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1 In the year one hundred and forty- nine,
Judas understood that Antiochus Eupator was coming
with a multitude against Judea,
2 And with him Lysias
the regent, who had charge over the affairs of the realm, having with him a
hundred and ten thousand footmen, five thousand horse- men, twenty-two
elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with hooks.
3 Menelaus also joined himself with them: and with
great deceitfulness besought Antiochus, not for the welfare of his country,
but in hopes that he should be appointed chief ruler.
4 But the King of kings stirred up the
mind of Antiochus against the sinner, and upon Lysias
suggesting that he was the cause of all the evils, he commanded (as the
custom is with them) that he should be apprehended and put to death in the
same place.
5 Now there was in that place a tower fifty
cubits high, having a heap of ashes on every side: this had a prospect steep
down.
6 From thence he commanded the sacrilegious wretch
to be thrown down into the ashes, all men thrusting him forward unto death.
7 And by such a law it happened that Menelaus
the transgressor of the law was put to death: not having so much as burial in
the earth.
8 And indeed very justly, for insomuch as he
had committed many sins against the altar of God, the fire and ashes of which
were holy: he was condemned to die in ashes.
9 8 taste of the hardiness of the Jews,
attempted to take the strong places by policy:
10 9 But the king, with his mind full of
rage, came on to shew himself worse to the Jews
than his father was.
11 10 Which, when Judas understood, he
commanded the people to call upon the Lord day and night, that as he had
always done, so now also he would help them:
12 11 Because they were afraid to be
deprived of the law, and of their country, and of the holy temple: and that
he would not suffer the people, that had of late taken breath for a little
while, to be again in subjection to blasphemous nations.
13 12 So when they had all done this
together, and had craved mercy of the Lord with weeping and fasting, lying
prostrate on the ground for three days continually, Judas exhorted them to
make themselves ready.
14 13 But he with the ancients determined,
before the king should bring his army into Judea, and make himself master of
the city, to go out, and to commit the event of the thing to the judgment of
the Lord.
15 14 So committing all to God, the creator
of the world, and having exhorted his people to fight manfully, and to stand
up even to death for the laws, the temple, the city, their country, and
citizens: he placed his army about Modin.
16 15 And having given his company for a
watchword, The victory of God, with most valiant chosen young men, he set
upon the king's quarter by night, and slew four thousand men in the camp, and
the greatest of the elephants, with them that had been upon him,
17 16 And having filled the camp of the
enemies with exceeding greet fear and tumult, they went off with good
success.
18 17 Now this was done at the break of day,
by the protection and help of the Lord.
19 18 18; But the king having taken
20 19 And he marched with his army to Bethsura, which was a strong hold of the Jews: but he was
repulsed, he failed, he rest his men.
21 20 Now Judas sent necessaries to them that
were within.
22 21 But Rhodocus,
one of the Jews' army, disclosed the secrets to the enemies, so he was sought
out, and taken up, and put in prison.
23 22 Again the king treated with them that were
in Bethsura: gave his right hand: took theirs: and
went away.
24 23 He fought with Jucias:
and was overcome. And when he understood that Philip, who had been left over
the affairs, had rebelled at Antioch, he was in a consternation of mind, and
entreating the Jews, and yielding to them, he swore to all things that seemed
reasonable, and, being reconciled, offered sacrifices, honoured
the temple, and left gifts.
25 24 He embraced Machabeus,
and made him governor and prince from Ptolemais
unto the Cerrenians.
26 25 But when he was come to Ptolemais, the men of that city were much displeased with
the conditions of the peace, being angry for fear they should break the
covenant.
27 26 Then Lysias
went up to the judgment seat, and set forth the reason, and appeased the
people, and returned to Antioch: and thus matters went with regard to the
king's coming and his return.
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1- في السنة المئة و التاسعة و
الاربعين بلغ اصحاب يهوذا ان انطيوكس اوباطور قادم على اليهودية بجيش كثيف.
2- و معه ليسياس الوكيل و قيم
المصالح و معهما جيش من اليونان مؤلف من مئة و عشرة الاف راجل و خمسة الاف و
ثلاث مئة فارس و اثنين و عشرين فيلا و ثلاث مئة عجلة ذات مناجل.
