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

CAP. XII.

[verse 1] And Jonathas seeȝ for the tyme help|ith hym; and he cheese men, and sente hem to Rome, for to ordeyne and renule frenschip with hem. [verse 2] And to Sparciatis, and to other places [plas A.] , he sente epistlis vp the same fourme. [verse 3] And thei wenten to Rome, and entriden in [in to AGH.] the [Om. H.] courte, and saiden, Jonathas, heeȝest prest, and folc of Jewis, senten vs, for to renule frend|ship and felawship, after [vp H.] the former. [verse 4] And thei ȝauen to hem epistlis to hem by placis, that thei shulden leede hem forth in to the [Om. H.] lond of Juda with pees. [verse 5] And this is the ensaumple of epistlis, whiche Jonathas wrote to Sparciatis. [verse 6] Jonathas, the [Om. H.] heiȝist prest, and elder men of the folc, and prestis, and other peple of Jewis, to Sparciatis, bretheren, helthe. [verse 7] Nowe bifore the [Om. H.] epistlis weren sente to Onye, the heeiȝest prest, fro Da|rius, that regnide anentis ȝou; for ȝe ben oure bretheren as the rescrite, or writing, conteneth, that is vndirput. [verse 8] And Onye resceyuyde the man with honour, that

was sente, and toke the [Om. H.] epistels, in whom [whiche H.] was signified of felawship and frenship. [verse 9] Whan we hadden no need of these, hauynge in solace, or coumfort, holy bokis, that ben in oure hondis, [verse 10] hadden leuere for to sende to ȝou, for to renule bretherhed and frenship, lest per|auenture we ben maad aliens fro ȝou; forsothe many tymes passiden, sithen ȝe senten to vs. [verse 11] We therfore in al tyme with out ceesyng, in solempne days, and other, in whiche it byhoueth, ben mynde|ful of ȝou in sacrifices that we offren, and in obseruances, as leeful is, and bi|semeth, for to haue hadde mynde of bre|theren. [verse 12] And so we ben glad of ȝoure glorie. [verse 13] Forsothe many tribulaciouns en|uyrounden vs, and many bateils; and kyngis, that ben in oure cumpas, en|pugneden, or fouȝten, aȝeinus vs. [verse 14] And [Om. AGH.] therfore we woln not be greuous to ȝou, nether to other felawis, and oure frendis, in these bateilis. [verse 15] Sotheli [Forsothe and A.] we hadden help of heuen, and ben delyuerde, and oure enmyes ben maad lowe. [verse 16] And so we han chosen Numenium of Antiochi, and Antipatre, sone of Jasoun, and sente to Romayns, for to renule with hem and frenship and former felawship. [verse 17] And so we comaundiden to hem, that thei cum also [Om. H.] to ȝou, and grete ȝou, and ȝeelde to ȝou oure pistlis of renulyng of oure bre|therhed. [verse 18] And now ȝe shuln wel do, an|sweryng to vs of [to H.] these thingis. [verse 19] And this is the rescrite, or aȝein wrytyng, of the epistlis, that Onye, kyng of Spar|ciatis, sente. [verse 20] Onye to Jonathas, the grete prest, helthe. [verse 21] It is founden in wrytyng of Sparciatis, and Jewis, for thei ben bretheren, and for thei ben of the [Om. H.] kyn of Abraham. [verse 22] And nowe sithen we knewen these thingus, ȝe don wel, wrytynge to vs of oure pees. [verse 23] Bot and we aȝein writen to ȝou. Our beestis and

