‏ 2 Maccabees 10

1Forsothe Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, for the Lord defendide hem, resseyuede sotheli the temple, and citee. 2Forsothe he distriede the auteris, that aliens maden bi stretis, and also templis of waisshyng. 3And whanne the temple was purgid, thei maden an other auter, and of stoonys firid, `ether flyntis, bi fier conseyued, thei offriden sacrifices after two yeer, and puttiden encense, and lanternes, and looues of proposicioun. 4And whanne these thingis weren don, thei weren cast doun to erthe, and preieden the Lord, that thei schulden no more falle in siche yuelis, but thouy in ony tyme thei hadden synned, that thei schulden be chastised of hym more esili, and schulden not be bitakun to barbaries, and blasfeme men. 5Forsothe in what dai the temple was defoulid of aliens, it bifelle that in the same dai clensyng was maad, in the fyue and twentithe dai of the monethe, that was Casleu. 6And with gladnesse in eiyte daies thei diden bi maner of tabernaclis, bithenkynge that bifore a litil of tyme thei hadden don the solempne dai of tabernaclis in hillis and in dennys, bi custom of beestis. 7For which thing thei baren byfore roddis, and grene braunchis, and palmes, to hym that yaf prosperite for to clense his place. 8And thei demyden with comyn heest, and with doom, to alle the folc of Jewis, for to do these feeste daies in alle yeeris. 9And the endyng of lijf of Antiok, that was clepid noble, hadde it thus. 10Now forsothe we schulen telle of Eupator, sone of vnpitouse Antiok, what thingis weren don, and bregge, `ether schortli telle, the yuelis that weren don in batels. 11For whanne this Eupator hadde resseyued the rewme, he ordeynede on nedis of the rewme a man Lisias, prince of knyythod, of Fenece and Sirie. 12For whi Tolome, that was seid Macer, ordeynede for to holde iust thing ayens Jewis, and most for wickidnesse that was don ayens hem, and pesibli for to do with hem. 13But for this thing he was accusid of frendis anentis Eupator, whanne he herde ofte, Thou traitour, for that he hadde forsakun Cipre, bitakun to hym of Filometor, and hadde translatid to Antiok noble, also he hadde go awei fro hym, with venym he endide the lijf. 14Forsothe Gorgias, whanne he was duyk of places, with comelyngis takun, ouercam ofte Jewis in batel. 15Forsothe Jewis that helden couenable strengthis, resseyueden men dryuun fro Jerusalem, and saieden for to fiyte. 16These forsothe that weren with Machabeus, preieden the Lord bi preieris, that he schulde be helpere to hem, and thei maden asawt in to strengthis of Idumeis. 17And thei weren bisi bi myche strengthe, and weldiden places, and slowen men rennynge ayen, and strangliden alle togidere, not lesse than fyue and twenti thousandes. 18Forsothe whanne summe fledden togidere in to twei touris ful stronge, hauynge alle apparel to ayen fiyte, 19Machabeus lefte Symount, and Josofus, and eft Sachee, and hem that weren with hem, many ynow, to the ouercomyng of hem; and he was conuertid to tho batels that constreyneden more. 20Sotheli these that weren with Symount, weren led bi coueitise, and weren counselid bi monei, of summe that weren in the touris; and whanne thei hadden take seuenti thousynde double dragmes, thei leeten summe fle out. 21Forsothe whanne that thing that was don, was teld to Machabeus, he gaderide the princes of puple, and he accuside, that thei hadden seld britheren for monei, for thei delyueriden aduersaries of hem. 22Therfor he slow these maad traitouris, and anoon ocupiede the tweye touris. 23Forsothe in doynge alle thingis `in prosperite in armeris and hondis, he slow in the twei strengthis more than twenti thousyndis. 24And Tymothe, that bifore was ouercomun of Jewis, clepide togidere an oost of straunge multitude, and gaderide the multitude of horse men of Asie, and cam with armeris, as to take Judee. 25Forsothe Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, whanne he neiyede, bisouyten God, and bispreynten the heed with erthe, and bifor girdiden the leendis with heiris, 26and kneliden doun at the brynke of the auter, that he schulde be helpful to hem, forsothe that to enemyes of hem he were enemye, and were aduersarie to aduersaries, as the lawe seith. 27And so after preier, whanne thei hadden take armeris, thei yeden forth fer fro the citee, and thei weren maad nexte to enemyes, and saten. 28Forsothe in the firste risyng of the sunne, bothe ioyneden batel; these sotheli hadden the Lord bihetere of victorie and prosperite; for thei hadden hardynesse the duyk of batel. 29But whanne greet fiyte was, fyue faire men, on horsis with goldun bridels, apperiden to aduersaries fro heuene, and yauen ledyng to Jewis; 30of whiche tweyne hadden Machabeus in the myddil, and set aboute with her armeris, and kepten hym sownd. Forsothe thei castiden dartis and leitis ayens aduersaries; of which thing and thei weren schent with blyndenesse, and weren fillid with perturbacioun, and fellen doun. 31Forsothe ther weren slayn of foote men twenti thousynde and fyue hundrid, and horse men sixe hundrid. 32Sotheli Tymothe fledde in to the strong hold of Gasara, of which strong hold Cereas was souereyn. 33Forsothe Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, weren glad, and bisegiden the strong hold bi foure daies. 34And thei that weren with ynne, tristiden in the sikirnesse of the place, and cursiden aboue maner, and castiden cursid wordis. 35But whanne the fyuethe dai schynede, twenti yonge men of these that weren with Machabeus, weren kyndlid in soulis for blasfemye, and wenten manli to the wal, and thei yeden with fers wille, and stieden vp; 36but and othere also stieden, and assailiden for to brenne touris and yatis, and togidere brenne the curseris quyke. 37Forsothe by contynuel twei daies thei wastiden the strong hold, and slowen Tymothe, hidynge hym silf, foundun in sum place; and thei slowen his brother Cereas, and Appolloffanes. 38Whanne these thingis weren don, thei blessiden the Lord in ympnes and confessiouns, whiche dide grete thingis in Israel, and yaf to hem victorie.