2 Maccabees 10

Wycliffe Bible

10 Forsooth Maccabeus, and they that were with him, for the Lord defended them [or the Lord defending them], received soothly the temple, and (the) city.

² Forsooth he destroyed the altars, that (the) aliens made by (or in) (the) streets, and also [the] temples of washing.

³ And when the temple was purged, they made another altar, and of stones fired, or flints, by fire conceived, they offered sacrifices after two years, and putted incense, and lanterns, and loaves of proposition.

⁴ And when these things were done, they were cast down to (the) earth, and prayed the Lord, that they should no more fall in[to] such evils; but though in anytime they had sinned, that they should be chastised of (or by) him more easily, and should not be betaken to barbarians, [or heathen], and blasphemous men.

⁵ Forsooth in what day the temple was defouled of (or by) (the) aliens, it befell that in the same day cleansing was made, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that was Kislev.

⁶ And with gladness in (or for) eight days they did by manner of (the Feast of) Tabernacles, bethinking that before a little of time they had done the solemn day of Tabernacles, in hills and in dens [or in hills and dens], by (the) custom of beasts.

⁷ For which thing they bare before rods, and green branches, and palms, to him that gave prosperity for to cleanse his place.

⁸ And they deemed with common behest (or command), and with doom, to all the folk of (the) Jews, for to do these feast days in all years.

⁹ And the ending of (the) life of Antiochus, that was called noble, (or who was called Epiphanes), had it thus.

¹⁰ Now forsooth we shall tell of Eupator, son of (the) unpious Antiochus (or And now we shall tell of Antiochus Eupator, who was the son of this unpious man), what things were done, and abridge, or shortly tell, the evils that were done in battles [or abridging the evils that be done in battles].

¹¹ For when this Eupator had received the realm, he ordained on (or over) (the) needs of the realm a man (called) Lysias, prince of knighthood, of Phenice and (Celo)Syria (or the governor of Phoenicia and Greater Syria).

¹² For why Ptolemy, that was said (or that was called) Macron, ordained for to hold just things against (or unto) (the) Jews, and most(ly) for (the) wickedness that was done against them, and peaceably for to do with them.

¹³ But for this thing he was accused of (or by) (the king’s) friends with (or before) Eupator, when he heard often, Thou traitor, for that he had forsaken Cyprus, betaken to him of (or by) Philometor, and had translated to Antiochus noble (or had gone over to Antiochus Epiphanes), also he had gone away from him, (and) with venom (or poison) he ended the life.

¹⁴ Forsooth Gorgias, when he was duke of places, with comelings taken, overcame often [or oft overcame] (the) Jews in battle.

¹⁵ Forsooth (the) Jews that held covenable strengths (or suitable strongholds), received men driven from Jerusalem, and assayed, either attempted, for to fight.

¹⁶ These forsooth that were with Maccabeus, prayed the Lord by prayers, that he should be (a) helper to them, and they made (an) assault into (the) strengths of (the) Idumeans (or upon the strongholds of the Edomites).

¹⁷ And they were busy by much strength, and wielded places, and slew men running again, and strangled all together, not less than five and twenty thousands. [And they by much strength against-standing, wielded places, slew men running again, and strangled all together, not less than five and twenty thousands.]

¹⁸ Forsooth when some fled together into two towers full strong, having all apparel to against-fight,

¹⁹ Maccabeus left Simon, and Joseph, and again Zacchaeus, and them that were with them (or and also Zacchaeus, and them that were with him), many enough, to the over-coming of them; and he was converted [or turned again] to those battles that constrained more.

²⁰ Soothly these that were with Simon, were led by covetousness, and were counselled by money, of (or by) some that were in the towers; and when they had taken seventy thousand double drachmas, they let some [to] flee out.

²¹ Forsooth when that thing that was done, was told to Maccabeus, he gathered the princes of (the) people, and he accused (them), that they had sold (their) brethren for money, for they delivered, [or dismissed], (or had freed) (the) adversaries of them.

²² Therefore he slew these made traitors, and anon (or at once) occupied the two towers.

²³ Forsooth in doing all things welsomely, either by prosperity, in armours, and hands, he slew in the two strengths more than twenty thousands. (And doing everything successfully with his arms, or his weapons, taken in hand, he killed in the two strongholds more than twenty thousand.)

²⁴ And Timothy (or Timotheus), that before was overcome of (or by) (the) Jews, called [or gathered] together an host of strange (or foreign) multitude, and gathered the multitude of horsemen of Asia, and came with armours, (or with arms, or weapons), as to take Judea.

²⁵ Forsooth Maccabeus, and they that were with him, when he nighed (or approached), besought God, and besprinkled the(ir) head(s) with earth, and before-girded the(ir) loins with hair-shirts,

²⁶ and kneeled down at the brink of the altar, (so) that he should be helpful to them, forsooth that to (the) enemies of them he were (an) enemy [or forsooth that he were (an) enemy to the enemies of them], and were (an) adversary to (their) adversaries, as the law saith.

²⁷ And so after (the) prayer, when they had taken armours, (or arms, or weapons), they went forth far from the city, and they were made next to (their) enemies, and sat (waiting).

²⁸ Forsooth in (or at) the first rising of the sun, both joined battle; these soothly had the Lord (as a) promiser of victory and prosperity; for they had (their own) hardiness (as) the duke of (the) battle. [Forsooth in the first rising of the sun, both joined; these soothly having the Lord promiser of victory and prosperity; they forsooth had their own inwit, or will, duke of battle.]

²⁹ But when (the) great fight was, five fair man, that is, angels in the likeness of men, on horses with golden bridles, appeared to (the) adversaries from heaven, and gave leading to (the) Jews;

³⁰ of which twain [or of whom two] had Maccabeus in the middle, and set about with their armours, (or their arms, or their weapons), and kept him sound, either without harm. Forsooth they casted darts and lightnings against (the) adversaries; of which thing and they were shamed [or confused] with blindness, and were [full-]filled with perturbation, and fell down.

³¹ Forsooth there were slain of footmen twenty thousand and five hundred, and horsemen six hundred.

³² Soothly Timothy (or Timotheus) fled into the stronghold [or into a stronghold] of Gazara, of which stronghold Chereas was sovereign.

³³ Forsooth Maccabeus, and they that were with him, were glad, and besieged the stronghold by four days.

³⁴ And they that were within, trusted in the secureness of the place, and cursed above manner, and casted, or proudly pronounced, cursed words, that is, blasphemy against God. [And they that were within, trusting in the secureness of the place, above manner cursed, and casted cursed words.]

³⁵ But when the fifth day shined, twenty young men of these that were with Maccabeus, were kindled in (their) souls for (the) blasphemy, and went manly to the wall, and they went with fierce will, and went up [or and with fierce inwit going, they went up];

³⁶ but and others also ascended [or but and others also going up], and assailed for to burn (the) towers and (the) gates, and (al)together burn the cursers quick (or alive). Forsooth by continual two days they wasted the stronghold,

³⁷ and slew Timothy (or Timotheus), hiding himself, found in some place; and they slew his brother Chereas, and Apollophanes.

³⁸ When these things were done, they blessed the Lord in (or with) hymns and confessions, which (or who) did great things in Israel, and gave them (the) victory.