The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. IX.

[verse 1] In the mene tyme, where Demetrie herde that Nicanor felle [felde CHI et alii passim.] , and his oost, in batel, he puttide to eftsoone for to sende Bachides and Alchymus in to Ju|dee, and the riȝt half schiltrun [horn, ether [or EPY] sheltrun CEFGHIKMNPQSUXY. horn e text. that is, the strong sheltrun e marg.] with hem. [verse 2] And thei wenten the weie that ledith in to Galgala, and thei settiden tentis in Masoloth, that is in Arbellis; and thei ocupieden it, and slowen many persoones of men. [verse 3] In the firste monethe of the hundrid and two and fifti ȝeer, thei ap|plieden the oost to Jerusalem. [verse 4] And twenti thousynde of men, and twei thousynde of horse men, han risun, and wenten in to Berea. [verse 5] And Judas settide tentis in Laisa, and thre thousynde men chosun with hym. [verse 6] And thei siȝen the multitude of oost [the oost IKR.] , that thei ben manye, and thei dred|den greetli; and many withdrowen hem fro tentis, and there left not of hem no but eiȝte hundrid men. [verse 7] And Judas siȝ that his oost fleet [fledde CI. fleede E. fley F.] awei, and batel con|streynede hym, he [and he N.] was brokun togidere in herte, for he hadde not tyme to gadere hem, and he [Om. R.] was discoumfortid. [verse 8] And he seide to these that weren residue, Rise we, and go we to oure aduersaries, if we schulen mow fiȝte aȝens hem. [verse 9] And thei

turneden awei hym, and seiden, We schu|len not moun, but delyuere we oure [oure owen R.] lyues, and turne aȝen we to oure brithe|ren, and thanne we schulen fiȝte aȝens hem; forsothe we ben fewe. [verse 10] And Judas seide, Fer be it for to do this thing, that we fle fro hem; and if oure tyme hath neiȝed, die we in vertu for oure britheren, and ȝyue we not cryme to oure glorie. [verse 11] And the oost mouyde fro tentis, and thei stoden aȝens hem. And horse men weren departid in to twei partis, and slyngeris and archeris wenten bifore the oost, and the firste men of batel alle miȝti [the miȝti plures. thei myȝty S.] . [verse 12] For|sothe Bachides was in the riȝt schiltrun [horn R. horn, ether [or EPY] sheltrun C et ceteri.] . And the legioun of twei partis cam nyȝ, and crieden with trumpis. [verse 13] Forsothe and these that weren on [ouer R.] the part of Judas, crieden also, and the [Om. N.] erthe was mouyd togidere of the [Om. I.] vois of oostis, and batel was ioyned fro the morewtid [morewe C sec. m. et alii.] til to euen|tid. [verse 14] And Judas siȝ, that the part of Bachides oost was saddere in the riȝt half, and alle stidfast in herte camen to|gidere with hym. [verse 15] And the riȝt part was al to-brokun of hem; and he pursuede hem `til to [vnto I.] the hil of Asotus. [verse 16] And thei that weren in the left scheltrun [horn CR. horn, or [ether plures] sheltrun EFGHIMNPQSUXYe.] , siȝen, that the riȝt scheltrun [horn ceteri.] was al to-brokun, and thei sueden at the bac aftir Judas, and hem that weren with hym. [verse 17] And the batel was maad greuouse, and there fellen many woundid of these and of hem. [verse 18] And Judas felle, and the othere [tothir R.] fledden. [verse 19] And Jonathas and Symount token her brother Judas, and birieden hym in sepulcre [the sepulcre IX sec. m.] of his fadris, in the citee of [Om. CEFHIKMQRSU.] Modyn. [verse 20] And al Israel biwepten him with greet weil|yng, [verse 21] and mourneden many [bi many N.] daies, and seiden, Hou felle the myȝti, that made Israel saaf. [verse 22] And othere wordis of batels of Judas, and of vertues that he dide, and of his [Om. R.] greetnessis, ben not writun; for tho weren ful many. [verse 23] And it was don, after

