Primus Machabaeorum 7

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Anno centesimo quinquagesimo primo, exiit Demetrius Seleuci filius ab urbe Roma, et ascendit cum paucis viris in civitatem maritimam, et regnavit illic.	1 In the year one hundred and fifty-one, Demetrius, son of Seleucus, set out from Rome, arrived with a few men in a city on the seacoast, and began to rule there.
2 Et factum est, ut ingressus est domum regni patrum suorum, comprehendit exercitus Antiochum et Lysiam, ut adducerent eos ad eum.	2 As he was preparing to enter the royal palace of his ancestors, the soldiers seized Antiochus and Lysias to bring them to him.
3 Et res ei innotuit, et ait : Nolite mihi ostendere faciem eorum.	3 When he was informed of this, he said, "Do not show me their faces."
4 Et occidit eos exercitus. Et sedit Demetrius super sedem regni sui.	4 So the soldiers killed them, and Demetrius sat on the royal throne.
5 Et venerunt ad eum viri iniqui et impii ex Israël : et Alcimus dux eorum, qui volebat fieri sacerdos.	5 Then all the lawless and impious men of Israel came to him. They were led by Alcimus, who desired to be high priest.
6 Et accusaverunt populum apud regem, dicentes : Perdidit Judas et fratres ejus omnes amicos tuos, et nos dispersit de terra nostra.	6 They made this accusation to the king against the people: "Judas and his brothers have destroyed all your friends and have driven us out of our country.
7 Nunc ergo mitte virum, cui credis, ut eat, et videat exterminium omne quod fecit nobis, et regionibus regis : et puniat omnes amicos ejus, et adjutores eorum.	7 So now, send a man whom you trust to go and see all the havoc Judas has done to us and to the king's land, and let him punish them and all their supporters."
8 Et elegit rex ex amicis suis Bacchidem, qui dominabatur trans flumen magnum in regno, et fidelem regi : et misit eum,	8 Then the king chose Bacchides, one of the King's Friends, governor of West-of-Euphrates, a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king.
9 ut videret exterminium quod fecit Judas : sed et Alcimum impium constituit in sacerdotium, et mandavit ei facere ultionem in filios Israël.	9 He sent him and the impious Alcimus, to whom he granted the high priesthood, with orders to take revenge on the Israelites.
10 Et surrexerunt, et venerunt cum exercitu magno in terram Juda : et miserunt nuntios, et locuti sunt ad Judam et ad fratres ejus verbis pacificis in dolo.	10 They set out and, on arriving in the land of Judah with a great army, sent messengers who spoke deceitfully to Judas and his brothers in peaceful terms.
11 Et non intenderunt sermonibus eorum : viderunt enim quia venerunt cum exercitu magno.	11 But these paid no attention to their words, seeing that they had come with a great army.
12 Et convenerunt ad Alcimum et Bacchidem congregatio scribarum requirere quæ justa sunt :	12 A group of scribes, however, gathered about Alcimus and Bacchides to ask for a just agreement.
13 et primi, Assidæi qui erant in filiis Israël : et exquirebant ab eis pacem.	13 The Hasideans were the first among the Israelites to seek peace with them,
14 Dixerunt enim : Homo sacerdos de semine Aaron venit ; non decipiet nos :	14 for they said, "A priest of the line of Aaron has come with the army, and he will not do us any wrong."
15 et locutus est cum eis verba pacifica, et juravit illis, dicens : Non inferemus vobis malum, neque amicis vestris.	15 He spoke with them peacefully and swore to them, "We will not try to injure you or your friends."
16 Et crediderunt ei : et comprehendit ex eis sexaginta viros, et occidit eos in una die, secundum verbum quod scriptum est :	16 So they trusted him. But he arrested sixty of them and killed them in one day, according to the text of Scripture:
17 Carnes sanctorum tuorum, et sanguinem ipsorum effuderunt in circuitu Jerusalem, et non erat qui sepeliret.	17 "The flesh of your saints they have strewn, and their blood they have shed round about Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them."