3- فانضم اليهم منلاوس و جعل يحرض انطيوكس بكل
نوع من المؤالسة غير مبال بخلاص الوطن بل كان همه ان يرد الى الرئاسة.
4- و لكن ملك الملوك هيج سخط انطيوكس على ذلك
الكافر فان ليسياس اشربه ان الرجل كان هو السبب في تلك النوازل باسرها فامر بان
يذهب به الى بيرية ليقتل على عادة البلاد.
5- و هناك برج علوه خمسون ذراعا مملوء رمادا و
فيه الة مستديرة تهوي براكبها من جميع جهاتها الى الرماد.
6- ففي ذلك الموضع اهلك ذلك
المختاس للهيكل الذي كان سببا لشرور شتى مدفوعا اليه بايدي الجميع.
7- و بهذه المنية هلك منلاوس
المنافق و لم يحصل على تربة يوارى فيها.
8- و كان ذلك بكل عدل فانه اذ كان قد اجترم
جرائم كثيرة على المذبح الذي ناره و رماده مطهران ذاق منيته في الرماد.
9- و اما الملك فما زال متقدما بعتوه و قساوته
متوعدا اليهود بامر من البلايا التي انزلها بهم ابوه.
10- فلما علم يهوذا بذلك امر
الشعب بالابتهال الى الرب نهارا و ليلا ان ينصرهم في ذلك اليوم كما كان يفعل من
قبل.
11- اذ قد اشرفوا على اضمحلال
الشريعة و الوطن و الهيكل المقدس و ان لا يدع الامم المجدفة تذل شعبه الذي لم
يفرج عنه الا من امد يسير.
12- ففعلوا كلهم و تضرعوا الى الرب الرحيم
بابكاء و الصوم و السجود مدة ثلاثة ايام بلا انقطاع ثم حرضهم يهوذا و امرهم
بالاجتماع.
13- و خلا بالشيوخ و ابرم معهم مشورة ان
يخرجوا و يقضوا الامر بتاييد الرب قبل ان يدخل جيش الملك اليهودية و يستحوذ على
المدينة.
14- ففوض الامر الى خالق الكائنات و حض اصحابه
ان يقاتلوا ببسالة و يبذلوا انفسهم دون الشريعة و الهيكل و المدينة و الوطن و
الدولة و نصب محلته عند مودين.
15- و جعل لهم كلمة السر النصر بالله ثم اختار
قوما من نخب الشبان و هجم ليلا على مخيم الملك في المحلة و قتل اربعة الاف رجل و
اهلك اول الفيلة مع القوم الذين كانوا في برجه.
16- و ملاوا المحلة رعبا و اضطرابا و انقلبوا
فائزين بوقاية الرب التي كانت تكتنفه.
17- و تمت له هذه النصرة عند طلوع الفجر.
18- فلما ذاق الملك ما عند
اليهود من البطش عمد الى اخذ المعاقل بالحيلة.
19- فحاصر بيت صور و هي محرس منيع ليهود
فانكسر و ارتد منكوسا خاسرا.
20- و كان يهوذا يمد الذين فيها
بما يحتاجون اليه.
21- و ان رجلا من جيش اليهود اسمه رودكس كاشف
العدو باسرارهم فطلبوه و قبضوا عليه و سجنوه.
22- فعاد الملك و خاطب اهل بيت
صور و عرض عليهم الصلح فعاقدوه و انصرف.
23- و بعد ان قاتل يهوذا و انكسر
بلغه ان فيلبس الذي كان قد ترك في انطاكية لتدبير الامور قد تمرد عليه فوقع في
حيرة و توسل الى اليهود و دان لهم و حالفهم على اعطاء حقوقهم كلها و سالمهم و
قدم ذبيحة و اكرم الهيكل و احسن الى الموضع.
24- و صافى المكابي و نصبه قائدا
و حاكما على البلاد من بطلمايس الى حدود الجرانيين.
25- ثم جاء الى بطلمايس و كان اهل المدينة قد
شق عليهم ذلك العهد و انكروا عليه فسخ عهودهم.
26- فانطلق ليسياس الى الديوان و
اورد ما استطاع من الحجج فاقنعهم و سكنهم و ميلهم الى الرفق ثم عاد الى انطاكية
و هكذا انقضى مقدم الملك و رجوعه
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