2 Maccabees 12

¹ {cf2 When these couenantes were made, Lysias went vnto the King, and the Iewes tilled their grounde.}

² {cf2 But the gouernours of the places, as Timotheus and Apollonius the sonne of Genneus, and Ieronimus, and also Demophon, and besides them Nicanor the gouernour of Cyprus, woulde not let them liue in rest and peace.}

³ {cf2 They of Ioppe also did such a vile acte: they prayed the Iewes that dwelt among them, to goe with their wiues and children into the shippes, which they had prepared as though they had ought them none euill will.}

⁴ {cf2 And so by the common aduise of the citie, they obeyed them, and suspect nothing: but when they were gone forth into the deepe, they drowned no lesse then two hundreth of them.}

⁵ {cf2 Nowe when Iudas knewe of this crueltie shewed against his nation, hee commanded those men that were with him, to make them readie.}

⁶ {cf2 And hauing called vpon God the righteous Iudge, hee went foorth against the murtherers of his brethren, and set fire in the hauen by night, and burnt the shippes, and those that fled thence, he slewe.}

⁷ {cf2 And when the citie was shut vp, hee departed as though he would come againe, and roote out all them of the citie of Ioppe.}

⁸ {cf2 But when hee perceiued that the Iamnites were minded to doe in like maner vnto the Iewes, which dwelt among them,}

⁹ {cf2 He came vpon the Iamnites by night, and set fire in the hauen with the nauie, so that the light of the fire was seene at Ierusalem, vpo a two hundreth and fourtie furlongs.}

¹⁰ {cf2 Now whe they were gone from thence nine furlongs, in their iourney toward Timotheus, about fiue thousand men of foote and fiue hundreth horsemen of the Arabians set vpon him.}

¹¹ {cf2 So the battell was sharpe, but it prospered with Iudas through the helpe of God: the Nomades of Arabia; being ouercome, besought Iudas to make peace with them, and promised to giue him certaine cattell, and to helpe him in other things.}

¹² {cf2 And Iudas thinking that they shoulde in deede be profitable concerning many things, granted them peace: whereupon they shooke hands, and so they departed to their tents.}

¹³ {cf2 Iudas also assaulted a citie called Caspis, which was strong by reason of a bridge, and fenced round about with walles, and had diuers kindes of people dwelling therein.}

¹⁴ {cf2 So they that were within it, put such trust in the strength of the walles, and in store of vitailes, that they were ye slacker in their doings, reuiling the that were with Iudas, and reproching them: yea, they blasphemed and spake such wordes as were not lawfull.}

¹⁵ {cf2 But Maccabeus souldiers, calling vpon the great Prince of the world (which without any instruments, or engins of warre, did cast downe the walles of Iericho, in the time of Iesus) gaue a fierce assault against the walles,}

¹⁶ {cf2 And tooke the citie by the will of God, and made an exceeding great slaughter, in so much that a lake of two furlongs broade, which lay thereby, seemed to flowe with blood.}

¹⁷ {cf2 Then departed they from thence, seuen hundreth and fiftie furlongs, and came to Characa vnto the Iewes, that are called Tubieni.}

¹⁸ {cf2 But they founde not Timotheus therefor he was departed from thence, and had done nothing, and had left a garison in a very strong hold.}

¹⁹ {cf2 But Dositheus, and Sosipater, which were captaines with Maccabeus, went foorth, and slewe those that Timotheus had left in the fortresse more then tenne thousand men.}

²⁰ {cf2 And Maccabeus prepared, and ranged his armie by bandes, and went couragiously against Timotheus, which had with him an hundreth and twentie thousand men of foote, and two thousand and fiue hundreth horsemen.}

²¹ {cf2 When Timotheus had knowledge of Iudas coming, he sent the women, and children, and the other baggage afore vnto a fortresse called Carnion (for it was hard to besiege, and vneasie to come vnto because of the straites on all sides.)}

²² {cf2 But when Iudas first band came in sight, the enemies were smitten with feare, and a trembling was among them through the presence of him that seeth all thinges, in so much that they fleeing one here, another there, were oft times hurt by their owne people, and wounded with the poyntes of their owne swordes.}