18 Et incubuit timor et tremor in omnem populum : quia dixerunt : Non est veritas, et judicium in eis : transgressi sunt enim constitutum, et jusjurandum quod juraverunt.	18 Then fear and dread of them came upon all the people, who said: "There is no truth or justice among them; they violated the agreement and the oath that they swore."
19 Et movit Bacchides castra ab Jerusalem, et applicuit in Bethzecha : et misit, et comprehendit multos ex eis qui a se effugerant : et quosdam de populo mactavit, et in puteum magnum projecit.	19 Bacchides withdrew from Jerusalem and pitched his camp in Beth-zaith. He had many of the men arrested who deserted to him, throwing them into the great pit.
20 Et commisit regionem Alcimo, et reliquit cum eo auxilium in adjutorium ipsi. Et abiit Bacchides ad regem :	20 He handed the province over to Alcimus, leaving troops to help him, while he himself returned to the king.
21 et satis agebat Alcimus pro principatu sacerdotii sui :	21 Alcimus spared no pains to maintain his high priesthood,
22 et convenerunt ad eum omnes, qui perturbabant populum suum, et obtinuerunt terram Juda, et fecerunt plagam magnam in Israël.	22 and all those who were disturbing their people gathered about him. They took possession of the land of Judah and caused great distress in Israel.
23 Et vidit Judas omnia mala quæ fecit Alcimus et qui cum eo erant filiis Israël, multo plus quam gentes :	23 When Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus and his men were bringing upon the Israelites, more than even the Gentiles had done,
24 et exiit in omnes fines Judææ in circuitu, et fecit vindictam in viros desertores, et cessaverunt ultra exire in regionem.	24 he went about all the borders of Judea and took revenge on the men who had deserted, preventing them from going out into the country.
25 Vidit autem Alcimus quod prævaluit Judas et qui cum eo erant, et cognovit quia non potest sustinere eos : et regressus est ad regem, et accusavit eos multis criminibus.	25 But when Alcimus saw that Judas and his followers were gaining strength and realized that he could not oppose them, he returned to the king and accused them of grave crimes.
26 Et misit rex Nicanorem, unum ex principibus suis nobilioribus, qui erat inimicitias exercens contra Israël : et mandavit ei evertere populum.	26 Then the king sent Nicanor, one of his famous officers, who was a bitter enemy of Israel, with orders to destroy the people.
27 Et venit Nicanor in Jerusalem cum exercitu magno, et misit ad Judam et ad fratres ejus verbis pacificis cum dolo,	27 Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a large force and deceitfully sent to Judas and his brothers this peaceable message:
28 dicens : Non sit pugna inter me et vos : veniam cum viris paucis, ut videam facies vestras cum pace.	28 "Let there be no fight between me and you. I will come with a few men to meet you peaceably."
29 Et venit ad Judam, et salutaverunt se invicem pacifice : et hostes parati erant rapere Judam.	29 So he came to Judas, and they greeted one another peaceably. But Judas' enemies were prepared to seize him.
30 Et innotuit sermo Judæ quoniam cum dolo venerat ad eum : et conterritus est ab eo, et amplius noluit videre faciem ejus.	30 When he became aware that Nicanor had come to him with treachery in mind, Judas was afraid and would not meet him again.
31 Et cognovit Nicanor quoniam denudatum est consilium ejus : et exivit obviam Judæ in pugnam juxta Capharsalama.	31 When Nicanor saw that his plan had been discovered, he went out to fight Judas near Capharsalama.
32 Et ceciderunt de Nicanoris exercitu fere quinque millia viri, et fugerunt in civitatem David.	32 About five hundred men of Nicanor's army fell; the rest fled to the City of David.
33 Et post hæc verba ascendit Nicanor in montem Sion : et exierunt de sacerdotibus populi salutare eum in pace, et demonstrare ei holocautomata, quæ offerebantur pro rege.	33 After this, Nicanor went up to Mount Zion. Some of the priests from the sanctuary and some of the elders of the people came out to greet him peaceably and to show him the holocaust that was being offered for the king.
