2 Maccabees 4

¹ and thei token hym quyk, and ordeyneden to hym, that he schulde yyue greet tribut, and thei that regnede after hym; and that he schulde yyue pleggis and ordynaunce, in the cuntre of Yndis; ² and thei puttiden out men of Medei, and of Lidde, fro the beste cuntreis of hem, and thei yauen tho cuntreis takun of hem to kyng Eumeny; ³ and that thei that weren anentis Elada, wolden go, and take awei hem; and the word was knowun to these Romayns, ⁴ and thei senten to hem o duyk, and thei fouyten ayens hem; and many of hem fellen, and thei ledden her wyues caitifs, and sones, and robbiden hem; and weldiden the lond of hem, and distrieden the wallis of hem, and brouyten hem in to seruage, til in to this dai. ⁵ And thei distrieden othere rewmes and ilis, that sum tyme ayenstoden hem, and brouyten in to power. ⁶ Forsothe with her frendis, and that hadden reste in hem, thei kepten frenschip, and thei weldiden rewmes that weren next, and that weren fer; for who euere herden the name of hem, dredden hem. ⁷ For thei regnyden, to whiche thei wolden be in help for to regne; forsothe whiche thei wolden, thei disturbliden fro rewme; and thei weren greetli enhaunsid. ⁸ In alle these Romayns no man bar diademe, nether was clothid in purpur, for to be magnefied ther ynne. ⁹ And thei that maden to hem a court, and ech dai thei counseliden thre hundrid and twenti, doynge counsel euere more of multitude, that thei do what thingis ben worthi. ¹⁰ And thei bitaken to o man her maistrie, ether cheef gouernaunce, bi ech yeer, for to be lord of al her lond; and alle obeschen to oon, and enuye is not, nether wraththe among hem. ¹¹ And Judas chees Eupolemus, the sone of Joon, sone of Jacob, and Jason, the sone of Eleasarus, and sente hem to Rome, for to ordeyne with hem frenschip and felouschip; ¹² and that thei schulden take awei fro hem the yok of Grekis, for thei sien that thei oppressiden the rewme of Israel in to seruage. ¹³ And thei wenten to Rome, a ful greet weie, and thei entriden in to the court, ¹⁴ and seiden, Judas Machabeus, and hise britheren, and the puple of Jewis senten vs to you, for to ordeyne with you felouschip and pees, and for to write togidere vs youre felowis and freendis. ¹⁵ And the word pleside in the siyt of hem. ¹⁶ And this is the ayen writyng, which thei ayen writiden in brasun tablis, and senten in to Jerusalem, that it were there a memorial, ether a thing of mynde, of pees and felouschip. 17 Be it wel to Romayns, and to the folc of Jewis, in see and lond, with outen ende; and swerd and enemy be fer fro hem. 18 That if batel bifallith to Romayns bifore, ether to alle felowis of hem in al the lordschip of hem, ¹⁹ the folc of Jewis schal bere help, as time axith, with ful herte; and the Romayns schulen not yyue, ²⁰ nether priuyli ministre to the Jewis fiytynge, wheete, armeris, monei, schippis, as it pleside to Romayns; and thei schulen kepe the maundementis of hem, and take no thing of hem. ²¹ Forsothe in lijk maner and if batel fallith bifore to the folc of Jewis, Romayns schulen helpe of herte, as tyme suffrith hem; ²² and to Romayns helpynge wheete schal not be youun, nether armeris, monei, nether schippis, as it pleside to Romayns; and thei schulen kepe the maundementis of hem with out gile. ²³ Bi these wordis Romayns ordeyneden to the puple of Jewis, ²⁴ That if after these wordis, these ether thei wolen put ony thing to, ether do awei, thei schulen do of her comyn assent; and what euere thingis thei schulen put to, ether do awei, thei schulen be stidfast. 25 But also of yuels whiche kyng Demetrie hath don ayens hem, we han writun to hym, and we seiden, Whi hast thou greuyd thi yok on oure frendis and felowis, the Jewis? 26 Therfor if eftsoone thei schulen come to vs ayens thee, we schulen do doom to hem, and schulen fiyte with thee bi lond and see. 28 In the mene tyme, where Demetrie herde that Nicanor felle, and his oost, in batel, he puttide to eftsoone for to sende Bachides and Alchymus in to Judee, and the riyt half schiltrun with hem. 29 And thei wenten the weie that ledith in to Galgala, and thei settiden tentis in Masoloth, that is in Arbellis; and thei ocupieden it, and slowen many persoones of men. 30 In the firste monethe of the hundrid and two and fifti yeer, thei applieden the oost to Jerusalem. 31 And twenti thousynde of men, and twei thousynde of horse men, han risun, and wenten in to Berea. 32 And Judas settide tentis in Laisa, and thre thousynde men chosun with hym. 33 And thei siyen the multitude of oost, that thei ben manye, and thei dredden greetli; and many withdrowen hem fro tentis, and there left not of hem no but eiyte hundrid men. 34 And Judas siy that his oost fleet awei, and batel constreynede hym, he was brokun togidere in herte, for he hadde not tyme to gadere hem, and he was discoumfortid. 35 And he seide to these that weren residue, Rise we, and go we to oure aduersaries, if we schulen mow fiyte ayens hem. 36 And thei turneden awei hym, and seiden, We schulen not moun, but delyuere we oure lyues, and turne ayen we to oure britheren, and thanne we schulen fiyte ayens hem; forsothe we ben fewe. 37 And Judas seide, Fer be it for to do this thing, that we fle fro hem; and if oure tyme hath neiyed, die we in vertu for oure britheren, and yyue we not cryme to oure glorie. 38 And the oost mouyde fro tentis, and thei stoden ayens hem. And horse men weren departid in to twei partis, and slyngeris and archeris wenten bifore the oost, and the firste men of batel alle miyti. 39 Forsothe Bachides was in the riyt schiltrun. And the legioun of twei partis cam nyy, and crieden with trumpis. 40 Forsothe and these that weren on the part of Judas, crieden also, and the erthe was mouyd togidere of the vois of oostis, and batel was ioyned fro the morewtid til to euentid. 41 And Judas siy, that the part of Bachides oost was saddere in the riyt half, and alle stidfast in herte camen togidere with hym. 42 And the riyt part was al to-brokun of hem; and he pursuede hem til to the hil of Asotus. ⁴³ And thei that weren in the left scheltrun, siyen, that the riyt scheltrun was al to-brokun, and thei sueden at the bac aftir Judas, and hem that weren with hym. ⁴⁴ And the batel was maad greuouse, and there fellen many woundid of these and of hem. ⁴⁵ And Judas felle, and the othere fledden. ⁴⁶ And Jonathas and Symount token her brother Judas, and birieden hym in sepulcre of his fadris, in the citee of Modyn. ⁴⁷ And al Israel biwepten him with greet weilyng, and mourneden many daies, ⁴⁸ and seiden, Hou felle the myyti, that made Israel saaf. ⁴⁹ And othere wordis of batels of Judas, and of vertues that he dide, and of his greetnessis, ben not writun; for tho weren ful many. ⁵⁰ And it was don, after the deth of Judas, alle wickid men in alle coostis of Israel risiden out, and alle that wrouyten wickidnesse camen forth.