Content

CAP 12
In the hundrid yeer and foure and fourtithe yeer, in the fiftenthe dai of the monethe Xandici,
1 whanne these couenauntis weren maad, Lisias wente to the king; forsothe Jewis yauen werk to erthe tilyng.
2 But these that dwelten, Tymothe, and Appollonye, the sone of Gennei, but and Jerom, and Demophon proud, and Nycanore, prince of Cipre, suffriden not hem for to do in silence and reste.
3 Forsothe men of Joppe han do sich a felonye; thei preyeden Jewis with whiche thei dwelten, for to stie vp, with wyues, and sones, in to smale botis, whiche thei hadden maad redi, as if noon enemytees laien priueli among hem.
4 Therfor bi the comyn dom of the citee, and for thei acordiden, and for cause of pees hadden no thing suspect, whanne thei camen in to the depthe, thei drenchiden two hundrid, not lesse.
5 And as Judas knew this cruelte don ayens men of his folc, he comaundide to men that weren with hym; and he clepide `to help the iust domesman God, and he cam ayens the sleeris of britheren,
6 and bi nyyt he brente the hauene, he brente the bootis, forsothe he slow bi swerd hem that fledden fro fier.
7 And whanne he hadde don these thingis, he wente awei, as eft to turnynge ayen, and vttirli to distriynge alle men of Joppe.
8 But whanne he knew, that also thei that weren at Jamnye wolden do in lijk maner to Jewis dwellynge with hem,
9 also to Jamnytes he aboue cam bi nyyt, and brente the hauene, with schippis; so that the liyt apperide to Jerusalem fro two hundrid furlongis and fourty.
10 Whanne thei hadden go thanne fro thennus bi nyne furlongis, and maden iournei to Tymothe, men of Arabie, fyue thousynde men, and horse men fyue hundrid, ioyneden batel with hym.
11 And whanne strong fiyt was maad, and bi help of God it bifelle esili, `ether bi prosperite, the residue of men of Arabie, `that weren ouercomun, axiden of Judas the riythondis for to be youun to hem; bihetynge hem silf to yyue lesewis, and to profitynge in othir thingis.
12 Forsothe Judas demyde verili hem profitable in many thingis, and bihiyte pees; and whanne thei hadden take riythondis, thei departiden to her tabernaclis.
13 Forsothe he assailide also sum citee sad bi briggis, and aboute set with wallis, which was enhabitid of cumpenyes of hethene men meynd, bothe men and wymmen, to which the name was Casphym.
14 Forsothe these that weren with ynne, tristiden to the stablenesse of wallis, and in apparel of foodis, and diden slacliere, `to-terrynge Judas with cursis, and blasfemynge, and speking whiche thingis it is not leueful.
15 Sotheli Machabeus clepide to help the greet prince of the world, which with out wetheris, `that ben engynes lijk wetheris, and with out engynes, in the tymes of Jhesu, `ether Josue, castide doun Jericho; and hurtlide feersli to the wallis,
16 and took the cytee bi wille of the Lord, and dide vnnoumbrable sleyngis; so that the pool of stondynge watir of twei furlongis of brede, semyde to flowe with blood of slayn men.
17 Fro thennus thei wenten seuene hundrid and fifti furlongis, and camen in to Characha, to tho Jewis that ben clepid Tubianei.
18 And sotheli thei cauyten not Tymothe in tho places; and whanne no iourney was fulli don, Tymothe turnede ayen while most sad strengthe was left in `a certayn place.
19 Forsothe Dositheus and Sosipater, that weren duykis with Machabeus, slowen ten thousend men left of Tymothe in the strengthe.
20 And Machabeus ordeynede aboute hym sixe thousynde, and ordeynede bi `cohortis, ether cumpenyes of knyytis, and wente forth ayens Tymothe, hauynge with hym an hundrid thousynde and twenti thousynde of foot men, and of horse men twei thousynde and fyue hundrid.
21 Forsothe whanne the comyng of Judas was knowun, Tymothe bifore sente wymmen, and sones, and othere apparel in to a strengthe that is seid Carmon; for it was `vnable to be ouercomun, and hard in goynge to, for streytnesses of places.
