,this e,book was produced by ,david     
,widger  from etext #aeha prepared by   
,dennis ,mc,carthy1 ,atlanta1 ,georgia  
and ,tad ,book1 student1 ,pontifical    
,north ,american ,college1 ,rome4       
,,the ,,holy ,,bible                    
,translated from the ,latin ,vulgate    
,diligently ,compared with the ,hebrew1 
,greek1  and ,other ,editions in ,divers
 ,languages      ,,the ,,old ,,testament
  ,first ,published by the ,english     
,college at ,douay  ,a4,d4 #afji  #afaj 
and    ,,the ,,new ,,testament  ,first  
,published by the ,english ,college at  
,rheims  ,a4,d4 #aehb      ,with        
,annotations      ,the ,whole ,revised  
and ,diligently ,compared with  the     
,latin ,vulgate by ,bishop ,richard     
,challoner  ,a4,d4 #agdi-ageb           
,,the ,,second ,,book ,,of ,,machabees  
,this second book of ,,machabees is not 
a continuation of the history  contained
 in the first3 nor does is come down so 
low as the first does3  but relates many
 of the same facts more at large1 and   

adds other  remarkable particulars1     
omitted in the first book1 relating to  
the state  of the ,jews1 as well before 
as under the persecution of ,,antiochus4
 ,the  author1 who is not the same with 
that of the first book1 has given 7as   
we learn from chap4 #b4bj1 etc47 a short
 abstract of what ,,jason of ,cyrene    
had written in the five volumes1        
concerning ,,judas and his brethren4 ,he
  wrote in ,greek1 and begins with two  
letters1 sent by the ,jews of           
,jerusalem to their brethren in ,egypt4 
#b ,machabees ,chapter #a    ,letters of
 the ,jews of ,jerusalem to them that   
were in ,egypt4 ,they give  thanks for  
their delivery from ,antiochus3 and     
exhort their brethren to  keep the feast
 of the dedication of the altar1 and of 
the miraculous  fire4    #a3a4 ,to the  
brethren1 the ,jews that are throughout 
,egypt2 the brethren1  the ,jews that   
are in ,jerusalem1 and in the land of   
,judea1 send health  and good peace4    
#a3b4 ,may ,god be gracious to you1 and 

remember his covenant that he made  with
 ,abraham1 and ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 his  
faithful servants3    #a3c4 ,and give   
you all a heart to worship him1 and to  
do his will with a  great heart1 and a  
willing mind4    #a3d4 ,may he open your
 heart in his law1 and in his           
commandments1 and  send you peace4      
#a3e4 ,may he hear your prayers1 and be 
reconciled unto you1 and never  forsake 
you in the evil time4    #a3f4 ,and now 
here we are praying for you4    #a3g4   
,when ,demetrius reigned1 in the year   
one hundred and sixty-nine1 we  ,jews   
wrote to you in the trouble and violence
 that came upon us in those  years1     
after ,jason withdrew himself from the  
holy land1 and from the  kingdom4       
#a3h4 ,they burnt the gate1 and shed    
innocent blood3 then we prayed to the   
,lord1 and were heard1 and we offered   
sacrifices1 and fine flour1 and  lighted
 the lamps1 and set forth the loaves4   
#a3i4 ,and now celebrate ye the days of 
,scenopegia in the month of ,casleu4    

,scenopegia444 ,viz41 the ,encenia1 or  
feast of the dedication of the  altar1  
called here ,scenopegia1 or feast of    
tabernacles1 from being  celebrated with
 the like solemnity4    #a3aj4 ,in the  
year one hundred and eighty-eight1 the  
people that is at  ,jerusalem1 and in   
,judea1 and the senate1 and ,judas1 to  
,aristobolus1 the  preceptor of king    
,ptolemee1 who is of the stock of the   
anointed priests1  and to the ,jews that
 are in ,egypt1 health and welfare4     
#a3aa4 ,having been delivered by ,god   
out of great dangers1 we give him  great
 thanks1 forasmuch as we have been in   
war with such a king4    ,such a king444
 ,viz41 ,antiochus ,sidetes1 who began  
to make war upon the  ,jews1 whilst     
,simon was yet alive4 #a ,mac4 #ae4ci4  
,and afterwards besieged  ,jerusalem    
under ,john ,hircanus4 ,so that the     
,judas here mentioned1 ver4  #aj1 is not
 ,judas ,machabeus1 who was dead long   
before the year #ahh of the  kingdom of 
the ,greeks1 for he died in the year    

#adf of that epoch1 7see  above #a ,mac4
 chap4 #b41 ver4 #gj1 also the note on  
chap4 #a1 ver4 #b17 but  either ,judas  
the eldest son of ,john ,hircanus1 or   
,judas the ,essene1  renowned for the   
gift of prophecy1 who flourished about  
that time4    #a3ab4 ,for he made       
numbers of men swarm out of ,persia1    
that have fought  against us1 and the   
holy city4    #a3ac4 ,for when the      
leader himself was in ,persia1 and with 
him a very  great army1 he fell in the  
temple of ,nanea1 being deceived by the 
counsel of the priests of ,nanea4       
,nanea444 ,a ,persian goddess1 which    
some have taken for ,diana1 others for  
,venus4    #a3ad4 ,for ,antiochus1 with 
his friends1 came to the place as though
 he  would marry her1 and that he might 
receive great sums of money under the   
title of a dowry4    #a3ae4 ,and when   
the priests of ,nanea had set it forth1 
and he with a  small company had entered
 into the compass of the temple1 they   
shut the  temple1    #a3af4 ,when       

,antiochus was come in3 and opening a   
secret entrance of the  temple1 they    
cast stones and slew the leader1 and    
them that were with  him1 and hewed them
 in pieces2 and cutting off their heads1
 they threw  them forth4    #a3ag4      
,blessed be ,god in all things1 who hath
 delivered up the wicked4    #a3ah4     
,therefore1 whereas we purpose to keep  
the purification of the  temple on the  
five and twentieth day of the month of  
,casleu1 we thought  it necessary to    
signify it to you3 that you also may    
keep the day of  ,scenopegia1 and the   
day of the fire1 that was given when    
,nehemias  offered sacrifice1 after the 
temple and the altar was built4         
#a3ai4 ,for when our fathers were led   
into ,persia1 the priests that then     
were worshippers of ,god1 took privately
 the fire from the altar1 and hid  it in
 a valley where there was a deep pit    
without water1 and there they  kept it  
safe1 so that the place was unknown to  
all men4    ,persia444 ,babylonia1      

called here ,persia1 from being         
afterwards a part of  the ,persian      
empire4    #a3bj4 ,but when many years  
had passed1 and it pleased ,god that    
,nehemias  should be sent by the king of
 ,persia1 he sent some of the posterity 
of  those priests that had hid it1 to   
seek for the fire3 and as they told  us1
 they found no fire1 but thick water4   
#a3ba4 ,then he bade them draw it up1   
and bring it to him3 and the priest1    
,nehemias1 commanded the sacrifices that
 were laid on1 to be sprinkled  with the
 same water1 both the wood1 and the     
things that were laid upon  it4         
#a3bb4 ,and when this was done1 and the 
time came that the sun shone out1  which
 before was in a cloud1 there was a     
great fire kindled1 so that all         
wondered4    #a3bc4 ,and all the priests
 made prayer1 while the sacrifice was   
consuming1 ,jonathan beginning1 and the 
rest answering4    #a3bd4 ,and the      
prayer of ,nehemias was after this      
manner3 ,o ,lord ,god1  ,creator of all 

things1 dreadful and strong1 just and   
merciful1 who alone  art the good king1 
#a3be4 ,who alone art gracious1 who     
alone art just1 and almighty1 and       
eternal1 who deliverest ,israel from all
 evil1 who didst choose the  fathers1   
and didst sanctify them3    #a3bf4      
,receive the sacrifice for all thy      
people ,israel1 and preserve thy  own   
portion1 and sanctify it4    #a3bg4     
,gather together our scattered people1  
deliver them that are slaves  to the    
,gentiles1 and look upon them that are  
despised and abhorred3 that  the        
,gentiles may know that thou art our    
,god4    #a3bh4 ,punish them that       
oppress us1 and that treat us           
injuriously with  pride4    #a3bi4      
,establish thy people in thy holy place1
 as ,moses hath spoken4    #a3cj4 ,and  
the priests sung hymns till the         
sacrifice was consumed4    #a3ca 4,and  
when the sacrifice was consumed1        
,nehemias commanded the water  that was 
left to be poured out upon the great    

stones4    #a3cb4 ,which being done1    
there was kindled a flame from them3 but
 it was  consumed by the light that     
shined from the altar4    #a3cc4 ,and   
when this matter became public1 it was  
told to the king of  ,persia1 that in   
the place where the priests that were   
led away1 had hid  the fire1 there      
appeared water1 with which ,nehemias and
 they that were  with him had purified  
the sacrifices4    #a3cd4 ,and the king 
considering1 and diligently examining   
the matter1  made a temple for it1 that 
he might prove what had happened4    ,a 
temple444 ,that is1 an enclosure1 or a  
wall round about the place where  the   
fire was hid1 to separate it from       
profane uses1 to the end that it  might 
be respected as a holy place4    #a3ce4 
,and when he had proved it1 he gave the 
priests many goods1 and  divers         
presents1 and he took and distributed   
them to them with his own  hand4        
#a3cf4 ,and ,nehemias called this place 
,nephthar1 which is interpreted         

purification4 ,but many call it ,nephi4 
#b ,machabees ,chapter #b    ,a         
continuation of the second letter4 ,of  
,jeremias' hiding the ark at the  time  
of the captivity4 ,the author's preface4
    #b3a4 ,now it is found in the       
descriptions of ,jeremias1 the prophet1 
that  he commanded them that went into  
captivity1 to take the fire1 as it hath 
been signified1 and how he gave charge  
to them that were carried away  into    
captivity4    ,the descriptions444 ,that
 is1 the records or memoirs of          
,jeremias1 a work  that is now lost4    
#b3b4 ,and how he gave them the law1    
that they should not forget the         
commandments of the ,lord1 and that they
 should not err in their minds1  seeing 
the idols of gold1 and silver1 and the  
ornaments of them4    #b3c4 ,and with   
other such like speeches1 he exhorted   
them that they would  not remove the law
 from their heart4    #b3d4 ,it was also
 contained in the same writing1 how the 
prophet1 being  warned by ,god1         

commanded that the tabernacle and the   
ark should  accompany him1 till he came 
forth to the mountain where ,moses went 
up1  and saw the inheritance of ,god4   
#b3e4 ,and when ,jeremias came thither  
he found a hollow cave3 and he  carried 
in thither the tabernacle1 and the ark1 
and the altar of  incense1 and so       
stopped the door4    #b3f 4,then some of
 them that followed him1 came up to mark
 the place3 but  they could not find it4
    #b3g4 ,and when ,jeremias perceived 
it1 he blamed them1 saying3 ,the place  
shall be unknown1 till ,god gather      
together the congregation of the        
people1 and receive them to mercy4      
#b3h4 ,and then the ,lord will shew     
these things1 and the majesty of the    
,lord shall appear1 and there shall be a
 cloud as it was also shewed to  ,moses1
 and he shewed it when ,solomon prayed  
that the place might be  sanctified to  
the great ,god4    #b3i4 ,for he treated
 wisdom in a magnificent manner3 and    
like a wise man1  he offered the        

sacrifice of the dedication1 and of the 
finishing of the  temple4    #b3aj4 ,and
 as ,moses prayed to the ,lord1 and fire
 came down from heaven1  and consumed   
the holocaust3 so ,solomon also prayed1 
and fire came down  from heaven and     
consumed the holocaust4    #b3aa4 ,and  
,moses said3 ,because the sin offering  
was not eaten1 it was  consumed4        
#b3ab4 ,so ,solomon also celebrated the 
dedication eight days4    #b3ac4 ,and   
these same things were set down in the  
memoirs1 and  commentaries of ,nehemias3
 and how he made a library1 and gathered
  together out of the countries1 the    
books both of the prophets1 and of      
,david1 and the epistles of the kings1  
and concerning the holy gifts4    #b3ad4
 ,and in like manner ,judas also        
gathered together all such things as    
were lost by the war we had1 and they   
are in our possession4    #b3ae4        
,wherefore1 if you want these things1   
send some that may fetch them  to you4  
#b3af4 ,as we are then about to         

celebrate the purification1 we have     
written unto you3 and you shall do well1
 if you keep the same days4    ,the     
purification444 ,that is1 the feast of  
the purifying or cleansing of  the      
temple4    #b3ag4 ,and we hope that     
,god1 who hath delivered his people1 and
 hath  rendered to all the inheritance1 
and the kingdom1 and the priesthood1    
and the sanctuary1    #b3ah4 ,as he     
promised in the law1 will shortly have  
mercy upon us1 and  will gather us      
together from every land under heaven   
into the holy  place4    #b3ai4 ,for he 
hath delivered us out of great perils1  
and hath cleansed  the place4    #b3bj4 
,now as concerning ,judas ,machabeus1   
and his brethren1 and the  purification 
of the great temple1 and the dedication 
of the altar3    #b3ba4 ,as also the    
wars against ,antiochus1 the            
,illustrious1 and his son1  ,eupator3   
#b3bb4 ,and the manifestations that came
 from heaven to them1 that behaved      
themselves manfully on the behalf of the

