his chief governor of Celosyria and Phenice.
12 For Ptolemeus, that was called Macron, choosing rather to do justice unto the Jews for the wrong that had been done unto them, endeavoured to continue peace with them.
13 Whereupon being accused of the king’s friends before Eupator, and called traitor at every word because he had left Cyprus, that Philometor had committed unto him, and departed to Antiochus Epiphanes, and seeing that he was in no honourable place, he was so discouraged, that he poisoned himself and died.
14 But when Gorgias was governor of the holds, he hired soldiers, and nourished war continually with the Jews:
15 And therewithall the Idumeans, having gotten into their hands the most commodious holds, kept the Jews occupied, and receiving those that were banished from Jerusalem, they went about to nourish war.
16 Then they that were with Maccabeus made supplication, and besought God that he would be their helper; and so they ran with violence upon the strong holds of the Idumeans,
17 And assaulting them strongly, they won the holds, and kept off all that fought upon the wall, and slew all that fell into their hands, and killed no fewer than twenty thousand.
18 And because certain, who were no less than nine thousand, were fled together into two very strong castles, having all manner of things convenient to sustain the siege,
19 Maccabeus left Simon and Joseph, and Zaccheus also, and them that were with him, who were enough to besiege them, and departed himself unto those places which more needed his help.
20 Now they that were with Simon, being led with covetousness, were persuaded for money through certain of those that were in the castle, and took seventy thousand drachms, and let some of them escape.
21 But when it was told Maccabeus what was done, he called the governors of the people together, and accused those men, that they had sold their brethren for money, and set their enemies free to fight against them.
22 So he slew those that were found traitors, and immediately took the two castles.
23 And having good success with his weapons in all things he took in hand, he slew in the two holds more than twenty thousand.
24 Now Timotheus, whom the Jews had overcome before, when he had gathered a great multitude of foreign forces, and horses out of Asia not a few, came as though he would take Jewry by force of arms.
25 But when he drew near, they that were with Maccabeus turned themselves to pray unto God, and sprinkled earth upon their heads, and girded their loins with sackcloth,
26 And fell down at the foot of the altar, and besought him to be merciful to them, and to be an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law declareth.
27 So after the prayer they took their weapons, and went on further from the city: and when they drew near to their enemies, they kept by themselves.
28 Now the sun being newly risen, they joined both together; the one part having together with their virtue their refuge also unto the Lord for a pledge of their success and victory: the other side making their rage leader of their battle.
29 But when the battle waxed strong, there appeared unto the enemies from heaven five comely men upon horses, with bridles of gold, and two of them led the Jews,
30 And took Maccabeus betwixt them, and covered him on every side with their weapons, and kept him safe, but shot arrows and lightnings against the enemies: so that being confounded with blindness, and full of trouble, they were killed.
31 And there were slain of footmen twenty thousand and five hundred, and six hundred horsemen.
32 As for Timotheus himself, he fled into a very strong hold, called Gawra, where Chereas was governor.
33 But they that were with Maccabeus laid siege against the fortress courageously four days.
34 And they that were within, trusting to the strength of the place, blasphemed exceedingly, and uttered wicked words.
35 Nevertheless upon the fifth day early twenty young men of Maccabeus’ company, inflamed with anger because of the blasphemies, assaulted the wall manly, and with a fierce courage killed all that they met withal.
36 Others likewise ascending after them, whiles they were busied with them that were within, burnt the towers, and kindling fires burnt the blasphemers alive; and others broke open the gates, and, having received in the rest of the army, took the city,
37 And killed Timotheus, that was hid in a certain pit, and Chereas his brother, with Apollophanes.
38 When this was done, they praised the Lord with psalms and thanksgiving, who had done so great things for Israel, and given them the victory.