CAP. VII.

[verse 1] In the hundrid ȝeer and oon and fifty Demetrie, sone of Seleuci, wente out fro Page  803 Rome citee, and stiede with fewe men in to a citee niȝ the see, and regnyde there. [verse 2] And it is don, as he entride in to hous of the rewme of his fadris, the oost cauȝte Antiochus, and Lisias, for to brenge hem to hym. [verse 3] And the thyng was knowen to hym, and he saith, Nyl ȝe shewe to me the face of hem. [verse 4] And the oost slewȝ hem. And Demetrie sate vpon the sete [verse 5] of his rewme; and wickid men and vn|pitous of Yrael camen to hym, and Al|chymus, duyke of hem, that wolde be maad prest. [verse 6] And thei accusiden the pe|ple anentus the kyng, sayinge, Judas and his bretheren han loste thi freendus, and scateride vs fro oure lond. [verse 7] Now ther|fore sende thou a man, to whom thou byleeuyst, that he go, and see all the distruying that he hath don to vs, and*. [in K.] to cuntrees of the kyng; and he punysh|ith alle his frendis, and the helpers of hem. [verse 8] And the kyng chese of his freendis Bachides, that was lord ouer the grete flood in the rewme, and trewe*. [trewthe K.] to the [verse 9] kyng, and he sente hym, for to see the distruying that Judas dide; and he or|deynyde vnpytous Alchymus in to prest|hode, and badde hym do veniaunce in to the sonys of Yrael. [verse 10] And thei rysen, and camen with greete oost in to the lond of Juda; and thei senten messangers, and spaken to Judas and his bretheren, with pesible wordis in gyle. [verse 11] And thei ȝauen not tente to her wordis; sothely thei sawen, for thei camen with greet oost. [verse 12] And the congregacioun of scribes camen to gydre to Alchymus and Bachides, for [verse 13] to axe what thingus be iust; and the first Assideys, that weren in the sonys of Yrael, and thei axiden of hem pees. [verse 14] Sothely thei saiden, A man, prest of the seed of Aaron, cummeth, he shal not disceyue vs. [verse 15] And he spac with hem pesible wordis, and swore to hem, say|inge, We shuln not ȝeue to ȝou yuels, nether to ȝoure frendus. [verse 16] And thei bileeu|yden Page  804 to hym. And he cauȝte of hem sixti men, and slewȝ hem in oo day, after the [verse 17] word that is wryten, Thei shedden out fleshis of thi sayntis, and blood of hem in cumpas of Jerusalem, and there was not that biryede. [verse 18] And dreed and trem|blyng lay, or felle, in to al the peple, for thei saiden, Ther is not trewthe and dom to hym; sothely thei han broken the statute*. [statute, or ordynaunce H.], and the ooth that thei sworen. [verse 19] And Bachides mouede tentis fro Jerusalem, and appliede in to Beth|secha; and sente, and cauȝte many of hem that fledden fro hym; and he killide sum of the peple, and castide in to a grete pitt. [verse 20] And he bitoke the regioun*. [regioun, or cuntree H.] to Alchimus, and left with hym help, in to helpyng of hym. And Bachides wente [verse 21] to the kyng, and Alchymus dide ynewȝ, for the princehod of his presthod. [verse 22] And alle camen to gidre to hym, whiche dis|tourbliden her peple, and weldiden*. [weelden A.] the lond of Juda*. [Judas AG pr. m. K.]; and thei diden grete ven|iaunce*. [plage, or vengeaunce H.] in Yrael. [verse 23] And Judas seeȝ alle the yuels, that Alchymus dide, and thei that weren with hym, to the sonnys of Yrael, myche more than heithen men. [verse 24] And he wente out in to alle coostis of Judee in cumpas, and dide veniaunce in to men forsakers, and thei cesiden for to go out ferther in to the cuntree. [verse 25] For|sothe Alchymus seeȝ, for Judas hadde victorie, and thei that weren with hym; and he knewȝ for he may