Content

CAP 5
1 In the same tyme Antiok made redi the secounde goyng in to Egipt.
2 Forsothe it bifelle, that bi ech citee of men of Jerusalem, weren seyn bi fourti daies horse men rennynge aboute the eir, hauynge goldun stoolis, and schaftis, as cumpenyes of knyytis armyd;
3 and coursis of horsis wiseli set bi ordris, and asailyngis for to be maad niy, and mouyngis of scheldis, and multitude of helmyd men, with streyned swerdis, and castyngis of dartis, and schynyng of goldun armeris, and of al kynde of haburiouns.
4 Wherfor alle men preieden, that the monstris, `ether wondris, tokene of thingis to comynge, be conuertid in to good.
5 But whanne fals tithing wente out, as if Antiok hadde goon out of lijf, Jason sudenli assaylide the citee, with men takun not lesse than a thousynde; and whanne citeseyns fledden to the wal togidere, and at the laste the citee was takun, Menelaus fledde to the hiy tour.
6 Forsothe Jason sparide not in sleynge his citeseyns, nether he thouyte prosperite ayens cosyns; and he demyde it for to be moost yuel, that he schulde take victories of enemyes, and not of citeseyns.
7 And sotheli he weldide not prinshod, but took confusioun ende of his disseitis; and he flei eft, and wente in to Ammanythen.
8 And at the last in to vndoyng of him, he was closid togidere of Areta, tiraunt of Arabeis, and fley fro citee in to citee, and was odious to alle men, as apostata, `ether forsakere of lawis, and abhomynable, as enemye of cuntre and citeseyns, and was cast out in to Egipt.
9 And he that hadde put out many of her cuntre, perischide in pilgrimage, and yede to Lacedomonas, as for cosynage to haue there refut.
10 And he that castide awei many vnbiried, is cast out bothe vnweilid and vnbiried, and nether vsith straunge sepulture, nether takith part of fadris sepulcre.
11 And whanne these thingis weren don so, the kyng supposide, that Jewis schulden forsake felouschip; and for this he yede out of Egipt with woode soulis, and took the citee sotheli with armeris.
12 Forsothe he comaundide to the knyytis, for to sle, nether spare to men rennynge ayens, and to stie vp bi housis, and strangle.
13 Therfor ther weren maad sleyngis of yonge and eldere, distriyngis of wymmen and children, and dethis of maidens and litle children.
14 Forsothe in alle thre daies foure score thousynde weren slayn, fourti thousynde boundun, forsothe not lesse seld; but nether these thingis sufficen.
15 Also he was hardi for to entre in to the temple holiere than al the lond, bi Menelaus ledere, that was traitour of lawis and cuntre.
16 And he touchide vnworthily, and defoulide, takynge in cursid hondis the hooli vessels, that weren put of othere kyngis and citees, to ournyng and glorie of the place.
17 Antiok was so alienyd fro mynde, and bihelde not, that, for synnes of men enhabitynge, the Lord was wroth a litil to the citee; for which thing also dispisyng bifelle aboute the place.
18 Ellis if it had not bifeld hem for to be wlappid in many synnes, as Eliodore, that was sent fro kyng Seleucus for to robbe the treserie, also this anoon comynge schulde be betun, and forsothe put a bak fro hardynesse.
19 But the Lord chees not the folc for the place, but place for the folk.
20 And therfor also thilke place was maad parcener of yuelis of the puple; aftirward forsothe it schal be maad felowe also of goodis, and it, that is forsakun in wraththe of almyyti God, eftsoone in recounselyng of the greet Lord schal be enhaunsid with greet glorie.
21 Therfor Antiok, whanne he hadde takun awei a thousynde and eiyte hundrid talentis of the temple, swiftli turnede ayen to Antiochie, and demyde hym for pride to lede the lond for to seile, the see forsothe for to make iournei, for pride of soule.
22 Forsothe he lefte also souereyns, to turmente the folc, in Jerusalem sotheli Filip, of the kyn of Frigeus, cruelere than hym silf in maneris, of whom he was ordeyned;
23 forsothe in Garisym, Andronik and Menelaus, whiche more greuousli than othere laien on citeseyns.
24 And whanne he was set ayens Jewis, he sente an odious prince, Appollonye, with an oost two and twenti thousyndis, and comaundide to hym for to sle al of perfit age, for to sille wymmen and yonge children.
25 Whiche whanne he cam to Jerusalem, feynede pees, and restide til to the holi dai of sabat. And thanne while Jewis helden halidai, he comaundide his men for to take armeris,
26 and stranglide alle that camen forth togidere to the biholdyng; and he ran aboute the citee with armed men, and slowe a greet multitude.
27 Forsothe Judas Machabeus, that was the tenthe, wente in to desert place, and there ledde lijf with his men, among wielde beestis in hillis; and dwelten etynge mete of hey, lest thei weren parceneres of defoulyng.