2 Maccabees 7

¹ And he seide to men doynge werkis, that thei schulden make up the wallis, and the hil of Sion in cumpas, with square stonys to strengthing; and thei diden so. ² And aliens fledden, that weren in the strengthis, whiche Bachides hadde bildid; ³ and ech man lefte his place, and wente in to his lond. ⁴ Oneli in Bethsura dwelten sum of hem, that forsoken the lawe and heestis of God; for whi this was to hem to refuyte. ⁵ And Alisaundre the kyng herde biheestis, that Demetrie bihiyte to Jonathas, and thei telden to hym the batels and vertues whiche he dide, and his britheren, and the trauelis whiche thei traueliden. ⁶ And he seide, Whether we schulen fynde ony such man? And now make we hym our frende and felowe. ⁷ And he wroot epistle, and sente bi these wordis, ⁸ seiynge, Kyng Alisaundre to Jonathas, brother, helthe. ⁹ We han herde of thee, that thou art a miyti man in strengthis, and art able that thou be oure frend. ¹⁰ And now we ordeynen thee to dai hiyest prest of thi folc, and that thou be clepid frend of the kyng. And he sente to hym purpur, and a goldun coroun, that thou feele with vs what thingis ben oure, and kepe frenschipis to vs. ¹¹ And Jonathas clothide hym with hooly stoole, in the seuenthe monethe, in the hundrid and sixtithe yeer, in the solempne dai of Senofegie. And he gaderide an ooste, and made copiouse armeris. ¹² And Demetrie herde these wordis, and was maad ful sorewful, and seide, What han we do this thing, ¹³ that Alisaundre bifor ocupiede vs, for to catche frenschip of Jewis to his strengthing? ¹⁴ And Y schal write to hym preiynge wordis, and dignitees, and yiftis, that he be with me in help. ¹⁵ And he wroot to hym by these wordis, Kyng Demetrie to the folc of Jewis, helthe. ¹⁶ For ye kepten to vs couenaunt, and dwelten in oure frenschip, and wenten not to oure enemyes, we herden, and ioieden. ¹⁷ And now laste ye yit for to kepe to vs feith; ¹⁸ and we schulen quyte to you good thingis, for these thingis that ye diden with vs, and we schulen foryyue to you many rentis, and we schulen yyue yiftis to you. ¹⁹ And now Y asoile you, and alle Jewis, of tributis, and Y foryyue to you the prices of salt, and foryyue corouns, and the thridde part of seed; ²⁰ and Y leeue to you fro this dai and afterward the half part of fruyt of tre, that is of my porcioun, tha tit be not takun of the lond of Juda, and of thre citees that ben addid therto, of Samarie and Galile, fro this dai and in to al tyme. ²¹ And Jerusalem be hooli, and fre, with hise coostis; and tithis and tributis be of it. ²² Also Y foryiue the power of the hiy tour, that is in Jerusalem; and Y yyue it to the hiyest prest, that he ordeyne therynne men, whiche euere he schal chese, that schulen kepe it. ²³ And ech persoone of Jewis, that is caitif of the lond of Juda, in al my rewme, Y delyuer fre wilfuli, that alle be soilid of her tributis, yhe, of her beestis. ²⁴ And alle solempne daies, and sabatis, and neomenyes, and alle daies ordeyned, and thre daies bifor the solempne dai, and thre daies after the solempne dai, alle these be daies of fraunchise, and of remissioun, to alle Jewis that ben in my rewme. ²⁵ And no man schal haue power for to do ony thing, and moue causis ayens ony of hem in ony cause. ²⁶ And that ther be writun of Jewis in the kingis oost, to thritti thousyndis of men; and plentees schulen be youun to hem, as it bihoueth to alle oostis of the kyng. ²⁷ And of hem schulen be ordeyned, that be in the greet strengthis of the kyng; ²⁸ of hem schulen be ordeyned ouer nedis of the rewme, that ben don of feith, and princes be of hem; and walke thei in her lawis, as the kyng comaundide in the lond of Juda. And thre citees, that ben addid to Judee of the cuntre of Samarie, be demyd with Judee; that thei be vndur oon, and obeie not to other power, no but to the hiyeste prest; ²⁹ Tolomaida, and coostis therof, whiche Y haue youun a yifte to hooli men that ben in Jerusalem, to nedeful costis of seyntis. ³⁰ And Y schal yyue in ech yeer fiftene thousynde of siclis of siluer, of the kyngis resouns, that perteynen to me; ³¹ and al that is residue, which thei that weren ouer nedis yeldiden not in formere yeeris, fro this tyme thei schulen yyue in to werkis of the hous. ³² And ouer this fyue thousynde siclis of siluer, whiche thei token of resoun of hooli thingis bi ech yeer; and these thingis schulen perteyne to prestis, that vsen mynysterie. ³³ And who euere schulen fle to the temple that is in Jerusalem, and in alle coostis therof, and ben gilti to the king in ony cause, be releesid; and haue thei fre alle thingis, that ben to hem in my rewme. ³⁴ And to bilde werkis of hooli thingis, costis schulen be youun of the kyngis rent, ³⁵ and for to bilde out the wallis of Jerusalem; and for to make strong in cumpas, spensis schulen be youun of the kyngis rent, for to make out wallis in Judee. ³⁶ As Jonathas and the puple herde these wordis, thei bileueden not to hem, nether resseyueden hem; for thei hadden mynde of the greet malice that he hadde don in Israel, and hadde troblid hem greetli. ³⁷ And it pleside togidere to hem in to Alisaundre, for he was to hem prince of wordis of pees, and to hym thei baren help in alle daies. ³⁸ And kyng Alisaundre gaderide a greet oost, and mouyde tentis ayens Demetrie. ³⁹ And the kyngis ioyneden batel, and the oost of Demetrie fledde; and Alisaundre pursuede him, and lai on hem; ⁴⁰ and the batel was ful strong, til the sunne wente doun, and Demetrie felle in that dai. ⁴¹ And Alisaundre sente to Tolome, king of Egipt, legatis bi these wordis, ⁴² and seide, For Y cam ayen in to my rewme, and sat in the seete of my fadris; and Y haue weldid princehod, and Y haue al to-brokun Demetrie, and haue weldid oure cuntrei;