 ,jews1 so that1 being but a few  they  
made themselves masters of the whole    
country1 and put to flight the          
barbarous multitude3    #b3bc4 ,and     
recovered again the most renowned temple
 in all the world1 and  delivered the   
city1 and restored the laws that were   
abolished1 the ,lord  with all clemency 
shewing mercy to them4    #b3bd4 ,and   
all such things as have been comprised  
in five books by ,jason1  of ,cyrene1 we
 have attempted to abridge in one book4 
#b3be4 ,for considering the multitude of
 books1 and the difficulty that  they   
find that desire to undertake the       
narrations of histories1 because  of the
 multitude of the matter1    #b3bf4 ,we 
have taken care for those indeed that   
are willing to read1 that  it might be a
 pleasure of mind3 and for the studious1
 that they may more  easily commit to   
memory3 and that all that read might    
receive profit4    #b3bg4 ,and as to    
ourselves indeed1 in undertaking this   
work of abridging1  we have taken in    

hand no easy task2 yea1 rather a        
business full of  watching and sweat4   
,no easy task1 etc444 ,the spirit of    
,god1 that assists the sacred penmen1   
does not exempt them from labour in     
seeking out the matter which they  are  
to treat of1 and the order and manner in
 which they are to deliver  it4 ,so ,st4
 ,luke writ the gospel having diligently
 attained to all  things4 ,luke #a4 ver4
 #c4    #b3bh4 ,but as they that prepare
 a feast1 and seek to satisfy the will  
of  others3 for the sake of many1 we    
willingly undergo the labour4    #b3bi4 
,leaving to the authors the exact       
handling of every particular1 and  as   
for ourselves1 according to the plan    
proposed1 studying to be brief4         
#b3cj4 ,for as the master builder of a  
new house must have care of the  whole  
building3 but he that taketh care to    
paint it1 must seek out fit  things for 
the adorning of it3 so must it be judged
 of us4    #b3ca4 ,for to collect all   
that is to be known1 to put the         

discourse in  order1 and curiously to   
discuss every particular point1 is the  
duty of  the author of a history3       
#b3cb4 ,but to pursue brevity of speech1
 and to avoid nice declarations of      
things1 is to be granted to him that    
maketh an abridgment4    #b3cc4 ,here   
then we will begin the narration3 let   
this be enough by way  of a preface3 for
 it is a foolish thing to make a long   
prologue1 and to  be short in the story 
itself4    #b ,machabees ,chapter #c    
,heliodorus is sent by king ,seleucus to
 take away the treasures deposited  in  
the temple4 ,he is struck by ,god1 and  
healed by the prayers of the  high      
priest4    #c3a4 ,therefore1 when the   
holy city was inhabited with all peace1 
and the  laws as yet were very well     
kept1 because of the godliness of       
,onias1 the  high priest and the hatred 
his soul had of evil1    #c3b4 ,it came 
to pass that even the kings themselves  
and the princes  esteemed the place     
worthy of the highest honour1 and       

glorified the  temple with very great   
gifts3    #c3c4 ,so that ,seleucus1 king
 of ,asia1 allowed out of his revenues  
all the  charges belonging to the       
ministry of the sacrifices4             
,seleucus444 ,son of ,antiochus the     
,great1 and elder brother of ,antiochus 
,epiphanes4    #c3d4 ,but one ,simon1 of
 the tribe of ,benjamin1 who was        
appointed overseer  of the temple1      
strove in opposition to the high priest1
 to bring about  some unjust thing in   
the city4    #c3e4 ,and when he could   
not overcome ,onias1 he went to         
,apollonius1 the  son of ,tharseas1 who 
at that time was governor of ,celesyria1
 and  ,phenicia3    #c3f4 ,and told him1
 that the treasury in ,jerusalem was    
full of immense  sums of money1 and the 
common store was infinite1 which did not
 belong  to the account of the          
sacrifices3 and that it was possible to 
bring all  into the king's hands4       
#c3g4 ,now when ,apollonius had given   
the king notice concerning the money    

that he was told of1 he called for      
,heliodorus1 who had the charge over    
his affairs1 and sent him with          
commission to bring him the foresaid    
money4    #c3h4 ,so ,heliodorus         
forthwith began his journey1 under a    
colour of  visiting the cities of       
,celesyria and ,phenicia1 but indeed to 
fulfil the  king's purpose4    #c3i4    
,and when he was come to ,jerusalem1 and
 had been courteously  received in the  
city by the high priest1 he told him    
what information  had been given        
concerning the money3 and declared the  
cause for which he  was come3 and asked 
if these things were so indeed4         
#c3aj4 ,then the high priest told him   
that these were sums deposited1 and     
provisions for the subsistence of the   
widows and the fatherless3    #c3aa4    
,and that some part of that which wicked
 ,simon had given  intelligence of      
belonged to ,hircanus1 son of ,tobias1 a
 man of great  dignity2 and that the    
whole was four hundred talents of       

silver1 and two  hundred of gold4       
#c3ab4 ,but that to deceive them who had
 trusted to the place and temple  which 
is honoured throughout the whole world1 
for the reverence and  holiness of it1  
was a thing which could not by any means
 be done4    #c3ac4 ,but he1 by reason  
of the orders he had received from the  
king1  said1 that by all means the money
 must be carried to the king4    #c3ad4 
,so on the day he had appointed1        
,heliodorus entered in to order  this   
matter4 ,but there was no small terror  
throughout the whole city4    #c3ae4    
,and the priests prostrated themselves  
before the altar in their  priests'     
vestments1 and called upon him from     
heaven1 who made the law  concerning    
things given to be kept1 that he would  
preserve them safe1  for them that had  
deposited them4    #c3af4 ,now whosoever
 saw the countenance of the high priest1
 was wounded  in heart3 for his face1   
and the changing of his colour1 declared
 the  inward sorrow of his mind4        

#c3ag4 ,for the man was so compassed    
with sadness and horror of the body1    
that it was manifest to them that beheld
 him1 what sorrow he had in his  heart4 
#c3ah4 ,others also came flocking       
together out of their houses1 praying   
and making public supplication1 because 
the place was like to come into         
contempt4    #c3ai4 ,and the women1     
girded with haircloth about their       
breasts1 came  together in the streets4 
,and the virgins also that were shut up1
 came  forth1 some to ,onias1 and some  
to the walls1 and others looked out of  
the windows4    #c3bj4 ,and all holding 
up their hands towards heaven made      
supplication4    #c3ba4 ,for the        
expectation of the mixed multitude1 and 
of the high  priest1 who was in an      
agony1 would have moved any one to pity4
    #c3bb4 ,and these indeed called upon
 almighty ,god1 to preserve the things  
that had been committed to them safe and
 sure for those that had  committed     
them4    #c3bc4 ,but ,heliodorus        

executed that which he had resolved on1 
himself  being present in the same place
 with his guard about the treasury4     
#c3bd4 ,but the spirit of the ,almighty 
,god gave a great evidence of his       
presence1 so that all that had presumed 
to obey him1 falling down by the  power 
of ,god1 were struck with fainting and  
dread4    #c3be4 ,for there appeared to 
them a horse1 with a terrible rider upon
  him1 adorned with a very rich         
covering3 and he ran fiercely and struck
  ,heliodorus with his fore feet1 and he
 that sat upon him seemed to have       
armour of gold4    #c3bf4 ,moreover     
there appeared two other young men1     
beautiful and strong1  bright and       
glorious1 and in comely apparel3 who    
stood by him1 on either  side1 and      
scourged him without ceasing with many  
stripes4    #c3bg4 ,and ,heliodorus     
suddenly fell to the ground1 and they   
took him up1  covered with great        
darkness1 and having put him into a     
litter1 they  carried him out4    #c3bh4

 ,so he that came with many servants1   
and all his guard1 into the  aforesaid  
treasury1 was carried out1 no one being 
able to help him1 the  manifest power of
 ,god being known4    #c3bi4 ,and he    
indeed1 by the power of ,god1 lay       
speechless1 and without  all hope of    
recovery4    #c3cj4 ,but they praised   
the ,lord1 because he had glorified his 
place3 and  the temple1 that a little   
before was full of fear and trouble1    
when the  ,almighty ,lord appeared1 was 
filled with joy and gladness4    #c3ca4 
,then some of the friends of ,heliodorus
 forthwith begged of ,onias1  that he   
would call upon the ,most ,high to grant
 him his life1 who was  ready to give up
 the ghost4    #c3cb4 ,so the high      
priest1 considering that the king might 
perhaps  suspect that some mischief had 
been done to ,heliodorus by the ,jews1  
offered a sacrifice of health for the   
recovery of the man4    #c3cc4 ,and when
 the high priest was praying1 the same  
young men in the  same clothing stood by

 ,heliodorus1 and said to him3 ,give    
thanks to ,onias  the priest3 because   
for his sake the ,lord hath granted thee
 life4    #c3cd4 ,and thou having been  
scourged by ,god1 declare unto all men  
the  great works and the power of ,god4 
,and having spoken thus1 they appeared  
no more4    #c3ce4 ,so ,heliodorus1     
after he had offered a sacrifice to     
,god1 and made  great vows to him1 that 
had granted him life1 and given thanks  
to ,onias1  taking his troops with him1 
returned to the king4    #c3cf4 ,and he 
testified to all men the works of the   
great ,god1 which he  had seen with his 
own eyes4    #c3cg4 ,and when the king  
asked ,heliodorus1 who might be a fit   
man to be  sent yet once more to        
,jerusalem1 he said3    #c3ch4 ,if thou 
hast any enemy1 or traitor to thy king  
dom1 send him  thither1 and thou shalt  
receive him again scourged1 if so be he 
escape3  for there is undoubtedly in    
that place a certain power of ,god4     
#c3ci4 ,for he that hath his dwelling in

 the heavens1 is the visiter and        
protector of that place1 and he striketh
 and destroyeth them that come  to do   
evil to it4    #c3dj4 ,and the things   
concerning ,heliodorus1 and the keeping 
of the  treasury1 fell out in this      
manner4    #b ,machabees ,chapter #d    
,onias has recourse to the king4 ,the   
ambition and wickedness of ,jason and   
,menelaus4 ,onias is treacherously      
murdered4    #d3a4 ,but ,simon1 of whom 
we spoke before1 who was the betrayer of
 the  money1 and of his country1 spoke  
ill of ,onias1 as though he had incited 
,heliodorus to do these things1 and had 
been the promoter of evils3    #d3b4    
,and he presumed to call him a traitor  
to the kingdom1 who provided  for the   
city1 and defended his nation1 and was  
zealous for the law of  ,god4    #d3c4  
,but when the enmities proceeded so far1
 that murders also were  committed by   
some of ,simon's friends3    #d3d4      
,onias1 considering the danger of this  
contention1 and that  ,apollonius1 who  

was the governor of ,celesyia1 and      
,phenicia1 was  outrageous1 which       
increased the malice of ,simon1 went to 
the king1    #d3e4 ,not to be an accuser
 of his countrymen1 but with view to the
 common  good of all the people4        
#d3f4 ,for he saw that1 except the king 
took care1 it was impossible that       
matters should be settled in peace1 or  
that ,simon would cease from his  folly4
    #d3g4 ,but after the death of       
,seleucus1 when ,antiochus1 who was     
called the  ,illustrious1 had taken     
possession of the kingdom1 ,jason1 the  
brother of  ,onias1 ambitiously sought  
the high priesthood3    #d3h4 ,and went 
to the king1 promising him three hundred
 and sixty talents  of silver1 and out  
of other revenues fourscore talents4    
#d3i4 ,besides this he promised also a  
hundred and fifty more1 if he might     
have license to set him up a place for  
exercise1 and a place for youth1  and to
 entitle them that were at ,jerusalem1  
,antiochians4    #d3aj4 ,which when the 

king had granted1 and he had gotten the 
rule into  his hands1 forthwith he began
 to bring over his countrymen to the    
fashion of the heathens4    #d3aa4 ,and 
abolishing those things1 which had been 
decreed of special  favour by the kings 
in behalf of the ,jews1 by the means of 
,john1 the  father of that ,eupolemus1  
who went ambassador to ,rome to make    
amity and  alliance1 he disannulled the 
lawful ordinances of the citizens1 and  
brought in fashions that were perverse4 
#d3ab4 ,for he had the boldness to set  
up1 under the very castle1 a place  of  
exercise1 and to put all the choicest   
youths in brothel houses4    #d3ac4 ,now
 this was not the beginning1 but an     
increase1 and progress of  heathenish   
and foreign manners1 through the        
abominable and unheard of  wickedness of
 ,jason1 that impious wretch1 and no    
priest4    #d3ad4 ,insomuch that the    
priests were not now occupied about the 
offices  of the altar1 but despising the
 temple and neglecting the sacrifices1  

hastened to be partakers of the games1  
and of the unlawful allowance  thereof1 
and of the exercise of the discus4      
#d3ae4 ,and setting nought by the       
honours of their fathers1 they esteemed 
the ,grecian glories for the best3      
#d3af4 ,for the sake of which they      
incurred a dangerous contention1 and    
followed earnestly their ordinances1 and
 in all things they coveted to  be like 
them1 who were their enemies and        
murderers4    #d3ag4 ,for acting        
wickedly against the laws of ,god doth  
not pass  unpunished3 but this the time 
following will declare4    #d3ah4 ,now  
when the game that was used every fifth 
year was kept at ,tyre1  the king being 
present1    #d3ai4 ,the wicked ,jason   
sent from ,jerusalem sinful men1 to     
carry three  hundred didrachmas of      
silver for the sacrifice of ,hercules2  
but the  bearers thereof desired it     
might not be bestowed on the sacrifices1
  because it was not necessary1 but     
might be deputed for other charges4     

