Secondus Machabaeorum 10

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Machabæus autem, et qui cum eo erant, Domino se protegente, templum quidem et civitatem recepit :	1 Maccabaeus and his companions, under the Lord's guidance, restored the Temple and the city,
2 aras autem quas alienigenæ per plateas exstruxerant, itemque delubra demolitus est :	2 and pul ed down the altars erected by the foreigners in the market place, as wel as the shrines.
3 et purgato templo, aliud altare fecerunt, et de ignitis lapidibus igne concepto sacrificia obtulerunt post biennium, et incensum, et lucernas, et panes propositionis posuerunt.	3 They purified the sanctuary and built another altar; then, striking fire from flints and using this fire, theyoffered the first sacrifice for two years, burning incense, lighting the lamps and setting out the loaves.
4 Quibus gestis, rogabant Dominum prostrati in terram, ne amplius talibus malis inciderent : sed et, siquando peccassent, ut ab ipso mitius corriperentur, et non barbaris ac blasphemis hominibus traderentur.	4 When they had done this, prostrating themselves on the ground, they implored the Lord never againto let them fal into such adversity, but if they should ever sin, to correct them with moderation and not to deliverthem over to blasphemous and barbarous nations.
5 Qua die autem templum ab alienigenis pollutum fuerat, contigit eadem die purificationem fieri, vigesima quinta mensis qui fuit Casleu.	5 This day of the purification of the Temple fell on the very day on which the Temple had been profanedby the foreigners, the twenty-fifth of the same month, Chislev.
6 Et cum lætitia diebus octo egerunt in modum tabernaculorum, recordantes quod ante modicum temporis diem solemnem tabernaculorum in montibus et in speluncis more bestiarum egerant.	6 They kept eight festal days with rejoicing, in the manner of the feast of Shelters, remembering how,not long before at the time of the feast of Shelters, they had been living in the mountains and caverns like wildbeasts.
7 Propter quod thyrsos, et ramos virides, et palmas præferebant ei qui prosperavit mundari locum suum.	7 Then, carrying thyrsuses, leafy boughs and palms, they offered hymns to him who had brought thecleansing of his own holy place to a happy outcome.
8 Et decreverunt communi præcepto et decreto universæ genti Judæorum omnibus annis agere dies istos.	8 They also decreed by public edict, ratified by vote, that the whole Jewish nation should celebratethose same days every year.
9 Et Antiochi quidem, qui appellatus est Nobilis, vitæ excessus ita se habuit.	9 Such were the circumstances attending the death of Antiochus styled Epiphanes.
10 Nunc autem de Eupatore Antiochi impii filio quæ gesta sunt narrabimus, breviantes mala quæ in bellis gesta sunt.	10 Our task now is to unfold the history of Antiochus Eupator, son of that godless man, and briefly torelate the evil effects of the wars.
11 Hic enim suscepto regno, constituit super negotia regni Lysiam quemdam, Phœnicis et Syriæ militiæ principem.	11 On coming to the throne, this prince put at the head of affairs a certain Lysias, the general officercommanding Coele-Syria and Phoenicia,
12 Nam Ptolemæus, qui dicebatur Macer, justi tenax erga Judæos esse constituit, et præcipue propter iniquitatem quæ facta erat in eos, et pacifice agere cum eis.	12 whereas Ptolemy, known as Macron, and the first person to govern the Jews justly, had done hisbest to govern them peaceful y to make up for the wrongs inflicted on them in the past.
13 Sed ob hoc accusatus ab amicis apud Eupatorem, cum frequenter proditor audiret, eo quod Cyprum creditam sibi a Philometore deseruisset, et ad Antiochum Nobilem translatus etiam ab eo recessisset, veneno vitam finivit.	13 Denounced, in consequence, to Eupator by the Friends of the King, he heard himself cal ed traitor atevery turn: for having abandoned Cyprus, which had been entrusted to him by Philometer, for having gone overto Antiochus Epiphanes, and for having shed no lustre on his il ustrious office: he committed suicide by poisoninghimself.
14 Gorgias autem cum esset dux locorum, assumptis advenis, frequenter Judæos debellabat.	14 Gorgias now became general of the area; he maintained a force of mercenaries and a continualstate of war with the Jews.
15 Judæi vero qui tenebant opportunas munitiones, fugatos ab Jerosolymis suscipiebant, et bellare tentabant.	15 At the same time, the Idumaeans, who controlled important fortresses, were harassing the Jews,welcoming outlaws from Jerusalem and endeavouring to maintain a state of war.
16 Hi vero qui erant cum Machabæo, per orationes Dominum rogantes ut esset sibi adjutor, impetum fecerunt in munitiones Idumæorum :	16 Maccabaeus and his men, after making public supplication to God, entreating him to support them,began operations against the Idumaean fortresses.
17 multaque vi insistentes, loca obtinuerunt, occurrentes interemerunt, et omnes simul non minus viginti millibus trucidaverunt.	17 Vigorously pressing home their attack, they seized possession of these vantage points, beating offal who fought on the ramparts; they slaughtered al who fel into their hands, accounting for no fewer than twentythousand.
18 Quidam autem cum confugissent in duas turres valde munitas, omnem apparatum ad repugnandum habentes,	18 Nine thousand at least took refuge in two exceptional y strong towers with everything they needed towithstand a siege,
19 Machabæus ad eorum expugnationem relicto Simone, et Josepho, itemque Zachæo, eisque qui cum ipsis erant satis multis, ipse ad eas quæ amplius perurgebant pugnas conversus est.	19 whereupon, Maccabaeus left Simon and Joseph, with Zacchaeus and his forces, in sufficientnumbers to besiege them, and himself went off to other places requiring his attention.
