1 Maccabees 15

¹ Now therfor come thou, and delyuere vs fro her hondis, for a multitude of vs felle doun; ² and alle oure britheren that weren in places of Tubyn, euerywhere ben slayn; and thei ledden awei caitif the wyues of hem, and children, and token spuylis, and killiden there almeste a thousynde men. ³ And yit epistlis weren rad, and lo! othere messangeris camen fro Galile, with cootis to-rent, ⁴ and telden bi these wordis, and seiden, that men camen togidere ayens hem fro Tolomaida, and Tire, and Sidon, and al Galile is fillid with aliens, for to distrie vs. ⁵ Sotheli as Judas herde, and the puple, these wordis, a greet chirche cam togidere, for to thenke what thei schulden do to her britheren, that weren in tribulacioun, and weren ouer comun of hem. ⁶ And Judas seide to Symount, his brother, Chese to thee men, and go, and delyuere thi britheren in Galile; Y forsothe and my brother Jonathas schulen go in to Galatithym. ⁷ And he lefte Josafus, sone of Sacarie, and Azarie, duykis of the puple, with the residue oost in Judee to kepyng; ⁸ and comaundide to hem, and seide, Be ye souereyns to this puple, and nyle ye smyte batel ayens hethene men, til we turnen ayen. ⁹ And men weren youun to Simount thre thousyndis, for to go in to Galile; to Judas sotheli eiyte thousynde, in to Galatithym. ¹⁰ And Symount wente in to Galile, and ioynede many batels with hethene men. And hethene men weren al to-brokun fro his face, and ¹¹ he pursuede hem til the yate of Tolomaida. And there fellen doun of hethene men almest thre thousynde of men; ¹² and he took the spuylis of hem. And he took hem that weren in Galile, and in Arbathis, with wyues, and children, and alle thingis that weren to hem; and brouyte in to Judee with greet gladnesse. ¹³ And Judas Machabeis, and Jonathas, and hise britheren passiden Jordan, and wenten forth the weie of thre daies in to desert. ¹⁴ And Nabutheis camen ayens hem, and resseyueden hem pesibli, and telden to hem alle thingis that bifellen to her britheren in Galadithym; ¹⁵ and that manye of hem weren takun in Barasa, and Bosor, and in Alymys, and in Casphor, and Mathet, and Carnaym; alle these were strong citees and grete. ¹⁶ But and in othere citees of Galatithis thei ben holdun cauyt. And on the morewe thei ordeyneden for to moue oost to tho citees, and for to take, and do awei hem in o dai. ¹⁷ And Judas turnede, and his oost, the weie in to desert of Bosor sudenli; and ocupiede the citee, and slow ech male bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and took alle the spuylis of hem, and brente it with fier. ¹⁸ And thei risiden thennus in nyyt, and wenten til to the strengthing. 19 And it was maad in sprynging of dai, whanne thei reisiden her iyen, and lo! myche puple, of whom was no noumbre, berynge laddris and engynes, for to take the strengthing, and ouer come hem. 20 And Judas siy, that batel bigan, and crie of batel stiede in to heuene, as trumpe, and greet cry of citee. 21 And he seide to his oost, Fiyte ye to dai for youre britheren. 22 And he cam, and thre ordris after hem, and thei crieden with trumpis, and crieden in preier. 23 And oostis of Thymothe knewen, that it was Machabeus, and thei fledden fro his face. And thei han smytun hem with greet wounde; and there fellen doun of hem in that dai almest eiyte thousynde of men. 24 And Judas turnede awei in to Maspha; and ouercam and took it, and slow ech male therof, and took spuylis of it, and brente it with fier. 25 Fro thennus he wente, and took Casbon, and Mageth, and Bosor, and othere citees of Galathite. 26 Forsothe after these wordis Thymothe gaderide an other oost, and puttide tentis ayens Raphon, ouer the streem. 27 And Judas sente for to biholde the oost, and thei telden ayen to hym, and seide, That alle hethene men that ben in oure cumpas, ful myche oost, camen togidere to hym. 28 And thei hiriden Arabiens in to help to him, and thei han set tentis ouer the streem, and ben redi for to come to thee in to batel. And Judas wente ayens hem. 29 And Tymothe seide to princes of his oost, Whanne Judas neiyeth, and his oost, to the streem of water, if he passith formere to vs, we schulen not mowe abide hym, for he miyti schal mowe ayens vs. 30 Sotheli if he dredith for to passe, and settith tentis biyende the flood, passe we ouer to hem, and we schulen mowe ayens hym. 31 Forsothe as Judas neiyede to the streem of water, he ordeynede scribis, ether writeris of the puple, bisidis the streem, and comaundide to hem, and seide, Leeue ye noon of men, but come alle in to batel. ³² And he the formere passide ouer to hem, and al the puple after hym. And alle these hethene men weren brokun fro the face of hem, and thei castiden awei her armeris; and thei fledden to the temple, that was at Carnaym. ³³ And Judas ocupiede the ilke citee, and brente the temple with fier, with alle that weren in it; and Carnaym was oppressid, and miyte not abide ayens the face of Judas. 34 And Judas gaderide alle Israelitis that weren in Galadithes, fro the leeste to the moste, and wyues of hem, and children, and ful greet oost, that thei schulden come in to the lond of Judee. 35 And thei camen til to Efron, and this greet citee put in the entre was ful strong; and ther was not for to bowe awei fro it, in riyt half or left, but the weie was thorou the myddil. 36 And thei that weren in the citee closiden in hem, and stoppiden the yatis with stoonys. And Judas sente to hem with pesible wordis, and seide, 37 Passe we bi youre lond, for to go in to oure lond, and no man schal anoie you, oneli on feet we schulen go. 38 And thei wolden not opene to hem. And Judas comaundide for to preche in tentis, ether oost, that ech man schulde applie, that is, asaile the citee, in what place he was. 39 And men of vertu applieden hem, and he fauyt ayens that citee al dai and al niyt, and the citee was bitakun in his hond. 40 And thei slowen ech knaue child bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and drow vp bi the rootis it, and took the spuylis therof, and passide bi al the citee on the slayn men. ⁴¹ And thei passiden ouer Jordan, in the greet feeld ayens the face of Bethsan.