2 Maccabees 14

¹ And he ordeynede, that in alle yeeris these daies schulden be don with gladnesse. ² And he strengthide the hil of the temple, that was bisidis the hiy tour, and dwelte there, he, and thei that weren with hym. ³ And Symount siy Joon, his sone, that he was a man of batel, and he puttide hym duyk of alle vertues, and he dwelte in Gasaris. ⁵ In the hundrid and two and seuenti yeer kyng Demetrie gaderide his oost, and wente to Medei, for to drawe togidere helpis to hym, for to ouercome Trifon. ⁶ And as Arsases, kyng of Persis and Medei, herde that Demetrie entride in to his niy coostis, he sente oon of hise princes, for to take hym quyk, and that he schulde brynge hym to hym silf. ⁷ And he wente, and smoot tentis, ether oost, of Demetrie, and took hym, and ledde hym to Arsaces, and he puttide hym in to kepyng. 8 And the lond of Juda was pesible in alle daies of Symount, and he souyte goode thingis of his folc; and his power and his glorie pleside to hem in alle daies. 9 And with al his glorie he took Joppe in to hauene, and made entre in to ilis of the see; 10 and alargide the coostis of his puple, and weldide the cuntre. 11 And he gaderide myche caitifte, and was lord in Gasara, and Bethsura, and the hiy tour; and dide awei vnclennessis of it, and ther was not that ayenstood hym. 12 And ech man tilide his owne lond with pees, and the lond of Juda yaf hise fruitis, and trees of feeldis her fruitis. 13 Eldere men saten alle in stretis, and tretiden of goodis of the lond; and yonge men clothiden hem in glorie, and in stoolis of batel. 14 And to the citees he yaf foodis, and ordeynede tho, that tho weren vessels of strengthing, til that the name of his glorie was named til to the laste of erthe. 15 He made pees on the lond, and Israel was glad with greet gladnesse; 16 and ech man sat vndur his vyne, and vndur his fige tree, nether ther was that feeride hem. 17 The fiytynge man ayens hem failide on erthe; kyngis weren al to-brokun in tho daies. 18 And he confermyde alle meke men of his puple, and he souyte out the lawe, and dide awei al yuel and wickidnesse; 19 and he glorifiede hooli thingis, and multipliede vessels of hooli thingis. 20 And it was herd at Rome, that Jonathas was deed, and til in to Sparciatis, and thei weren ful soreuful. 21 Forsothe as thei herden, that Symount, his brother, was maad hiyeste preest in his stide, and he weldide the cuntre, and citees in it, 22 thei writiden to hym in brasun tablis, for to renule frenschip, and felouschip, that thei maden with Judas and Jonathas, his britheren; 23 and thei weren rad in the siyt of the chirche in Jerusalem. And this is ensaumple of pistlis, that Sparciatis senten. 24 The prince and citees of Sparciatis to Symount, greet prest, and to the eldere men, and prestis, and to othere puple of Jewis, britheren, heelthe. 25 Legatis that weren sente to oure puple, telden to vs of youre glorie, and onour, and gladnesse, and we ioieden in the entree of hem. 26 And we han write what thingis weren seid of hem in councels of puple, thus. Numenyus, the sone of Antiok, and Antipater, the sone of Jason, legatis of Jewis, camen to vs, and renulide with vs the formere frendschip. 27 And it pleside to the puple, for to resseyue the men gloriousli, and to putte ensaumple of her wordis in departid bookis of the puple, that it be to mynde to the puple of Sparciatis; forsothe we han write ensaumple of these thingis to Symount, the greet preest. 28 Forsothe aftir these thingis Symount sente Numenyus to Rome, hauynge a greet goldun scheeld, in weiyte of a thousynde besauntis, for to ordeyne felouschip with hem. Sotheli whanne the puple of Rome herde these wordis, 29 thei seiden, What doyng of thankyngis schulen we yelde to Symount, and his sones? 30 For he restoride his britheren, and ouercam the enemyes of Israel fro hem. And thei ordeyneden to hym liberte, and writiden in brasun tablis, and Jewis puttiden in titlis, in the mount of Sion. 31 And this is ensaumple of writyng. In the eiytenthe dai of the monethe Ebul, in the hundrid and two and seuenti yeer, the thridde yeer vndur Symount, greet preest, in Asaramael, 32 in the greet comyng togidere of prestis, of the puple, and princis, and folc, and eldere men of the cuntre, these thingis weren maad knowun; for many tymes batels weren don in youre cuntre. ³³ Forsothe Symount, the sone of Matatias, of the sones of Jarib, and his britheren, yauen hem silf to perel, and ayenstoden aduersaries of her folc, that her hooli thingis and lawe schulde stonde; and bi greet glorye thei glorifieden her folc. ³⁴ And Jonathas gaderide his folc, and was maad to hem a greet preest, and is put to his puple. ³⁵ And the enemyes of hem wolden defoule holi thingis, and distrie the cuntre of hem, and stretche forth hond in to hooli thingis of hem. 36 Thanne Symount ayenstood, and fauyt for his puple, and yaf many richessis, and armyd men of vertu of his folc, and yaf to hem sowdis; 37 and strengthide the citees of Juda, and Bethsura, that was in the endis of Judee, where bifor weren armeris of enemyes, and he puttide there help, men of Jewis. 38 And he strengthide Joppe, that was at the see, and Gasara, that was in coostis of Asotus, in which enemyes dwelten bifore; and he settide there Jewis, and what euere thingis weren able to amendyng of hem, he puttede in hem. 39 And the puple siy the doyng of Symount, and glorie that he thouyte for to do to his folc, and thei maden hym her duyk, and prince of preestis, for that he hadde don alle these thingis, and riytwisnesse, and feith that he kepte to his folc; and he souyte out in al maner for to raise hys puple. ⁴⁰ And in hise daies it hadde prosperite in his hondis, that hethene men weren takun awei fro the cuntre of hem, whiche weren in the citee of Dauid in Jerusalem, in the hiy tour; fro which thei camen out, and defouliden alle thingis that weren in cumpas of hooli thingis, and yauen greet wounde to chastite. ⁴¹ And he settide ther ynne men Jewis, to defendyng of the cuntre and citee, and reiside the wallis in Jerusalem. ⁴² And kyng Demetrie ordeynede to hym the hiyeste presthod; ⁴³ bi this he made him his frend, and glorifiede hym in greet glorie. ⁴⁴ For he herde, that Jewis weren clepid of Romayns frendis, and felowis, and britheren, and that thei resseyueden legatis of Symount gloriousli; ⁴⁵ and that Jewis, and prestis of hem, consentiden, him for to be her duyk, and hiyeste preest with outen ende, til ther rise a feithful profete; ⁴⁶ and that he be duyk on hem, and cure were to him for hooli thingis; and that he schulde ordeyne gouernouris on the werkis of hem, and on the cuntre, and on armeris, and on strengthis;