²³ {cf2 But Iudas was very earnest in pursuing, andslewe those wicked men yea, hee slewe thirtie thousand men of them.}

²⁴ {cf2 Timotheus also himselfe fell into the handes of Dositheus, and Sosipater, whome hee besought with much craft to let him go with his life, because he had many of the Iewes parents and the brethren of some of them, which, if they put him to death, should be despised.}

²⁵ {cf2 So when hee had assured them with many wordes, and promised that he woulde restore them without hurt, they let him goe for the health of their brethren.}

²⁶ {cf2 Then went Maccabeus toward Carnion, and Atargation, and slewe fiue and twentie thousand persons:}

²⁷ {cf2 And after that hee had chased away, and slayne them, Iudas remoued the hoste towarde Ephron a strong citie, wherein was Lysias and a great multitude of all nations, and the strong yong men kept the walles defending them mightily: there was also great preparation of engins of warre, and dartes.}

²⁸ {cf2 But when they had called vpon the Lorde, which with his power breaketh the strength of the enemies, they wanne the citie, and slewe fiue and twentie thousand of them that were within.}

²⁹ {cf2 From thence went they to Scythopolis, which lieth sixe hundreth furlonges from Ierusalem.}

³⁰ {cf2 But when the Iewes which dwelt there, testified, that the Scythopolitans delt louingly with them, and intreated the kindly in the time of their aduersitie,}

³¹ {cf2 They gaue them thankes, desiring them to be friendly still vnto them, and so they came to Ierusalem, as the feast of the weekes approched.}

³² {cf2 And after the feast called Pentecost, they went forth against Gorgias ye gouernor of Idumea:}

³³ {cf2 Who came out with three thousande men of foote and foure hundreth horsemen.}

³⁴ {cf2 And when they ioyned together, a fewe of the Iewes were slaine,}

³⁵ {cf2 And Dositheus one of the Baccenors, which was on horsebacke and a mighty man, tooke Gorgias, and laide holde of his garment, and drewe him by force, because he woulde haue taken the wicked man aliue: but an horseman of Thracia fell vpon him, & smote off his shoulder, so that Gorgias fled into Marisa.}

³⁶ {cf2 And when they that were with Eserin, had foughten long, and were weary, Iudas called vpon the Lord, that he would shewe him selfe to be their helper, and captaine of the fielde.}

³⁷ {cf2 And then hee began in his owne language, and sung psalmes with a loude voyce, in so much that straightwaies hee made them that were about Gorgias, to take their flight.}

³⁸ {cf2 So Iudas gathered his hoste, and came into the citie of Odolla; when the seuenth day came, they clensed them selues (as the custome was) and kept the Sabbath in the same place.}

³⁹ {cf2 And vpon the day following, as necessitie required, Iudas and his companie came to take vp the bodyes of them that were slaine, and to burie them with their kinsmen in their fathers graues.}

⁴⁰ {cf2 Nowe vnder the coates of euery one, that was slaine, they founde iewels that had bene consecrate to the idoles of the Iamnites, which thing is forbidden the Iewes by the Lawe. Then euery man sawe, that this was the cause wherefore they were slaine.}

⁴¹ {cf2 And so euery man gaue thankes vnto the Lorde, the righteous Iudge, which had opened the things that were hid.}

⁴² {cf2 And they gaue them selues to prayer, and besought him, that they should not, vtterly be destroyed for the fault comitted. Besides that, noble Iudas exhorted the people to keepe them selues from sinne, for so much as they sawe before their eyes the things which came to passe by the sinne of these that were slaine,}

⁴³ {cf2 And hauing made a gathering through the company, sent to Ierusalem about two thousande drachmes of siluer, to offer a sinne offering, doing very well, and honestly that he thought of the resurrection.}

⁴⁴ {cf2 For if he had not hoped, that they which were slaine, should rise againe, it had bene superfluous, and vaine, to pray for the dead.}

⁴⁵ {cf2 And therefore he perceiued, that there was great fauour laid vp for those that dyed godly. (It was an holy, and a good thought.) So he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be deliuered from sinne.}