Primus Machabaeorum 9

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Interea, ut audivit Demetrius quia cecidit Nicanor et exercitus ejus in prælio, apposuit Bacchidem et Alcimum rursum mittere in Judæam, et dextrum cornu cum illis.	1 Demetrius, hearing that Nicanor and his army had fal en in battle, sent Bacchides and Alcimus asecond time into Judaea, and with them the right wing of his army.
2 Et abierunt viam quæ ducit in Galgala, et castra posuerunt in Masaloth, quæ est in Arbellis : et occupaverunt eam, et peremerunt animas hominum multas.	2 They took the road to Galilee and besieged Mesaloth in Arbela, and captured it, putting many people todeath.
3 In mense primo anni centesimi et quinquagesimi secundi, applicuerunt exercitum ad Jerusalem :	3 In the first month of the year 152, they encamped outside Jerusalem;
4 et surrexerunt, et abierunt in Beream viginti millia virorum, et duo millia equitum.	4 they then moved on, making their way to Beer-Zaith with twenty thousand foot and two thousand horse.
5 Et Judas posuerat castra in Laisa, et tria millia viri electi cum eo :	5 Judas lay in camp at Elasa, with three thousand picked men.
6 et viderunt multitudinem exercitus, quia multi sunt, et timuerunt valde : et multi subtraxerunt se de castris, et non remanserunt ex eis nisi octingenti viri.	6 When they saw the huge size of the enemy forces they were terrified, and many slipped out of thecamp, until no more than eight hundred of the force were left.
7 Et vidit Judas quod defluxit exercitus suus, et bellum perurgebat eum, et confractus est corde, quia non habebat tempus congregandi eos, et dissolutus est.	7 With battle now inevitable, Judas realised that his army had melted away; he was aghast, for he had notime to ral y them.
8 Et dixit his qui residui erant : Surgamus, et eamus ad adversarios nostros, si poterimus pugnare adversus eos.	8 Yet, dismayed as he was, he said to those who were left, 'Up! Let us face the enemy; we may yet have the strength to fight them.'
9 Et avertebant eum, dicentes : Non poterimus, sed liberemus animas nostras modo, et revertamur ad fratres nostros, et tunc pugnabimus adversus eos : nos autem pauci sumus.	9 His men tried to dissuade him, declaring, 'We have no strength for anything but to escape with our livesthis time; then we can come back with our brothers to fight them; by ourselves we are too few.'
10 Et ait Judas : Absit istam rem facere ut fugiamus ab eis : et si appropiavit tempus nostrum, moriamur in virtute propter fratres nostros, et non inferamus crimen gloriæ nostræ.	10 Judas retorted, 'That I should do such a thing as run away from them! If our time has come, at leastlet us die like men for our countrymen, and leave nothing to tarnish our reputation.'
11 Et movit exercitus de castris, et steterunt illis obviam : et divisi sunt equites in duas partes, et fundibularii et sagittarii præibant exercitum, et primi certaminis omnes potentes.	11 The army marched out of camp and drew up, facing the enemy. The cavalry was drawn up in twosquadrons; the slingers and archers marched in the van of the army, and al the best fighters were put in thefront rank;
12 Bacchides autem erat in dextro cornu, et proximavit legio ex duabus partibus, et clamabant tubis :	12 Bacchides was on the right wing. The phalanx advanced from between the two squadrons, soundingthe trumpets; the men on Judas' side also blew their trumpets,
13 exclamaverunt autem et hi qui erant ex parte Judæ etiam ipsi, et commota est terra a voce exercituum : et commissum est prælium a mane usque ad vesperam.	13 and the earth shook with the noise of the armies. The engagement lasted from morning until evening.
14 Et vidit Judas quod firmior est pars exercitus Bacchidis in dextris, et convenerunt cum ipso omnes constantes corde :	14 Judas saw that Bacchides and the main strength of his army lay on the right; al the stout-heartedral ied to him,
15 et contrita est dextera pars ab eis, et persecutus est eos usque ad montem Azoti.	15 and they crushed the right wing, pursuing them as far as the Azara Hil s.
16 Et qui in sinistro cornu erant, viderunt quod contritum est dextrum cornu, et secuti sunt post Judam, et eos qui cum ipso erant, a tergo :	16 But when the Syrians on the left wing saw that the right had been broken, they turned and followedhot on the heels of Judas and his men to take them in the rear.
17 et ingravatum est prælium, et ceciderunt vulnerati multi ex his et ex illis.	17 The fight became desperate, and there were many casualties on both sides.
