1 But Judas Machabeus and they that were with him, went in secretly into the towns: and calling together their kinsmen and taking unto them those that continued in Judaism, they brought out to them six thousand men.
1 But Judas Machabeus, and they that were with him, went privately into the towns: and calling together their kinsmen and friends, and taking unto them such as continued in the Jews’ religion, they assembled six thousand men.
2 And they invocated our Lord, that he would have respect unto his people that was trodden of all, and would have mercy on the temple, that was contaminated of the impious:
2 And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon his people that was trodden down by all and would have pity on the temple, that was defiled by the wicked:
3 he would have pity also upon the destruction of the city, which was forthwith to be made flat with the ground, and would hear the voice of the blood crying to him:
3 That he would have pity also upon the city that was destroyed, that was ready to be made even with the ground, and would hear the voice of the blood that cried to him:
4 he would remember also the most unjust deaths of innocent children, & the blasphemies done to his name, and would take indignation for them.
4 That he would remember also the most unjust deaths of innocent children, and the blasphemies offered to his name, and would show his indignation on this occasion.
5 But Machabeus having gathered a multitude, became intolerable to the heathen: for the wrath of our Lord was turned into mercy.
5 Now when Machabeus had gathered a multitude, he could not be withstood by the heathens: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.
6 And coming upon the castles and cities unlooked for, he burnt them: and taking commodious places, he made not few slaughters of the enemies:
6 So coming unawares upon the towns and cities, he set them on fire, and taking possession of the most commodious places, he made no small slaughter of the enemies:
7 and especially in the nights he was carried to such excursions, and the fame of his manliness was spread abroad every-where.
7 And especially in the nights he went upon these expeditions, and the fame of his valor was spread abroad everywhere.
8 But Philip seeing the man to come forward by little & little, & that things for the more part succeeded with him prosperously, wrote to Ptolomee the governor of Coelesyria & Phoenicia, to give aid to the king's affairs.
8 Then Philip seeing that the man gained ground by little and little, and that things for the most part succeeded prosperously with him, wrote to Ptolemee, the governor of Celesyria and Phenicia, to send aid to the king’s affairs.
9 And he with speed sent Nicanor the son of Patroclus, of the principals of his friends, giving him of the nations mingled together, no less than twenty thousand armed men, to destroy utterly all the stock of the Jews, adjoining also unto him Gorgias a man of war, and in martial affairs of very great experience.
9 And he with all speed sent Nicanor, the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends, giving him no fewer than twenty thousand armed men of different nations, to root out the whole race of the Jews, joining also with him Gorgias, a good soldier, and of great experience in matters of war.
10 And Nicanor appointed, that he would supply unto the king the tribute that was to be given to the Romans, two thousand talents out of the captivity of the Jews:
10 And Nicanor purposed to raise for the king the tribute of two thousand talents, that was to be given to the Romans, by making so much money of the captive Jews:
11 and forthwith he sent to the cities by the sea side, calling men together to the buying of the Jewish slaves, promising that he would sell ninety slaves for a talent, not looking to the vengeance, which was to follow him from the Almighty.
11 Wherefore he sent immediately to the cities upon the sea coast, to invite men together to buy up the Jewish slaves, promising that they should have ninety slaves for one talent, not reflecting on the vengeance which was to follow him from the Almighty.
12 But Judas when he understood it, shewed to those Jews that were with him, the coming of Nicanor.
12 Now when Judas found that Nicanor was coming, he imparted to the Jews that were with him, that the enemy was at hand.
13 Of whom certain fearing, and not crediting the justice of God, fled away:
13 And some of them being afraid, and distrusting the justice of God, fled away.
14 and others if they had any thing left sold it, & withal besought our Lord, that he would deliver them from the impious Nicanor who had sold them before he came near them:
14 Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord, that he would deliver them from the wicked Nicanor, who had sold them before he came near them:
15 and if not for them, yet for the testament that was with their fathers, & for the invocation of his holy & magnifical name upon them.
15 And if not for their sakes, yet for the covenant that he had made with their fathers, and for the sake of his holy and glorious name that was invoked upon them.
16 But Machabeus calling together seven thousand, that were with him, desired that they would not be reconciled to the enemies, nor fear the multitude of the enemies coming against them unjustly, but would fight manfully:
16 But Machabeus calling together seven thousand that were with him, exhorted them not to be reconciled to the enemies, nor to fear the multitude of the enemies who came wrongfully against them, but to fight manfully:
17 having before their eyes the contumely, that was unjustly done by them to the holy place, & moreover the injury also of the city being made a laughing stock, besides also the ordinances of the ancesters broken.
17 Setting before their eyes the injury they had unjustly done the holy place, and also the injury they had done to the city, which had been shamefully abused, besides their destroying the ordinances of the fathers.
18 For they indeed trust to their weapons, said he, and to their boldness also: but we trust in the Almighty Lord, who can utterly destroy both them coming against us, and the whole world with one beck.
