Secondus Machabaeorum 13

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Anno centesimo quadragesimo nono, cognovit Judas Antiochum Eupatorem venire cum multitudine adversus Judæam,	1 In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas and his men discovered that Antiochus Eupator wasadvancing in force against Judaea,
2 et cum eo Lysiam procuratorem et præpositum negotiorum, secum habentem peditum centum decem millia, et equitum quinque millia, et elephantos viginti duos, currus cum falcibus trecentos.	2 and with him Lysias his tutor and chief minister; he had moreover a Greek force of one hundred andten thousand infantry, five thousand three hundred cavalry, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariotsfitted with scythes.
3 Commiscuit autem se illis et Menelaus : et cum multa fallacia deprecabatur Antiochum, non pro patriæ salute, sed sperans se constitui in principatum.	3 Menelaus, too, joined them and very craftily kept urging Antiochus on, not for the welfare of his owncountry but in the hope of being restored to office.
4 Sed Rex regum suscitavit animos Antiochi in peccatorem : et suggerente Lysia hunc esse causam omnium malorum, jussit (ut eis est consuetudo) apprehensum in eodem loco necari.	4 But the King of kings stirred up the anger of Antiochus against the guilty wretch, and when Lysiasmade it clear to the king that Menelaus was the cause of all the troubles, Antiochus gave orders for him to betaken to Beroea and there put to death by the local method of execution.
5 Erat autem in eodem loco turris quinquaginta cubitorum, aggestum undique habens cineris : hæc prospectum habebat in præceps.	5 In that place there is a tower fifty cubits high, ful of ash, with an internal lip al round overhanging theashes.
6 Inde in cinerem dejici jussit sacrilegum, omnibus eum propellentibus ad interitum.	6 If anyone is convicted of sacrilegious theft or of some other heinous crime, he is taken up to the topand pushed over to perish.
7 Et tali lege prævaricatorem legis contigit mori, nec terræ dari Menelaum.	7 In such a manner was the renegade fated to die; Menelaus had not even the privilege of burial.
8 Et quidem satis juste : nam quia multa erga aram Dei delicta commisit, cujus ignis et cinis erat sanctus : ipse in cineris morte damnatus est.	8 Deserved justice, this; since he had committed many sins against the altar, the fire and ashes ofwhich were holy, it was in ashes that he met his death.
9 Sed rex mente effrenatus veniebat, nequiorem se patre suo Judæis ostensurus.	9 The king, then, was advancing, his mind filled with barbarous designs, to give the Jews ademonstration of far worse things than anything that had happened under his father.
10 Quibus Judas cognitis, præcepit populo ut die ac nocte Dominum invocarent, quo, sicut semper, et nunc adjuvaret eos,	10 When Judas heard of this, he ordered the people day and night to cal on the Lord as never before,to come to the help of those who were in peril of being deprived of the Law, their fatherland and the holy Temple,
11 quippe qui lege, et patria, sanctoque templo privari vererentur : ac populum, qui nuper paululum respirasset, ne sineret blasphemis rursus nationibus subdi.	11 and not to al ow the people, just when they were beginning to breathe again, to fall into the power ofil -famed foreigners.
12 Omnibus itaque simul id facientibus, et petentibus a Domino misericordiam cum fletu et jejuniis, per triduum continuum prostratis, hortatus est eos Judas ut se præpararent.	12 When they had al , with one voice, obeyed his instructions and had made their petitions to themerciful Lord, weeping, fasting and prostrating themselves for three days continuously, Judas spoke words ofencouragement and told them to keep close to him.
13 Ipse vero cum senioribus cogitavit priusquam rex admoveret exercitum ad Judæam et obtineret civitatem, exire, et Domini judicio committere exitum rei.	13 After separate consultation with the elders, he resolved not to wait for the king's army to invadeJudaea and take possession of the city, but to march out and settle the whole matter with the Lord's help.
14 Dans itaque potestatem omnium Deo mundi creatori, et exhortatus suos ut fortiter dimicarent, et usque ad mortem pro legibus, templo, civitate, patria, et civibus starent, circa Modin exercitum constituit.	14 Having thus committed the outcome to the Creator of the world, and having exhorted his soldiers tofight bravely to the death for the laws, the Temple, the city, their country and their way of life, he encamped hisarmy near Modein.
15 Et dato signo suis Dei victoriæ, juvenibus fortissimis electis nocte aggressus aulam regiam, in castris interfecit viros quatuor millia, et maximum elephantorum cum his qui superpositi fuerant :	15 Giving his men the password 'Victory from God', he made a night attack on the king's pavilion with apicked band of the bravest young men. Inside the camp he destroyed about two thousand, and his men cutdown the largest of the elephants with its mahout;
16 summoque metu ac perturbatione hostium castra replentes, rebus prospere gestis, abierunt.	16 having eventual y filled the camp with terror and confusion, they successful y withdrew,
17 Hoc autem factum est die illucescente, adjuvante eum Domini protectione.	17 just as dawn was breaking. This was achieved, thanks to the protection which the Lord grantedJudas.
18 Sed rex, accepto gustu audaciæ Judæorum, arte difficultatem locorum tentabat :	18 The king, having had a taste of Jewish daring, now tried to capture their positions by trickery.
19 et Bethsuræ, quæ erat Judæorum præsidium munitum, castra admovebat : sed fugabatur, impingebat, minorabatur.	19 He advanced on Beth-Zur, a strong fortress of the Jews, but was checked, overcome and sorepulsed.
20 His autem qui intus erant, Judas necessaria mittebat.	20 Judas supplied the garrison with what they needed,
21 Enuntiavit autem mysteria hostibus Rhodocus quidam de judaico exercitu, qui requisitus comprehensus est, et conclusus.	21 but Rhodocus, of the Jewish army, supplied the enemy with secret information; the man wasidentified, arrested, and dealt with.
22 Iterum rex sermonem habuit ad eos qui erant in Bethsuris : dextram dedit, accepit, abiit :	22 A second time, the king parleyed with the garrison of Beth-Zur; he offered and accepted pledges offriendship, retired, then attacked Judas and his men, but lost the battle.
23 commisit cum Juda, superatus est. Ut autem cognovit rebellasse Philippum Antiochiæ, qui relictus erat super negotia, mente consternatus, Judæos deprecans, subditusque eis, jurat de omnibus quibus justum visum est : et reconciliatus obtulit sacrificium, honoravit templum, et munera posuit.	23 He was then told that Philip, left in charge of affairs, had rebelled in Antioch. He was stunned by this,opened negotiations with the Jews, came to an agreement, and swore to abide by al reasonable conditions.Agreement reached, he offered a sacrifice, honoured the Temple, and made generous gifts to the holy place.
24 Machabæum amplexatus est, et fecit eum a Ptolemaide usque ad Gerrenos ducem et principem.	24 He received Maccabaeus kindly and, leaving Hegemonides to exercise command from Ptolemais tothe territory of the Gerrenians,
25 Ut autem venit Ptolemaidam, graviter ferebant Ptolemenses amicitiæ conventionem, indignantes ne forte fœdus irrumperent.	25 went to Ptolemais. The inhabitants of the place disapproved of the treaty; they complained furiouslyand wanted to annul its provisions.
26 Tunc ascendit Lysias tribunal, et exposuit rationem, et populum sedavit, regressusque est Antiochiam : et hoc modo regis profectio et reditus processit.	26 Lysias mounted the rostrum and made a convincing defence of the provisions which convinced andcalmed them and won their goodwil . He then withdrew to Antioch. So much for the episode of the king'soffensive and retreat.