18 Et Judas cecidit, et ceteri fugerunt.	18 Judas himself fel , and the remnant fled.
19 Et Jonathas et Simon tulerunt Judam fratrem suum, et sepelierunt eum in sepulchro patrum suorum in civitate Modin.	19 Jonathan and Simon took up their brother Judas and buried him in his ancestral tomb at Modein.
20 Et fleverunt eum omnis populus Israël planctu magno, et lugebant dies multos,	20 Al Israel wept and mourned him deeply and for many days they repeated this dirge.
21 et dixerunt : Quomodo cecidit potens, qui salvum faciebat populum Israël !	21 'What a downfall for the strong man, the man who kept Israel safe!'
22 Et cetera verba bellorum Judæ, et virtutum, quas fecit, et magnitudinis ejus, non sunt descripta : multa enim erant valde.	22 The other deeds of Judas, the battles he fought, the exploits he performed, and all his titles togreatness have not been recorded; but they were very many.
23 Et factum est : post obitum Judæ emerserunt iniqui in omnibus finibus Israël, et exorti sunt omnes qui operabantur iniquitatem.	23 After the death of Judas, the renegades came out of hiding throughout Israel and al the evil-doersreappeared.
24 In diebus illis facta est fames magna valde, et tradidit se Bacchidi omnis regio eorum cum ipsis.	24 At that time there was a severe famine, and the country went over to their side.
25 Et elegit Bacchides viros impios, et constituit eos dominos regionis :	25 Bacchides deliberately chose the enemies of religion to administer the country.
26 et exquirebant, et perscrutabantur amicos Judæ, et adducebant eos ad Bacchidem, et vindicabat in illos, et illudebat.	26 These traced and searched out the friends of Judas and brought them before Bacchides, who il -treated and mocked them.
27 Et facta est tribulatio magna in Israël, qualis non fuit ex die qua non est visus propheta in Israël.	27 A terrible oppression began in Israel; there had been nothing like it since the disappearance ofprophecy among them.
28 Et congregati sunt omnes amici Judæ, et dixerunt Jonathæ :	28 The friends of Judas then al united in saying to Jonathan,
29 Ex quo frater tuus Judas defunctus est, vir similis ei non est, qui exeat contra inimicos nostros, Bacchidem et eos qui inimici sunt gentis nostræ.	29 'Since your brother Judas died, there has been no one like him to head the resistance against ourenemies, people like Bacchides and others who hate our nation.
30 Nunc itaque, te hodie elegimus esse pro eo nobis in principem, et ducem ad bellandum bellum nostrum.	30 Accordingly, we have today chosen you to take his place as our ruler and leader and to fight ourcampaigns.'
31 Et suscepit Jonathas tempore illo principatum, et surrexit loco Judæ fratris sui.	31 Whereupon, Jonathan took command, in succession to his brother Judas.
32 Et cognovit Bacchides, et quærebat eum occidere.	32 Bacchides, when he heard the news, made plans to kil Jonathan.
33 Et cognovit Jonathas, et Simon frater ejus, et omnes qui cum eo erant : et fugerunt in desertum Thecuæ et consederunt ad aquam lacus Asphar.	33 But this became known to Jonathan, his brother Simon and al his supporters, and they took refuge inthe desert of Tekoa, camping by the water-supply at Asphar storage-well.
34 Et cognovit Bacchides, et die sabbatorum venit ipse et omnis exercitus ejus trans Jordanem.	34 (Bacchides came to know of this on the Sabbath day, and he too crossed the Jordan with his entirearmy.)
35 Et Jonathas misit fratrem suum ducem populi, et rogavit Nabuthæos amicos suos, ut commodarent illis apparatum suum, qui erat copiosus.	35 Jonathan sent his brother, who was one of his commanders, to ask his friends the Nabataeans tostore their considerable baggage for them.
36 Et exierunt filii Jambri ex Madaba, et comprehenderunt Joannem et omnia quæ habebat, et abierunt habentes ea.	36 The sons of Amrai, however, those of Medeba, intercepted them, captured John and everything hehad and made off with their prize.
37 Post hæc verba, renuntiatum est Jonathæ et Simoni fratri ejus, quia filii Jambri faciunt nuptias magnas, et ducunt sponsam ex Madaba filiam unius de magnis principibus Chanaan cum ambitione magna.	37 Later, Jonathan and his brother Simon were told that the sons of Amrai were celebrating an importantwedding, and were escorting the bride, a daughter of one of the great notables of Canaan, from Nabata with alarge retinue.
38 Et recordati sunt sanguinis Joannis fratris sui : et ascenderunt, et absconderunt se sub tegumento montis.	38 Remembering the bloody end of their brother John, they went up and hid under cover of the mountain.