#d3bj4 ,so the money was appointed by   
him that sent it to the sacrifice of    
,hercules3 but because of them that     
carried it was employed for the  making 
of galleys4    #d3ba4 ,now when         
,apollonius1 the son of ,mnestheus was  
sent into ,egypt to  treat with the     
nobles of king ,philometor1 and         
,antiochus understood that  he was      
wholly excluded from the affairs of the 
kingdom1 consulting his  own interest1  
he departed thence and came to ,joppe1  
and from thence to  ,jerusalem4         
#d3bb4 ,where he was received in a      
magnificent manner by ,jason1 and the   
city1 and came in with torch lights1 and
 with praises1 and from thence  he      
returned with his army into ,phenicia4  
#d3bc4 ,three years afterwards ,jason   
sent ,menelaus1 brother of the          
aforesaid ,simon1 to carry money to the 
king1 and to bring answers from  him    
concerning certain necessary affairs4   
#d3bd4 ,but he being recommended to the 
king1 when he had magnified the         

appearance of his power1 got the high   
priesthood for himself1 by  offering    
more than ,jason by three hundred       
talents of silver4    #d3be4 ,so having 
received the king's mandate1 he         
returned1 bringing  nothing worthy of   
the high priesthood3 but having the mind
 of a cruel  tyrant1 and the rage of a  
savage beast4    #d3bf4 ,then ,jason1   
who had undermined his own brother1     
being himself  undermined1 was driven   
out a fugitive into the country of the  
,ammonites4    #d3bg4 ,so ,menelaus got 
the principality3 but as for the money  
he had  promised to the king1 he took no
 care1 when ,sostratus1 the governor of 
the castle1 called for it4    #d3bh4    
,for to him appertained the gathering of
 the taxes3 wherefore they  were both   
called before the king4    #d3bi4 ,and  
,menelaus was removed from the          
priesthood1 ,lysimachus1 his  brother1  
succeeding3 and ,sostratus alas made    
governor of the ,cyprians4    #d3cj4    
,when these things were in doing1 it    

fell out that they of ,tharsus1  and    
,mallos1 raised a sedition1 because they
 were given for a gift to  ,antiochus1  
the king's concubine4    #d3ca4 ,the    
king1 therefore1 went in all haste to   
appease them1 leaving  ,andronicus1 one 
of his nobles1 for his deputy4    #d3cb4
 ,then ,menelaus supposing that he had  
found a convenient time1  having stolen 
certain vessels of gold out of the      
temple1 gave them to  ,andronicus1 and  
others he had sold at ,tyre1 and in the 
neighbouring  cities3    #d3cc4 ,which  
when ,onias understood most certainly1  
he reproved him1  keeping himself in a  
safe place at ,antioch1 beside ,daphne4 
#d3cd4 ,whereupon ,menelaus coming to   
,andronicus1 desired him to kill        
,onias4 ,and he went to ,onias1 and gave
 him his right hand with an oath1  and  
7though he were suspected by him7       
persuaded him to come forth out of  the 
sanctuary1 and immediately slew him1    
without any regard to justice4    #d3ce4
 ,for which cause not only the ,jews1   

but also the other nations1  conceived  
indignation1 and were much grieved for  
the unjust murder of so  great a man4   
#d3cf4 ,and when the king was come back 
from the places of ,cilicia1 the  ,jews 
that were at ,antioch1 and also the     
,greeks1 went to him3 complaining  of   
the unjust murder of ,onias4    #d3cg4  
,antiochus1 therefore1 was grieved in   
his mind for ,onias1 and being  moved to
 pity1 shed tears1 remembering the      
sobriety and modesty of the  deceased4  
#d3ch4 ,and being inflamed to anger1 he 
commanded ,andronicus to be  stripped of
 his purple1 and to be led about through
 all the city3 and  that in the same    
place wherein he had committed the      
impiety against  ,onias1 the            
sacrilegious wretch should be put to    
death1 the ,lord repaying  him his      
deserved punishment4    #d3ci4 ,now when
 many sacrileges had been committed by  
,lysimachus in the  temple1 by the      
counsel of ,menelaus1 and the rumour of 
it was spread  abroad1 the multitude    

gathered themselves together against    
,lysimachus1 a  great quantity of gold  
being already carried away4    #d3dj4   
,wherefore the multitude making an      
insurrection1 and their minds  being    
filled with anger1 ,lysimachus armed    
about three thousand men1 and  began to 
use violence1 one ,tyrannus being       
captain1 a man far gone both  in age and
 in madness4    #d3da4 ,but when they   
perceived the attempt of ,lysimachus1   
some caught up  stones1 some strong     
clubs1 and some threw ashes upon        
,lysimachus4    #d3db4 ,and many of them
 were wounded1 and some struck down to  
the ground1  but all were put to flight3
 and as for the sacrilegious fellow     
himself1  they slew him beside the      
treasury4    #d3dc4 ,now concerning     
these matters1 an accusation was laid   
against  ,menelaus4    #d3dd4 ,and when 
the king was come to ,tyre1 three men   
were sent from the  ancients to plead   
the cause before him4    #d3de4 ,but    
,menelaus being convicted1 promised     

,ptolemee to give him much  money to    
persuade the king to favour him4        
,ptolemee444 ,the son of ,dorymenus1 a  
favourite of the king4    #d3df4 ,so    
,ptolemee went to the king in a certain 
court where he was1 as  it were to cool 
himself1 and brought him to be of       
another mind3    #d3dg4 ,so ,menelaus1  
who was guilty of all the evil1 was     
acquitted by him  of the accusations3   
and those poor men1 who1 if they had    
pleaded their  cause even before        
,scythians1 should have been judged     
innocent1 were  condemned to death4     
#d3dh4 ,thus they that persecuted the   
cause for the city1 and for the  people1
 and the sacred vessels1 did soon suffer
 unjust punishment4    #d3di4 ,wherefore
 even the ,tyrians1 being moved with    
indignation1 were  very liberal towards 
their burial4    #d3ej4 ,and so through 
the covetousness of them that were in   
power1  ,menelaus continued in          
authority1 increasing in malice to the  
betraying  of the citizens4    #b       

,machabees ,chapter #e    ,wonderful    
signs are seen in the air4 ,jason's     
wickedness and end4  ,antiochus takes   
,jerusalem1 and plunders the temple4    
#e3a4 ,at the same time ,antiochus      
prepared for a second journey into      
,egypt4    #e3b4 ,and it came to pass1  
that through the whole city of          
,jerusalem1 for  the space of forty     
days1 there were seen horsemen running  
in the air1 in  gilded raiment1 and     
armed with spears1 like bands of        
soldiers4    #e3c4 ,and horses set in   
order by ranks1 running one against     
another1 with  the shakings of shields1 
and a multitude of men in helmets1 with 
drawn  swords1 and casting of darts1 and
 glittering of golden armour1 and of    
harnesses of all sorts4    #e3d4        
,wherefore all men prayed that these    
prodigies might turn to good4    #e3e4  
,now when there was gone forth a false  
rumour as though ,antiochus  had been   
dead1 ,jason taking with him no fewer   
than a thousand men1  suddenly assaulted

 the city3 and though the citizens ran  
together to the  wall1 the city at      
length was taken1 and ,menelaus fled    
into the castle4    #e3f4 ,but ,jason   
slew his countrymen without mercy1 not  
considering that  prosperity against    
one's own kindred is a very great evil1 
thinking they  had been enemies1 and not
 citizens1 whom he conquered4    #e3g4  
,yet he did not get the principality1   
but received confusion at the  end1 for 
the reward of his treachery1 and fled   
again into the country of  the          
,ammonites4    #e3h4 ,at the last1      
having been shut up by ,aretas1 the king
 of the  ,arabians1 in order for his    
destruction1 flying from city to city1  
hated  by all men1 as a forsaker of the 
laws and execrable1 as an enemy of his  
country and countrymen1 he was thrust   
out into ,egypt3    #e3i4 ,and he that  
had driven many out of their country    
perished in a  strange land1 going to   
,lacedemon1 as if for kindred sake he   
should have  refuge there3    #e3aj4    

,but he that had cast out many unburied1
 was himself cast forth  both unlamented
 and unburied1 neither having foreign   
burial1 nor being  partaker of the      
sepulchre of his fathers4    #e3aa4 ,now
 when these things were done1 the king  
suspected that the ,jews  would forsake 
the alliance3 whereupon departing out of
 ,egypt with a  furious mind1 he took   
the city by force of arms1    #e3ab4    
,and commanded the soldiers to kill1 and
 not to spare any that came  in their   
way1 and to go up into the houses to    
slay4    #e3ac4 ,thus there was a       
slaughter of young and old1 destruction 
of women  and children1 and killing of  
virgins and infants4    #e3ad4 ,and     
there were slain in the space of three  
whole days fourscore  thousand1 forty   
thousand were made prisoners1 and as    
many sold4    #e3ae4 ,but this was not  
enough1 he presumed also to enter into  
the  temple1 the most holy in all the   
world ,menelaus1 that traitor to the    
laws1 and to his country1 being his     

guide4    #e3af4 ,and taking in his     
wicked hands the holy vessels1 which    
were given  by other kings and cities1  
for the ornament and the glory of the   
place1  he unworthily handled and       
profaned them4    #e3ag4 ,thus          
,antiochus going astray in mind1 did not
 consider that ,god was  angry for a    
while1 because of the sins of the       
inhabitants of the city3  and therefore 
this contempt had happened to the place3
    #e3ah4 ,otherwise had they not been 
involved in many sins1 as ,heliodorus1  
who was sent by king ,seleucus to rob   
the treasury1 so this man also1 as  soon
 as he had come1 had been forthwith     
scourged1 and put back from his         
presumption4    #e3ai4 ,but ,god did not
 choose the people for the place's sake1
 but the  place for the people's sake4  
#e3bj4 ,and1 therefore1 the place also  
itself was made partaker of the  evils  
of the people3 but afterwards shall     
communicate in the good things  thereof1
 and as it was forsaken in the wrath of 

,almighty ,god1 shall be  exalted again 
with great glory1 when the great ,lord  
shall be reconciled4    #e3ba4 ,so when 
,antiochus had taken away out of the    
temple a thousand and  eight hundred    
talents1 he went back in all haste to   
,antioch1 thinking  through pride that  
he might now make the land navigable1   
and the sea  passable on foot3 such was 
the haughtiness of his mind4    #e3bb4  
,he left also governors to afflict the  
people3 at ,jerusalem1  ,philip1 a      
,phrygian by birth1 but in manners more 
barbarous than he that  set him there3  
#e3bc4 ,and in ,gazarim1 ,andronicus and
 ,menelaus1 who bore a more heavy  hand 
upon the citizens than the rest4        
#e3bd4 ,and whereas he was set against  
the ,jews1 he sent that hateful  prince1
 ,apollonius1 with an army of two and   
twenty thousand men1  commanding him to 
kill all that were of perfect age1 and  
to sell the  women and the younger sort4
    #e3be4 ,who1 when he was come to    
,jerusalem1 pretending peace1 rested    

till  the holy day of the sabbath3 and  
then the ,jews keeping holiday1 he      
commanded his men to take arms4         
#e3bf4 ,and he slew all that were come  
forth to flee3 and running through  the 
city with armed men1 he destroyed a very
 great multitude4    #e3bg4 ,but ,judas 
,machabeus1 who was the tenth1 had      
withdrawn himself into  a desert place1 
and there lived amongst wild beasts in  
the mountains  with his company3 and    
they continued feeding on herbs1 that   
they might  not be partakers of the     
pollution4    ,was the tenth444 ,that   
is1 he had nine others in his company4  
#b ,machabees ,chapter #f    ,antiochus 
commands the law to be abolished1 sets  
up an idol in the  temple1 and          
persecutes the faithful4 ,the martyrdom 
of ,eleazar4    #f3a4 ,but not long     
after the king sent a certain old man of
 ,antioch1 to  compel the ,jews to      
depart from the laws of their fathers   
and of ,god3    #f3b4 ,and to defile the
 temple that was in ,jerusalem1 and to  

call it the  temple of ,jupiter         
,olympius3 and that in ,garazim of      
,jupiter ,hospitalis1  according as they
 were that inhabited the place4    ,that
 in ,gazarim444 ,viz41 the temple of the
 ,samaritans4 ,and as they were         
originally strangers1 the name of       
,hospitalis 7which signifies of or      
belonging to strangers7 was applicable  
to the idol set up in their  temple4    
#f3c4 ,and very bad was this invasion of
 evils1 and grievous to all4    #f3d4   
,for the temple was full of the riot and
 revellings of the ,gentiles3  and of   
men lying with lewd women4  ,and women  
thrust themselves of their  accord into 
the holy places1 and brought in things  
that were not lawful4    #f3e4 ,the     
altar also was filled with unlawful     
things1 which were  forbidden by the    
laws4    #f3f4 ,and neither were the    
sabbaths kept1 nor the solemn days of   
the  fathers observed1 neither did any  
man plainly profess himself to be a     
,jew4    #f3g4 ,but they were led by    

bitter constraint on the king's birthday
 to  the sacrifices3 and when the feast 
of ,bacchus was kept1 they were         
compelled to go about crowned with ivy  
in honour of ,bacchus4    #f3h4 ,and    
there went out a decree into the        
neighbouring cities of the  ,gentiles1  
by the suggestion of the ,ptolemeans1   
that they also should act  in like      
manner against the ,jews1 to oblige them
 to sacrifice3    #f3i4 ,and whosoever  
would not conform themselves to the ways
 of the  ,gentiles1 should be put to    
death3 then was misery to be seen4      
#f3aj4 ,for two women were accused to   
have circumcised their children3  whom1 
when they had openly led about through  
the city1 with the infants  hanging at  
their breasts1 they threw down headlong 
from the walls4    #f3aa4 ,and others   
that had met together in caves that were
 near1 and were  keeping the sabbath day
 privately1 being discovered by ,philip1
 were  burnt with fire1 because they    
made a conscience to help themselves    

with  their hands1 by reason of the     
religious observance of the day4        
,philip444 ,the governor of ,jerusalem4 
#f3ab4 ,now ,i beseech those that shall 
read this book1 that they be not        
shocked at these calamities1 but that   
they consider the things that  happened1
 not as being for the destruction1 but  
for the correction of  our nation4      
#f3ac4 ,for it is a token of great      
goodness1 when sinners are not suffered 
to go on in their ways for a long time1 
but are presently punished4    #f3ad4   
,for1 not as with other nations1 7whom  
the ,lord patiently  expecteth1 that    
when the day of judgment shall come1 he 
may punish them  in the fulness of their
 sins37    #f3ae4 ,doth he also deal    
with us1 so as to suffer our sins to    
come to  their height1 and then take    
vengeance on us4    #f3af4 ,and         
therefore he never withdraweth his mercy
 from us3 but though  he chastise his   
people with adversity he forsaketh them 
not4    #f3ag4 ,but let this suffice in 

a few words for a warning to the        
readers4  ,and now we must come to the  
narration4    #f3ah4 ,eleazar one of the
 chief of the scribes1 a man advanced in
 years1  and of a comely countenance1   
was pressed to open his mouth to eat    
swine's flesh4    #f3ai4 ,but he1       
choosing rather a most glorious death   
than a hateful life1  went forward      
voluntarily to the torment4    #f3bj4   
,and considering in what manner he was  
to come to it1 patiently  bearing1 he   
determined not to do any unlawful things
 for the love of  life4    #f3ba4 ,but  
they that stood by1 being moved with    
wicked pity1 for the old  friendship    
they had with the man1 taking him aside1
 desired that flesh  might be brought   
which it was lawful for him to eat1 that
 he might make  as if he had eaten1 as  
the king had commanded1 of the flesh of 
the  sacrifice3    ,wicked pity444      
,their pity was wicked1 inasmuch as it  
suggested that  wicked proposal of      
saving his life by dissimulation4       

