1 Maccabees 13

¹ And he was astonyed in soule greetli, and thouyte for to go in to Persis, and for to take tributis of cuntreis, and for to gadre myche siluer. ² And he lefte Lisias, a noble man of the kyngis kyn, on the kingis nedis, fro the flood Eufrates til to the flood of Egipt; ³ and that he schulde nursche Antiok, his sone, til he cam ayen. ⁴ And he bitook to hym the half of the oost, and olifauntis, and comaundide to hym of alle these thingis that he wolde, and of men enhabitynge Judee and Jerusalem; ⁵ and that he schulde sende to hem an oost, for to al to-breke, and to distrie vttirly the vertu of Israel, and relifs of Jerusalem, and for to do awey the mynde of hem fro place; ⁶ and for to ordeyne dwelleris sones aliens in alle the coostis of hem, and bi lot for to departe the lond of hem. ⁷ And the kyng took a part of the residue oost, and wente out of Antiochie, citee of his rewme, in the hundrid and seuene and fourti yeer; and passide ouer the flood Eufrates, and wente thorou the hiyere cuntreis. ⁸ And Lisias chees Tholome, the sone of Dorym, and Nycanore, and Gorgie, miyti men of the kyngis frendis. ⁹ And he sente with hem fourti thousynde of men, and seuene thousynde of hors men, ether knyytis, that thei schulden come in to the lond of Juda, and distrie it, bi the word of the kyng. 10 And thei wenten forth, for to go with al her pouer; and thei camen, and londiden at Ammaum, in the feeldi lond. 11 And marchauntis of cuntreis herden the name of hem, and token siluer and gold ful miche, and children, and camen in to castels, for to take the sones of Israel in to seruauntis; and the oostes of Sirie and the londis of aliens weren addid to hem. 12 And Judas siy, and his britheren, that yuelis weren multiplied, and the oost appliede, ether londide, at the coostis of hem; and thei knewen the wordis of the kyng, whiche he comaundide the puple for to do, in to perischyng and endyng. ¹³ And thei seiden, ech man to his neiybore, Reise we the castyng doun of oure puple, and fiyte we for oure puple, and oure hooli thingis. ¹⁴ And comyng togidere of oost was gaderid, for to be redi in to batel, and for to preie, and axe merci, and merciful doyngis. ¹⁵ And Jerusalem was not enhabitid, but was as desert; ther was not that entride and wente out, of children therof; and the hooli thing was defoulid, and sones of aliens weren in the hiy tour, ther was the dwellyng of hethene men; and the likyng was don awei fro Jacob, and pipe and harpe failide there. ¹⁶ And thei weren gaderid, and camen in to Masphat ayens Jerusalem; for place of preier was in Masphat, sunnere than in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ And thei fastiden in that dai, and clothiden hem with hairis, and puttiden aisch in her heed, and renten her clothis. ¹⁸ And thei spredden abrood bookis of lawe, of the whiche hethene men souyten licnesse of her symylacris; ¹⁹ and thei brouyten ournementis of prestis, and firste fruytis, and tithis; and thei reisiden Nazareis that hadden fillid daies. 20 And thei crieden with greet vois to heuene, and seiden, What schulen we do to these, and whidur schulen we lede hem? 21 And thin hooli thingis ben to-trodun, and defoulid, and thi prestis ben maad in to mourenyng, 22 and in to dispisyng. And lo! naciouns camen togidere ayens vs, for to distrie vs; thou wost what thingis thei thenken ayens vs. 23 Hou schulen we mow withstonde bifore the face of hem, no but thou, God, helpe vs? 24 And thei crieden in trumpis, with greet vois. 25 And aftir these thingis Judas ordeynede duykis of the puple, tribunes, and centuriouns, and pentacontrarkis, and decuriouns. 26 And he seide to these that bildiden housis, and wediden wyues, and plauntiden vyne yerdis, and to dredeful men, that thei schulden turne ayen, eche man in to his hous, bi the lawe. 27 And thei mouyden castels, and thei settiden togidere at the south of Ammaum. 28 And Judas seide, Be ye gird, and be ye miyti sones, and be ye redi in the morewnyng, and that ye fiyte ayens these naciouns, that camen togidere for to distrie vs, and oure hooli thingis. ²⁹ For betere is, that we die in batel, than for to se yuels of oure folc and holi thingis. ³⁰ Sotheli as wille schal be in heuene, so be it don. ³² And Gorgias took fyue thousynde of men, and a thousynde chosun horse men; and thei mouyden tentis bi niyt, ³³ for to applie to the tentis of Jewis, and for to smyte hem sudenli; and sones that weren of the hiy tour, weren lederis to hem. ³⁴ And Judas herde, and he roos, and miyti men, for to smyte the pouer of oostis of the kyng, that was in Ammaum; ³⁵ for yit the oost was scaterid fro tentis. ³⁶ And Gorgias cam in to the tentis of Judas bi niyt, and foond no man; and thei souyten hem in hillis, for he seide, These fleen fro vs. ³⁷ And whanne dai was maad, Judas apperide in the feeld with thre thousyndis of men oneli, whiche hadden not hilyngis and swerdis. ³⁸ And thei siyen the tentis of hethene men stronge, and men haburiowned, and the multitude of horse men in cumpas of hem, and these weren tauyt to batel. ³⁹ And Judas seide to hise men, that weren with hym, Drede ye not the multitude of hem, and drede ye not inwardli the fersnesse of hem. ⁴⁰ Bithenke ye hou oure fadris weren maad saaf in the Reed See, whanne Farao pursuede hem with mychel oost. ⁴¹ And now crie we to heuene, and the Lord schal haue mercy on vs, and schal be myndeful of the testament of oure fadris, and schal al to-breke this oost bifore oure face to dai. ⁴² And alle folkis schulen wite, that it is God, that schal ayenbie, and delyuere Israel. ⁴³ And aliens reisiden her iyen, and sien hem comynge of the contrarie part, ⁴⁴ and wenten out of tentis in to batel. And thei that weren with Judas, songen in trumpe. ⁴⁵ And thei wenten togidere, and hethene men weren al to-brokun, and fledden in to feeld; ⁴⁶ forsothe the laste fellen doun bi swerd. And thei pursueden hem til to Gaseron, and til `in to feeldis of Idumee, and Ayotus, and Jannye; and there fellen doun of hem til to thre thousyndis of men. ⁴⁷ And Judas turnede ayen, and his oost suynge hym. ⁴⁸ And he seide to the puple, Coueite ye not preies, for batel is ayens vs, ⁴⁹ and Gorgias and his oost ben in the hil niy vs; but stonde ye now ayens oure enemyes, and ouercome hem, and after these thingis ye schulen take preyes sikirli. ⁵⁰ And yit while Judas spak these thingis, lo! sum part apperide, biholdynge forth fro the hil. ⁵¹ And Gorgias siy, that hise helperis weren togidere turned in to fliyt, and tentis weren brent; for smoke that was seyn, declaride that that was don. ⁵² And whanne thei bihelden these thingis, thei dredden greetli, biholdynge togidere bothe Judas and the oost, redi to batel in the feeld. ⁵³ And thei fledden alle in the feeld of aliens,