Primus Machabaeorum 6

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Et rex Antiochus perambulabat superiores regiones, et audivit esse civitatem Elymaidem in Perside nobilissimam, et copiosam in argento et auro,	1 As King Antiochus was traversing the inland provinces, he heard that in Persia there was a city called Elymais, famous for its wealth in silver and gold,
2 templumque in ea locuples valde, et illic velamina aurea, et loricæ, et scuta, quæ reliquit Alexander Philippi rex Macedo, qui regnavit primus in Græcia.	2 and that its temple was very rich, containing gold helmets, breastplates, and weapons left there by Alexander, son of Philip, king of Macedon, the first king of the Greeks.
3 Et venit, et quærebat capere civitatem, et deprædari eam : et non potuit, quoniam innotuit sermo his qui erant in civitate :	3 He went therefore and tried to capture and pillage the city. But he could not do so, because his plan became known to the people of the city
4 et insurrexerunt in prælium, et fugit inde, et abiit cum tristitia magna, et reversus est in Babyloniam.	4 who rose up in battle against him. So he retreated and in great dismay withdrew from there to return to Babylon.
5 Et venit qui nuntiaret ei in Perside, quia fugata sunt castra quæ erant in terra Juda :	5 While he was in Persia, a messenger brought him news that the armies sent into the land of Judah had been put to flight;
6 et quia abiit Lysias cum virtute forti in primis, et fugatus est a facie Judæorum, et invaluerunt armis, et viribus, et spoliis multis, quæ ceperunt de castris, quæ exciderunt :	6 that Lysias had gone at first with a strong army and been driven back by the Israelites; that they had grown strong by reason of the arms, men, and abundant possessions taken from the armies they had destroyed;
7 et quia diruerunt abominationem, quam ædificaverat super altare quod erat in Jerusalem : et sanctificationem, sicut prius, circumdederunt muris excelsis, sed et Bethsuram civitatem suam.	7 that they had pulled down the Abomination which he had built upon the altar in Jerusalem; and that they had surrounded with high walls both the sanctuary, as it had been before, and his city of Beth-zur.
8 Et factum est ut audivit rex sermones istos, expavit, et commotus est valde : et decidit in lectum, et incidit in languorem præ tristitia, quia non factum est ei sicut cogitabat.	8 When the king heard this news, he was struck with fear and very much shaken. Sick with grief because his designs had failed, he took to his bed.
9 Et erat illic per dies multos, quia renovata est in eo tristitia magna, et arbitratus est se mori.	9 There he remained many days, overwhelmed with sorrow, for he knew he was going to die.
10 Et vocavit omnes amicos suos, et dixit illis : Recessit somnus ab oculis meis, et concidi, et corrui corde præ sollicitudine :	10 So he called in all his Friends and said to them: "Sleep has departed from my eyes, for my heart is sinking with anxiety.
11 et dixi in corde meo : In quantam tribulationem deveni, et in quos fluctus tristitiæ, in qua nunc sum : qui jucundus eram, et dilectus in potestate mea !	11 I said to myself: 'Into what tribulation have I come, and in what floods of sorrow am I now!
12 Nunc vero reminiscor malorum quæ feci in Jerusalem, unde et abstuli omnia spolia aurea et argentea quæ erant in ea, et misi auferre habitantes Judæam sine causa.	12 Yet I was kindly and beloved in my rule.' But I now recall the evils I did in Jerusalem, when I carried away all the vessels of gold and silver that were in it, and for no cause gave orders that the inhabitants of Judah be destroyed.
13 Cognovi ergo quia propterea invenerunt me mala ista : et ecce pereo tristitia magna in terra aliena.	13 I know that this is why these evils have overtaken me; and now I am dying, in bitter grief, in a foreign land."
14 Et vocavit Philippum, unum de amicis suis, et præposuit eum super universum regnum suum :	14 Then he summoned Philip, one of his Friends, and put him in charge of his whole kingdom.
