1 Maccabees 16

¹ And thei stieden in to the hil of Sion with gladnesse and ioie, and offriden brent sacrifices, that no man of hem was deed, til thei turneden ayen in pees. 2 And in the daies in whiche Judas was, and Jonathas, in the lond of Galaad, and Symount, his brother, in Galilee, ayens the face of Tholomaida, 3 Josofus, sone of Zacarie, herde, and Azarias, prince of vertu, the thingis doon wel, and batels that weren maad. 4 And he seide, Make we also a name to vs, and go we for to fiyte ayens hethene men, that ben in oure cumpas. 5 And he comaundide to these that weren in his oost, and thei wenten forth to Jamnyan. 6 And Gorgias wente out of the citee, and hise men, ayens hem, in to fiyt. 7 And Josofus and Azarias weren dryuun til to the endis of Judee; and ther fellen doun in that dai of the puple of Israel, men to twei thousyndis. And a greet wounde was maad in the puple; ⁸ for thei herden not Judas and hise britheren, and gessiden hem to do strongli. ⁹ Forsothe thei weren not of the seed of tho men, bi whiche helthe was maad in Israel. ¹⁰ And men of Juda weren magnefied greetli in the siyt of al Israel, and of alle hethene men, where the name of hem was herd. ¹¹ And thei camen togidere, criynge to hem prosperite, ether preisyngis. 12 And Judas wente out, and his britheren, and ouercamen the sones of Esau, in the lond that is at the south; and he smoot Chebron, and vilagis therof, and distriede the wardyngis therof, and wallis therof, and brente in fier touris therof in cumpas. ¹³ And he mouede tentis, for to go in to the lond of aliens; and wente thorou Samarie. ¹⁴ In that dai prestis fellen doun in batel, while thei wolden do strongli, while with out counsel thei wenten out in to batel. ¹⁵ And Judas bowide awei in to Asotus, in the lond of aliens, and distriede auteris of hem, and brenten in fier the spuylis of her goddis, and took preies of citees; and turnede ayen in to the lond of Juda. ¹⁷ And kyng Antiok walkide thorouy the hiyere cuntreis, and herde that a citee, Elymaides, was in Persis, the nobleste and plenteuouse in siluer and gold; ¹⁸ and a temple in it was ful riche, and there weren goldun veilis, and haburiowns, and scheldis, whiche Alisaundre of Filip, kyng of Macedo, lefte, that regnede the firste in Greece. ¹⁹ And he cam, and souyte for to take the citee, and robbe it; and miyte not, for the word was knowun to hem that weren in the citee. ²⁰ And thei risiden vp in to batel, and he flei fro thennus, and wente awei with greet heuynesse, and turnede ayen to Babyloyne. ²¹ And ther cam, that telde to hym in Persis, that the oostis that weren in the lond of Juda weren dryuun, 22 and that Lisias wente with strong vertu in the beste men, and was dryuun fro the face of Jewis, and thei wexiden stronge in armeris, and strengthis, and many preies, whiche thei token of tentis, ether oostis, that thei slowen; ²³ and that thei distrieden the abhomynacioun, which he bildide on the auter that was in Jerusalem, and thei cumpassiden with hiye wallis the halewyng, as bifore, but and Betsura, his citee. ²⁴ And it was don, as the kyng herde these wordis, he dredde, and was mouyd greetli, and felle doun in to a bed, and felle in to a greet sikenesse for heuynesse, for it was not don as he thouyte.