34 Et irridens sprevit eos, et polluit : et locutus est superbe,	34 But he mocked and ridiculed them, defiled them, and spoke disdainfully.
35 et juravit cum ira, dicens : Nisi traditus fuerit Judas et exercitus ejus in manus meas, continuo cum regressus fuero in pace, succendam domum istam. Et exiit cum ira magna.	35 In a rage he swore: "If Judas and his army are not delivered to me at once, when I return victorious I will burn this temple down." He went away in great anger.
36 Et intraverunt sacerdotes, et steterunt ante faciem altaris et templi, et flentes dixerunt :	36 The priests, however, went in and stood before the altar and the sanctuary. They wept and said:
37 Tu, Domine, elegisti domum istam ad invocandum nomen tuum in ea, ut esset domus orationis et obsecrationis populo tuo :	37 "You have chosen this house to bear your name, to be a house of prayer and petition for your people.
38 fac vindictam in homine isto et exercitu ejus, et cadant in gladio : memento blasphemias eorum, et ne dederis eis ut permaneant.	38 Take revenge on this man and his army, and let them fall by the sword. Remember their blasphemies, and do not let them continue."
39 Et exiit Nicanor ab Jerusalem, et castra applicuit ad Bethoron : et occurrit illi exercitus Syriæ.	39 Nicanor left Jerusalem and pitched his camp at Beth-horon, where the Syrian army joined him.
40 Et Judas applicuit in Adarsa cum tribus millibus viris : et oravit Judas, et dixit :	40 But Judas camped in Adasa with three thousand men. Here Judas uttered this prayer:
41 Qui missi erant a rege Sennacherib, Domine, quia blasphemaverunt te, exiit angelus, et percussit ex eis centum octoginta quinque millia :	41 "When they who were sent by the king blasphemed, your angel went out and killed a hundred and eighty-five thousand of them.
42 sic contere exercitum istum in conspectu nostro hodie : et sciant ceteri quia male locutus est super sancta tua : et judica illum secundum malitiam illius.	42 In the same way, crush this army before us today, and let the rest know that Nicanor spoke wickedly against your sanctuary; judge him according to his wickedness."
43 Et commiserunt exercitus prælium tertiadecima die mensis Adar : et contrita sunt castra Nicanoris, et cecidit ipse primus in prælio.	43 The armies met in battle on the thirteenth day of the month Adar. Nicanor's army was crushed, and he himself was the first to fall in the battle.
44 Ut autem vidit exercitus ejus quia cecidisset Nicanor, projecerunt arma sua, et fugerunt :	44 When his army saw that Nicanor was dead, they threw down their arms and fled.
45 et persecuti sunt eos viam unius diei ab Adazer usquequo veniatur in Gazara, et tubis cecinerunt post eos cum significationibus :	45 The Jews pursued them a day's journey, from Adasa to near Gazara, blowing the trumpets behind them as signals.
46 et exierunt de omnibus castellis Judææ in circuitu, et ventilabant eos cornibus, et convertebantur iterum ad eos, et ceciderunt omnes gladio, et non est relictus ex eis nec unus.	46 From all the surrounding villages of Judea people came out and closed in on them. They hemmed them in, and all the enemies fell by the sword; not a single one escaped.
47 Et acceperunt spolia eorum in prædam : et caput Nicanoris amputaverunt, et dexteram ejus, quam extenderat superbe, et attulerunt, et suspenderunt contra Jerusalem.	47 Then the Jews collected the spoils and the booty; they cut off Nicanor's head and his right arm, which he had lifted up so arrogantly. These they brought to Jerusalem and displayed there.
48 Et lætatus est populus valde, et egerunt diem illam in lætitia magna.	48 The people rejoiced greatly, and observed that day as a great festival.
49 Et constituit agi omnibus annis diem istam tertiadecima die mensis Adar.	49 They decreed that it should be observed every year on the thirteenth of Adar.
50 Et siluit terra Juda dies paucos.	50 And for a short time the land of Judah was quiet.