39 Et elevaverunt oculos suos, et viderunt : et ecce tumultus, et apparatus multus : et sponsus processit, et amici ejus, et fratres ejus obviam illis cum tympanis, et musicis, et armis multis.	39 As they were keeping watch, a noisy procession came into sight with a great deal of baggage, and thebridegroom, with his groomsmen and his family, came out to meet it with tambourines and a band, and rich,warlike display.
40 Et surrexerunt ad eos ex insidiis, et occiderunt eos, et ceciderunt vulnerati multi, et residui fugerunt in montes : et acceperunt omnia spolia eorum :	40 The Jews rushed down on them from their ambush and killed them, inflicting heavy casualties; thesurvivors escaped to the mountain, leaving their entire baggage train to be captured.
41 et conversæ sunt nuptiæ in luctum, et vox musicorum ipsorum in lamentum.	41 Thus, the wedding was turned into mourning and the music of their band into lamentation.
42 Et vindicaverunt vindictam sanguinis fratris sui : et reversi sunt ad ripam Jordanis.	42 Having in this way avenged in ful the blood of their brother, they returned to the marshes of theJordan.
43 Et audivit Bacchides, et venit die sabbatorum usque ad oram Jordanis in virtute magna.	43 As soon as Bacchides heard this, he came on the Sabbath day with a considerable force to the steepbanks of the Jordan.
44 Et dixit ad suos Jonathas : Surgamus, et pugnemus contra inimicos nostros : non est enim hodie sicut heri et nudiustertius :	44 Jonathan said to his men, 'Up! Let us fight for our lives, for today it is not as in the old days.
45 ecce enim bellum ex adverso, aqua vero Jordanis hinc et inde, et ripæ, et paludes, et saltus : et non est locus divertendi.	45 You can see, we shall have to fight on our front and to our rear; we have the waters of the Jordan onone side, the marsh and scrub on the other, and we have no line of withdrawal.
46 Nunc ergo, clamate in cælum, ut liberemini de manu inimicorum vestrorum. Et commissum est bellum.	46 This is the moment to call on Heaven, to deliver you from the clutches of your enemies.'
47 Et extendit Jonathas manum suam percutere Bacchidem, et divertit ab eo retro :	47 The engagement was begun by Jonathan, who aimed a blow at Bacchides, but the Syrian disengagedhimself and withdrew,
48 et desiliit Jonathas, et qui cum eo erant, in Jordanem, et transnataverunt ad eos Jordanem.	48 whereupon Jonathan and his men leapt into the Jordan and swam to the other bank; the enemy didnot, however, cross the Jordan in pursuit.
49 Et ceciderunt de parte Bacchidis die illa mille viri. Et reversi sunt in Jerusalem,	49 That day, Bacchides lost about a thousand men.
50 et ædificaverunt civitates munitas in Judæa, munitionem quæ erat in Jericho, et in Ammaum, et in Bethoron, et in Bethel, et Thamnata, et Phara, et Thopo muris excelsis, et portis, et seris.	50 Bacchides went back to Jerusalem and began fortifying some of the Judaean towns: the fortresses ofJericho, Emmaus, Beth-Horon, Bethel, Timnath, Pharathon and Tephon, with high wal s and barred gates,
51 Et posuit custodiam in eis, ut inimicitias exercerent in Israël :	51 and stationed a garrison in each of them to harass Israel.
52 et munivit civitatem Bethsuram, et Gazaram, et arcem, et posuit in eis auxilia, et apparatum escarum :	52 He also fortified the town of Beth-Zur, Gezer and the Citadel, and placed troops in them with suppliesof provisions.
53 et accepit filios principum regionis obsides, et posuit eos in arce in Jerusalem in custodiam.	53 He took the sons of the leading men of the country as hostages, and had them placed under guard inthe Citadel of Jerusalem.
54 Et anno centesimo quinquagesimo tertio, mense secundo, præcepit Alcimus destrui muros domus sanctæ interioris, et destrui opera prophetarum : et cœpit destruere.	54 In the year 153, in the second month, Alcimus ordered the demolition of the wall of the inner court ofthe sanctuary, destroying the work of the prophets. Alcimus had just begun the demolition
55 In tempore illo percussus est Alcimus : et impedita sunt opera illius, et occlusum est os ejus, et dissolutus est paralysi, nec ultra potuit loqui verbum, et mandare de domo sua.	55 when he suffered a stroke, and his work was interrupted. His mouth became obstructed, and hisparalysis made him incapable of speaking at al or giving directions to his household;
56 Et mortuus est Alcimus in tempore illo cum tormento magno.	56 it was not long before he died in great agony.
57 Et vidit Bacchides quoniam mortuus est Alcimus, et reversus est ad regem. Et siluit terra annis duobus.	57 On the death of Alcimus, Bacchides went back to the king, and Judaea was left in peace for twoyears.
