2 Maccabees 13

¹ And Symount sente, and took the boonus of Jonathas, his brother, and biride tho in Modyn, the citee of hise fadris. ² And al Israel biweiliden hym with greet weilyng, and thei bymourenyde hym many daies. ³ And Symount bildide on the sepulcre of his fadir and hise britheren an hiy bildyng in siyt, with stoon polischid bihynde and bifore. ⁴ And he ordeynede seuene smale bildyngis, brood bynethe and scharp aboue, oon ayens oon, to fadir, and modir, and foure britheren. ⁵ And to these he puttide aboute grete pilers, and on the pileris armeris, to euerlastynge mynde; and bisidis armeris schippis grauun, whiche schulden be seyn of men seilynge in the see. ⁶ This is the sepulcre that Symount maad in Modyn, til in to this day. ⁷ Forsothe whanne Trifon made weie with Antiok, the yonge kyng, in gile he slow hym, and regnyde in his stide; ⁸ and puttide on hym the diademe of Asie, and made greet veniaunce in the lond. ⁹ And Symount bildide strengthis of Judee, and wardide hem with hiy touris, and grete wallis, and yatis, and lockis; and puttide foodis in strengthingis. ¹⁰ And Symount chees men, and sente to kyng Demetrie, that he schulde make remyssioun to the cuntree, for alle dedis of Trifon weren don bi rauyschyng. ¹¹ And kyng Demetrie answeride to hym to these wordis, and wroot suche epistle. ¹² Kyng Demetrie to Symount, hiyeste prest, and frend of kyngis, and to the eldere men, and folc of Jewis, heelthe. ¹³ We resseyueden the goldun coroun, and baheu, which ye senten, and ben redi for to make with you greet pees, and for to write to prepostis of the kyng, for to releesse to you what thingis we foryauen; ¹⁴ for what euere thingis we ordeynen to you, ben stable. The strengthis that ye bildiden, be to you; and we forgyuen ignorances and synnes, ¹⁵ til in to this dai, and the coroun that ye ouyten; and if ony other thing was tributarie in Jerusalem, now be it not tributarie. ¹⁶ And if ony of you ben able for to be writun togidere among oure men, be thei writun togidere, and pees be bitwixe vs. ¹⁷ In the hundrid yeer and seuentithe, the yok of hethene men was takun awei fro Israel. ¹⁸ And the puple began for to write in tablis, and comyn doyngis, in the firste yeer vndur Symount, hiyeste prest, greet duyk, and prince of Jewis. ¹⁹ In tho daies Symount appliede to Gasan, and enuyrownyde it with tentis, and made engines, and appliede to the citee, and smoot o tour, and took it. ²⁰ And thei that braken out, weren with ynne the engyne in the cite, and greet stiryng was maad in the cite. ²¹ And thei stieden vp, that weren in the cite, with her wyues, and sones, on the wal, with her cootis kit, and crieden with greet vois axynge of Symount that riythondis be youun to hem, ²² and seiden, Yelde thou not to vs bi oure malices, but bi thi mercies, and we schulen serue to thee. ²³ And Symount was bowid, and fauyt not ayens hem; netheles he castide hem out of the citee, and clenside fulli the housis in whiche weren symylacris, and thanne he entride in to it with ympnes, and blesside the Lord. ²⁴ And whanne alle vnclennesse was caste out therof, he settide therynne men, that schulden do the lawe; and he strengthide it, and made an abitacioun to him. ²⁵ Forsothe thei that weren in the hiy tour of Jerusalem, weren forbodun for to go out and go yn, in to the cuntre, and bie, and sille; and thei hungriden greetli, and many of hem perischiden for hungur. ²⁶ And thei crieden to Symount, for to take riyt hondis, and he yaf to hem; and he castide out hem fro thennus, and clenside the hiy tour fro defoulingis.