Primus Machabaeorum 16

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Et ascendit Joannes de Gazaris, et nuntiavit Simoni patri suo quæ fecit Cendebæus in populo ipsorum.	1 John then went up from Gazara and told his father Simon what Cendebeus was doing.
2 Et vocavit Simon duos filios seniores, Judam et Joannem, et ait illis : Ego, et fratres mei, et domus patris mei expugnavimus hostes Israël ab adolescentia usque in hunc diem : et prosperatum est in manibus nostris liberare Israël aliquoties.	2 Simon called his two oldest sons, Judas and John, and said to them: "I and my brothers and my father's house have fought the battles of Israel from our youth until today, and many times we succeeded in saving Israel.
3 Nunc autem senui : sed estote loco meo, et fratres mei, et egressi pugnate pro gente nostra : auxilium vero de cælo vobiscum sit.	3 I have now grown old, but you, by the mercy of Heaven, have come to man's estate. Take my place and my brother's, and go out and fight for our nation; and may the help of Heaven be with you!"
4 Et elegit de regione viginti millia virorum belligeratorum, et equites : et profecti sunt ad Cendebæum, et dormierunt in Modin.	4 John then mustered in the land twenty thousand warriors and horsemen. Setting out against Cendebeus, they spent the night at Modein,
5 Et surrexerunt mane, et abierunt in campum : et ecce exercitus copiosus in obviam illis peditum et equitum : et fluvius torrens erat inter medium ipsorum.	5 rose early, and marched into the plain. There, facing them, was an immense army of foot soldiers and horsemen, and between the two armies was a stream.
6 Et admovit castra contra faciem eorum ipse et populus ejus, et vidit populum trepidantem ad transfretandum torrentem : et transfretavit primus, et viderunt eum viri, et transierunt post eum.	6 John and his men took their position against the enemy. Seeing that his men were afraid to cross the stream, John crossed first. When his men saw this, they crossed over after him.
7 Et divisit populum et equites in medio peditum : erat autem equitatus adversariorum copiosus nimis.	7 Then he divided his infantry into two corps and put his cavalry between them, for the enemy's horsemen were very numerous.
8 Et exclamaverunt sacris tubis, et in fugam conversus est Cendebæus et castra ejus : et ceciderunt ex eis multi vulnerati : residui autem in munitionem fugerunt.	8 They blew the trumpets, and Cendebeus and his army were put to flight; many of them fell wounded, and the rest fled toward the stronghold.
9 Tunc vulneratus est Judas frater Joannis : Joannes autem insecutus est eos, donec venit Cedronem, quam ædificavit :	9 It was then that John's brother Judas fell wounded; but John pursued them until Cendebeus reached Kedron, which he had fortified.
10 et fugerunt usque ad turres, quæ erant in agris Azoti, et succendit eas igni. Et ceciderunt ex illis duo millia virorum, et reversus est in Judæam in pace.	10 Some took refuge in the towers on the plain of Azotus, but John set fire to these, and about two thousand of the enemy perished. He then returned to Judea in peace.
11 Et Ptolemæus filius Abobi constitutus erat dux in campo Jericho, et habebat argentum et aurum multum :	11 Ptolemy, son of Abubus, had been appointed governor of the plain of Jericho, and he had much silver and gold,
12 erat enim gener summi sacerdotis.	12 being the son-in-law of the high priest.
13 Et exaltatum est cor ejus, et volebat obtinere regionem, et cogitabat dolum adversus Simonem et filios ejus, ut tolleret eos.	13 But he became ambitious and sought to get control of the country. So he made treacherous plans to do away with Simon and his sons.
14 Simon autem, perambulans civitates quæ erant in regione Judææ, et sollicitudinem gerens earum, descendit in Jericho ipse, et Mathathias filius ejus, et Judas, anno centesimo septuagesimo septimo, mense undecimo : hic est mensis Sabath.	14 As Simon was inspecting the cities of the country and providing for their needs, he and his sons Mattathias and Judas went down to Jericho in the year one hundred and seventy-seven, in the eleventh month (that is, the month Shebat).
15 Et suscepit eos filius Abobi in munitiunculam, quæ vocatur Doch, cum dolo, quam ædificavit : et fecit eis convivium magnum, et abscondit illic viros.	15 The son of Abubus gave them a deceitful welcome in the little stronghold called Dok which he had built. While serving them a sumptuous banquet, he had his men hidden there.
16 Et cum inebriatus esset Simon et filii ejus, surrexit Ptolemæus cum suis, et sumpserunt arma sua, et intraverunt in convivium : et occiderunt eum, et duos filios ejus, et quosdam pueros ejus :	16 Then, when Simon and his sons had drunk freely, Ptolemy and his men sprang up, weapons in hand, rushed upon Simon in the banquet hall, and killed him, his two sons, and some of his servants.
17 et fecit deceptionem magnam in Israël, et reddidit mala pro bonis.	17 By this vicious act of treason he repaid good with evil.
18 Et scripsit hæc Ptolemæus, et misit regi ut mitteret ei exercitum in auxilium, et traderet ei regionem, et civitates eorum, et tributa.	18 Then Ptolemy wrote an account of this and sent it to the king, asking that troops be sent to help him and that the country be turned over to him.
19 Et misit alios in Gazaram tollere Joannem : et tribunis misit epistolas, ut venirent ad se, et daret eis argentum, et aurum, et dona.	19 He sent other men to Gazara to do away with John. To the army officers he sent letters inviting them to come to him so that he might present them with silver, gold, and gifts.
20 Et alios misit occupare Jerusalem et montem templi.	20 He also sent others to seize Jerusalem and the mount of the temple.
21 Et præcurrens quidam, nuntiavit Joanni in Gazara quia periit pater ejus et fratres ejus, et quia misit te quoque interfici.	21 But someone ran ahead and brought word to John at Gazara that his father and his brothers had perished, and that Ptolemy had sent men to kill him also.
22 Ut audivit autem, vehementer expavit : et comprehendit viros, qui venerant perdere eum, et occidit eos : cognovit enim quia quærebant eum perdere.	22 On hearing this, John was utterly astounded. When the men came to kill him, he had them arrested and put to death, for he knew what they meant to do.
23 Et cetera sermonum Joannis, et bellorum ejus, et bonarum virtutum, quibus fortiter gessit, et ædificii murorum, quos exstruxit, et rerum gestarum ejus :	23 Now the rest of the history of John, his wars and the brave deeds he performed, his rebuilding of the walls, and his other achievements-
24 ecce hæc scripta sunt in libro dierum sacerdotii ejus, ex quo factus est princeps sacerdotum post patrem suum.	24 these things are recorded in the chronicle of his pontificate, from the time that he succeeded his father as high priest.