18 For, said he, they trust in their weapons, and in their boldness: but we trust in the Almighty Lord, who at a beck can utterly destroy both them that come against us, and the whole world.
19 And he admonished them also of the aids of God, that were given to their fathers: & that under Sennacherib an hundred four score five thousand perished.
19 Moreover, he put them in mind also of the helps their fathers had received from God: ¹and how, under Sennacherib, a hundred and eighty-five thousand had been destroyed.
20 And of the battle, that they had against the Galatians in Babylonia, how all they, when it came to the point, the Macedonians their fellows staggering, being only six thousand slew an hundred twenty thousand, by reason of the aid given them from heaven, and for these things obtained very many benefits.
20 And of the battle that they had fought against the Galatians, in Babylonia; how they, being in all but six thousand, when it came to the point, and the Macedonians, their companions, were at a stand, slew a hundred and twenty thousand, because of the help they had from heaven, and for this they received many favors.
21 With these words they were made constant, & ready to die for the laws, and their country.
21 With these words they were greatly encouraged and disposed even to die for the laws and their country.
22 He appointed therefore his brethren captains over both orders, Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathas, under every one putting a thousand and five hundreth.
22 So he appointed his brethren captains over each division of his army, Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving to each one fifteen hundred men.
23 Beside this also the holy Book being read unto them by Esdras,
23 And after the holy book had been read to them by Esdras, and he had given them for a watchword, The help of God: himself leading the first band, he joined battle with Nicanor:
24 and a sign of God's help being given, in the forward the duke himself joined battle with Nicanor. And the Almighty being made their helper, they slew above nine thousand men: and the greater part of Nicanor's army being made weak with wounds, they forced to fly.
24 And the Almighty being their helper, they slew above nine thousand men: and having wounded and disabled the greater part of Nicanor’s army, they obliged them to fly.
25 And taking away their money that came to buy them, they pursued them on every hand,
25 And they took the money of them that came to buy them, and they pursued them on every side.
26 but they returned being taken short with the time: for it was the day before the Sabbath: for the which cause they continued not pursuing them.
26 But they came back for want of time: for it was the day before the sabbath: and therefore they did not continue the pursuit.
27 But gathering together the armour and spoils of them, they kept the Sabbath: blessing our Lord that delivered them this day, distilling the beginning of mercy upon them.
27 But when they had gathered together their arms and their spoils, they kept the sabbath: blessing the Lord who had delivered them that day, distilling the beginning of mercy upon them.
28 But after the Sabbath they divided the spoils to the feeble and to orphans, & to widows: and the rest themselves had with their fellows.
28 Then after the sabbath they divided the spoils to the feeble and the orphans, and the widows, and the rest they took for themselves and their servants.
29 These things therefore being done, and obsecration being made in common of all, they desired our merciful Lord, that he would be reconciled to his servants unto the end.
29 When this was done, and they had all made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord, to be reconciled to his servants unto the end.
30 And of them that were with Timothee and Bacchides fighting against them, they slew above twenty thousand, and won the high holds: and they divided many preys, making equal portion to the feeble, pupils, and widows, yea and to the elder men.
30 Moreover, they slew above twenty thousand of them that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who fought against them, and they made themselves masters of the high strong holds: and they divided amongst them many spoils, giving equal portions to the feeble, the fatherless, and the widows; yea, and the aged also.
31 And when they had diligently gathered together their armour, they laid all together in convenient places, and the residue of the spoils they carried to Jerusalem:
31 And when they had carefully gathered together their arms, they laid them all up in convenient places, and the residue of their spoils they carried to Jerusalem:
32 and Philarches that was with Timothee, they slew, a wicked man, which in many things had afflicted the Jews.
32 They slew also Philarches, who was with Timotheus, a wicked man, who had many ways afflicted the Jews.
33 And when they kept the feast of victory in Jerusalem, him that had burnt the holy gates, that is, Callisthenes, when he was fled into a certain house, they burnt, a worthy reward being repayed him for his impieties:
33 And when they kept the feast of the victory at Jerusalem, they burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire to the holy gates, who had taken refuge in a certain house, rendering to him a worthy reward for his impieties:
34 But the most impious Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to the sale of the Jews,
34 But as for that most wicked man, Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to the sale of the Jews,
35 being humbled through the help of our Lord by them, whom he esteemed nobody, laying aside his garment of glory, flying by the midland, came alone to Antioch, having gotten great infelicity by the destruction of his army.
35 Being, through the help of the Lord, brought down by them, of whom he had made no account, laying aside his garment of glory, fleeing through the midland country, he came alone to Antioch, being rendered very unhappy by the destruction of his army.
36 And he that had promised that he would render tribute to the Romans of the captivity of Jerusalem, now professed that the Jews had God their protector, and that for him they could not be wounded, because they followed the laws appointed by him.
36 And he that had promised to levy the tribute for the Romans, by the means of the captives of Jerusalem, now professed that the Jews had God for their protector, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws appointed by him.