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

CAP. II.

[verse 1] In tho days Mathatias roose, the sone of Joon, sone of Symeon, he `a prest [Om. K sec. m.] of the sones of Joazin, of Jerusalem, and sate in the hil Modyn. [verse 2] And he hadde fyue sones; [verse 3] Joon, that was named Gaddis; and Sy|mount, [verse 4] that was namyd Thasi; and Ju|das, [verse 5] that was clepid Machabeus; and Eleazarus, that was namyd Abaron; and Jonathas, that was named Apphus. [verse 6] These sawen the yuelis that weren don in the peple of Juda and Jerusalem. [verse 7] And Mathatias saide, Woo to me! wher|to am I born, for to se contricioun, or distruying [distruccioun A.] , of my peple, and contri|cioun of the holy citee, and for to sitte there, whan it is ȝouen in hondis of en|myes? [verse 8] Holy thingus ben maad in the hond of strangers; the temple therof as [verse 9] a man vnnoble; vessels of glorie therof ben ladde awey caytif. Olde men therof ben slayn in streetis therof, and ȝunge men therof fellen doun in swerd of en|myes. [verse 10] What folk enheritide not the kyngdam therof, and weeldede not prayes therof? [verse 11] Al makyng to gidre, or ourn|yng, therof is born awey; she that was free, is maad hond mayden. [verse 12] And loo! oure holy, and oure fairnesse, and oure cleerte, is desolate, and heithen men de|fouliden it. [verse 13] What therfore ȝit to vs for to lyue? [verse 14] And Mathatias kitte, and his sonys, her clothis, and hilliden hem with hayris, and weiliden gretely. [verse 15] And thei that weren sente of kyng Antiochus, camen thidre, for to constreyne hem that fledden to gydre in to the citee Modyn, for to offre and brenne encensis, and for to departe fro the lawe of God. [verse 16] And many of the peple of Yrael consentynge camen to hem; bot Mathatias and his

sonys stoden stidfastly. [verse 17] And thei an|sweryng, that weren sente of Antiochus, saiden to Mathatias, Thou art prince, and most cleer, and grete in this citee, and ourned with sonys and bretheren. [verse 18] Therfore go to former, and do the maunde|ment of the kyng, as alle folkis han don, and men [the men A.] of Juda, and thei that laften in Jerusalem. And thou shalt be, and thy sonnys, among freendis of the kyng, and made large in siluer and gold, and in many ȝiftis. [verse 19] And Mathatias answeride, and saide with grete voice, And if alle folkis obeien to the [Om. AGH.] kyng Antiochus, that thei go awey eche man fro seruice of the lawe of his fadris, and consente to [verse 20] his maundementis, Y, and my sonnys, and my bretheren shuln obeie to the lawe of oure fadris. [verse 21] God be helpful to us; it is not prophitable to us for to forsake the lawe and riȝtwisnessis of God. [verse 22] We schu|len not heeren the wordis of kyng An|tiochus, nether shuln sacrifice, brekynge the maundementis of oure lawe, that we go another way. [verse 23] And as he ceeside for to speke these wordis, sum Jew wente to in eeȝen of alle men, for to sacrifice to ydolis on the auter, in the cytee Modyn, vp comaundement of the kyng. [verse 24] And Mathatias sauȝ, and sorewide, and his reyns trembliden togidre, and his wod|nesse is kyndled after dom of the lawe; and he lippynge ynne, slewȝ hym on the auter. [verse 25] Bot and he slewȝ in that tyme the man whom kyng Antiochus sente, whiche compellide for to be offrid, and distruyide the auter. [verse 26] And he louede feruently the lawe, as Fynees dide to Zambri, sone of Salomy. [verse 27] And Mathatias criede in grete voice in the cytee, say|inge, Eche man that hath feruent loue of the lawe, ordeynynge testament, go out after me. [verse 28] And he fleiȝ, and his sonnys, in to mounteyns, and leften what euer thingus thei [that thei A.] hadden in the citee. [verse 29] Thanne manye wente doun, seekynge domes and