#f3bb4 ,that by so doing he might be    
delivered from death2 and for the  sake 
of their old friendship with the man1   
they did him this courtesy4    #f3bc4   
,but he began to consider the dignity of
 his age1 and his ancient  years1 and   
the inbred honour of his grey head1 and 
his good life and  conversation from a  
child2 and he answered without delay1   
according to  the ordinances of the holy
 law made by ,god1 saying1 that he would
 rather  be sent into the other world4  
#f3bd4 ,for it doth not become our age1 
said he1 to dissemble3 whereby  many    
young persons might think that ,eleazar1
 at the age of fourscore and  ten years1
 was gone over to the life of the       
heathens3    #f3be4 ,and so they1       
through my dissimulation1 and for a     
little time of a  corruptible life1     
should be deceived1 and hereby ,i should
 bring a stain  and a curse upon my old 
age4    #f3bf4 ,for though1 for the     
present time1 ,i should be delivered    
from the  punishments of men1 yet should

 ,i not escape the hand of the ,almighty
  neither alive nor dead4    #f3bg4     
,wherefore1 by departing manfully out of
 this life1 ,i shall shew  myself worthy
 of my old age3    #f3bh4 ,and ,i shall 
leave an example of fortitude to young  
men1 if with a  ready mind and constancy
 ,i suffer an honourable death1 for the 
most  venerable and most holy laws4 ,and
 having spoken thus1 he was forthwith   
carried to execution4    #f3bi4 ,and    
they that led him1 and had been a little
 before more mild1  were changed to     
wrath for the words he had spoken1 which
 they thought  were uttered out of      
arrogancy4    #f3cj4 ,but when he was   
now ready to die with the stripes1 he   
groaned3 and  said3 ,o ,lord1 who hast  
the holy knowledge1 thou knowest        
manifestly that  whereas ,i might be    
delivered from death1 ,i suffer grievous
 pains in  body3 but in soul am well    
content to suffer these things1 because 
,i fear  thee4    #f3ca4 ,thus did this 
man die1 leaving not only to young men1 

but also to  the whole nation1 the      
memory of his death1 for an example of  
virtue and  fortitude4    #b ,machabees 
,chapter #g    ,the glorious martyrdom  
of the seven brethren and their mother4 
#g3a4 ,it came to pass also1 that seven 
brethren1 together with their  mother1  
were apprehended1 and compelled by the  
king to eat swine's flesh  against the  
law1 for which end they were tormented  
with whips and  scourges4    #g3b4 ,but 
one of them1 who was the eldest1 said   
thus3 ,what wouldst thou  ask1 or learn 
of us8 we are ready to die1 rather than 
to transgress the  laws of ,god1        
received from our fathers4    #g3c4     
,then the king being angry1 commanded   
fryingpans and brazen caldrons  to be   
made hot3 which forthwith being heated1 
#g3d4 ,he commanded to cut out the      
tongue of him that had spoken first3    
and the skin of his head being drawn    
off1 to chop off also the  extremities  
of his hands and feet1 the rest of his  
brethren and his  mother looking on4    

#g3f4 ,and when he was now maimed in all
 parts1 he commanded him1 being  yet    
alive1 to be brought to the fire1 and to
 be fried in the fryingpan3  and while  
he was suffering therein long torments1 
the rest1 together  with the mother1    
exhorted one another to die manfully1   
#g3f4 ,saying3 ,the ,lord ,god will look
 upon the truth1 and will take  pleasure
 in us1 as ,moses declared in the       
profession of the canticle2 ,and  in his
 servants he will take pleasure4        
#g3g4 ,so when the first was dead after 
this manner1 they brought the next  to  
make him a mocking stock3 and when they 
had pulled off the skin of  his head    
with the hair1 they asked him if he     
would eat1 before he were  punished     
throughout the whole body in every limb4
  #g3h4 ,but he answered  in his own    
language1 and said3 ,i will not do it4  
,wherefore he also1 in  the next place1 
received the torments of the first3     
#g3i4 ,and when he was at the last gasp1
 he said thus3 ,thou indeed1 ,o most    

wicked man1 destroyest us out of this   
present life3 but the ,king of the      
world will raise us up1 who die for his 
laws1 in the resurrection of  eternal   
life4    #g3aj4 ,after him the third was
 made a mocking-stock1 and when he was  
required1 he quickly put forth his      
tongue1 and courageously stretched  out 
his hands3    #g3aa4 ,and said with     
confidence3 ,these ,i have from heaven1 
but for the  laws of ,god ,i now despise
 them1 because ,i hope to receive them  
again  from him4    #g3ab4 ,so that the 
king1 and they that were with him1      
wondered at the  young man's courage1   
because he esteemed the torments as     
nothing4    #g3ac4 ,and after he was    
thus dead1 they tormented the fourth in 
the like  manner4    #g3ad4 ,and when he
 was now ready to die1 he spoke thus3   
,it is better1  being put to death by   
men1 to look for hope from ,god1 to be  
raised up  again by him2 for1 as to     
thee1 thou shalt have no resurrection   
unto  life4    #g3ae4 ,and when they had

 brought the fifth1 they tormented him4 
,but he1  looking upon the king1 #g3af4 
,said3 ,whereas thou hast power among   
men  though thou art corruptible1 thou  
dost what thou wilt but think not that  
our nation is forsaken by ,god4         
#g3ag4 ,but stay patiently a while1 and 
thou shalt see his great power1 in  what
 manner he will torment thee and thy    
seed4    #g3ah4 ,after him they brought 
the sixth1 and he being ready to die1   
spoke  thus3 ,be not deceived without   
cause3 for we suffer these things for   
ourselves1 having sinned against our    
,god1 and things worthy of  admiration  
are done to us3    #g3ai4 ,but do not   
think that thou shalt escape unpunished1
 for that thou  hast attempted to fight 
against ,god4    #g3bj4 ,now the mother 
was to be admired above measure1 and    
worthy to be  remembered by good men1   
who beheld her seven sons slain in the  
space of  one day1 and bore it with a   
good courage1 for the hope that she had 
in  ,god3    #g3ba4 ,and she bravely    

exhorted every one of them in her own   
language1  being filled with wisdom2 and
 joining a man's heart to a woman's     
thought1    #g3bb4 ,she said to them3 ,i
 know not how you were formed in my     
womb2 for ,i  neither gave you breath1  
nor soul1 nor life1 neither did ,i frame
 the  limbs of every one of you4        
#g3bc4 ,but the ,creator of the world1  
that formed the nativity of man1 and    
that found out the origin of all1 he    
will restore to you again1 in his       
mercy1 both breath and life1 as now you 
despise yourselves for the sake  of his 
laws4    #g3bd4 ,now ,antiochus1        
thinking himself despised1 and withal   
despising the  voice of the upbraider1  
when the youngest was yet alive1 did not
 only  exhort him by words1 but also    
assured him with an oath1 that he would 
make him a rich and a happy man1 and1 if
 he would turn from the laws of  his    
fathers1 would take him for a friend1   
and furnish him with things  necessary4 
#g3be4 ,but when the young man was not  

moved with these things1 the king       
called the mother1 and counselled her to
 deal with the young man to save  his   
life4    #g3bf4 ,and when he had        
exhorted her with many words she        
promised that she  would counsel her    
son4    #g3bg4 ,so bending herself      
towards him1 mocking the cruel tyrant1  
she said  in her own language3 ,my son  
have pity upon me1 that bore thee nine  
months in my womb1 and gave thee suck   
three years1 and nourished thee1  and   
brought thee up unto this age4    #g3bh4
 ,i beseech thee1 my son1 look upon     
heaven and earth1 and all that  is in   
them1 and consider that ,god made them  
out of nothing1 and mankind  also3      
#g3bi4 ,so thou shalt not fear this     
tormentor1 but being made a worthy      
partner with thy brethren1 receive      
death1 that in that mercy ,i may        
receive thee again with thy brethren4   
#g3cj4 ,while she was yet speaking these
 words1 the young man said3 ,for  whom  
do you stay8 ,i will not obey the       

commandment of the king1 but the        
commandment of the law which was given  
us by ,moses4    #g3ca4 ,but thou that  
hast been the author of all mischief    
against the  ,hebrews1 shalt not escape 
the hand of ,god4    #g3cb4 ,for we     
suffer thus for our sins4    #g3cc4 ,and
 though the ,lord1 our ,god1 is angry   
with us a little while1 for  our        
chastisement and correction1 yet he will
 be reconciled again to his  servants4  
#g3cd4 ,but thou1 ,o wicked1 and of all 
men most flagitious1 be not lifted  up  
without cause with vain hopes1 whilst   
thou art raging against his  servants4  
#g3ce4 ,for thou hast not yet escaped   
the judgment of the ,almighty ,god1  who
 beholdeth all things4    #g3cf4 ,for my
 brethren having now undergone a short  
pain1 are under the  covenant of eternal
 life3 but thou1 by the judgment of     
,god1 shalt  receive just punishment for
 thy pride4    #g3cg4 ,but ,i1 like my  
brethren1 offer up my life and my body  
for the laws  of our fathers3 calling   

upon ,god to be speedily merciful to our
 nation1  and that thou by torments and 
stripes mayst confess that he alone is  
,god4    #g3ch4 ,but in me1 and in my   
brethren1 the wrath of the ,almighty1   
which  hath justly been brought upon all
 our nation1 shall cease4    #g3ci4     
,then the king being incensed with      
anger1 raged against him more  cruelly  
than all the rest1 taking it grievously 
that he was mocked4    #g3dj4 ,so this  
man also died undefiled1 wholly trusting
 in the ,lord4    #g3da4 ,and last of   
all1 after the sons1 the mother also was
 consumed4    #g3db4 ,but now there is  
enough said of the sacrifices and of the
  excessive cruelties4    #b ,machabees 
,chapter #h    ,judas ,machabeus        
gathering an army gains divers          
victories4    #h3a4 ,but ,judas         
,machabeus1 and they that were with him1
 went privately  into the towns3 and    
calling together their kinsmen and      
friends1 and  taking unto them such as  
continued in the ,jews' religion1 they  

assembled  six thousand men4    #h3b4   
,and they called upon the ,lord1 that he
 would look upon his people  that was   
trodden down by all and would have pity 
on the temple1 that was  defiled by the 
wicked3    #h3c4 ,that he would have    
pity also upon the city that was        
destroyed1 that  was ready to be made   
even with the ground1 and would hear the
 voice of  the blood that cried to him3 
#h3d4 ,that he would remember also the  
most unjust deaths of innocent          
children1 and the blasphemies offered to
 his name1 and would shew his           
indignation on this occasion4    #h3e4  
,now when ,machabeus had gathered a     
multitude1 he could not be  withstood by
 the heathens3 for the wrath of the     
,lord was turned into  mercy4    #h3f4  
,so coming unawares upon the towns and  
cities1 he set them on fire1  and taking
 possession of the most commodious      
places1 he made no small  slaughter of  
the enemies3    #h3g4 ,and especially in
 the nights he went upon these          

expeditions1 and  the fame of his valour
 was spread abroad every where4    #h3h4
 ,then ,philip seeing that the man      
gained ground by little and little1  and
 that things for the most part succeeded
 prosperously with him1 wrote  to       
,ptolemee1 the governor of ,celesyria   
and ,phenicia1 to send aid to the       
king's affairs4    ,philip seeing1      
etc444 ,the governor of ,jerusalem found
 himself unable to  contend with ,judas1
 especially after the victories he had  
obtained over  ,apollonius and ,seron4  
#a ,mac4 #c4    #h3i4 ,and he with all  
speed sent ,nicanor1 the son of         
,patroclus1 one of  his special friends1
 giving him no fewer than twenty        
thousand armed men  of different        
nations1 to root out the whole race of  
the ,jews1 joining  also with him       
,gorgias1 a good soldier1 and of great  
experience in  matters of war4          
,twenty thousand444 ,the whole number of
 the forces sent at that time into      
,judea1 was #dj1jjj footmen1 and #gjjj  

horsemen1 #a ,mac4 #c4cj4 ,but only     
#bj1jjj are here taken notice of1       
because there were no more with ,nicanor
  at the time of the battle4    #h3aj4  
,and ,nicanor purposed to raise for the 
king the tribute of two  thousand       
talents1 that was to be given to the    
,romans1 by making so much  money of the
 captive ,jews3    #h3aa4 ,wherefore he 
sent immediately to the cities upon the 
sea coast1 to  invite men together to   
buy up the ,jewish slaves1 promising    
that they  should have ninety slaves for
 one talent1 not reflecting on the      
vengeance which was to follow him from  
the ,almighty4    #h3ab4 ,now when      
,judas found that ,nicanor was coming1  
he imparted to the  ,jews that were with
 him1 that the enemy was at hand4       
#h3ac4 ,and some of them being afraid1  
and distrusting the justice of ,god1    
fled away4    #h3ad4 ,others sold all   
that they had left1 and withal besought 
the ,lord1  that he would deliver them  
from the wicked ,nicanor1 who had sold  

them  before he came near them3         
#h3ae4 ,and if not for their sakes1 yet 
for the covenant that he had made  with 
their fathers1 and for the sake of his  
holy and glorious name that  was invoked
 upon them4    #h3af4 ,but ,machabeus   
calling together seven thousand that    
were with him1  exhorted them not to be 
reconciled to the enemies1 nor to fear  
the  multitude of the enemies who came  
wrongfully against them1 but to fight   
manfully3    ,seven thousand444 ,in the 
,greek it is six thousand4 ,but then    
three  thousand of them had no arms4 #a 
,mac4 #d4f4    #h3ag4 ,setting before   
their eyes the injury they had unjustly 
done the  holy place1 and also the      
injury they had done to the city1 which 
had  been shamefully abused1 besides    
their destroying the ordinances of the  
fathers4    #h3ah4 ,for1 said he1 they  
trust in their weapons1 and in their    
boldness3  but we trust in the ,almighty
 ,lord1 who at a beck can utterly       
destroy  both them that come against us1

