2 Maccabees 11

¹ And alle that weren of Jonathas part fledden, and no man of hem was left, no but Matathias, sone of Absalomy, and Judas, sone of Calphi, prince of knyythod and oost. ² And Jonathas torente hise clothingis, and puttide erthe in his heed, and preiede. ³ And Jonathas turnede ayen to hem in to batel, and togidere turnyde hem in to fliyt, and fouyten. ⁴ And thei of his part that fledden sayn, and thei turnyden ayen to hym, and pursueden with hym til to Cades, to her tentis, and fulli camen til thidur. ⁵ And ther felden doun in that dai of aliens thre thousynde of men, and Jonathas turnede ayen in to Jerusalem. ⁷ And Jonatas siy that the tyme helpith hym; and he chees men, and sente hem to Rome for to ordeyne and renule frendschip with hem. ⁸ And to Sparciates, and to other places, he sente epistlis bi the same forme. ⁹ And thei wenten to Rome, and entriden in to the court, and seiden, Jonathas, hiyeste prest, and the folc of Jewis, sente vs, for to renule frendschip and felouschip, bi the formere. ¹⁰ And thei yauen to hem epistlis to hem bi placis, that thei schulden lede forth hem in to the lond of Juda with pees. ¹¹ And this is the ensaumple of pistlis, whiche Jonathas wroot to Sparciatis. ¹² Jonathas, hiyeste preest, and the eldere men of the folc, and prestis, and othere puple of Jewis, to Sparciatis, britheren, helthe. ¹³ Now bifore epistlis weren sent to Onyas, hiyeste prest, fro Darius, that regnede anentis you; for ye ben oure britheren, as the rescrite conteyneth, that is vndur put. ¹⁴ And Onyas resseyuede the man, that was sent, with onour, and took epistlis, in whiche he was signefied of felouschip and frendschip. ¹⁵ Whanne we hadden no nede of these, and hadden in coumfort hooli bookis that ben in oure hondis, ¹⁶ we hadden leuere for to sende to you, for to renule britherhod and frenschip, lest perauenture we be maad aliens fro you; forwhi many tymes passiden, sithen ye senten to vs. ¹⁷ We therfor in al tyme with out ceessyng, in to solempne daies, and othere, in whiche it bihoueth, ben myndeful of you in sacrifices that we offren, and in obseruaunces, as leueful is, and bisemeth, for to haue hadde mynde of britheren. ¹⁸ Therfore we ben glad of youre glorie. ¹⁹ Forsothe many tribulaciouns and many batels enuyrownden vs; and kyngis, that ben in oure cumpas, `fouyten ayens vs. ²⁰ Therfore we wolden not be greuouse to you, nether to othere felowis, and oure frendis, in these batels. ²¹ For we hadden help of heuene, and ben delyuered, and oure enemyes ben maad lowe. ²² Therfor we han chosun Newmenyus, the sone of Antiok, and Antipatre, sone of Jasoun, and senten to Romayns, for to renule with hem both frendschip and formere felouschipe. ²³ Therfor we comaundiden to hem, that thei come also to you, and grete you, and yelde to you oure pistlis of renulyng of oure britherhod. ²⁴ And nowe ye schulen do wel, answerynge to vs to these thingis. ²⁵ And this is the ayenwrityng of epistlis, that Onyas, the kyng of Sparciatis, sente. ²⁶ Onyas to Jonathas, greet preest, heelthe. ²⁷ It is foundyn in writyng of Sparciatis, and of Jewis, that thei ben britheren, and that thei ben of the kyn of Abraham. ²⁸ And now sithen we knowen these thingis, ye don wel, writynge to vs of youre pees. ²⁹ But and we han ayen writun to you. Oure beestis and oure possessiouns ben youre, and youre oure. Therfor we comaundiden, for to telle these thingis to you. ³⁰ And Jonathas herde, that the princes of Demetrie wenten out with myche oost, ouer that bifore, for to fiyte ayens hym. ³¹ And he wente out fro Jerusalem, and ran ayens hem in the cuntre of Amathitha; for he yaf not space to hem, for to entre in to his cuntree. ³² And he sente aspies in the tentis of hem, and thei turneden ayen, and telden, that thei ordeyneden for to come ouer thidur in niyt. ³³ Whanne the sunne hadde go doun, Jonathas badde his men wake, and be redi in armeris to batel al nyyt. And he settide keperis bi cumpas of tentis; ³⁴ and aduersaries herden, that Jonathas was redi with hise men in batel, and thei dredden, and inwardli weren agast in her herte, and tendiden fieris in her tentis. ³⁵ Forsothe Jonathas, and thei that weren with hym, knewen not til to the morewe; for thei siyen liytis brennynge. ³⁶ And Jonathas suyde hem, and cauyte not hem; for thei passiden the flood Eleutherus. ³⁷ And Jonathas turnede to Arabas, that weren clepid Sabadeis; and smoot hem, and took spuylis of hem; and ioynede, ³⁸ and cam in to Damask, and walkide bi al that cuntre.