15 et dedit ei diadema, et stolam suam, et annulum, ut adduceret Antiochum filium suum, et nutriret eum, et regnaret.	15 He gave him his crown, his robe, and his signet ring, so that he might guide the king's son Antiochus and bring him up to be king.
16 Et mortuus est illic Antiochus rex anno centesimo quadragesimo nono.	16 King Antiochus died in Persia in the year one hundred and forty-nine.
17 Et cognovit Lysias quoniam mortuus est rex, et constituit regnare Antiochum filium ejus, quem nutrivit adolescentem : et vocavit nomen ejus Eupator.	17 When Lysias learned that the king was dead, he set up the king's son Antiochus, whom he had reared as a child, to be king in his place; and he gave him the title Eupator.
18 Et hi qui erant in arce, concluserant Israël in circuitu sanctorum : et quærebant eis mala semper, et firmamentum gentium.	18 The men in the citadel were hemming in Israel around the sanctuary, continually trying to harm them and to strengthen the Gentiles.
19 Et cogitavit Judas disperdere eos : et convocavit universum populum, ut obsiderent eos.	19 But Judas planned to destroy them, and called all the people together to besiege them.
20 Et convenerunt simul, et obsederunt eos anno centesimo quinquagesimo, et fecerunt ballistas et machinas.	20 So in the year one hundred and fifty they assembled and stormed the citadel, for which purpose he constructed catapults and other devices.
21 Et exierunt quidam ex eis qui obsidebantur : et adjunxerunt se illis aliqui impii ex Israël,	21 Some of the besieged escaped, joined by impious Israelites;
22 et abierunt ad regem, et dixerunt : Quousque non facis judicium, et vindicas fratres nostros ?	22 they went to the king and said: "How long will you fail to do justice and avenge our kinsmen?
23 Nos decrevimus servire patri tuo, et ambulare in præceptis ejus, et obsequi edictis ejus :	23 We agreed to serve your father and to follow his orders and obey his edicts.
24 et filii populi nostri propter hoc alienabant se a nobis, et quicumque inveniebantur ex nobis, interficiebantur, et hæreditates nostræ diripiebantur.	24 And for this the sons of our people have become our enemies; they have put to death as many of us as they could find and have plundered our estates.
25 Et non ad nos tantum extenderunt manum, sed et in omnes fines nostros :	25 They have acted aggressively not only against us, but throughout their whole territory.
26 et ecce applicuerunt hodie ad arcem Jerusalem occupare eam, et munitionem Bethsuram munierunt :	26 Look! They have now besieged the citadel in Jerusalem in order to capture it, and they have fortified the sanctuary and Beth-zur.
27 et nisi præveneris eos velocius, majora quam hæc facient, et non poteris obtinere eos.	27 Unless you quickly forestall them, they will do even worse things than these, and you will not be able to stop them."
28 Et iratus est rex, ut hæc audivit : et convocavit omnes amicos suos, et principes exercitus sui, et eos qui super equites erant :	28 When the king heard this he was angry, and he called together all his Friends, the officers of his army, and the commanders of the cavalry.
29 sed et de regnis aliis et de insulis maritimis venerunt ad eum exercitus conductitii.	29 Mercenary forces also came to him from other kingdoms and from the islands of the seas.
30 Et erat numerus exercitus ejus, centum millia peditum, et viginti millia equitum, et elephanti triginta duo, docti ad prælium.	30 His army numbered a hundred thousand foot-soldiers, twenty thousand cavalry, and thirty-two elephants trained for war.
31 Et venerunt per Idumæam, et applicuerunt ad Bethsuram, et pugnaverunt dies multos : et fecerunt machinas, et exierunt, et succenderunt eas igni, et pugnaverunt viriliter.	31 They passed through Idumea and camped before Beth-zur. For many days they attacked it; they constructed siege-devices, but the besieged made a sortie and burned these, and they fought bravely.
32 Et recessit Judas ab arce, et movit castra ad Bethzacharam contra castra regis.	32 Then Judas marched away from the citadel and moved his camp to Beth-zechariah, on the way to the king's camp.
