Content

CAP 15
1 Forsothe as Nycanor foond that Judas was in the place of Samarie, he thouyte for to ioyne batel in the dai of sabat with al fersnesse.
2 Forsothe whanne Jewis, that sueden hym bi nede, seiden, Do thou not so fersli and hethenli, but yyue thou onour to the dai of halewyng, and worschipe thou hym, that biholdith alle thingis.
3 And he vnblesside, axide, If ther is a myyti in heuene, that comaundide the dai of sabatis for to be don?
4 And whanne thei answeriden, Ther is a quyk Lord, and he is myyti in heuene, that comaundide the seuenthe dai for to be don.
5 And he seide, And Y am myyti on erthe, which comaunde armeris for to be takun, and nedis of the kyng for to be fillid. Netheles he gat not, for to perfourme counsel.
6 And sotheli Nycanor was enhaunsid with souereyn pride, and thouyte for to ordeyne a comyn victorie of Judas.
7 Forsothe Judas Machabeus tristide euere more with al hope, that help schulde come to hym of the Lord,
8 and he monestide hise, that thei schulden not inwardli drede at the comyng to of naciouns, but schulden haue in mynde the helpis don to hem of heuene, and now schulden hope that the victorie schulde come to hem of Almiyti.
9 And he spak to hem of the lawe, and profetis, and monestide, `ether warnyde, of batels which thei diden bifore, and ordeynede hem rediere.
10 And so whanne the soulis of hem weren reisid, he schewide to gidere the falsnesse of hethene men, and brekyng of othis.
11 Forsothe he armede ech of hem, not bi strengthing of scheld and schaft, but with beste wordis and monestyngis, and expownede a sweuene worthi of bileue, bi which he gladide alle.
12 Sotheli the visioun was sich. Judas siy Onyas, that was hiyeste prest, a good man and benygne, schamefast in siyt, and mylde in maneres, and fair in speche, and which was exercisid in vertues fro a child, holdynge forth the hondis for to preie for al the puple of Jewis.
13 After this thing that also anothir man apperide, wondurful in age and glorie, and in hauynge of greet fairnesse aboute hym.
14 Forsothe he siy Onyas answerynge for to haue seid, This is the louyere of britheren, and of the puple of Israel; this is he, that myche preieth for the puple, and al the hooli citee, Jeremye, `the profet of God.
15 Forsothe he siy that Jeremye hath streyt forth the riythond, and hath youun a goldun swerd to Judas, and seide,
16 Take thou the hooli swerd, a yift of God, in which thou schalt caste doun the aduersaries of my puple Israel.
17 Therfor thei weren monestid with ful good wordis of Judas, of whiche fersnesse miyte be enhaunsid, and soules of yonge men be coumfortid, and thei ordeyneden for to fiyte, and turmente togidere strongli, that vertu schulde deme of nedis, `ether causis, for that the hooli citee and temple weren in perel.
18 For whi for wyues, and sones, and also for britheren, and cosyns, was lesse bisynesse, but the moste and firste drede was holynesse of the temple.
19 But not leste bisynesse hadde hem that weren in citee, for these that schulden asaile, `ether fiyte togidere.
20 And whanne now alle men hopiden dom to be, and enemyes come, and the oost was ordeined, beestis and horse men put togidere in couenable place,
21 Machabeus bihelde the comyng of multitude, and dyuerse apparel of armeris, and fersnesse of beestis, and he stretchide out the hondis to heuene, and clepide to help the Lord doynge greet wondris, which not bi power of armeris, but as it plesith to hym, yyueth victorie to worthi men.
22 Forsothe he seide, clepynge to help in this maner, Thou Lord, that sentist thin aungel vndur Ezechie, kyng of Juda, and hast slayn of the tentis, `ether oostis, of Sennacherib, an hundrid thousynde foure score and fyue thousynde; and now,
23 lordschipere of heuenes, sende thou thi good aungel bifore vs, in drede and tremblynge of greetnesse of thin arm, that thei drede,
24 that comen with blasfemye ayens thin hooli puple. And sotheli thus he perfitli preiede.
25 Forsothe Nycanor, and thei that weren with hym, moueden to with trumpis and songis.
26 Judas forsothe, and thei that weren with hym, clepiden God to help bi preieris, and wenten togidere.
27 Sotheli thei fiytynge with hond, but preiynge God in hertis, castiden doun fyue and thretti thousynde, not lesse, and delitiden greetli bi presence of God.
28 And whanne thei hadden ceessid, and with ioye turneden ayen, thei knewen that Nycanor hadde falle, with his armeris.
29 Therfor whanne cry was maad, and perturbacioun styride, bi cuntre vois thei blessiden the Lord almyyti.
30 Forsothe Judas, that bi alle thingis in bodi and soule was redi for to die for citeseyns, bad, that the heed of Nycanor, and hond with the schuldre gird of, schulde be brouyt forth to Jerusalem.
31 Whidur whanne he fulli cam, whanne men of his lynage weren clepid togidere, and prestis to the auter, he clepide also hem that weren in the hiy tour.
32 And whanne the heed of Nycanor was schewid, and the cursid hond, which he holdynge forth ayens the hooli hous of almyyti God greetli gloriede,
33 also he comaundide the tunge of vnpitouse Nycanor kit of, for to be youun to briddis gobet mel; forsothe he comaundide the hond of the wood man for to be hangid vp ayens the temple.
34 Therfor alle blessiden the Lord of heuene, and seiden, Blessid be the Lord, that kepte his place vndefoulid.
35 Forsothe he hangide vp Nycanoris heed in the hiyeste tour, that it were knowun, and an opyn signe of the help of God.
36 Therfor alle men by comyn counsel demyden in no maner for to passe this dai with out solempnytee,
37 but for to haue solempnyte in the threttenthe dai of the moneth Adar, that is seid, bi vois of Sirie, the firste dai of Mardocheus.
38 Therfor whanne these thingis weren don ayens Nicanor, and of tho tymes whanne the citee was weldid of Ebrews, also Y in these thingis schal make an ende of word.
39 And sotheli if wel and as it acordith to the stori, this thing and Y wolc; if ellis lesse worthili, it is to foryyue to me.
40 Sotheli as for to drynke euere more wyn, ether euere more watir, it is contrarie, but for to vse chaungeable, `ether `now oon, now another, is delitable; so to men redynge, if the word be euer more souyt to ech part, it schal not be plesynge; therfor here it schal be endid.