 and the whole world4    #h3ai4         
,moreover1 he put them in mind also of  
the helps their fathers had  received   
from ,god3 and how1 under ,sennacherib1 
a hundred and eighty-five  thousand had 
been destroyed4    #h3bj4 ,and of the   
battle that they had fought against the 
,galatians1 in  ,babylonia2 how they1   
being in all but six thousand1 when it  
came to the  point1 and the             
,macedonians1 their companions1 were at 
a stand1 slew a  hundred and twenty     
thousand1 because of the help they had  
from heaven1  and for this they received
 many favours4    ,galatians444 ,that   
is1 the ,gauls1 who having ravaged      
,italy and ,greece1  poured themselves  
in upon ,asia1 in immense multitudes1   
where also they  founded the kingdom of 
,galatia or ,gallo ,graecia4    #h3ba4  
,with these words they were greatly     
encouraged and disposed even to  die for
 the laws and their country4    #h3bb4  
,so he appointed his brethren captains  
over each division of his  army2 ,simon1

 and ,joseph1 and ,jonathan1 giving to  
each one fifteen  hundred men4    #h3bc4
 ,and after the holy book had been read 
to them by ,esdras1 and he  had given   
them for a watchword1 ,the help of ,god3
 himself leading the  first band1 he    
joined battle with ,nicanor3    #h3bd4  
,and the ,almighty being their helper1  
they slew above nine thousand  men3 and 
having wounded and disabled the greater 
part of ,nicanor's army1  they obliged  
them to fly4    ,above nine thousand444 
,viz41 including the three thousand     
slain in the  pursuit4    #h3be4 ,and   
they took the money of them that came to
 buy them1 and they  pursued them on    
every side4    #h3bf4 ,but they came    
back for want of time3 for it was the   
day before the  sabbath3 and therefore  
they did not continue the pursuit4      
#h3bg4 ,but when they had gathered      
together their arms and their spoils1   
they kept the sabbath3 blessing the     
,lord who had delivered them that  day1 
distilling the beginning of mercy upon  

them4    #h3bh4 ,then after the sabbath 
they divided the spoils to the feeble   
and  the orphans1 and the widows1 and   
the rest they took for themselves and   
their servants4    #h3bi4 ,when this was
 done1 and they had all made a common   
supplication1  they besought the        
merciful ,lord1 to be reconciled to his 
servants unto  the end4    #h3cj4       
,moreover1 they slew above twenty       
thousand of them that were with         
,timotheus and ,bacchides1 who fought   
against them1 and they made  themselves 
masters of the high strong holds3 and   
they divided amongst  them many spoils1 
giving equal portions to the feeble1 the
 fatherless1  and the widows2 yea1 and  
the aged also4    #h3ca4 ,and when they 
had carefully gathered together their   
arms1 they  laid them all up in         
convenient places1 and the residue of   
their spoils  they carried to           
,jerusalem3    #h3cb4 ,they slew also   
,philarches1 who was with ,timotheus1 a 
wicked man1  who had many ways afflicted

 the ,jews4    #h3cc4 ,and when they    
kept the feast of the victory at        
,jerusalem1 they  burnt ,callisthenes1  
that had set fire to the holy gates1 who
 had taken  refuge in a certain house1  
rendering to him a worthy reward for his
  impieties3    #h3cd4 ,but as for that 
most wicked man1 ,nicanor1 who had      
brought a  thousand merchants to the    
sale of the ,jews1    #h3ce4 ,being1    
through the help of the ,lord1 brought  
down by them1 of whom  he had made no   
account1 laying aside his garment of    
glory1 fleeing  through the midland     
country1 he came alone to ,antioch1     
being rendered  very unhappy by the     
destruction of his army4    ,laying     
aside his garment of glory444 ,that is1 
his splendid apparel1  which he wore    
through ostentation2 he now throws it   
off1 lest he should  be known on his    
flight4    #h3cf4 ,and he that had      
promised to levy the tribute for the    
,romans1 by  the means of the captives  
of ,jerusalem1 now professed that the   

,jews had  ,god for their protector1 and
 therefore they could not be hurt1      
because  they followed the laws         
appointed by him4    #b ,machabees      
,chapter #i    ,the wretched end1 and   
fruitless repentance of king ,antiochus4
    #i3a4 ,at that time ,antiochus      
returned with dishonour out of ,persia4 
#i3b4 ,for he had entered into the city 
called ,persepolis1 and attempted  to   
rob the temple1 and to oppress the city1
 but the multitude running  together to 
arms1 put them to flight3 and so it fell
 out that ,antiochus  being put to      
flight1 returned with disgrace4         
,persepolis444 ,otherwise called        
,elymais4    #i3c4 ,now when he was come
 about ,ecbatana1 he received the news  
of what  had happened to ,nicanor and   
,timotheus4    #i3d4 ,and swelling with 
anger1 he thought to revenge upon the   
,jews the  injury done by them that had 
put him to flight4 ,and therefore he    
commanded his chariot to be driven1     
without stopping in his journey1 the    

judgment of heaven urging him forward1  
because he had spoken so proudly1  that 
he would come to ,jerusalem1 and make it
 a common burying place of  the ,jews4  
#i3e4 ,but the ,lord1 the ,god of       
,israel1 that seeth all things1 struck  
him  with an incurable and an invisible 
plague4 ,for as soon as he had ended    
these words1 a dreadful pain in his     
bowels came upon him1 and bitter        
torments of the inner parts4    #i3f4   
,and indeed very justly1 seeing he had  
tormented the bowels of  others with    
many and new torments1 albeit he by no  
means ceased from his  malice4    #i3g4 
,moreover1 being filled with pride1     
breathing out fire in his rage  against 
the ,jews1 and commanding the matter to 
be hastened1 it happened  as he was     
going with violence1 that he fell from  
the chariot1 so that  his limbs were    
much pained by a grievous bruising of   
the body4    #i3h4 ,thus he that seemed 
to himself to command even the waves of 
the  sea1 being proud above the         

condition of man1 and to weigh the      
heights of  the mountains in a balance1 
now being cast down to the ground1 was  
carried in a litter1 bearing witness to 
the manifest power of ,god in  himself3 
#i3i4 ,so that worms swarmed out of the 
body of this man1 and whilst he  lived  
in sorrow and pain1 his flesh fell off1 
and the filthiness of his  smell was    
noisome to the army4    #i3aj4 ,and the 
man that thought a little before he     
could reach to the  stars of heaven1 no 
man could endure to carry1 for the      
intolerable  stench4    #i3aa4 ,and by  
this means1 being brought from his great
 pride1 he began to  come to the        
knowledge of himself1 being admonished  
by the scourge of  ,god1 his pains      
increasing every moment4    #i3ab4 ,and 
when he himself could not now abide his 
own stench1 he spoke  thus3 ,it is just 
to be subject to ,god1 and that a mortal
 man should not  equal himself to ,god4 
#i3ac4 ,then this wicked man prayed to  
the ,lord1 of whom he was not like  to  

obtain mercy4    ,of whom he was not    
like to obtain mercy444 ,because his    
repentance was  not for the offence     
committed against ,god3 but barely on   
account of his  present sufferings4     
#i3ad4 ,and the city1 to which he was   
going in haste to lay it even with  the 
ground1 and to make it a common burying 
place1 he now desireth to  make free3   
#i3ae4 ,and the ,jews1 whom he said he  
would not account worthy to be so  much 
as buried1 but would give them up to be 
devoured by the birds and  wild beasts1 
and would utterly destroy them with     
their children1 he now  promiseth to    
make equal with the ,athenians4         
#i3af4 ,the holy temple also1 which     
before he had spoiled1 he promised to   
adorn with goodly gifts1 and to multiply
 the holy vessels1 and to allow  out of 
his revenues the charges pertaining to  
the sacrifices4    #i3ag4 ,yea also1    
that he would become a ,jew himself1 and
 would go through  every place of the   
earth1 and declare the power of ,god4   

#i3ah4 ,but his pains not ceasing1 7for 
the just judgment of ,god was come  upon
 him7 despairing of life1 he wrote to   
the ,jews1 in the manner of a           
supplication1 a letter in these words3  
#i3ai4 ,to his very good subjects the   
,jews1 ,antiochus1 king and ruler1      
wisheth much health1 and welfare1 and   
happiness4    #i3bj4 ,if you and your   
children are well1 and if all matters go
 with you  to your mind1 we give very   
great thanks4    #i3ba4 ,as for me1     
being infirm1 but yet kindly remembering
 you1 returning  out of the places of   
,persia1 and being taken with a grievous
 disease1 ,i  thought it necessary to   
take care for the common good3    #i3bb4
 ,not distrusting my life1 but having   
great hope to escape the  sickness4     
#i3bc4 ,but considering that my father  
also1 at what time he led an army  into 
the higher countries1 appointed who     
should reign after him3    #i3bd4 ,to   
the end that if any thing contrary to   
expectation should fall  out1 or any bad

 tidings should be brought1 they that   
were in the  countries1 knowing to whom 
the whole government was left1 might not
 be  troubled4    #i3be4 ,moreover1     
considering that neighbouring princes1  
and borderers1  wait for opportunities1 
and expect what shall be the event1 ,i  
have  appointed my son1 ,antiochus1     
king1 whom ,i often recommended to many 
of  you1 when ,i went into the higher   
provinces3 and ,i have written to him   
what ,i have joined here below4         
#i3bf4 ,i pray you1 therefore1 and      
request of you1 that1 remembering       
favours both public and private1 you    
will every man of you continue to  be   
faithful to me and to my son4    #i3bg4 
,for ,i trust that he will behave with  
moderation and humanity1 and  following 
my intentions1 will be gracious unto    
you4    #i3bh4 ,thus the murderer and   
blasphemer being grievously struck1 as  
himself had treated others1 died a      
miserable death in a strange country1   
among the mountains4    #i3bi4 ,but     

,philip1 that was brought up with him1  
carried away his body3  and out of fear 
of the son of ,antiochus1 went into     
,egypt to ,ptolemee  ,philometor4    #b 
,machabees ,chapter #aj    ,the         
purification of the temple and city4    
,other exploits of ,judas4 ,his  victory
 over ,timotheus4    #aj3a4 ,but        
,machabeus1 and they that were with him1
 by the protection of  the ,lord1       
recovered the temple and the city again4
    #aj3b4 ,but he threw down the altars
 which the heathens had set up in the   
streets1 as also the temples of the     
idols4    #aj3c4 ,and having purified   
the temple1 they made another altar3 and
  taking fire out of the fiery stones1  
they offered sacrifices after two       
years1 and set forth incense1 and lamps1
 and the loaves of proposition4         
#aj3d4 ,and when they had done these    
things1 they besought the ,lord1 lying  
prostrate on the ground1 that they might
 no more fall into such evils2  but if  
they should at any time sin1 that they  

might be chastised by him  more gently1 
and not be delivered up to barbarians   
and blasphemous men4    #aj3e4 ,now upon
 the same day that the temple had been  
polluted by the  strangers on the very  
same day it was cleansed again2 to wit1 
on the  five and twentieth day of the   
month of ,casleu4    #aj3f4 ,and they   
kept eight days with joy1 after the     
manner of the feast  of the tabernacles1
 remembering that not long before they  
had kept the  feast of the tabernacles  
when they were in the mountains1 and in 
dens  like wild beasts4    #aj3g4       
,therefore they now carried boughs and  
green branches and palms1  for him that 
had given them good success in cleansing
 his place4    #aj3h4 ,and they ordained
 by a common statute1 and decree1 that  
all the  nation of the ,jews should keep
 those days every year4    #aj3i4 ,and  
this was the end of ,antiochus1 that was
 called the  ,illustrious4    #aj3aj4   
,but now we will repeat the acts of     
,eupator1 the son of that  wicked       

,antiochus1 abridging the account of the
 evils that happened in  the wars4      
#aj3aa4 ,for when he was come to the    
crown1 he appointed over the affairs  of
 his realm one ,lysias1 general of the  
army of ,phenicia and ,syria4    #aj3ab4
 ,for ,ptolemee1 that was called ,macer1
 was determined to be  strictly just to 
the ,jews and especially by reason of   
the wrong that had  been done them1 and 
to deal peaceably with them4  #aj3ac4   
,but being  accused for this to ,eupator
 by his friends1 and being oftentimes   
called  traitor1 because he had left    
,cyprus1 which ,philometor had committed
 to  him1 and coming over to ,antiochus 
the ,illustrious1 had revolted also     
from him1 he put an end to his life by  
poison4    #aj3ad4 ,but ,gorgias1 who   
was governor of the holds1 taking with  
him the  strangers1 often fought against
 the ,jews4    #aj3ae4 ,and the ,jews   
that occupied the most commodious holds1
 received  those that were driven out of
 ,jerusalem1 and attempted to make war4 

