1 Then Judas Maccabeus, and they that were with him, went privily into the towns, and called their kinsfolks together, and took unto them all such as continued in the Jews' religion, and assembled about six thousand men.

1 Judas vero Machabæus, et qui cum illo erant, introibant latenter in castella: et convocantes cognatos et amicos, et eos qui permanserunt in Judaismo assumentes, eduxerunt ad se sex millia virorum.

2 And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon the people that was trodden down of all; and also pity the temple profaned of ungodly men;

2 Et invocabant Dominum, ut respiceret in populum qui ab omnibus calcabatur, et misereretur templo quod contaminabatur ab impiis:

3 And that he would have compassion upon the city, sore defaced, and ready to be made even with the ground; and hear the blood that cried unto him,

3 misereretur etiam exterminio civitatis, quæ esset illico complananda, et vocem sanguinis ad se clamantis audiret:

4 And remember the wicked slaughter of harmless infants, and the blasphemies committed against his name; and that he would shew his hatred against the wicked.

4 memoraretur quoque iniquissimas mortes parvulorum innocentum, et blasphemias nomini suo illatas, et indignaretur super his.

5 Now when Maccabeus had his company about him, he could not be withstood by the heathen: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.

5 At Machabæus, congregata multitudine, intolerabilis gentibus efficiebatur: ira enim Domini in misericordiam conversa est.

6 Therefore he came at unawares, and burnt up towns and cities, and got into his hands the most commodious places, and overcame and put to flight no small number of his enemies.

6 Et superveniens castellis et civitatibus improvisus, succendebat eas: et opportuna loca occupans, non paucas hostium strages dabat:

7 But specially took he advantage of the night for such privy attempts, insomuch that the bruit of his manliness was spread every where.

7 maxime autem noctibus ad hujuscemodi excursus ferebatur, et fama virtutis ejus ubique diffundebatur.

8 So when Philip saw that this man increased by little and little, and that things prospered with him still more and more, he wrote unto Ptolemeus, the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, to yield more aid to the king's affairs.

8 Videns autem Philippus paulatim virum ad profectum venire, ac frequentius res ei cedere prospere, ad Ptolemæum ducem Cœlesyriæ et Phœnicis scripsit ut auxilium ferret regis negotiis.

9 Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends, he sent him with no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations under him, to root out the whole generation of the Jews; and with him he joined also Gorgias a captain, who in matters of war had great experience.

9 ¶ At ille velociter misit Nicanorem Patrocli de primoribus amicum, datis ei de permistis gentibus, armatis non minus viginti millibus, ut universum Judæorum genus deleret, adjuncto ei Gorgia viro militari, et in bellicis rebus experientissimo.

10 So Nicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive Jews, as should defray the tribute of two thousand talents, which the king was to pay to the Romans.

10 Constituit autem Nicanor, ut regi tributum, quod Romanis erat dandum, duo millia talentorum de captivitate Judæorum suppleret:

11 Wherefore immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast, proclaiming a sale of the captive Jews, and promising that they should have fourscore and ten bodies for one talent, not expecting the vengeance that was to follow upon him from the Almighty God.

11 statimque ad maritimas civitates misit, convocans ad coëmptionem Judaicorum mancipiorum, promittens se nonaginta mancipia talento distracturum, non respiciens ad vindictam quæ eum ab Omnipotente esset consecutura.

12 Now when word was brought unto Judas of Nicanor's coming, and he had imparted unto those that were with him that the army was at hand,

12 Judas autem ubi comperit, indicavit his qui secum erant Judæis Nicanoris adventum.

13 They that were fearful, and distrusted the justice of God, fled, and conveyed themselves away.

13 Ex quibus quidam formidantes, et non credentes Dei justitiæ, in fugam vertebantur:

14 Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord to deliver them, being sold by the wicked Nicanor before they met together:

14 alii vero si quid eis supererat vendebant, simulque Dominum deprecabantur ut eriperet eos ab impio Nicanore, qui eos priusquam cominus veniret, vendiderat:

15 And if not for their own sakes, yet for the covenants he had made with their fathers, and for his holy and glorious name's sake, by which they were called.

15 etsi non propter eos, propter testamentum tamen quod erat ad patres eorum, et propter invocationem sancti et magnifici nominis ejus super ipsos.

16 So Maccabeus called his men together unto the number of six thousand, and exhorted them not to be stricken with terror of the enemy, nor to fear the great multitude of the heathen, who came wrongfully against them; but to fight manfully,

16 ¶ Convocatis autem Machabæus septem millibus qui cum ipso erant, rogabat ne hostibus reconciliarentur, neque metuerent inique venientium adversum se hostium multitudinem: sed fortiter contenderent,

17 And to set before their eyes the injury that they had unjustly done to the holy place, and the cruel handling of the city, whereof they made a mockery, and also the taking away of the government of their forefathers:

17 ante oculos habentes contumeliam quæ loco sancto ab his injuste esset illata, itemque et ludibrio habitæ civitatis injuriam, adhuc etiam veterum instituta convulsa.

18 For they, said he, trust in their weapons and boldness; but our confidence is in the Almighty God, who at a beck can cast down both them that come against us, and also all the world.

18 Nam illi quidem armis confidunt, ait, simul et audacia: nos autem in omnipotente Domino, qui potest et venientes adversum nos, et universum mundum, uno nutu delere, confidimus.

19 Moreover he recounted unto them what helps their forefathers had found, and how they were delivered, when under Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand perished.