22 And whanne the firste cumpanye of Judas apperide, drede was maad to enemyes bi presence of God, that biholdith alle thingis; and thei weren turned in to flight, oon after anothir, so that thei weren cast doun more of her owne, and weren feblid with strokis of her swerdis.
23 Judas sotheli contynuede greetli, punyschynge vnhooli men, and castide doun of hem thretti thousynde of men.
24 Tymothe sotheli hym silf felle in to the partis of Dositheus and Sosipater; and he axide bi many preieris, that he were dismittid quyk; for he hadde fadris, and modris, and britheren, of many of Jewis, whiche it schulde bifalle for to be disseyued bi his deth.
25 And whanne he hadde youun feith, that he schulde restore hem bi couenaunt, thei dismittiden hym vnhirt, for heelthe of britheren.
26 Forsothe Judas turnede ayen fro Carmon, after that he hadde slayn fyue and twenti thousyndis.
27 Aftir the fliyt and deth of these, he mouyde the oost of Effron, strong citee, in which the multitude of dyuerse folkis dwelte; and stronge yonge men, stondynge togidere for wallis, strongli fouyten ayen; forsothe in this weren many engynes, and apparels of dartis.
28 But whanne thei hadden clepid to help the Almiyti, that bi his power al to-brekith myytis of enemyes, thei token the citee, and castiden doun of hem that weren with ynne fyue and twenti thousynde.
29 Fro thens thei wenten to the citee of Scitis, which was fer fro Jerusalem sixe hundrid furlongis.
30 Forsothe for these Jewis that weren anentis Scitopolistis witnessiden, that thei weren had `of hem benygneli, yhe, in tymes of aduersite, and that thei diden myldeli with hem,
31 thei diden thankyngis to hem; and also stiriden fro hennys forth for to be benygne ayens her kyn, and came to Jerusalem, whanne the solempne dai of wokis neiyide.
32 And aftir Pentecost, thei wenten ayens Gorgias, souereyn of Idumee.
33 Sotheli he wente out with thre thousynde foot men, and foure hundrid horse men;
34 and whanne thei weren asemblid, it bifelle that a fewe Jewis fellen doun.
35 Forsothe Dositheus, an horseman of Bachenoris, a strong man, helde Gorgias; and whanne he wolde take hym quyk, an horse man of Traces felle on hym, and kittide of his schuldre, and so Gorgias flei in to Maresam.
36 And whanne thei that weren with Hesdrym fouyten lengere, and thei weren maad wery, Judas inwardli clepide the Lord for to be maad helpere, and duyk of batel; and he bigan with cuntrei vois,
37 and with ympnes reiside cry, and made the knyytis of Gorgias to fle.
38 Forsothe Judas with the oost gaderid, cam in to the citee Odolla; and whanne the seuenthe dai cam aboue, thei weren clensid bi custom, and diden sabat in the same place.
39 And in the dai suynge Judas cam with hise, for to take awei the bodies of men cast doun, and for to putte with fadris, and modris, in sepulcris of fadris.
40 Forsothe thei foundun vndur cootis of slayn men, of the yiftis of idols that weren at Jamnyam, fro whiche the lawe forbedith Jewis; therfor it was maad knowun to alle men, that thei `fellen doun for this cause.
41 And therfor alle blessiden the iust dom of the Lord, which made priuy thingis knowun.
42 And so thei conuertiden to preieris, and preieden, that `the ilke trespas that was don, were bitakun to foryetyng. And sotheli the strengeste Judas monestide the puple, for to kepe hem with out synne, seynge vndur iyen, what thingis weren don for synnes of hem that weren cast doun.
43 And whanne `spekyng togidere was maad, he sente twelue thousynde dragmes of siluer to Jerusalem, to be offrid a sacrifice for synnes of deed men, and bithouyte wel and religiousli of ayenrisyng;
44 for if he hopide not, that thei that fellen schulden rise ayen, it was seyn superflu and veyn for to preye for deed men;
45 and for he bihelde, that thei that token slepyng, `ether deth, with pitee, hadden best grace kept.
46 Therfor hooli and heelful thenkyng is, for to preie for deed men, that thei be releesid of synnes.