20 Hi vero qui cum Simone erant, cupiditate ducti, a quibusdam qui in turribus erant, suasi sunt pecunia : et septuaginta millibus didrachmis acceptis, dimiserunt quosdam effugere.	20 But Simon's men were greedy for money and al owed themselves to be bribed by some of the menin the towers; accepting seventy thousand drachmas, they let a number of them escape.
21 Cum autem Machabæo nuntiatum esset quod factum est, principibus populi congregatis accusavit quod pecunia fratres vendidissent, adversariis eorum dimissis.	21 When Maccabaeus was told what had happened, he summoned the people's commanders andaccused the offenders of having sold their brothers for money by releasing their enemies to fight them.
22 Hos igitur proditores factos interfecit, et confestim duas turres occupavit.	22 Having executed them as traitors, he at once proceeded to capture both towers.
23 Armis autem ac manibus omnia prospere agendo in duabus munitionibus plus quam viginti millia peremit.	23 Successful in all that he undertook by force of arms, in these two fortresses he slaughtered morethan twenty thousand men.
24 At Timotheus, qui prius a Judæis fuerat superatus, convocato exercitu peregrinæ multitudinis, et congregato equitatu Asiano, advenit quasi armis Judæam capturus.	24 Timotheus, who had been beaten by the Jews once before, now assembled an enormous force ofmercenaries, mustering cavalry from Asia in considerable numbers, and soon appeared in Judaea, expecting toconquer it by force of arms.
25 Machabæus autem et qui cum ipso erant, appropinquante illo, deprecabantur Dominum, caput terra aspergentes, lumbosque ciliciis præcincti,	25 At his approach, Maccabaeus and his men made their supplications to God, sprinkling earth on theirheads and putting sackcloth round their waists.
26 ad altaris crepidinem provoluti, ut sibi propitius, inimicis autem eorum esset inimicus, et adversariis adversaretur, sicut lex dicit.	26 Prostrating themselves on the terrace before the altar, they begged him to support them and to showhimself the enemy of their enemies, the adversary of their adversaries, as the Law clearly states.
27 Et ita post orationem, sumptis armis, longius de civitate procedentes, et proximi hostibus effecti, resederunt.	27 After these prayers, they armed themselves and advanced a fair distance from the city, halting whenthey were close to the enemy.
28 Primo autem solis ortu utrique commiserunt : isti quidem victoriæ et prosperitatis sponsorem cum virtute Dominum habentes : illi autem ducem belli animum habebant.	28 As the first light of dawn began to spread, the two sides joined battle, the one having as their pledgeof success and victory not only their own valour but their recourse to the Lord, the other making their own ardourtheir mainstay in the fight.
29 Sed cum vehemens pugna esset, apparuerunt adversariis de cælo viri quinque in equis, frenis aureis decori, ducatum Judæis præstantes :	29 When the battle was at its height, the enemy saw five magnificent men appear from heaven onhorses with golden bridles and put themselves at the head of the Jews;
30 ex quibus duo Machabæum medium habentes, armis suis circumseptum incolumem conservabant : in adversarios autem tela et fulmina jaciebant, ex quo et cæcitate confusi et repleti perturbatione, cadebant.	30 surrounding Maccabaeus and screening him with their own armour, they kept him unscathed, whilethey rained arrows and thunderbolts on the enemy until, blinded and confused, they scattered in completedisorder.
31 Interfecti sunt autem viginti millia quingenti, et equites sexcenti.	31 Twenty thousand five hundred infantry and six hundred cavalry were slaughtered.
32 Timotheus vero confugit in Gazaram præsidium munitum, cui præerat Chæreas.	32 Timotheus himself fled to a strongly guarded citadel cal ed Gezer, where Chaereas was incommand.
33 Machabæus autem et qui cum eo erant, lætantes obsederunt præsidium diebus quatuor.	33 For four days Maccabaeus and his men eagerly besieged the fortress,
34 At hi qui intus erant, loci firmitate confisi, supra modum maledicebant, et sermones nefandos jactabant.	34 while the defenders, confident in the security of the place, hurled fearful blasphemies and godlessinsults at them.
35 Sed cum dies quinta illucesceret, viginti juvenes ex his qui cum Machabæo erant, accensi animis propter blasphemiam, viriliter accesserunt ad murum, et feroci animo incedentes ascendebant :	35 At daybreak on the fifth day, twenty young men of Maccabaeus' forces, fired with indignation at theblasphemies, manful y assaulted the wall, with wild courage cutting down everyone they encountered.
36 sed et alii similiter ascendentes, turres portasque succendere aggressi sunt, atque ipsos maledicos vivos concremare.	36 Others, in a similar scaling operation, took the defenders in the rear, and set fire to the towers,lighting pyres on which they burned the blasphemers alive. The first, meanwhile, breaking open the gates, let therest of the army in and, at their head, captured the town.
37 Per continuum autem biduum præsidio vastato, Timotheum occultantem se in quodam repertum loco peremerunt : et fratrem illius Chæream et Apollophanem occiderunt.	37 Timotheus had hidden in a storage-wel , but they kil ed him, with his brother Chaereas, andApol ophanes.
38 Quibus gestis, in hymnis et confessionibus benedicebant Dominum, qui magna fecit in Israël, et victoriam dedit illis.	38 When al this was over, with hymns and thanksgiving they blessed the Lord, who had shown suchgreat kindness to Israel and given them the victory.