19 Admonuit autem eos et de auxiliis Dei, quæ facta sunt erga parentes: et quod sub Sennacherib centum octoginta quinque millia perierunt:

20 And he told them of the battle that they had in Babylon with the Galatians, how they came but eight thousand in all to the business, with four thousand Macedonians, and that the Macedonians being perplexed, the eight thousand destroyed an hundred and twenty thousand because of the help that they had from heaven, and so received a great booty.

20 et de prælio quod eis adversus Galatas fuit in Babylonia, ut omnes, ubi ad rem ventum est, Macedonibus sociis hæsitantibus, ipsi sex millia soli peremerunt centum viginti millia, propter auxilium illis datum de cælo, et beneficia pro his plurima consecuti sunt.

21 Thus when he had made them bold with these words, and ready to die for the laws and the country, he divided his army into four parts;

21 His verbis constantes effecti sunt, et pro legibus et patria mori parati.

22 And joined with himself his own brethren, leaders of each band, to wit, Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving each one fifteen hundred men.

22 Constituit itaque fratres suos duces utrique ordini, Simonem, et Josephum, et Jonathan, subjectis unicuique millenis et quingentenis.

23 Also he appointed Eleazar to read the holy book: and when he had given them this watchword, The help of God; himself leading the first band, he joined battle with Nicanor.

23 Ad hoc etiam ab Esdra lecto illis sancto libro, et dato signo adjutorii Dei, in prima acie ipse dux commisit cum Nicanore.

24 And by the help of the Almighty they slew above nine thousand of their enemies, and wounded and maimed the most part of Nicanor's host, and so put all to flight;

24 Et facto sibi adjutore Omnipotente, interfecerunt super novem millia hominum: majorem autem partem exercitus Nicanoris vulneribus debilem factam fugere compulerunt.

25 And took their money that came to buy them, and pursued them far: but lacking time they returned:

25 Pecuniis vero eorum, qui ad emptionem ipsorum venerant, sublatis, ipsos usquequaque persecuti sunt:

26 For it was the day before the sabbath, and therefore they would no longer pursue them.

26 sed reversi sunt hora conclusi, nam erat ante sabbatum: quam ob causam non perseveraverunt insequentes.

27 So when they had gathered their armour together, and spoiled their enemies, they occupied themselves about the sabbath, yielding exceeding praise and thanks to the Lord, who had preserved them unto that day, which was the beginning of mercy distilling upon them.

27 Arma autem ipsorum, et spolia congregantes, sabbatum agebant, benedicentes Dominum, qui liberavit eos in isto die, misericordiæ initium stillans in eos.

28 And after the sabbath, when they had given part of the spoils to the maimed, and the widows, and orphans, the residue they divided among themselves and their servants.

28 Post sabbatum vero debilibus, et orphanis, et viduis diviserunt spolia: et residua ipsi cum suis habuere.

29 When this was done, and they had made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord to be reconciled with his servants for ever.

29 His itaque gestis, et communiter ab omnibus facta obsecratione, misericordem Dominum postulabant ut in finem servis suis reconciliaretur.

30 Moreover of those that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who fought against them, they slew above twenty thousand, and very easily got high and strong holds, and divided among themselves many spoils more, and made the maimed, orphans, widows, yea, and the aged also, equal in spoils with themselves.

30 Et ex his qui cum Timotheo et Bacchide erant contra se contendentes, super viginti millia interfecerunt, et munitiones excelsas obtinuerunt: et plures prædas diviserunt, æquam portionem debilibus, pupillis, et viduis, sed et senioribus facientes.

31 And when they had gathered their armour together, they laid them up all carefully in convenient places, and the remnant of the spoils they brought to Jerusalem.

31 Et cum arma eorum diligenter collegissent, omnia composuerunt in locis opportunis: residua vero spolia Jerosolymam detulerunt:

32 They slew also Philarches, that wicked person, who was with Timotheus, and had annoyed the Jews many ways.

32 et Philarchen, qui cum Timotheo erat, interfecerunt, virum scelestum, qui in multis Judæos afflixerat.

33 Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the victory in their country they burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire upon the holy gates, who had fled into a little house; and so he received a reward meet for his wickedness.

33 Et cum epinicia agerent Jerosolymis, eum qui sacras januas incenderat, id est, Callisthenem, cum in quoddam domicilium refugisset, incenderunt, digna ei mercede pro impietatibus suis reddita.

34 As for that most ungracious Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to buy the Jews,

34 Facinorosissimus autem Nicanor, qui mille negotiantes ad Judæorum venditionem adduxerat,

35 He was through the help of the Lord brought down by them, of whom he made least account; and putting off his glorious apparel, and discharging his company, he came like a fugitive servant through the midland unto Antioch, having very great dishonour, for that his host was destroyed.

35 humiliatus auxilio Domini ab his quos nullos existimaverat, deposita veste gloriæ, per mediterranea fugiens, solus venit Antiochiam, summam infelicitatem de interitu sui exercitus consecutus.

36 Thus he, that took upon him to make good to the Romans their tribute by means of the captives in Jerusalem, told abroad, that the Jews had God to fight for them, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws that he gave them.

36 Et qui promiserat Romanis se tributum restituere de captivitate Jerosolymorum, prædicabat nunc protectorem Deum habere Judæos, et ob ipsum invulnerabiles esse, eo quod sequerentur leges ab ipso constitutas.