2 Maccabees 5

¹ And Bachides chees vnpitouse men, and ordeynede hem lordis of the cuntrei. ² And thei axiden out, and souyten the frendis of Judas, and brouyten hem to Bachides; and he vengide on hem, and scornede. ³ And greet tribulacioun was maad in Israel, what maner was not fro the dai in which a profete was not seyn in Israel. ⁴ And alle the frendis of Judas weren gaderid, and seiden to Jonatas, Sithen thi brother Judas is deed, ⁵ ther is no man lijk hym, that schal go out ayens enemyes, Bachides and hem that ben enemyes of oure folc. ⁶ Therfor now we chesen thee to dai for to be prince and duyk to vs for hym, for to fiyte oure batel. ⁷ And Jonatas resseyuede in that tyme the prinshod, and roos in the place of Judas, his brother. ⁸ And Bachides knew, and souyte for to sle him. ⁹ And Jonatas knew, and Symount, his brother, and alle that weren with hym, and fledden in to desert of Thecue, and saten togidere at the water of the lake Asphar. ¹⁰ And Bachides knew, and in the dai of sabatis he cam, and al his oost, ouer Jordan. ¹¹ And Jonathas sente his brother ledere of that puple, and preiede Nabutheis, his frendis, that he schulde bitake to hem his apparel, that was plenteuouse. ¹² And sones of Jambri wenten out of Madaba, and cauyten Joon, and alle thingis that he hadde, and wenten awei, hauynge tho thingis. ¹³ After thes wordis it was teld ayen to Jonathas, and Symount, his brother, that the sones of Jambri maken grete weddyngis, and wedden a wijf of Madaba, the douyter of oon of the grete princis of Canaan, with greet pride and apparel. ¹⁴ And thei bithouyten on the blood of Joon, her brother, and stieden vp, and hidden hem silf vndur kyueryng of the hil. ¹⁵ And thei reisiden her iyen, and siyen, and lo! noise, and greet apparel; and a hosebonde cam forth, and hise frendis, and hise britheren, ayens hem, with tympans, and musikis, and many armeris. ¹⁶ And thei risiden to hem fro buyschementis, and slowen hem, and many woundid fellen doun, and the residues fledden in to hil, and thei token alle the spuylis of hem; ¹⁷ and weddyngis weren conuertid in to mourenyng, and vois of her musikis in to weilyng. ¹⁸ And thei vengiden the veniaunce of her brotheris blood, and turnyden ayen to the brynk of Jordan. ¹⁹ And Bachides herde, and cam in the dai of sabatis til to the vtmeste part of Jordan, in greet strengthe. ²⁰ And Jonathas seide to hise, Rise we, and fiyte ayens oure enemyes; for it is not to dai as yistirdai and the thridde dai agoon. ²¹ For lo! batel is euene ayens; sotheli watir of Jordan is on this half and on that half, and ryuers, and mareis, and forestis, and ther is not place of turnyng awei. ²² Now therfor crie ye in to heuene, that ye be delyuerede fro hond of youre enemyes. ²³ And batel was ioyned. And Jonathas strauyt out his hond, for to smyte Bachides, and he turnede awei fro him bihynde. ²⁴ And Jonathas skipte doun, and thei that weren with hym, in to Jordan, and swommen ouer Jordan to hem. ²⁵ And there fellen of Bachides part in that dai a thousande men, and thei turneden ayen in to Jerusalem; ²⁶ and bildiden strong citees in Judee, the strengthe that was in Jerico, and in Ammaum, and in Betheron, and Bethel, and Thamathan, and Phara, and Copho, with hiye wallis, and yatis, and lockis. ²⁷ And he settide kepyng in hem, that thei schulden haunte enemytees in Israel;