,the ,jews1 etc444 ,he speaks of them   
that had fallen from their religion1    
and were enemies of their country1 who  
joining with the ,idumeans or           
,edomites1 kept possession of the strong
 holds1 and from thence annoyed  their  
countrymen4    #aj3af4 ,then they that  
were with ,machabeus1 beseeching the    
,lord by  prayers to be their helper1   
made a strong attack upon the strong    
holds  of the ,idumeans3    #aj3ag4 ,and
 assaulting them with great force1 won  
the holds1 killed them  that came in the
 way1 and slew altogether no fewer than 
twenty thousand4    #aj3ah4 ,and whereas
 some were fled into very strong towers1
 having all  manner of provision to     
sustain a siege1    #aj3ai4 ,machabeus  
left ,simon and ,joseph1 and ,zacheus1  
and them that were  with them1 in       
sufficient number to besiege them1 and  
departed to those  expeditions which    
urged more4    #aj3bj4 ,now they that   
were with ,simon1 being led with        
covetousness1 were  persuaded for the   

sake of money by some that were in the  
towers3 and  taking seventy thousand    
didrachmas1 let some of them escape4    
#aj3ba4 ,but when it was told ,machabeus
 what was done1 he assembled the  rulers
 of the people1 and accused those men   
that they had sold their  brethren for  
money1 having let their adversaries     
escape4  #aj3bb4 ,so he  put these      
traitors to death1 and forthwith took   
the two towers4    #aj3bc4 ,and having  
good success in arms1 and all things he 
took in hand1  he slew more than twenty 
thousand in the two holds4    #aj3bd4   
,but ,timotheus1 who before had been    
overcome by the ,jews1 having  called   
together a multitude of foreign troops1 
and assembled horsemen  out of ,asia1   
came as though he would take ,judea by  
force of arms4    #aj3bf4 ,but          
,machabeus1 and they that were with him1
 when he drew near1  prayed to the      
,lord1 sprinkling earth upon their      
heads1 and girding their  loins with    
haircloth1    #aj3bf4 ,and lying        

prostrate at the foot of the altar1     
besought him to be  merciful to them1   
and to be an enemy to their enemies1 and
 an adversary  to their adversaries1 as 
the law saith4    #aj3bg4 ,and so after 
prayer taking their arms1 they went     
forth further  from the city1 and when  
they were come very near the enemies    
they  rested4    #aj3bh4 ,but as soon as
 the sun was risen both sides joined    
battle3 the  one part having1 with their
 valour1 the ,lord for a surety of      
victory1  and success3 but the other    
side making their rage their leader in  
battle4    #aj3bi4 ,but when they were  
in the heat of the engagement1 there    
appeared  to the enemies from heaven    
five men upon horses1 comely1 with      
golden  bridles1 conducting the ,jews3  
#aj3cj4 ,two of them took ,machabeus    
between them1 and covered him on every  
side with their arms1 and kept him safe2
 but cast darts and fireballs  against  
the enemy1 so that they fell down1 being
 both confounded with  blindness1 and   

filled with trouble4    #aj3ca4 ,and    
there were slain twenty thousand five   
hundred1 and six  hundred horsemen4     
#aj3cb4 ,but ,timotheus fled into       
,gazara1 a strong hold where ,chereas   
was  governor4    #aj3cc4 ,then         
,machabeus1 and they that were with him 
cheerfully laid siege  to the fortress  
four days4    #aj3cd4 ,but they that    
were within1 trusting to the strength of
 the place1  blasphemed exceedingly1 and
 cast forth abominable words4    #aj3ce4
 ,but when the fifth day appeared1      
twenty young men of them that  were with
 ,machabeus1 inflamed in their minds1   
because of the blasphemy1  approached   
manfully to the wall1 and pushing       
forward with fierce  courage1 got up    
upon it3    #aj3cf4 ,moreover1 others   
also getting up after them1 went to set 
fire to  the towers and the gates1 and  
to burn the blasphemers alive4          
#aj3cg4 ,and having for two days        
together pillaged and sacked the        
fortress1 they killed ,timotheus1 who   

was found hid in a certain place3  they 
slew also his brother ,chereas1 and     
,apollophanes4    ,timotheus444 ,this   
man1 who was killed at the taking of    
,gazara1 is  different from that        
,timotheus who is mentioned in the fifth
 chapter of  the first book of          
,machabees1 and of whom there is mention
 in the  following chapter4    #aj3ch4  
,and when this was done1 they blessed   
the ,lord with hymns and  thanksgiving1 
who had done great things in ,israel1   
and given them the  victory4    #b      
,machabees ,chapter #aa    ,lysias is   
overthrown by ,judas4 ,he sues for      
peace4    #aa3a4 ,a short time after    
this ,lysias1 the king's lieutenant1 and
 cousin1  and who had chief charge over 
all the affairs1 being greatly          
displeased  with what had happened1     
#aa3b4 ,gathered together fourscore     
thousand men1 and all the horsemen1  and
 came against the ,jews1 thinking to    
take the city1 and make it a  habitation
 of the ,gentiles3    #aa3c4 ,and to    

make a gain of the temple1 as of the    
other temples of the  ,gentiles and to  
set the high priesthood to sale every   
year3    #aa3d4 ,never considering the  
power of ,god1 but puffed up in mind1   
and  trusting in the multitude of his   
foot soldiers1 and the thousands of his 
horsemen1 and his fourscore elephants4  
#aa3e4 ,so he came into ,judea1 and     
approaching to ,bethsura1 which was in a
  narrow place1 the space of five       
furlongs from ,jerusalem1 he laid siege 
to that fortress4    #aa3f4 ,but when   
,machabeus1 and they that were with him1
 understood that  the strong holds were 
besieged1 they and all the people       
besought the  ,lord with lamentations   
and tears1 that he would send a good    
angel to  save ,israel4    #aa3g4 ,then 
,machabeus himself first taking his     
arms1 exhorted the rest to  expose      
themselves together with him1 to the    
danger1 and to succour their  brethren4 
#aa3h4 ,and when they were going forth  
together with a willing mind1 there     

appeared at ,jerusalem a horseman going 
before them in white clothing1  with    
golden armour1 shaking a spear4         
#aa3i4 ,then they all together blessed  
the merciful ,lord1 and took great      
courage3 being ready to break through   
not only men1 but also the  fiercest    
beasts1 and walls of iron4    #aa3aj4   
,so they went on courageously1 having a 
helper from heaven1 and  the ,lord1 who 
shewed mercy to them4    #aa3aa4 ,and   
rushing violently upon the enemy1 like  
lions1 they slew of  them eleven        
thousand footmen1 and one thousand six  
hundred horsemen3    #aa3ab4 ,and put   
all the rest to flight2 and many of them
 being wounded1  escaped naked3 ,yea1   
and ,lysias himself fled away           
shamefully1 and  escaped4    #aa3ac4    
,and as he was a man of understanding1  
considering with himself  the loss he   
had suffered1 and perceiving that the   
,hebrews could not be  overcome1 because
 they relied upon the help of the       
,almighty ,god1 he sent  to them3       

#aa3ad4 ,and promised that he would     
agree to all things that are just1 and  
that he would persuade the king to be   
their friend4    #aa3ae4 ,then          
,machabeus consented to the request of  
,lysias1 providing for  the common good 
in all things2 and whatsoever ,machabeus
 wrote to ,lysias1  concerning the      
,jews1 the king allowed of4    #aa3af4  
,for there were letters written to the  
,jews from ,lysias1 to this  effect3    
,lysias1 to the people of the ,jews1    
greeting4    #aa3ag4 ,john1 and         
,abesalom1 who were sent from you1      
delivering your  writings1 requested    
that ,i would accomplish those things   
which were  signified by them4  #aa3ah4 
,therefore whatsoever things could be   
reported  to the king1 ,i have          
represented to him3 and he hath granted 
as much as  the matter permitted4       
#aa3ai4 ,if1 therefore1 you will keep   
yourselves loyal in affairs1  hereafter 
also ,i will endeavour to be a means of 
your good4    #aa3bj4 ,but as concerning

 other particulars1 ,i have given orders
 by word  both to these1 and to them    
that are sent by me1 to commune with    
you4    #aa3ba4 ,fare ye well4 ,in the  
year one hundred and forty-eight1 the   
four  and twentieth day of the month of 
,dioscorus4    ,in the year #adh444     
,viz41 according to the computation     
followed by the  ,greeks2 which was     
different from that of the ,hebrews1    
followed by the  writer of the first    
book of ,machabees4 ,however1 by this   
date1 as well as  by other              
circumstances1 it appears that the      
expedition of ,lysias1  mentioned in    
this chapter1 is different from that    
which is recorded1 #a  ,mac4 #f4        
#aa3bb4 ,but the king's letter contained
 these words ,king ,antiochus to        
,lysias1 his brother1 greeting4         
#aa3bc4 ,our father being translated    
amongst the gods we are desirous that   
they that are in our realm should live  
quietly1 and apply themselves           
diligently to their own concerns4       

#aa3bd4 ,and we have heard that the     
,jews would not consent to my father to 
turn to the rites of the ,greeks but    
that they would keep to their own       
manner of living and therefore that they
 request us to allow them to  live after
 their own laws4    #aa3be4 ,wherefore  
being desirous that this nation also    
should be at rest1  we have ordained and
 decreed1 that the temple should be     
restored to  them1 and that they may    
live according to the custom of their   
ancestors4    #aa3bf4 ,thou shalt do    
well1 therefore1 to send to them1 and   
grant them  peace1 that our pleasure    
being known1 they may be of good        
comfort1 and  look to their own affairs4
    #aa3bg4 ,but the king's letter to   
the ,jews was in this manner3 ,king     
,antiochus to the senate of the ,jews1  
and to the rest of the ,jews1  greeting4
    #aa3bh4 ,if you are well1 you are as
 we desire3 we ourselves also are  well4
    #aa3bi4 ,menelaus came to us1 saying
 that you desired to come down to your  

countrymen1 that are with us4    #aa3cj4
 ,we grant1 therefore1 a safe conduct to
 all that come and go1  until the       
thirtieth day of the month of           
,xanthicus1    #aa3ca4 ,that the ,jews  
may use their own kind of meats1 and    
their own  laws1 as before3 and that    
none of them any manner of ways be      
molested  for things which have been    
done by ignorance4    #aa3cb4 ,and we   
have sent also ,menelaus to speak to    
you4    #aa3cc4 ,fare ye well4 ,in the  
year one hundred and forty-eight1 the   
fifteenth day of the month of           
,xanthicus4    #aa3cd4 ,the ,romans also
 sent them a letter1 to this effect3    
,quintus  ,memmius1 and ,titus          
,manilius1 ambassadors of the ,romans1  
to the people of  the ,jews1 greeting4  
#aa3ce4 ,whatsoever ,lysias1 the king's 
cousin1 hath granted to you1 we  also   
have granted4    #aa3cf4 ,but touching  
such things as he thought should be     
referred to the  king1 after you have   
diligently conferred among yourselves1  

send some  one forthwith1 that we may   
decree as it is convenient for you3 for 
we  are going to ,antioch4    #aa3cg4   
,and therefore make haste to write back1
 that we may know of what  mind you are4
    #aa3ch4 ,fare ye well4 ,in the year 
one hundred and forty-eight1 the        
fifteenth day of the month of           
,xanthicus4    #b ,machabees ,chapter   
#ab    ,the ,jews are still molested by 
their neighbours4 ,judas gains divers   
victories over them4 ,he orders         
sacrifice and prayers for the dead4     
#ab3a4 ,when these covenants were made1 
,lysias went to the king1 and the  ,jews
 gave themselves to husbandry4    #ab3b4
 ,but they that were behind1 viz4       
,timotheus1 and ,apollonius1 the son  of
 ,genneus1 also ,hieronymus1 and        
,demophon1 and besides them ,nicanor1   
the  governor of ,cyprus1 would not     
suffer them to live in peace1 and to be 
quiet4    #ab3c4 ,the men of ,joppe also
 were guilty of this kind of wickedness3
 they  desired the ,jews1 who dwelt     

among them1 to go with their wives and  
children into the boats1 which they had 
prepared1 as though they had no  enmity 
to them4    #ab3d4 ,which when they had 
consented to1 according to the common   
decree  of the city1 suspecting nothing1
 because of the peace3 when they were   
gone forth into the deep1 they drowned  
no fewer than two hundred of  them4     
#ab3e4 ,but as soon as ,judas heard of  
this cruelty done to his countrymen1  he
 commanded the men that were with him3  
and after having called upon  ,god1 the 
just judge1    #ab3f4 ,he came against  
those murderers of his brethren1 and set
 the haven  on fire in the night1 burnt 
the boats1 and slew with the sword them 
that  escaped from the fire4    #ab3g4  
,and when he had done these things in   
this manner1 he departed as  if he would
 return again1 and root out all the     
,joppites4    #ab3h4 ,but when he       
understood that the men of ,jamnia also 
designed to do  in like manner to the   
,jews that dwelt among them1    #ab3i4  

,he came upon the ,jamnites also by     
night1 and set the haven on  fire1 with 
the ships1 so that the light of the fire
 was seen at  ,jerusalem1 two hundred   
and forty furlongs off4    #ab3aj4 ,and 
when they were now gone from thence nine
 furlongs1 and were  marching towards   
,timotheus1 five thousand footmen1 and  
five hundred  horsemen of the ,arabians1
 set upon them4    #ab3aa4 ,and after a 
hard fight1 in which1 by the help of    
,god1 they got  the victory1 the rest of
 the ,arabians being overcome1 besought 
,judas for  peace1 promising to give him
 pastures1 and to assist him in other   
things4    #ab3ab4 ,and ,judas thinking 
that they might be profitable indeed in 
many  things1 promised them peace1 and  
after having joined hands1 they         
departed to their tents4    #ab3ac4 ,he 
also laid siege to a certain strong     
city1 encompassed with  bridges and     
walls1 and inhabited by multitudes of   
different nations1 the  name of which is
 ,casphin4    #ab3ad4 ,but they that    

were within it1 trusting in the strength
 of the  walls1 and the provision of    
victuals1 behaved in a more negligent   
manner1 and provoked ,judas with railing
 and blaspheming1 and uttering  such    
words as were not to be spoken4         
#ab3ae4 ,but ,machabeus calling upon the
 great ,lord of the world1 who  without 
any rams or engines of war threw down   
the walls of ,jericho1 in  the time of  
,josue1 fiercely assaulted the walls4   
,rams444 ,that is1 engines for battering
 walls1 etc41 which were used in  sieges
 in those times4    #ab3af4 ,and having 
taken the city by the will of the ,lord1
 he made an  unspeakable slaughter1 so  
that a pool adjoining1 of two furlongs  
broad1  seemed to run with the blood of 
the slain4    #ab3ag4 ,from thence they 
departed seven hundred and fifty        
furlongs1 and  came to ,characa1 to the 
,jews that are called ,tubianites4      
#ab3ah4 ,but as for ,timotheus1 they    
found him not in those places1 for      
before he had dispatched any thing he   

went back1 having left a very  strong   
garrison in a certain hold3    #ab3ai4  
,but ,dositheus1 and ,sosipater1 who    
were captains with ,machabeus1  slew    
them that were left by ,timotheus in the
 hold1 to the number of ten  thousand   
men4    #ab3bj4 ,and ,machabeus having  
set in order about him six thousand men1
 and  divided them by bands1 went forth 
against ,timotheus1 who had with him a  
hundred and twenty thousand footmen1 aad
 two thousand five hundred  horsemen4   
#ab3ba4 ,now when ,timotheus had        
knowledge of the coming of ,judas1 he   
sent  the women and children1 and the   
other baggage1 before him into a        
fortress1 called ,carnion3 for it was   
impregnable1 and hard to come at1  by   
reason of the straitness of the places4 
#ab3bb4 ,but when the first band of     
,judas came in sight1 the enemies were  
struck with fear1 by the presence of    
,god1 who seeth all things1 and they    
were put to flight one from another1 so 
that they were often thrown down  by    

