2 Maccabees 9
2 Maccabees chapter 9 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 And the kyng of Egipt gaderide an oost, as grauel that is aboute the brynke of the see, and many schippis; and souyte for to welde the rewme of Alisaundre in gile, and adde it to his rewme. 2 And he wente out in to Sirie with pesible wordis, and thei openyden to hym citees, and camen to hym; for whi kyng Alisaundre comaundide for to go out ayens him, for he was fadir of the kyngis wijf. 3 Sotheli whanne Tolome entride in to a citee, he puttide kepyngis of kniytis in ech citee. And as he neiyede to Azotus, thei schewiden to hym the temple of Dagon brent in fier, and Azotus, and othere thingis therof distried, and bodies cast forth, and the biriels of hem that weren slayn in batel, whiche thei maden bisidis the weie. 5 And thei telden to the kyng, that Jonathas dide these thingis, for to make enuye to hym; and the kyng was stille. 6 And Jonathas cam to the kyng with glorie in to Joppen, and thei gretten hem togidere; and thei slepten there. 7 And Jonathas wente with the king til to the flood that is clepid Eleutherus, and turnede ayen in to Jerusalem. 8 Sotheli kyng Tolome weldide the lordschip of citees til to Seleuce, bi the eest coost, and thouyte ayens Alisaundre yuel counsels; 9 and sente legatis to Demetrie, and seide, Come thou, make we bitwixe vs couenaunt, and Y schal yyue to thee my douyter, whom Alisaundre hath, and thou schalt regne in rewme of thi fadir. 10 For it rewith me, that Y yaf to hym my douyter; for he souyte for to sle me. 11 And he dispiside him therfor, for he coueitide the rewme of hym. 12 And he took a wey his douyter, and yaf hir to Demetrie, and alienyde hym fro Alisaundre; and hise enemytees weren maad knowun. 13 And Tolome entride in to Antiochie, and puttide twei diademys to his heed, of Egipt and of Asie. 14 Forsothe Alisaundre, the kyng, was in Cilice in tho tymes, for thei rebelliden, that weren in tho places. 15 And Alisaundre herde, and cam to hym in to batel; and Tolome, kyng, brouyt forth oost, and cam to hym in strong hond, and droof hym. 16 And Alisaundre flei in to Arabie, for to be defendid there; sotheli kyng Tolome was enhaunsid. 17 And Gadiel of Arabie took awei Alisaundris heed, and sente to Tolome. 18 And kyng Tolome was deed in the thridde dai; and thei that weren in strengthis perischiden, of hem that weren with ynne the castels. 19 And Demetrie regnede in the hundrid yeer and seuene and sixtithe. 20 In tho daies Jonathas gaderide hem that weren in Judee, for to ouercome the hiy tour, that is in Jerusalem; and thei maden ayens it many engynes. 21 And summe wickid men, that hatiden her folc, wenten to the kyng Demetrie, and telden to hym, that Jonathas bisegide the hiy tour. 22 And as he herde, he was wroth, and anoon he cam to Tolomaida, and wroot to Jonathas, that he schulde not bisege the hiy tour, but schulde come to hym in haaste, to speke togidere. 23 Sotheli as Jonathas herde, he comaundide for to bisege; and he chees of the eldere men of Israel, and of prestis, and yaf hym to perel. 24 And he took gold, and siluer, and cloth, and many other presentis; and wente to the kyng, to Tolomaida, and foond grace in the siyt of hym. 25 And summe wickid men of his folc axiden ayens hym; 26 `and the kyng dide to him, as thei that weren bifore hym, diden to hym; and he enhaunside him in siyt of alle his frendis, 27 and ordeynede to hym prinsehod of presthod, and what euere othere preciouse thingis he hadde bifore; and made hym prince of hise frendis. 28 And Jonatas axide of the kyng, that he schulde make Judee fre, and thre prinshedis of thre places, and Samarie and niy coostis therof; and he bihiyte to hym thre hundrid talentis. 29 And the kyng consentide, and wroot to Jonatas epistles of alle these thingis, conteynynge this maner.
