2 Maccabees 12
2 Maccabees chapter 12 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 For he herde, that thei wolden yyue help to partis of Demetrie; and he puttide there keperis, for to kepe it. 2 And Jonathas turnede ayen, and clepide togidere the eldere men of the puple, and thouyte with hem for to bilde strengthis in Judee, 3 and for to bilde wallis in Jerusalem, and for to reise a greet hiythe, bytwixe the myddil of the hiy tour and the citee, for to departe it fro the citee, that it were aloone, and nether thei bie, nether sille. 4 And thei camen togidere, for to bilde the citee. And the wal felle doun togidere, that was on the streem, fro the risyng of the sunne; and he reparalide it, that is clepid Cafeteta. 5 And Symount bildide Adiada in Sephela, and strengthide it, and puttide on yatis and lockis. 6 And whanne Trifon thouyte for to regne at Asie, and take a diademe, and stretche out hond in to Antiok kyng, 7 he dredde, lest perauenture Jonathas schulde not suffre hym, but fiyte ayens hym; and he souyte for to catche hym, and sle. 8 And he roos vp, and wente in to Bethsan. And Jonathas wente out ayens hym, with fourti thousynde of chosun men in to batel, and cam to Bethsan. 9 And Trifon siy, that Jonathas cam with myche oost, for to stretche out hondis in to hym. 10 And he dredde, and resseyuede hym with onour, and comendide hym to alle his frendis; and yaf to hym yiftis, and comaundide to his oostis, for to obeie to hym as to hym silf. 11 And he seide to Jonathas, Wherto hast thou trauelid al the puple, whanne batel is not to vs? 12 And now sende ayen hem in to her housis. But chese thou to thee a fewe men, that ben with thee, and come thou with me to Tolomayda, and Y schal yyue it to thee, and other strengthis, and oost, and alle souereyns of offices; and Y schal turne, and Y schal go awei. For whi therfor Y cam. 13 And he bileuyde to hym, and dide as he seide, and lefte the oost; and thei wente awei in to the lond of Juda. 14 Forsothe he withhelde with hym thre thousynde of men, of whiche he sente ayen in to Galilee two thousynde; sotheli a thousynde cam with hym. 15 Forsothe as Jonathas entride in to Tolomaida, men of Tolomaida schittiden the yatis, and cauyten hym; and slowen bi swerd alle that entriden with hym. 16 And Trifon sente oost, and horse men in to Galilee, and in to the greet feeld, for to leese alle the felowis of Jonathas. 17 And whanne thei knewen that Jonathas was takun, and perischide, and alle that weren with hym, thei monestiden hem silf, and wenten out redi in to batel. 18 And thei siyen that pursueden, that thing was to hem for the lijf, and turneden ayen. 19 Forsothe thei camen alle with pees in to the lond of Juda. And thei biweiliden Jonathas greetli, and alle that weren with hym, and Israel mourenyde with greet mourenyng. 20 And alle hethene men that weren in the cumpas of hem, souyte for to al to-breken hem; 21 for thei seiden, Thei han no prince and helpere; now therfor ouercome we hem, and take we awei fro men the mynde of hem. 23 And as Symount herde, that Trifon gaderide a greet oost, for to come in to the lond of Juda, 24 and for to distrie it, and siy that the puple was in tremblyng and drede, he stiy vp to Jerusalem, and gaderide the puple; 25 and monestide, and seide, Ye witen, hou grete thingis Y, and my britheren, and the hous of my fadir, han do, for lawis, and for hooli thingis, batels, and what maner angwischis we saien. 26 For loue of these thingis alle my britheren perischiden for Israel, and Y aloone am left. 27 And now bifalle it not to me, for to spare my lijf in al the tyme of tribulacioun; for Y am not betere than my britheren. 28 Therfor Y schal venge my folc, and hooli thingis, and oure children, and wyues; for alle hethene men ben gaderid, for to distrie vs, bi cause of enemyte. 29 And the spirit of the puple was kyndlid togidere, as it herde these wordis. 30 And thei answeriden with greet vois, seiynge, Thou art oure duyk in stide of Judas, and Jonathas, thi brother; fiyte thou oure batel, 31 and alle thingis what euere thou schalt seie to vs, we schulen do. 32 And he gaderide alle men fiyteris, and hastide for to ende alle wallis of Jerusalem, and strengthide it in cumpas. 33 And he sente Jonathas, the sone of Absolomy, and with hym a newe oost, in to Joppe. And whanne he hadde put out these men that weren in it, he dwelte there. 34 And Trifon mouyde fro Tolomaida with myche oost, for to come in to the lond of Juda, and Jonathas with hym in kepyng. 35 Forsothe Symount appliede in Addus, ayens the face of the feeld. 36 And as Trifon knew, that Symount roos in the stide of his brother Jonathas, and that he was to ioynynge batel with hym, he sente to hym legatis, 37 and seide, For siluer, that thi brother Jonatas ouyte in acountis of the kyng, we withhelden hym. 38 And nowe sende thou an hundrid talentis of siluer, and hise twei sones pleggis, that he not dismyttid fle fro vs, and we schulen ayensende hym. 39 And Symount knew, that with gile he spak with hym. Netheles he comaundide the siluer for to be youun, and children, leste he schulde take grete enemytee at the puple of Israel, seiynge, For he sente not to hym siluer and children, 40 therfor he perischide. 41 And he sente the children, and an hundrid talentis. And he liede, and dismyttide not Jonathas. 42 And after these thingis Trifon cam with ynne the cuntre, for to distrie it. And thei cumpassiden bi the weie that ledith to Ador; and Symount and his oost walkiden in to ech place, whidur euere thei wenten. 43 Sotheli thei that weren in the hiy tour, senten legatis to Trifon, for to haste to come bi desert, and sende to hem foodis. 44 And Trifon made redi al the multitude of horse men, for to come in that nyyt. Sotheli ther was ful myche snow, and he cam not in to Galadithym. 45 And whanne he neiyede to Baschama, he slow Jonathas and hise sones there.