their own companions1 and wounded with  
the strokes of their own  swords4       
#ab3bc4 ,but ,judas pursued them close1 
punishing the profane1 of whom he  slew 
thirty thousand men4    #ab3bd4 ,and    
,timotheus himself fell into the hands  
of the band of  ,dositheus and          
,sosipater1 and with many prayers he    
besought them to let  him go with his   
life1 because he had the parents and    
brethren of many of  the ,jews1 who1 by 
his death1 might happen to be deceived4 
#ab3be4 ,and when he had given his faith
 that he would restore them  according  
to the agreement1 they let him go       
without hurt1 for the saving  of their  
brethren4    #ab3bf4 ,then ,judas went  
away to ,carnion1 where he slew five and
 twenty  thousand persons4    #ab3bg4   
,and after he had put to flight and     
destroyed these1 he removed  his army to
 ,ephron1 a strong city1 wherein there  
dwelt a multitude of  divers nations3   
and stout young men standing upon the   
walls1 made a  vigorous resistance3 and 

in this place there were many engines of
 war1  and a provision of darts4        
#ab3bh4 ,but when they had invocated the
 ,almighty1 who with his power  breaketh
 the strength of the enemies1 they took 
the city3 and slew five  and twenty     
thousand of them that were within4      
#ab3bi4 ,from thence they departed to   
,scythopolis1 which lieth six hundred   
furlongs from ,jerusalem4               
,scythopolis444 ,formerly called        
,bethsan4    #ab3cj4 ,but the ,jews that
 were among the ,scythopolitans         
testifying that  they were used kindly  
by them1 and that even in the times of  
their  adversity they had treated them  
with humanity3    #ab3ca4 ,they gave    
them thanks1 exhorting them to be still 
friendly to  their nation1 and so they  
came to ,jerusalem1 the feast of the    
weeks  being at hand4    #ab3cb4 ,and   
after ,pentecost they marched against   
,gorgias1 the governor of  ,idumea4     
#ab3cc4 ,and he came out with three     
thousand footmen and four hundred       

horsemen4    #ab3cd4 ,and when they had 
joined battle1 it happened that a few of
 the  ,jews were slain4    #ab3ce4 ,but 
,dositheus1 a horseman1 one of          
,bacenor's band1 a valiant man1  took   
hold of ,gorgias3 and when he would have
 taken him alive1 a certain  horseman of
 the ,thracians came upon him1 and cut  
off his shoulder3 and  so ,gorgias      
escaped to ,maresa4    #ab3cf4 ,but when
 they that were with ,esdrin had fought 
long1 and were  weary1 ,judas called    
upon the ,lord to be their helper1 and  
leader of the  battle3    #ab3cg4 ,then 
beginning in his own language1 and      
singing hymns with a loud  voice1 he put
 ,gorgias's soldiers to flight4         
#ab3ch4 ,so ,judas having gathered      
together his army1 came into the city   
,odollam3 and when the seventh day came1
 they purified themselves  according to 
the custom1 and kept the sabbath in the 
same place4    #ab3ci4 ,and the day     
following ,judas came with his company1 
to take away  the bodies of them that   

were slain1 and to bury them with their 
kinsmen1  in the sepulchres of their    
fathers4    #ab3dj4 ,and they found     
under the coats of the slain1 some of   
the donaries  of the idols of ,jamnia1  
which the law forbiddeth to the ,jews3  
so that  all plainly saw1 that for this 
cause they were slain4    ,of the       
donaries1 etc444 ,that is1 of the votive
 offerings1 which had been  hung up in  
the temples of the idols1 which they had
 taken away when they  burnt the port of
 ,jamnia1 ver4 #i41 contrary to the     
prohibition of the  law1 ,deut4 #g4be4  
#ab3da4 ,then they all blessed the just 
judgment of the ,lord1 who had          
discovered the things that were hidden4 
#ab3db4 ,and so betaking themselves to  
prayers1 they besought him1 that  the   
sin which had been committed might be   
forgotten4 ,but the most  valiant ,judas
 exhorted the people to keep themselves 
from sin1 forasmuch  as they saw before 
their eyes what had happened1 because of
 the sins of  those that were slain4    

#ab3dc4 ,and making a gathering1 he sent
 twelve thousand drachms of silver  to  
,jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered  
for the sins of the dead1  thinking well
 and religiously concerning the         
resurrection4    #ab3dd4 7,for if he had
 not hoped that they that were slain    
should rise  again1 it would have seemed
 superfluous and vain to pray for the   
dead17    #ab3de4 ,and because he       
considered that they who had fallen     
asleep with  godliness1 had great grace 
laid up for them4    ,with godliness444 
,judas hoped that these men who died    
fighting for the  cause of ,god and     
religion1 might find mercy3 either      
because they might  be excused from     
mortal sin by ignorance2 or might have  
repented of their  sin1 at least at     
their death4    #ab3df4 ,it is therefore
 a holy and wholesome thought to pray   
for the  dead1 that they may be loosed  
from sins4    ,it is therefore a holy   
and wholesome thought to pray for the   
dead444  ,here is an evident and        

undeniable proof of the practice of     
praying for  the dead under the old law1
 which was then strictly observed by the
  ,jews1 and consequently could not be  
introduced at that time by ,judas1      
their chief and high priest1 if it had  
not been always their custom4    #b     
,machabees ,chapter #ac    ,antiochus   
and ,lysias again invade ,judea4        
,menelaus is put to death4 ,the  king's 
great army is worsted twice4 ,the peace 
is renewed4    #ac3a4 ,in the year one  
hundred and forty-nine1 ,judas          
understood that  ,antiochus ,eupator was
 coming with a multitude against ,judea1
    #ac3b4 ,and with him ,lysias1 the   
regent1 who had charge over the affairs 
of the realm1 having with him a hundred 
and ten thousand footmen1 five  thousand
 horsemen1 twenty-two elephants1 and    
three hundred chariots4    ,a hundred   
and ten thousand1 etc444 ,the difference
 between the numbers  here set down1 and
 those recorded1 #a ,mac4 #d1 is easily 
accounted for2 if  we consider that such

 armies as these are liable to be at one
 time more  numerous than at another2   
either by sending away large            
detachments1 or  being diminished by    
sickness2 or increased by receiving     
fresh supplies  of troops1 according to 
different exigencies or occurrences4    
#ac3c4 ,menelaus also joined himself    
with them3 and with great  deceitfulness
 besought ,antiochus1 not for the       
welfare of his country1  but in hopes   
that he should be appointed chief ruler4
    #ac3d4 ,but the ,king of kings      
stirred up the mind of ,antiochus       
against the  sinner1 and upon ,lysias   
suggesting that he was the cause of all 
the  evils1 he commanded 7as the custom 
is with them7 that he should be         
apprehended and put to death in the same
 place4    #ac3e4 ,now there was in that
 place a tower fifty cubits high1 having
 a  heap of ashes on every side3 this   
had a prospect steep down4    #ac3f4    
,from thence he commanded the           
sacrilegious wretch to be thrown down   

into the ashes1 all men thrusting him   
forward unto death4    #ac3g4 ,and by   
such a law it happened that ,menelaus   
the transgressor of  the law1 was put to
 death3 not having so much as burial in 
the earth4    #ac3h4 ,and indeed very   
justly1 for insomuch as he had committed
 many sins  against the altar of ,god1  
the fire and ashes of which were holy3  
he was  condemned to die in ashes4      
#ac3i4 ,but the king1 with his mind full
 of rage1 came on to shew himself  worse
 to the ,jews than his father was4      
#ac3aj4 ,which when ,judas understood1  
he commanded the people to call upon    
the ,lord day and night1 that as he had 
always done1 so now also he would  help 
them3    #ac3aa4 ,because they were     
afraid to be deprived of the law1 and of
 their  country1 and of the holy temple3
 and that he would not suffer the       
people1 that had of late taken breath   
for a little while1 to be again in      
subjection to blasphemous nations4      
#ac3ab4 ,so when they had all done this 

together1 and had craved mercy of  the  
,lord with weeping and fasting1 lying   
prostrate on the ground for  three days 
continually1 ,judas exhorted them to    
make themselves ready4    #ac3ac4 ,but  
he1 with the ancients1 determined before
 the king should  bring his army into   
,judea1 and make himself master of the  
city1 to go  out1 and to commit the     
event of the thing to the judgment of   
the ,lord4    #ac3ad4 ,so committing all
 to ,god1 the ,creator of the world1 and
 having  exhorted his people to fight   
manfully1 and to stand up even to death 
for  the laws1 the temple1 the city1    
their country1 and citizens3 he placed  
his army about ,modin4    #ac3ae4 ,and  
having given his company for a          
watchword1 ,the victory of ,god1  with  
most valiant chosen young men1 he set   
upon the king's quarter by  night1 and  
slew four thousand men in the camp1 and 
the greatest of the  elephants1 with    
them that had been upon him1    #ac3af4 
,and having filled the camp of the      

enemies with exceeding great  fear and  
tumult1 they went off with good success4
    #ac3ag4 ,now this was done at the   
break of day1 by the protection and help
  of the ,lord4    #ac3ah4 ,but the king
 having taken a taste of the hardiness  
of the ,jews1  attempted to take the    
strong places by policy3    #ac3ai4 ,and
 he marched with his army to ,bethsura1 
which was a strong hold  of the ,jews3  
but he was repulsed1 he failed1 he lost 
his men4    #ac3bj4 ,now ,judas sent    
necessaries to them that were within    
#ac3ba4 ,but ,rhodocus1 one of the      
,jews' army1 disclosed the secrets to   
the  enemies1 so he was sought out1 and 
taken up1 and put in prison4    #ac3bb4 
,again the king treated with them that  
were in ,bethsura3 gave his  right hand3
 took theirs3 and went away4    #ac3bc4 
,he fought with ,judas3 and was         
overcome4 ,and when he understood  that 
,philip1 who had been left over the     
affairs1 had rebelled at  ,antioch1 he  
was in a consternation of mind1 and     

intreating the ,jews1 and  yielding to  
them1 he swore to all things that seemed
 reasonable1 and1  being reconciled1    
offered sacrifice1 honoured the temple1 
and left  gifts4    #ac3bd4 ,he embraced
 ,machabeus1 and made him governor and  
prince from  ,ptolemais unto the        
,gerrenians4    #ac3be4 ,but when he was
 come to ,ptolemais1 the men of that    
city were much  displeased with the     
conditions of the peace1 being angry for
 fear they  should break the covenant4  
#ac3bf4 ,then ,lysias went up to the    
judgment seat1 and set forth the        
reason1 and appeased the people1 and    
returned to ,antioch3 and thus  matters 
went with regard to the king's coming   
and his return4    #b ,machabees        
,chapter #ad    ,demetrius challenges   
the kingdom4 ,alcimus applies to him to 
be made high  priest3 ,nicanor is sent  
into ,judea3 his dealings with ,judas3  
his  threats4 ,the history of ,razias4  
#ad3a4 ,but after the space of three    
years ,judas1 and they that were with   

him1 understood that ,demetrius1 the son
 of ,seleucus1 was come up with a  great
 power1 and a navy by the haven of      
,tripolis1 to places proper for  his    
purpose1    #ad3b4 ,and had made himself
 master of the countries against        
,antiochus1  and his general1 ,lysias4  
#ad3c4 ,now one ,alcimus1 who had been  
chief priest1 but had wilfully  defiled 
himself in the time of mingling with the
 heathens1 seeing that  there was no    
safety for him1 nor access to the altar1
    ,now ,alcimus1 who had been chief   
priest444 ,this ,alcimus was of the     
stock  of ,aaron1 but for his apostasy  
here mentioned was incapable of the high
  priesthood1 but king ,antiochus       
,eupator appointed him in place of the  
high priest1 7see above1 #a ,mac4 chap4 
#g41 ver4 #i17 as ,menelaus had been    
before him1 set up by ,antiochus1 7above
 chap4 #d417yet neither of them  were   
truly high priests2 for the true high   
priesthood was amongst the  ,machabees1 
who were also of the stock of ,aaron1   

and had strictly held  their religion1  
and were ordained according to the rites
 commanded in  the law of ,moses4-,ibid4
 ,mingling444 with the heathens2 that   
is1 in their  idolatrous worship4       
#ad3d4 ,came to king ,demetrius in the  
year one hundred and fifty1  presenting 
unto him a crown of gold1 and a palm1   
and besides these1 some  boughs that    
seemed to belong to the temple4 ,and    
that day indeed he held  his peace4     
#ad3e4 ,but having gotten a convenient  
time to further his madness1 being      
called to counsel by ,demetrius1 and    
asked what the ,jews relied upon1 and   
what were their counsels1    #ad3f4 ,he 
answered thereunto3 ,they among the     
,jews that are called  ,assideans1 of   
whom ,judas ,machabeus is captain1      
nourish wars1 and raise  seditions1 and 
will not suffer the realm to be in      
peace4    #ad3g4 ,for ,i also being     
deprived of my ancestor's glory 7,i mean
 of the  high priesthood7 am now come   
hither3    #ad3h4 ,principally indeed   

out of fidelity to the king's interests1
 but in  the next place also to provide 
for the good of my countrymen3 for all  
our nation suffereth much from the evil 
proceedings of these men4    #ad3i4     
,wherefore1 ,o king1 seeing thou knowest
 all these things1 take  care1 ,i       
beseech thee1 both of the country1 and  
of our nation1 according  to thy        
humanity which is known to all men4     
#ad3aj4 ,for as long as ,judas liveth it
 is not possible that the state  should 
be quiet4    #ad3aa4 ,now when this man 
had spoken to this effect the rest also 
of the  king's friends1 who were enemies
 of ,judas1 incensed ,demetrius against 
him4    #ad3ab4 ,and forthwith he sent  
,nicanor1 the commander over the        
elephants1  governor into ,judea3       
#ad3ac4 ,giving him in charge1 to take  
,judas himself3 and disperse all  them  
that were with him1 and to make ,alcimus
 the high priest of the  great temple4  
#ad3ad4 ,then the ,gentiles who had fled
 out of ,judea1 from ,judas1 came to    