the deth of Judas, alle wickid men in alle coostis [the coostis I.] of Israel risiden [risen C sec. m. F. resin EPY.] out, and alle that wrouȝten wickidnesse camen forth. [verse 24] In tho daies ful greet hungur was maad, and al the cuntrey of hem bitook hem silf to Bachides with hem. [verse 25] And Bachides chees vnpitouse men, and ordeynede hem lordis of the cuntrei. [verse 26] And thei axiden out, and souȝten [souȝten out R.] the frendis of Judas, and brouȝten hem to Bachides; and he vengide on hem, and scornede. [verse 27] And greet tribulacioun was maad in Israel, what maner was not fro the dai in which a profete was not seyn in Israel. [verse 28] And alle the frendis of Judas weren gaderid, and seiden to Jonatas, [verse 29] Sithen thi brother Judas is deed, ther is no man lijk hym, that schal go out aȝens enemyes, Bachides and hem that ben ene|myes of [aȝens R.] oure folc. [verse 30] Therfor now we chesen thee to dai for to be prince and duyk to vs for hym, for to fiȝte oure batel. [verse 31] And Jonatas resseyuede in that tyme the prinshod, and roos in the place of Judas, his brother. [verse 32] And Bachides knew, and souȝte for to sle him. [verse 33] And Jonatas knew, and Symount, his brother, and alle that weren with hym, and fledden in to desert of Thecue, and saten togidere at the wa|ter [lake R.] of the lake [watir R.] Asphar. [verse 34] And Bachides knew, and in the dai of sabatis he cam, and al his oost, ouer Jordan. [verse 35] And Jona|thas sente his brother ledere of that puple, and preiede Nabutheis, his frendis, that he schulde bitake to hem his apparel, that was plenteuouse. [verse 36] And sones of Jambri wenten out of Madaba, and cauȝten Joon, and alle thingis that he hadde, and wenten awei, hauynge tho thingis. [verse 37] After thes wordis it was teld aȝen to Jonathas, and Symount, his brother, that the sones of Jambri maken grete weddyngis, and wed|den a wijf of Madaba, the douȝter of oon of the grete princis of Canaan, with greet pride and apparel. [verse 38] And thei bithouȝten on the blood of Joon, her brother, and stieden vp, and hidden hem silf vndur

kyueryng of the hil. [verse 39] And thei reisiden her iȝen, and siȝen, and lo! noise, and greet apparel; and a hosebonde [spouse R. spouse, or husbonde C et ceteri.] cam forth, and hise frendis, and hise britheren, aȝens hem, with tympans, and musikis, and many armeris. [verse 40] And thei risiden [resin EPY. risen F.] to hem fro buyschementis, and slowen hem, and many woundid fellen doun, and the resi|dues fledden in to hil [the hil IKRX sec. m.] , and thei token alle [verse 41] the spuylis of hem; and weddyngis weren conuertid in to mourenyng, and vois of her musikis in to weilyng. [verse 42] And thei vengiden the veniaunce of her brotheris blood, and turnyden aȝen to the brynk of Jordan. [verse 43] And Bachides herde, and cam in the dai of sabatis til to the vtmeste part of Jordan, in greet strengthe [vertu R. vertu, or [ether plures] strengthe E et ceteri præter C.] . [verse 44] And Jonathas seide to hise, Rise we, and fiȝte aȝens oure enemyes; for it is not to dai as ȝistirdai and the thridde dai agoon. [verse 45] For lo! batel is euene aȝens; sotheli wa|tir [the watir I.] of Jordan is on this half and on that half, and ryuers, and mareis, and forestis, and ther is not [no R.] place of turnyng awei. [verse 46] Now therfor crie ȝe in to heuene, that ȝe be delyuerede fro hond of ȝoure enemyes. And batel was ioyned. [verse 47] And Jonathas strauȝt out his hond, for to smyte Ba|chides, and he turnede awei fro him bi|hynde. [verse 48] And Jonathas skipte doun, and thei that weren with hym, in to Jordan, and [Om. A.] swommen ouer Jordan to hem. [verse 49] And there fellen of Bachides part in that dai a thousande men, and thei [thei; that is, Bachides and his men. Lire here. ENPUYe.] turneden aȝen in to Jerusalem; and bildiden [thei bildiden ceteri.] strong [verse 50] citees in Judee, the strengthe that was in Jerico, and in Ammaum, and in Bethe|ron, and Bethel, and Thamathan, and Phara, and Copho, with hiȝe wallis, and ȝatis, and lockis. [verse 51] And he [Om. R.] settide kepyng in hem, that thei schulden haunte enemy|tees [verse 52] in Israel; and he strengthide the citee Bethsura, and Gazaram, and the hiȝ tour, and puttide in hem helpis and ap|parel of metis. [verse 53] And he took the sones of