58 Et cogitaverunt omnes iniqui, dicentes : Ecce Jonathas, et qui cum eo sunt, in silentio habitant confidenter : nunc ergo adducamus Bacchidem, et comprehendet eos omnes una nocte.	58 The renegades then al agreed on a plan. 'Now is the time,' they said, 'while Jonathan and hissupporters are living in peace and are ful of confidence, for us to bring back Bacchides, and he wil arrest the lotof them in one night.'
59 Et abierunt, et consilium ei dederunt.	59 So they went to him and reached an understanding.
60 Et surrexit ut veniret cum exercitu multo : et misit occulte epistolas sociis suis qui erant in Judæa, ut comprehenderent Jonathan, et eos qui cum eo erant : sed non potuerunt, quia innotuit eis consilium eorum.	60 Bacchides at once set out with a large force, and sent secret instructions to al his allies in Judaea toseize Jonathan and his supporters. But they were unable to do this because their plan became known,
61 Et apprehendit de viris regionis, qui principes erant malitiæ, quinquaginta viros, et occidit eos :	61 and Jonathan and his men arrested some fifty of the men of the country who were ringleaders in theplot, and put them to death.
62 et secessit Jonathas, et Simon, et qui cum eo erant, in Bethbessen, quæ est in deserto : et exstruxit diruta ejus, et firmaverunt eam.	62 Jonathan and Simon then retired with their partisans to Beth-Bassi in the desert; they rebuilt theruinous parts of the place and fortified it.
63 Et cognovit Bacchides, et congregavit universam multitudinem suam : et his, qui de Judæa erant, denuntiavit.	63 When Bacchides heard this, he mustered his whole force and notified his adherents in Judaea.
64 Et venit, et castra posuit desuper Bethbessen : et oppugnavit eam dies multos, et fecit machinas.	64 He then proceeded to lay siege to Beth-Bassi, the fighting was protracted, and he constructed siege-engines.
65 Et reliquit Jonathas Simonem fratrem suum in civitate, et exiit in regionem, et venit cum numero :	65 Jonathan, however, leaving his brother Simon in the town, broke out into the countryside with ahandful of men.
66 et percussit Odaren et fratres ejus, et filios Phaseron in tabernaculis ipsorum : et cœpit cædere, et crescere in virtutibus.	66 He launched a blow at Odomera and his brothers, and at the sons of Phasiron in their encampment;whereupon, these too came into the struggle, joining forces with him.
67 Simon vero, et qui cum ipso erant, exierunt de civitate, et succenderunt machinas,	67 Simon and his people, meanwhile, made a sortie from the town and set fire to the siege-engines.
68 et pugnaverunt contra Bacchidem, et contritus est ab eis : et afflixerunt eum valde, quoniam consilium ejus et congressus ejus erat inanis.	68 Taking the offensive against Bacchides, they defeated him. He was greatly disconcerted to find thathis plan and his assault had come to nothing,
69 Et iratus contra viros iniquos, qui ei consilium dederant ut veniret in regionem ipsorum, multos ex eis occidit : ipse autem cogitavit cum reliquis abire in regionem suam.	69 and vented his anger on those renegades who had induced him to enter the country, putting many ofthem to death; he then decided to take his own troops home.
70 Et cognovit Jonathas : et misit ad eum legatos componere pacem cum ipso, et reddere ei captivitatem.	70 Discovering this, Jonathan sent envoys to negotiate peace terms and the release of prisoners withhim.
71 Et libenter accepit, et fecit secundum verba ejus, et juravit se nihil facturum ei mali omnibus diebus vitæ ejus.	71 Bacchides agreed to this, accepting his proposals and swearing never to seek occasion to harm himfor the rest of his life.
72 Et reddidit ei captivitatem, quam prius erat prædatus de terra Juda : et conversus abiit in terram suam, et non apposuit amplius venire in fines ejus.	72 Having surrendered to Jonathan those prisoners he had earlier taken in Judaea, he turned about andwithdrew to his own country, and never again came near their frontiers.
73 Et cessavit gladius ex Israël : et habitavit Jonathas in Machmas, et cœpit Jonathas ibi judicare populum, et exterminavit impios ex Israël.	73 The sword no longer hung over Israel, and Jonathan settled in Michmash, where he began to judgethe people and to rid Israel of the godless.