oure possessions ben ȝour, and ȝour oure. And so we comaundiden [comaunden H.] , for to telle these thingis to ȝou. [verse 24] And Jona|thas herde, for the [Om. H.] princis of Demetrie wenten out with miche oost, ouer that byfore, for to fiȝte aȝeinus hym. [verse 25] And he wente out fro Jerusalem, and ranne aȝeinus hem in the [Om. H.] cuntree of Amathi|tha; sotheli he ȝaue not space to hem, for to entre in to his cuntree. [verse 26] And he sente aspies in to the [Om. H.] tentus of hem, and thei turnyd aȝein tolden, for thei ordeynyden for to cum ouer [Om. G pr. m.] thidre in niȝt. [verse 27] Whanne the sunne had go doun, Jonathas baad his waake, and be redy in armeres to bateil al niȝt. And he sette [sente A.] keepers bi [verse 28] cumpas of the [Om. H.] tentis; and the [Om. H.] aduer|saries herden, for Jonathas is redy with his in bateil, and thei dredden, and in|wardly weren agast in her herte, and tenden fijrs in her tentis. [verse 29] Forsothe Jo|nathas, and thei that weren with hym, knewen not til morewe; forsothe thei sawen liȝtis brennynge. [verse 30] And Jonathas suede hem, and cauȝte hem not; forsothe thei passiden the flood Eleutherus. [verse 31] And Jonathas turnyde to Arabas, that weren clepid Sabadeis; and he [Om. H.] smote hem, and toke spuylis of hem. [verse 32] And he [Om. H.] ioynyde, and came to Damask, and walkide bi al that cuntree. [verse 33] Forsothe Symont wente out, and came til Asca|lon, and to the next strengthis; and he bowide doun in to Joppen, and occu|piede it. [verse 34] Forsothe he herde, that thei wolden ȝeue help to the parties of De|metrie; and he puttide there keepers, for to keepe it. [verse 35] And Jonathas turnyde aȝein, and clepide togidre the eldre men of the peple, and thouȝte with hem for to beelde [verse 36] strengthis in Judee, and for to beelde wallis in Jerusalem, and for to reyse a grete heiȝt, bitwix the mydil of the heeȝ rocke and the citee, for to departe it fro the citee, that it were aloon, and nether

thei [there A.] bye, ne selle. [verse 37] And thei camen to gidre, for to beelde the citee. And the wal felle togidre, that was on the streme of reyne, fro rysinge of the [Om. H.] sunne; and he repareilide it, that is clepid Caphe|teca. [verse 38] And Symont beeldide [beelde A.] Adiada in Sephela, and he [Om. H.] strengthide it, and put|tide on ȝatis and locks. [verse 39] And whanne Tryfon thouȝte for to regne at Asie, and take to a diademe, and strecche out hond [verse 40] in to kyng Antiochus, dredinge lest per|auenture Jonathas shulde not suffre hym, bot fiȝte aȝeinus hym, he souȝte for to cacche hym, and slea. And he rysyng vp wente in to Bethsan. [verse 41] And Jonathas wente out aȝeinus, with fourty thousand of chosen men in to bateil, and came to Bethsan. [verse 42] And Trifon seeȝ, for Jonathas came with a [Om. H.] myche oost, for to strecche out hondis in to hym. And he dredde, [verse 43] and resceyuede hym with honoure, and comendide him to alle his freendis; and ȝaue to hym ȝiftis, and comaundide to his oostis, for to obeye to hym as to hym self. [verse 44] And he saide to Jonathas, Wherto hast thou traueilide al the peple, whann bateil is not to vs? [verse 45] And nowe sende hem aȝein in to her housis. Sothely chese thou to thee a fewe men, that ben with thee, and cume with me to Ptholo|maida, and Y shal ȝeue it to thee, and other strengthis, and oost, and alle pre|postis, or souereyns, of neede; and Y con|uertid shal go awey. Sothely therfore Y came. [verse 46] And he byleeuyde to hym, and dide as he said, and lefte [he lefte H.] the oost; and thei wenten awey in to the [Om. H.] lond of Juda. [verse 47] Forsothe he withheelde with hym three thousand of men, of whom [whiche H.] he sente aȝein in to Galilee two thousand; sotheli a thousand camen with hym. [verse 48] Forsothe [Sotheli A.] as Jonathas entride [entride into G sec. m. H.] Ptholo|maida, men of Ptholomaida shitten the ȝatis, and cauȝten hym; and alle that entriden with hym [hym, loo! for he repentide to take possessioun H.] thei slewen with

swerd. [verse 49] And Trifon sente an oost and horsmen in to Galilee, and in to the greet feeld, for to leese alle the felawis of Jonathas. [verse 50] And thei, whan thei knewen for Jonathas is taken, and perishide, and alle that weren with hym, monestiden [amonestiden H.] hem self, and wenten out redy in to bateile. [verse 51] And thei seeynge, that pursu|eden, for for [Om. H.] soule [the soule G sec. m. H.] , or lijf, the thing is to hem, turnyden aȝein. [verse 52] Forsothe thei camen alle with pees in to the [Om. H.] lond of Juda. And thei weiliden Jonathas gretely, and alle that weren with hym, and Yrael mournyde with grete mournynge. [verse 53] And alle heithen men that weren in the [Om. H.] cum|pas of hem, souȝten for to breke hem to [verse 54] gidre; forsothe thei saiden, Thei han no prince and helpyng; now therfore ouer cumme we hem, and take awey of men the mynde of hem.