Content

CAP 8
1 Forsothe Judas Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, entriden priueli in to castels; and clepiden togidere cosyns, and frendis, and token hem that dwelten in Judee, ether in kepyng of the lawe of Jewis, and ledden out men to sixe thousyndis.
2 And thei clepiden the Lord to help, for to biholde on the puple, that was defoulid of alle men; for to haue merci on the temple, that was defoulid of vnpitouse men;
3 and for to haue merci on distriyng of the citee, that was anoon to be maad pleyn togidere; and for to here the vois of blood criynge to hym,
4 and for to haue mynde on the wikidiste dethis of litle children innocentis, and of blasfemyes youun to his name; and for to haue indignacioun on these thingis.
5 And Machabeus, with the multitude gaderid, was maad vnsuffrable to hethene men; for the wraththe of the Lord was conuertid in to merci.
6 And he aboue cam to castels and citees, vnwarned, and brente hem; and ocupiede couenable places, and yaf not fewe sleyngis of enemyes.
7 Sotheli in niytis he was most borun to seche out rennyngis; and fame of his vertu was sched out euery where.
8 Forsothe Filip siy, that the man bi litil and litil cam to encrees, and that ful ofte thingis bifalliden to hym `in prosperite; and he wroot to Tolome, duyk of Celessirie and of Fenice, that he schulde bere help to the kyngis nedis.
9 And he swiftli sente Nycanor of Patrode, of the formere frendis, and yaf `to hym not lesse than twenti thousyndis of armed folkis meynt togidere, for to do awei al the kyn of Jewis; and ordeynede to hym Gorgie, a knyytli man, and most expert in thingis of batel.
10 Forsothe Nycanor bihiyte stidfastly to the kyng, that he schulde fille the tribut that was to be youun to Romayns, two thousyndis of talentis, of the caitifte of Jewis.
11 And anoon he sente to citees of the see coost, and clepide togidere to euenbiyng of prisoneris, ether of boonde men, of Jewis; and bihiyte, that he schal sille nynti boonde men for a talent, not biholdynge to the veniaunce that schulde sue hym of Almiyti.
12 Forsothe whanne Judas foond, he schewide to these Jewis that weren with hym, the comyng of Nycanor.
13 Of which summe inwardli dredden, and bileuyden not to the riytwisnesse of God, and weren turned in to fliyt;
14 othere sotheli, if ony leften of hem, camen, and togidere bisouyten the Lord, for to delyuere hem fro wyckid Nycanor, which hadde seld hem bifore that he cam niy;
15 and thouy not for hem, for the testament that was to the fadris of hem, and for clepyng to help of his hooli name and greet on hem.
16 Forsothe Machabeus clepide togidere seuene thousyndis that weren with hym, and preiede, that thei schulden not be recounselid to enemyes, nether schulden drede the multitude of enemyes wickidli comynge ayens hem, but strongli schulden fiyte;
17 hauynge bifore the iyen the dispit that was don in the hooli place vniustli of hem, and also the wrong of the citee, had in scornyng; yit also the ordenaunces of elde men distried.
18 For whi he seide, Thei sotheli tristen in armeris togidere and hardynesse; forsothe we tristen in the Lord almyyti, that may do awei with o lokyng bothe hem that comen ayens vs, and al the world.
19 Forsothe he monestide hem also of helpis of God, that weren don ayens fadris; and that vndur Senacherib an hundrid thousynde foure score thousynde and fyue thousindes perischiden;
20 and of the batel that was to hem ayens Galatas, in Babiloyne; `whether if it come to the thing, `ethir treuthe, whanne alle felowis Macedoyns doutiden, thei sixe thousandis aloone slowen an hundrid thousynde and twenti thousyndis, for help youun to hem fro heuene; and for these thingis thei hadden ful many benefices.
21 Bi thes wordis thei weren maad stidfast, and redi for to die for lawis and cuntre.
22 Therfor he ordeynede his britheren lederis to ech ordre, Symount, and Josofus, and Jonathas, `and made suget to ech a thousynde and fyue hundrid.
23 Also to this thing, whanne the hooli book was red to hem of Esra, and a tokene was youun of Goddis help, he was duyk in the firste scheltrun, and ioynede batel with Nycanor.
24 And for the Almyyty was maad helpere to hem, thei slowen ouer nyne thousynde of men; forsothe thei constreyneden the more part of Nycanoris oost, maad feble bi woundis, for to fle.
25 Forsothe whanne the richessis of hem that camen to the biyng of hem weren takun vp, on ech side thei pursueden hem;
26 but thei turneden ayen closid togidere bi an our; for whi it was bifor sabat, for which cause thei lastiden not pursuynge.
27 Forsothe thei gaderiden the armeris of hem, and spuylis, and diden sabat, and blessiden the Lord, that delyuerede hem in this dai, droppynge in to hem bigynnyng of merci.
28 Forsothe after the sabat thei departiden spuylis to the feble folkis, and fadirles, and modirles, and widewis; and thei with hern hadden the residues.
29 Whanne these thingis weren thus don, and comynli of alle men bysechyng was maad, thei axiden the merciful Lord, for to be recounselid in to the ende to hise seruauntis.
30 And of these that weren with Tymothe and Bachides, stryuynge ayens hem silf, thei slowen ouer twenti thousyndis, and thei weldiden hiye strengthis; and thei departiden mo preies, and maden euene porcioun to feble folc, fadirles, and modirles, and widewis, but and to eldere men.
31 And whanne thei hadden gaderid the armeris of hem, diligentli thei `puttiden togidere alle thingis in couenable places; forsothe thei baren to Jerusalem the residue spuylis.
32 And thei slowen Filarces, that was with Tymothe, a man ful of grete trespassis, that hadde turmentide Jewis in many thingis.
33 And whanne feestis of victorie weren don in Jerusalem, thei brenten hem that hadden brent hooli yatis, that is to seie, Calastenes, whanne he hadde flowun in to an hous; for whi worthi meede was yoldun to hem for her vnpitousnessis.
34 Forsothe the wickidist Nycanor, that brouyte a thousynde marchauntis to the sillyng of Jewis,
35 was mekid bi help of the Lord, of hem which he gesside noon; and whanne he hadde put awei the cloth of glorie, he fledde aloon bi priuy places, and cam to Antiochie, and hadde hiyeste wretchidnesse of the deth of his oost.
36 And he that bihiyte hym for to restore tribute to Romayns, of the caitifte of men of Jerusalem, prechide now that Jewis hadde o defendere God, and for hym thei weren vnable for to be woundid, for thei sueden lawis ordeyned of hym.