princes of the cuntrei in ostage [pleggis C. ostage, or [ether plures] pleggis EFGHIKMNPQSUe.] , and put|tide hem in the hiȝ tour in Jerusalem, in kepyng. [verse 54] And in the hundrid ȝeer and thre and fifti, in the secounde monethe, Alchymus comaundide the wallis of the hooli ynnere hous for to be distried, and the werkis of profetis for to be distried, and he bigan for to distrie. [verse 55] In that tyme Alchymus was smytun, and the werkis of hym weren lettid. And his mouth was closid, and he was dissoluyd [maad feble C.] , `ether maad feble [Om. CR.] , bi palesie, nether he miȝte speke more a word, and comaunde [comaundide A pr. m.] of his hous. [verse 56] And Alchymus was deed in that tyme, with greet turment. [verse 57] And Bachides siȝ, that Alchymus was deed, and he turnede aȝen to the kyng, and the lond was stille twei ȝeeris [ȝeer I.] . [verse 58] And alle wickid men thouȝten, seiynge, Lo! Jonathas, and thei that ben with hym, dwellen in silence, and tristen; now therfor brynge we Bachides, and he schal take hem alle in o niȝt. [verse 59] And thei wenten forth, and ȝauen councel to hym. [verse 60] And he roos, for to come with myche [a myche I.] oost. And he sente epistlis priuyli to his felowis, that weren in Judee, that thei schulden catche Jonathas, and hem that weren with hym; but thei miȝten not, for her councel was knowun to hem. [verse 61] And Jonathas cauȝte of men of the cuntre, that weren princis of knytȝhod, fifti men, and slow hem. [verse 62] And Jonathas and Symount wenten, and thei that weren with hym, in to Bethbesse, `that is in desert [Om. R.] , and bildiden the distried thingis therof, and maden it strong. [verse 63] And Bachides knew, and gaderide al his multitude, and de|nounside to hem that weren of Judee. [verse 64] And he cam, and settide tentis aboue Bethbesse, and fauȝte aȝens it many daies, and made engynes. [verse 65] And Jonathas lefte Symount, his brother, in the citee, and wente oute in to cuntre [the cuntre FIKR.] , and cam with [verse 66] noumbre; and smoot Odaren, and hise britheren, and sones of Faseron, in the

tabernaclis of hem, and bigan for to smyte, and wexe in vertues. [verse 67] Symount sotheli, and thei that weren with hym, wenten out of the citee, and brenten en|gynes. [verse 68] And thei fouȝten aȝens Bachides, and he was al to-brokun of hem; and thei turmentiden hym gretli, for his councel and his assailyng was voide. [verse 69] And he was wrooth aȝens wickid men, that ȝauen councel to hym for to come in to her cuntre, and slow many of hem; forsothe he thouȝte with othere for to go in to his cuntre. [verse 70] And Jonathas knew, and sente legatis to hym, for to make pees with hym, and to ȝelde to him prisoneris [caitifte R. caitifte, that is, prisoneris C et ceteri.] . [verse 71] And wilfuli he took, and dide bi his wordis, and swoor that he schulde not do to him ony yuel in alle daies [the daies I.] of his lijf. [verse 72] And he ȝeldide to him caitifte [the caitifte R.] , which he took [took to him R.] bi prey bifore [Om. N.] of the lond of [Om. N.] Juda. And he turnede, and wente in to his lond, and puttide no more for to come in to his coostis. [verse 73] And swerd ceesside fro Israel. And Jonatas dwellide in Machynas, and there Jonathas bigan for to deme the puple, and he [Om. R.] distriede the vnfeithful men of Israel.