,nicanor by flocks1 thinking the        
miseries and calamities of the ,jews to 
be the welfare of their affairs4        
#ad3ae4 ,now when the ,jews heard of    
,nicanor's coming1 and that the nations 
were assembled against them1 they cast  
earth upon their heads1 and made        
supplication to him who chose his people
 to keep them for ever1 and who         
protected his portion by evident signs4 
#ad3af4 ,then at the commandment of     
their captain1 they forthwith removed   
from the place where they were1 and went
 to the town of ,dessau1 to meet  them4 
#ad3ag4 ,now ,simon1 the brother of     
,judas1 had joined battle with ,nicanor3
  but was frightened with the sudden    
coming of the adversaries4    #ad3ah4   
,nevertheless ,nicanor hearing of the   
valour of ,judas's companions1  and the 
greatness of courage1 with which they   
fought for their country1  was afraid to
 try the matter by the sword4    #ad3ai4
 ,wherefore he sent ,posidonius1 and    
,theodotius and ,matthias before  to    

present and receive the right hands4    
#ad3bj4 ,and when there had been a      
consultation thereupon1 and the captain 
had acquainted the multitude with it1   
they were all of one mind to  consent to
 covenants4    #ad3ba4 ,so they         
appointed a day upon which they might   
comne together by  themselves3 and seats
 were brought out1 and set for each one4
    #ad3bb4 ,but ,judas ordered armed   
men to be ready in convenient places1   
lest some mischief might be suddenly    
practised by the enemies3 so they  made 
an agreeable conference4    #ad3bc4 ,and
 ,nicanor abode in ,jerusalem1 and did  
no wrong1 but sent away  the flocks of  
the multitudes that had been gathered   
together4    #ad3bd4 ,and ,judas was    
always dear to him from the heart1 and  
he was well  affected to the man4       
#ad3be4 ,and he desired him to marry a  
wife1 and to have children4 ,so he      
married3 he lived quietly1 and they     
lived in common4    #ad3bf4 ,but        
,alcimus seeing the love they had one to

 another1 and the  covenants1 came to   
,demetrius1 and told him that ,nicanor  
had assented to  the foreign interest1  
for that he meant to make ,judas1 who   
was a traitor  to the kingdom1 his      
successor4    #ad3bg4 ,then the king1   
being in a rage1 and provoked with this 
man's  wicked accusation1 wrote to      
,nicanor1 signifying that he was greatly
  displeased with the covenant of       
friendship3 and that he commanded him   
nevertheless to send ,machabeus prisoner
 in all haste to ,antioch4    #ad3bh4   
,when this was known1 ,nicanor was in a 
consternation1 and took it  grievously  
that he should make void the articles   
that were agreed upon1  having received 
no injury from the man4    #ad3bi4 ,but 
because he could not oppose the king1 he
 watched an  opportunity to comply with 
the orders4    #ad3cj4 ,but when        
,machabeus perceived that ,nicanor was  
more stern to him1  and that when they  
met together as usual he behaved himself
 in a rough  manner2 and was sensible   

that this rough behaviour came not of   
good1 he  gathered together a few of his
 men1 and hid himself from ,nicanor4    
#ad3ca4 ,but he finding himself notably 
prevented by the man1 came to the  great
 and holy temple3 and commanded the     
priests that were offering the          
accustomed sacrifices1 to deliver him   
the man4    #ad3cb4 ,and when they swore
 unto him1 that they knew not where the 
man  was whom he sought1 he stretched   
out his hand to the temple1    #ad3cc4  
,and swore1 saying3 ,unless you deliver 
,judas prisoner to me1 ,i  will lay this
 temple of ,god even with the ground1   
and will beat down the  altar1 and ,i   
will dedicate this temple to ,bacchus4  
#ad3cd4 ,and when he had spoken thus1 he
 departed4  ,but the priests  stretching
 forth their hands to heaven1 called    
upon him that was ever  the defender of 
their nation1 saying in this manner3    
#ad3ce4 ,thou1 ,o ,lord of all things1  
who wantest nothing1 wast pleased  that 
the temple of thy habitation should be  

amongst us4    #ad3cf4 ,therefore now1  
,o ,lord1 the holy of all holies1 keep  
this house  for ever undefiled1 which   
was lately cleansed4    #ad3cg4 ,now    
,razias1 one of the ancients of         
,jerusalem1 was accused to  ,nicanor1 a 
man that was a lover of the city1 and of
 good report1 who for  his kindness was 
called the father of the ,jews4         
#ad3ch4 ,this man1 for a long time1 had 
held fast his purpose of keeping        
himself pure in the ,jews' religion1 and
 was ready to expose his body and  life1
 that he might persevere therein4       
#ad3ci4 ,so ,nicanor being willing to   
declare the hatred that he bore the     
,jews1 sent five hundred soldiers to    
take him4    #ad3dj4 ,for he thought by 
ensnaring him to hurt the ,jews very    
much4    #ad3da4 ,now as the multitude  
sought to rush into his house1 and to   
break  open the door1 and to set fire to
 it1 when he was ready to be taken1 he  
struck himself with his sword3    ,he   
struck himself1 etc444 ,st4 ,augustine1 

7,epist4 #fa1 ad ,dulcitium1 et  lib4   
#b1 cap4 #bc1 ad ,epist4 #b1 ,gaud47    
discussing this fact of ,razias1  says1 
that the holy scripture relates it1 but 
doth not praise it1 as to  be admired or
 imitated1 and that either it was not   
well done by him1 or  at least not      
proper in this time of grace4    #ad3db4
 ,choosing to die nobly rather than to  
fall into the hands of the  wicked1 and 
to suffer abuses unbecoming his noble   
birth4    #ad3dc4 ,but whereas through  
haste he missed of giving a sure wound1 
and  the crowd was breaking into the    
doors1 he ran boldly to the wall1 and   
manfully threw himself down to the      
crowd3    #ad3dd4 ,but they quickly     
making room for his fall1 he came upon  
the midst  of the neck4    ,he came upon
 the midst of the neck444 ,venit per    
mediam cervicem4 ,in the  ,greek it is  
keneona1 which signifies a void place1  
where there is no  building4    #ad3de4 
,and as he had yet breath in him1 being 
inflamed in mind1 he  arose3 and while  

his blood ran down with a great stream1 
and he was  grievously wounded1 he ran  
through the crowd3    #ad3df4 ,and      
standing upon a steep rock1 when he was 
now almost without  blood1 grasping his 
bowels1 with both hands he cast them    
upon the  throng1 calling upon the ,lord
 of life and spirit1 to restore these to
  him again3 and so he departed this    
life4    #b ,machabees ,chapter #ae     
,judas encouraged by a vision gains a   
glorious victory over ,nicanor4 ,the    
conclusion4    #ae3a4 ,but when ,nicanor
 understood that ,judas was in the      
places of  ,samaria1 he purposed to set 
upon him with all violence1 on the      
sabbath  day4    #ae3b4 ,and when the   
,jews that were constrained to follow   
him1 said3 ,do  not act so fiercely and 
barbarously1 but give honour to the day 
that is  sanctified3 and reverence him  
that beholdeth all things3    #ae3c4    
,that unhappy man asked1 if there were a
 mighty ,one in heaven1 that  had       
commanded the sabbath day to be kept4   

#ae3d4 ,and when they answered3 ,there  
is the living ,lord himself in  heaven1 
the mighty ,one1 that commanded the     
seventh day to be kept4    #ae3e4 ,then 
he said3 ,and ,i am mighty upon the     
earth1 and ,i command to  take arms1 and
 to do the king's business4             
,nevertheless he prevailed not  to      
accomplish his design4    #ae3f4 ,so    
,nicanor being puffed up with exceeding 
great pride1 thought to  set up a public
 monument of his victory over ,judas4   
#ae3g4 ,but ,machabeus ever trusted with
 all hope that ,god would help them4    
#ae3h4 ,and he exhorted his people not  
to fear the coming of the nations1  but 
to remember the help they had before    
received from heaven1 and now  to hope  
for victory from the ,almighty4         
#ae3i4 ,and speaking to them out of the 
law1 and the prophets1 and withal       
putting them in mind of the battles they
 had fought before1 he made them  more  
cheerful3    #ae3aj4 ,then after he had 
encouraged them1 he shewed withal the   

falsehood  of the ,gentiles1 and their  
breach of oaths4    #ae3aa4 ,so he armed
 every one of them1 not with defence of 
shield and  spear1 but with very good   
speeches1 and exhortations1 and told    
them a  dream worthy to be believed1    
whereby he rejoiced them all4    #ae3ab4
 ,now the vision was in this manner4    
,onias1 who had been high  priest1 a    
good and virtuous man1 modest in his    
looks1 gentle in his  manners1 and      
graceful in speech1 and who from a child
 was exercised in  virtues holding up   
his hands1 prayed for all the people of 
the ,jews3    #ae3ac4 ,after this there 
appeared also another man1 admirable for
 age1  and glory1 and environed with    
great beauty and majesty3    #ae3ad4    
,then ,onias answering1 said3 ,this is a
 lover of his brethren1 and  of the     
people of ,israel3 this is he that      
prayeth much for the people1  and for   
all the holy city1 ,jeremias1 the       
prophet of ,god4    #ae3ae4 ,whereupon  
,jeremias stretched forth his right     

hand1 and gave to  ,judas a sword of    
gold1 saying3    #ae3af4 ,take this holy
 sword1 a gift from ,god1 wherewith thou
 shalt  overthrow the adversaries of my 
people ,israel4    #ae3ag4 ,thus being  
exhorted with the words of ,judas1 which
 were very  good1 and proper to stir up 
the courage1 and strengthen the hearts  
of  the young men1 they resolved to     
fight1 and to set upon them manfully3   
that valour might decide the matter1    
because the holy city1 and the  temple  
were in danger4    #ae3ah4 ,for their   
concern was less for their wives1 and   
children1 and for  their brethren1 and  
kinsfolks3 but their greatest and       
principal fear was  for the holiness of 
the temple4    #ae3ai4 ,and they also   
that were in the city1 had no little    
concern for  them that were to be       
engaged in battle4    #ae3bj4 ,and now  
when all expected what judgment would be
 given1 and the  enemies were at hand1  
and the army was set in array1 the      
beasts and the  horsemen ranged in      

convenient places1    #ae3ba4 ,machabeus
 considering the coming of the          
multitude1 and the divers  preparations 
of armour1 and the fierceness of the    
beasts1 stretching out  his hands to    
heaven1 called upon the ,lord1 that     
worketh wonders1 who  giveth victory to 
them that are worthy1 not according to  
the power of  their arms1 but according 
as it seemeth good to him4    #ae3bb4   
,and in his prayer he said after this   
manner3 ,thou1 ,o ,lord1 who  didst send
 thy angel in the time of ,ezechias1    
king of ,juda1 and didst  kill a hundred
 and eighty-five thousand of the army of
 ,sennacherib3    #ae3bc4 ,send now     
also1 ,o ,lord of heaven1 thy good angel
 before us1 for  the fear and dread of  
the greatness of thy arm1    #ae3bd4    
,that they may be afraid1 who come with 
blasphemy against thy holy  people4 ,and
 thus he concluded his prayer4          
#ae3be4 ,but ,nicanor1 and they that    
were with him came forward1 with        
trumpets and songs4    #ae3bf4 ,but     

,judas1 and they that were with him1    
encountered them1 calling  upon ,god by 
prayers3    #ae3bg4 ,so fighting with   
their hands1 but praying to the ,lord   
with their  hearts1 they slew no less   
than five and thirty thousand1 being    
greatly  cheered with the presence of   
,god4    #ae3bh4 ,and when the battle   
was over1 and they were returning with  
joy1  they understood that ,nicanor was 
slain in his armour4    #ae3bi4 ,then   
making a shout1 and a great noise1 they 
blessed the ,almighty  ,lord in their   
own language4    #ae3cj4 ,and ,judas1   
who was altogether ready1 in body and   
mind1 to die for  his countrymen1       
commanded that ,nicanor's head1 and his 
hand1 with the  shoulder1 should be cut 
off1 and carried to ,jerusalem4         
#ae3ca4 ,and when he was come thither1  
having called together his  countrymen1 
and the priests to the altar1 he sent   
also for them that  were in the castle1 
#ae3cb4 ,and shewing them the head of   
,nicanor1 and the wicked hand1 which  he

 had stretched out1 with proud boasts1  
against the holy house of the  ,almighty
 ,god1    #ae3cc4 ,he commanded also1   
that the tongue of the wicked ,nicanor  
should  be cut out1 and given by pieces 
to birds1 and the hand of the furious   
man to be hanged up over against the    
temple4    #ae3cd4 ,then all blessed the
 ,lord of heaven1 saying3 ,blessed be he
 that  hath kept his own place          
undefiled4    #ae3ce4 ,and he hung up   
,nicanor's head in the top of the       
castle1 that it  might be an evident and
 manifest sign of the help of ,god4     
#ae3cf4 ,and they all ordained by a     
common decree1 by no means to let this  
day pass without solemnity3    #ae3cg4  
,but to celebrate the thirteenth day of 
the month of ,adar1 called  in the      
,syrian language1 the day before        
,mardochias' day4    #ae3ch4 ,so these  
things being done with relation to      
,nicanor1 and from  that time the city  
being possessed by the ,hebrews1 ,i also
 will here make  an end of my narration4

    #ae3ci4 ,which if ,i have done well1
 and as it becometh the history1 it is  
what ,i desired3 but if not so          
perfectly1 it must be pardoned me4      
,if not so perfectly1 etc444 ,this is   
not said with regard to the truth of    
the narration2 but with regard to the   
style and manner of writing3 which  in  
the sacred penmen is not always the most
 accurate4 ,see ,st4 ,paul1 #b  ,cor4   
#aa4f4    #ae3dj4 ,for as it is hurtful 
to drink always wine1 or always water1  
but  pleasant to use sometimes the one1 
and sometimes the other3 so if the      
speech be always nicely framed1 it will 
not be grateful to the readers4  ,but   
here it shall be ended4