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

[The book of the secunde Machabeus [Here bigynneth the secounde boke of Machabeorum. A. Machabee the secunde. G. No initial rubric in H.] .] CAP. I.

[verse 1] To bretheren, that ben by Egipt, Jewis, helthe sayen bretheren, that ben in Jeru|salem, Jewis, and that ben in the [Om. H.] cuntree of Judee, and good pees. [verse 2] God do wel to ȝou, and haue mynd of his testament, that he spake to Abraham, Ysaac, and [verse 3] Jacob, his trewe seruauntis; and ȝeue herte to ȝou alle, that ȝe wirshipe hym, and do the wille of hym with grete herte and wilful ynwytt. [verse 4] Opene he ȝour herte in his lawe, and his heestis, and make he [verse 5] pees; heere he graciously ȝour preyers, and be recounseilid to ȝou, nether forsake ȝou in yuel tyme. [verse 6] And nowe we ben here preyinge for ȝou. [verse 7] Regnynge Deme|trie in the hundrid ȝeer and sixti [sixtithe GH.] and nynthe, we Jewis han writen to ȝou in tribulacioun and fersnesse, that came aboue to vs in these ȝeeris, sithen Jason wente oute of the holy lond and rewme. [verse 8] Thei brenten the ȝate, and shedden out innocent blood; and we preyeden to the Lord, and we ben graciously herd, and we han offrid sacrifice, and cleene flour, and han tendid lanterns, and han putte forth looues. [verse 9] And nowe vse ȝe the days of Senephegie, of the moneth Casleu. [verse 10] In the hundred ȝeer and eiȝte and eiȝtithe, the peple that is in Jerusalem and in Judee, and the senate, and Judas, to

Aristoble, maister of Tholome, kyng, that is of the kyn of oyntyd prestis, and to hem that ben in Egypt, Jewis, helthe of soule, and helthe of body. [verse 11] We delyuerd of God fro grete perilis, don thankyngis to hym hugely, as we that han fouȝten aȝeinus siche a kyng. [verse 12] For|sothe he made to [for to H.] buyle out of Persis hem that fouȝten aȝeinus vs and [in G pr. m. H.] the holy citee. [verse 13] For whi whan in Perse was the duyke hym self, and with hym al the oost, he felle in the temple of Nauee, disceyuyd bi the counseil of the prest of Nauee. [verse 14] Forsothe as to dwellyng with hym Antiochus came to the place, and his freendis [frende H.] , and for to take myche moneys by name of dower. [verse 15] And whan prestis of Nauee hadden putte hem forth, and he with fewe entride with ynne cumpas of the temple, thei clos|iden [verse 16] the temple, whanne Antiochus had entride. And the priuy entree of the temple opnyd, thei sendinge stoons smyten the duyk, and hem that weren with hym, and departiden lym mele; and the hedis gird off, casten forth out. [verse 17] Bi alle thingis blessid God, that bitoke vn|pitous men. [verse 18] Therfore we to makynge puryfiyng, or clensynge, of the temple, in the [Om. H.] fyue and twentithe day of the moneth Casleu, ledden needful for to sig|nyfie to ȝou, that and ȝe do the day of Senephegie, and the day of fijr, that is ȝouen, whan Neemye offride sacrifices, and the temple and the [Om. H.] auter bildid. [verse 19] For whi whan oure fadris weren ledde in to Persis, prestis that thanne weren wirshipers of God, hidden priuyly fijr taken of the auter, in a valey, wher was a deep pitt, and drye; and therynne thei kepten it, so that the place was vnknowen to alle men. [verse 20] Forsothe whanne many ȝeeris hadden passid, and it pleside to God that Neemye was sente fro the kyng of Persis, he sente the sonys sonys [Om. H.]

of [of tho G sec. m. H.] prestis that hidden, for to seeke fijre; and as thei teelden to vs, thei foonden not fijre, bot fatt water. [verse 21] And he comaund|ide hem for to drawe, and brynge to hym. And Neemye, prest, comaundide the sacrifices, that weren put vpon [on H.] , for to be spreynt with this water, and the trees, and tho that weren putte aboue. [verse 22] And as this was don, and the tyme came to, in whiche the sunne shoon aȝein, that byfore was in cloude, a grete fijr is kyn|dlid, so that alle men wondriden. [verse 23] For|sothe alle the prestis maden preyer, whijl the sacrifice was eendid; Jonathas bygyn|nynge, other forsothe answerynge. [verse 24] And the preyer of Neemye was hauynge this manere. Lord God, of alle thingis maker of nouȝt, dreedful and stronge, iust and mercyful, whiche aloon art a [Om. H.] good kyng, [verse 25] aloon ȝeuynge, aloone iust, and almiȝti, and with out bigynnyng and eend, whiche delyuerist Yrael fro [of AGH.] al yuel, whiche mad|ist chosen faders, and halewidist hem; [verse 26] take thou sacrifice for al thy peple Yrael, and keepe thi part, and halewe. [verse 27] Gadre oure scateryng [dispersyoun, or scaterynge H.] , delyuere hem that seruen to heithen men, and biholde thou [thou to H.] dis|pisid men, and maad abomynable, that heithen men wite, that thou art oure God. [verse 28] Tourment thou men oppressynge vs, and doynge dispite in pride. [verse 29] Ordeyn thi peple in thin holy place, as Moyses saide. [verse 30] Forsothe prestis sungen ympnys, tyl the sacrifice was eendid. [verse 31] Forsothe whan the sacrifice was eendid, Neemye comaundide the more stoons for to be [verse 32] shed on [vpon H.] of the residue water; whiche thing as was don, flawme is kyndlid of hem, bot it is waastid of the liȝt, that aȝein shynyde of the auter. [verse 33] Forsothe as the thing is knowen, it is tolde to the kyng of Peris, that in the place in whiche tho prestis that weren translatid, hadden hidde fijr, water apperide, of whiche Neemye and thei that weren with hym,

clensiden sacrifices. [verse 34] Forsothe the kyng byholdynge and diligently examyninge the thing, made a temple to hym, for to proue that thing that was don. [verse 35] And whanne he hadde proued, he ȝaue many goodis to prestis, and other with outen noumbre; and takynge with his hond, he ȝaue to hem. [verse 36] Forsothe Neemye clep|ide this place Nepthar, that is interpretid [interpretid, or expounned H.] clensyng; forsothe anentis many it [Om. G pr. m. K.] is clepid Nephi.