The XV. Chapter.
[ A] NOw when Nicanor knewe that Iu∣das was in the countre of Sama∣ria,* 1.1 he thought with all his power to strike a felde with him vpon a Sabbath daye. Neuerthelesse the Iewes that were compelled to go with him, sayed: O do not so cruelly and vnkyndly, but halowe yt Sab¦bath daye, and worshipe him that seyth all thinges. For all this, yet sayed the vngra∣cious personne:* 1.2 Is there a mightie one in hea¦uen, that commaunded the Sabbath daye to be kepte? And when they sayde: yee the ly¦uynge God, the mightie LORDE in heauen commaunded the seuenth daye to be kepte,* 1.3 he sayde: And I am mightie vpon earth, to commaunde them for to arme them sel∣ues, and to perfourme the kynges busynesse. Notwithstondinge he might not haue his purpose.
[ B] Nicanor had deuysed with greate pryde to ouercome Iudas, and to brynge awaye ye victory. But Machabeus had euer a fast confidēce and a parfecte hope in God that he wolde helpe him, and exorted his people, not to be afrayed at the commynge of the Heithen: but allwaye to remembre the helpe that had bene shewed vnto them from hea∣uen, yee and to be sure now also, yt Allmigh∣tie God wolde geue them the victory. He spa¦ke vnto them out of the lawe and prophe∣tes, puttinge them in remembraunce of the battayls, that they had striken afore, & ma∣de them to be of a good corage.
So when their hartes were plucte vp, he shewed them also the disceatfulnesse of the Heithen, and how they wolde kepe no coue¦naunt ner ooth. Thus he weapened thē not with the armoure of shylde and speare, but with wholsome wordes and exortacions. He shewed them a dreame also, wherthorow he made them all glad, which was this: He thought that he sawe Onias (which had be∣ne hye prest, a vertuous & louynge man, sad, and of honest conuersacion, well spoken, and nee that had bene exercised in godlynes frō a childe) holdinge vp his hōdes towarde hea¦uen, and prayenge for his people. After this [ C] there apeared vnto him another mā, which was aged, honorable and glorious. And O∣nias sayde: This is a louer of the brethren, and of the people of Israel. This is he that prayeth moch for the people, and for all the holy cite: Ieremy the prophet of God. He thought also yt Ieremy helde out his right hōde, and gaue him (namely vnto Iudas) a swearde of golde, sayenge: Take this holy swearde, a gifte from God, wherwith thou shalt smyte downe the enemies of the peo∣ple of Israel.
And so they were wel conforted thorow the wordes of Iudas, and toke corage vnto thē, so that the yonge men were determed in their myndes to fight, & to byde styfly at it: In so moch that in the thinges which they toke in honde, their boldnesse shewed the sa∣me, because the holy cite and the temple we∣re in parell: for the which they toke more ca∣re, then for their wyues, children, brethrē and kynsfolkes. Agayne, they that were in the ci¦te, were most carefull for those which were to fight. Now when they were all in a hope that the iudgment of the matter was at hō¦de, and the enemies drew nye, the hoost beyn¦ge set in araye, the Elephantes and horsmē euery one stondinge in his place: Macha∣beus considered the commynge of the mul∣titude, the ordinaunce of dyuerse weapens, [ D] the cruelnesse of the beestes, and helde vp his hondes towarde heauen, callinge vpon the LORDE that doth wonders, which ge∣ueth not the victory after the multitude of weapens and power of the hoost (but ••o them that please him) acordinge to his owne will.* 1.4 Therfore in his prayer he sayde these wordes:
O LORDE,* 1.5 thou that diddest sende thine angell in the tyme of Ezechias kynge of Iu¦da, and in the hoost of Sennacherib slewest an hundreth and fyue and foure score thou∣sande: sende now also thy good angell befo∣re vs (o LORDE of heauens) in the fearful∣nesse and drede of thy mightie arme, that they which come agaynst thy holy people to blaspheme them, maye be afrayed. And so he made an ende of his wordes. Then Nicanor and they that were with him, drew nye with shawmes and songes: but Iudas and his company with prayer and callin∣ge vpon God.