33 Et surrexit rex ante lucem, et concitavit exercitus in impetum contra viam Bethzacharam : et comparaverunt se exercitus in prælium, et tubis cecinerunt :	33 The king, rising before dawn, moved his force hastily along the road to Beth-zechariah; and the armies prepared for battle, while the trumpets sounded.
34 et elephantis ostenderunt sanguinem uvæ et mori, ad acuendos eos in prælium :	34 They showed the elephants the juice of grapes and mulberries to provoke them to fight.
35 et diviserunt bestias per legiones, et astiterunt singulis elephantis mille viri in loricis concatenatis, et galeæ æreæ in capitibus eorum : et quingenti equites ordinati unicuique bestiæ electi erant.	35 The beasts were distributed along the phalanxes, each elephant having assigned to it a thousand men in coats of mail, with bronze helmets, and five hundred picked cavalry.
36 Hi ante tempus, ubicumque erat bestia, ibi erant : et quocumque ibat, ibant, et non discedebant ab ea.	36 These anticipated the beast wherever it was; and wherever it moved, they moved too and never left it.
37 Sed et turres ligneæ super eos firmæ protegentes super singulas bestias : et super eas machinæ : et super singulas viri virtutis triginta duo, qui pugnabant desuper : et Indus magister bestiæ.	37 A strong wooden tower covering each elephant, and fastened to it by a harness, held, besides the Indian mahout, three soldiers who fought from it.
38 Et residuum equitatum hinc et inde statuit in duas partes, tubis exercitum commovere, et perurgere constipatos in legionibus ejus.	38 The remaining cavalry were stationed on one or the other of the two flanks of the army, to harass the enemy and to be protected from the phalanxes.
39 Et ut refulsit sol in clypeos aureos et æreos, resplenduerunt montes ab eis, et resplenduerunt sicut lampades ignis.	39 When the sun shone on the gold and bronze shields, the mountains gleamed with their brightness and blazed like flaming torches.
40 Et distincta est pars exercitus regis per montes excelsos, et alia per loca humilia : et ibant caute et ordinate.	40 Part of the king's army extended over the heights, while some were on low ground, but they marched forward steadily and in good order.
41 Et commovebantur omnes inhabitantes terram a voce multitudinis, et incessu turbæ, et collisione armorum : erat enim exercitus magnus valde, et fortis.	41 All who heard the noise of their numbers, the tramp of their marching, and the clashing of the arms, trembled; for the army was very great and strong.
42 Et appropiavit Judas et exercitus ejus in prælium, et ceciderunt de exercitu regis sexcenti viri.	42 Judas with his army advanced to fight, and six hundred men of the king's army fell.
43 Et vidit Eleazar filius Saura unam de bestiis loricatam loricis regis : et erat eminens super ceteras bestias, et visum est ei quod in ea esset rex :	43 Eleazar, called Avaran, saw one of the beasts bigger than any of the others and covered with royal armor, and he thought the king must be on it.
44 et dedit se ut liberaret populum suum, et acquireret sibi nomen æternum.	44 So he gave up his life to save his people and win an everlasting name for himself.
45 Et cucurrit ad eam audacter in medio legionis, interficiens a dextris et a sinistris, et cadebant ab eo huc atque illuc.	45 He dashed up to it in the middle of the phalanx, killing men right and left, so that they fell back from him on both sides.
46 Et ivit sub pedes elephantis, et supposuit se ei, et occidit eum : et cecidit in terram super ipsum, et mortuus est illic.	46 He ran right under the elephant and stabbed it in the belly, killing it. The beast fell to the ground on top of him, and he died there.
47 Et videntes virtutem regis, et impetum exercitus ejus, diverterunt se ab eis.	47 When the Jews saw the strength of the royal army and the ardor of its forces, they retreated from them.
48 Castra autem regis ascenderunt contra eos in Jerusalem, et applicuerunt castra regis ad Judæam, et montem Sion.	48 A part of the king's army went up to Jerusalem to attack them, and the king established camps in Judea and at Mount Zion.