[verse 30] riȝtwisnesse, in to desert, that thei saten there, thei, and sonys of hem, and wym|men of hem, and beestis of hem, for yuels weren hard on hem. [verse 31] And it is tolde aȝein to men of the kyng, and to the oost, that weren in Jerusalem, in the cytee of Dauid, for sum men wente awey, that distruyeden maundement of the kyng, in to priuy placis of desert; and many hadden gon after hem. [verse 32] And anoon thei wenten to hem, and ordeyniden aȝeins [verse 33] hem bateile, in the day of sabothis; and saiden to hem, Aȝeinstonde ȝe and now ȝit? go ȝe out, and do ȝe vp the word of kyng Antiochus, and ȝe shuln lyue. [verse 34] And thei saiden, We shuln not go out, nethir we shuln do the word of the kyng, that we defoule the day of sabothis. [verse 35] And thei steriden bateile aȝeinus hem. [verse 36] And thei answerden not to hem, nether sente stoon to hem, nether stoppiden preuy [verse 37] places, sayinge, Dye we alle in oure symplenesse, and heuen and erthe shuln be witnessis on vs, that vniustly ȝe leesen us. [verse 38] And thei baren yn to hem bateil in sabothis, and thei ben deade, and the wyues of hem, and sonnys of hem, and beestis of hem, vnto a thou|sand soules of men. [verse 39] And Mathatias knewe, and his freendis; and thei had|den mournyng on hem gretely. [verse 40] And a man saide to his neiȝbore, Ȝif we alle shuln do as oure bretheren diden, and shuln not fiȝte aȝeinus heithen men, for oure soulis, and oure iustifiyngis, sunner thei shuln distruye vs of erthe. [verse 41] And thei thouȝten in that day, sayinge, Eche man who euer shal cum to vs in bateile, in day of sabothis, fiȝte we aȝeinus hym, and dye we not alle, as oure bretheren ben dead in priuy places. [verse 42] Than the synagoge of Jewis, stronge in miȝtis of Yrael, is gadrid to hem, euery wilful [verse 43] man in lawe; and alle that fledden fro yuels, ben addid, or put, to hem. And thei [verse 44] ben maad to hem to stedfastnesse, and

gedryden an oost, and smyten synners in her wrath, and wickid men in her indig|nacioun; and the tother fledden to na|ciouns, for to ascape. [verse 45] And Mathatias enuyrounede, and his freendis, and dis|truyeden [verse 46] auters, and circumcididen chil|dren vncircumcidid, hou manye euer thei founden in coostis of Yrael, in strengthe. [verse 47] And thei pursueden sonys of pride, and the werk hadde prosperite in her hondis. [verse 48] And thei weeldiden the lawe `of hondis [Om. G pr. m.] of heithen men, and of hondis of kyngus, and ȝauen not horn, or strengthe, to the synner. [verse 49] And the days of Mathatias of dying neiȝeden, and he saide to his sonys, Now pride is counfortid, and chastisyng, and tyme of distruccioun, and the wrath of indignacioun. [verse 50] Now therfore, sonys, be ȝe suers, or louers, of the lawe, and ȝeue ȝe ȝoure lyues for the testament of fadris. [verse 51] And bithenke ȝe of the werkis of fadris, that thei diden in her genera|ciouns, and ȝe shuln resceyue grete glorie, and euerlastynge name. [verse 52] Wher Abraham in temptation was not founden feithful, and it is rettid to hym to [in to A.] riȝtwisnesse? [verse 53] Joseph in tyme of his anguyshe kepte the comaundement, and was maad lord of Egypt. [verse 54] Fynees, oure fadir, feruently louynge the feruent loue of God, toke tes|tament of euerlastynge presthode. [verse 55] Jhe|sus, or Josue, whijle he fulfilled the word, is maad duyk in Yrael. [verse 56] Caleph, whijl he witnessith in the chirche, toke heritage. [verse 57] Dauid in his mercy gate the seete of kyngdam, in to worldis. [verse 58] Helye, whijl he feruently loueth the feruent loue of the lawe, is resceyued in to heuen. [verse 59] Ananias, Azarias, Mysael, by leeuynge ben delyuered of flawme. [verse 60] Danyel in his symplenesse is delyuerd of mouth of lyouns. [verse 61] And thus bithenke ȝe bi gene|racioun and generacioun, for alle that hopen in to hym ben not maad vnsted|fast.

[verse 62] And of wordis of the synner ȝe shuln not drede, for the glorie of hym [verse 63] is torde and worme; to day he is en|haunsid, and to morrew he shal not be founden, for he is turned in to his erthe, and his thouȝte shal perishe. [verse 64] Therfore, sonys, be ȝe confortid, and do ȝe manly in the lawe; for whan ȝe shuln do whiche thingus ben bedun to ȝou in the lawe of the Lord ȝour God, in it ȝe shuln be glorious. [verse 65] And loo! Symount, ȝour bro|there; I wote, for he is a man of coun|seile, heere ȝe hym euermore, and he shal be fadir to ȝou. [verse 66] And Judas Macha|beus, stronge in miȝtis fro his ȝouth, be he to ȝou a prince of kniȝthode, and he shal do bateil of the peple. [verse 67] And ȝe shuln brynge to ȝou alle doars of the lawe, and venge ȝe the veniaunce of ȝoure peple. [verse 68] Ȝelde ȝe ȝeeldynge to hei|then men, and take ȝe tent `in to [to AH.] the heest of lawe. [verse 69] And he blesside hem, and is putt to his faders. [verse 70] And he is dead in the hundrid and sixe and fourtie [fourtithe AH.] ȝeere, and is biryed of his sonnys in to the sepulcre of his fadris in Modyn; and alle Yrael weiliden hym with greet weylyng.