not susteyne hem, and he wente aȝein to the kyng, and accuside hem in many synnys. [verse 26] And the kyng sent Nychanor, oon of his no|bler princis, that was hauntynge enmy|tees aȝeinus Yrael; and he comaundide him*. [Om. A.] for to distruye the peple. [verse 27] And Nychanor came in to Jerusalem, with grete oost, and he sente to Judas and his bretheren with gyle, by pesible wordis, [verse 28] sayinge, Fiȝt be not bitwixe me and ȝou; I shal cume with fewe men, for to see Page  805 ȝoure faces with pees. [verse 29] And he cam to Judas, and thei gretten hem to gidre pesibli; and enmyes weren redy for to rauyshe Judas. [verse 30] And the word was knowen to Judas, for with gyle he came to hym; and he is broken togidre of hym, and he wolde namore see his face. [verse 31] And Nychanor knewe, that his conceile is knowen, and he wente out aȝeinus Judas in to fiȝt, bisidis Capharsalma. [verse 32] And there fellen doun of Nychanoris oost almest fyue thousand men, and thei fledden in to the citee of Dauyd. [verse 33] And after these wordis Nychanore stiede in to the hille of Syon, and there wenten out of prestis of the peple, for to greete hym in pees, and for to shewe to hym brent sacrifices, that thei offriden for the kyng. [verse 34] And he scornynge dispiside hem, [verse 35] and defoulide, and spake proudly, and swore with wrath, sayinge, Ȝif Judas shal not be taken, and his oost, in myn hoondis, anoon whanne Y shal turne aȝein in pees, Y shal brenne this hous. And he wente out with grete wrath. [verse 36] And the prestis entriden, and stoden bifore face of the autir and of the temple, and [verse 37] weepynge saiden, Thou, Lord, hast chosen this hous, for to inclepe thi name in it, that it were an hous of preyer and bi|sechyng [verse 38] to thi peple; do venieaunce in this man, and his oost, and falle thei in swerd; haue mynde of the blasfemyes of hem, and ȝeue not hem that thei abide. [verse 39] And Nychanor wente out fro Jerusalem, and appliede tentis to Betheron; and the oost of Syrie cam to hym. [verse 40] And Judas appliede in Adarsa, with three thousand men. [verse 41] And Judas preyide, and saide, Lord, an aungel wente out, and smote an hundrid fourescore*. [and fourscoor A.] and fyue thousandis of hem, that weren sent fro kyng*. [the kyng G pr. m.] Senacherib, for thei blasfemyden [verse 42] thee; so breke thou togidre this oost in oure siȝt to day, and wite other men, for Page  806 yuel he spak on thin holy thingus, and deme thou hym vp the malice of hym. [verse 43] And the oostis ioynyden bateil, in the thrittenthe day of the moneth Adar; and the tentis of Nychanor ben broken to gidre, and he felle doun the first in bateil. [verse 44] Sothely as his oost seeȝ, for Ny|chanor felle doun, thei castiden awey her armers, and fledden. [verse 45] And thei pursu|eden hem the way of oo day, fro Adasor vnto me come in to Gazera; and thei sungen in trumpis after hem with signy|fiyngus. [verse 46] And thei wenten out of alle the*. [Om. G pr. m.] castellis of Judee in cumpas, and wynnewiden hem with hornys, and eft|soone weren conuertid to hem; and thei fellen alle in swerd, and ther is not left of hem nether oon. [verse 47] And thei token the spuylis of hem in to pray; and thei kit|tiden of the hed of Nychanor, and his riȝthond whiche he strechide proudly, and thei brouȝten to, and hangiden aȝeinis Jerusalem. [verse 48] And the peple gladide grete|ly, and diden that day in grete glad|nesse; [verse 59] and ordeynyde this day for to be don in alle ȝeeris, in the thrittynth day of the moneth Adar. [verse 50] And the lond of Juda was stille a fewe dayes.