49 Et fecit pacem cum his qui erant in Bethsura : et exierunt de civitate, quia non erant eis ibi alimenta conclusis, quia sabbata erant terræ.	49 He made peace with the men of Beth-zur, and they evacuated the city, because they had no food there to enable them to stand a siege, for that was a sabbath year in the land.
50 Et comprehendit rex Bethsuram : et constituit illic custodiam servare eam.	50 The king took Beth-zur and stationed a garrison there to hold it.
51 Et convertit castra ad locum sanctificationis dies multos : et statuit illic ballistas, et machinas, et ignis jacula, et tormenta ad lapides jactandos, et spicula, et scorpios ad mittendas sagittas, et fundibula.	51 For many days he besieged the sanctuary, setting up artillery and machines, fire-throwers, catapults and mechanical bows for shooting arrows and slingstones.
52 Fecerunt autem et ipsi machinas adversus machinas eorum, et pugnaverunt dies multos.	52 The Jews countered by setting up machines of their own, and kept up the fight a long time.
53 Escæ autem non erant in civitate, eo quod septimus annus esset : et qui remanserant in Judæa de gentibus, consumpserant reliquias eorum, quæ repositæ fuerant.	53 But there were no provisions in the storerooms, because it was the seventh year, and the tide-over provisions had been eaten up by those who had been rescued from the Gentiles and brought to Judea.
54 Et remanserunt in sanctis viri pauci, quoniam obtinuerat eos fames : et dispersi sunt unusquisque in locum suum.	54 Few men remained in the sanctuary; the rest scattered, each to his own home, for the famine was too much for them.
55 Et audivit Lysias quod Philippus, quem constituerat rex Antiochus cum adhuc viveret, ut nutriret Antiochum filium suum, et regnaret,	55 Lysias heard that Philip, whom King Antiochus, before his death, had appointed to train his son Antiochus to be king,
56 reversus esset a Perside et Media, et exercitus qui abierat cum ipso, et quia quærebat suscipere regni negotia :	56 had returned from Persia and Media with the army that accompanied the king, and that he was seeking to take over the government.
57 festinavit ire, et dicere ad regem, et duces exercitus : Deficimus quotidie, et esca nobis modica est ; et locus, quem obsidemus, est munitus, et incumbit nobis ordinare de regno.	57 So he hastily resolved to withdraw. He said to the king, the leaders of the army, and the soldiers: "We are grow-ing weaker every day, our provisions are scanty, the place we are besieging is strong, and it is our duty to take care of the affairs of the kingdom.
58 Nunc itaque demus dextras hominibus istis, et faciamus cum illis pacem, et cum omni gente eorum :	58 Therefore let us now come to terms with these men, and make peace with them and all their nation.
59 et constituamus illis ut ambulent in legitimis suis sicut prius : propter legitima enim ipsorum, quæ despeximus, irati sunt, et fecerunt omnia hæc.	59 Let us grant them freedom to live according to their own laws as formerly; it was on account of their laws, which we abolished, that they became angry and did all these things."
60 Et placuit sermo in conspectu regis et principum : et misit ad eos pacem facere, et receperunt illam.	60 The proposal found favor with the king and the leaders;
61 Et juravit illis rex et principes, et exierunt de munitione.	61 he sent peace terms to the Jews, and they accepted. So the king and the leaders swore an oath to them, and on these terms they evacuated the fortification.
62 Et intravit rex montem Sion, et vidit munitionem loci : et rupit citius juramentum quod juravit, et mandavit destruere murum in gyro.	62 But when the king entered Mount Zion and saw how the place was fortified, he broke the oath he had sworn and gave orders for the encircling wall to be destroyed.
63 Et discessit festinanter, et reversus est Antiochiam, et invenit Philippum dominantem civitati : et pugnavit adversus eum, et occupavit civitatem.	63 Then he departed in haste and returned to Antioch, where he found Philip in possession of the city. He fought against him and took the city by force.