Content

CAP 2
1 In tho daies Matatias, the sone of Joon, sone of Symeon, and he was prest of the sones of Joarym, roos fro Jerusalem, and sat in the hil Modyn.
2 And he hadde fyue sones; Joon, that was named Gaddis; and Symount, that was named Thasi;
3 and Judas, that was clepid Machabeus;
4 and Eleasarus, that was named Abaron;
5 and Jonathas, that was clepid Apphus.
6 These siyen the yuels that weren don in the puple of Juda and in Jerusalem.
7 And Matatias seide, Wo to me! wher to am Y borun, for to se the distriyng `of my puple, and the defoulyng of the hooli citee, and for to sitte there, whanne it is youun in to the hondis of enemyes?
8 Hooli thingis ben maad in the hond of straungeris; the temple therof as a man vnnoble;
9 vessels of glorie therof ben led awei caitif. Elde men therof ben slayn in stretis, and yonge men therof fellen doun bi swerd of enemyes.
10 What folc enheritide not the kingdom therof, and weldide not preies therof?
11 Al ournyng therof is borun awei; sche that was fre, is maad handmaidun.
12 And lo! oure hooli thing, and oure fairnesse, and oure clerete, is desolat, and hethene men defouliden it.
13 What therfor is yit to vs for to lyue?
14 And Matatias and his sones to-renten her clothis, and hiliden hem with heiris, and weiliden greetli.
15 And thei that weren sent of kyng Antiok, camen thidur, for to constreyne hem that fledden togidere in to the cite of Modyn, for to offre and brenne encensis, and for to departe fro the lawe of God.
16 And many of the puple of Israel consentiden, and camen to hem; but Matatias and his sones stoden stidefastli.
17 And thei answeriden, that weren sent of Antiok, and seiden to Matatias, Thou art prince, and moost clere, and greet in this citee, and ourned with sones and britheren.
18 Therfor go thou the formere, and do the maundement of the kyng, as alle folkis han don, and men of Juda, and thei that leften in Jerusalem. And thou schalt be, and thi sones, among frendis of the king, and maad large in siluer and gold, and many yiftis.
19 And Matatias answeride, and seide with greet vois, Thouy alle folkis obeien to kyng Antiok, that thei go awei ech man fro seruice of the lawe of his fadris, and consenten to his maundementis,
20 Y, and my sones, and my britheren schulen obeie to the lawe of oure fadris.
21 God be helpful to vs; it is not profitable to vs for to forsake the lawe and riytwisnesses of God.
22 We schulen not here the wordis of kyng Antiok, nether schulen make sacrifice to idols, and breke the maundementis of oure lawe, that we go bi anothir weie.
23 And as he ceesside for to speke these wordis, sum Jew wente to, bifore the iyen of alle men, for to sacrifice to idols on the auter, in the citee Modyn, bi comaundement of the kyng.
24 And Matatias siy, and sorewide, and his reynes trembliden togidere, and his woodnesse was kyndlid bi doom of the lawe; and he skippide in, and slow hym on the auter.
25 But and he slow in that tyme the man whom king Antiok sente, which compellide for to offre, and he distriede the auter.
26 And he louyde feruentli the lawe, as Fynees dide to Sambri, sone of Salomy.
27 And Matatias criede with greet vois in the citee, and seide, Ech man that hath feruent loue of the lawe, ordeyne a testament, `that is, a couenaunt, and go out after me.
28 And he flei, and hise sones, in to munteyns, and leften what euere thingis thei hadden in the citee.
29 Thanne many sekynge dom and riytwisnesse, wenten doun in to desert, that thei schulden sitte there,
30 thei, and the sones of hem, and wymmen of hem, and beestis of hem, for yuels weren hard on hem.
31 And it was teld to men of the kyng, and to the oost, that weren in Jerusalem, the citee of Dauid, that summen wenten awei, that distrieden maundement of the kyng, in to priuy places in desert; and many hadden go after hem.
32 And anoon thei wenten to hem, and ordeineden ayens hem batel, in the dai of sabatis;
33 and seiden to hem, Ayenstonde ye also now yit? go ye out, and do ye after the word of kyng Antiok, and ye schulen lyue.
34 And thei seiden, We schulen not go out, nether schulen do the word of the king, that we defoule the dai of sabatis.
35 And thei stiriden batel ayens hem.
36 And thei answeriden not to hem, nether threwen stoon to hem, nether stoppiden priuy places,
37 and seiden, Die we alle in oure simplenesse, and heuene and erthe schulen be witnessis on vs, that vniustli ye lesen vs.
38 And thei yauen to hem batel in sabatis, and thei weren deed, and wyues of hem, and sones of hem, and beestis of hem, til to a thousande persoones of men.
39 And Matatias knew, and his frendis; and thei hadden mournyng on hem greetli.
40 And a man seide to his neiybore, If we alle shulen do as oure britheren diden, and schulen not fiyte ayens hethene men, for oure lyues, and oure iustifiyngis, sunnere thei schulen distrie vs fro erthe.
41 And thei thouyten in that dai, and seiden, Ech man who euere cometh to vs in batel, in dai of sabotis, fiyte we ayens hym, and die we not alle, as oure britheren ben deed in priuy places.
42 Thanne the synagoge of Jewis, strong in myytis of Israel, was gaderid to hem. Euery wilful man in the lawe,
43 and alle that fledden fro yuels, weren addid to hem, and thei weren maad to hem to stidfastnesse.
44 And thei gaderiden an oost, and smytiden synneris in her wraththe, and wickid men in her indignacioun; and the tother fledden to naciouns, for to ascape.
45 And Matatias enuyrownede, and hise frendis, and distrieden auteris,
46 and circumcididen children vncircumcided, hou many euere thei founden in the coostis of Israel, `in strengthe.
47 And thei pursueden the sones of pride, and the werk hadde prosperite in her hondis.
48 And thei gaten the lawe fro hondis of hethene men, and fro hondis of kyngis, and yauen not strengthe to the synnere.
49 And daies of Matatias of diynge neiyiden, and he seide to hise sones, Now pride is coumfortid, and chastisyng, and tyme of distruccioun, and the wraththe of indignacioun.
50 Now therfor, sones, be ye sueris, `ether louyeris, of the lawe, and yyue ye youre lyues for the testament of fadris.
51 And bithenke ye on werkis of fadris, whiche thei diden in her generaciouns, and ye schulen resseyue greet glorie, and euerlastynge name.
52 Whether in temptacioun Abraham was not founden trewe, and it was arettid to hym to riytwisnes?
53 Joseph in time of his angwisch kepte comaundement, and was maad lord of Egipt.
54 Fynees, oure fadir, in feruentli louynge the feruent loue of God, took testament of euerlastynge preesthod.
55 Jhesus, `ether Josue, while he fillide the word, was maad duyk in Israel.
56 Caleph, while he witnesside in the chirche, took eritage.
57 Dauid in his merci gat the sete of kyngdom, in to worldis.
58 Elie, while he feruentli louyde the feruent loue of the lawe, was resseyued in to heuene.
59 Ananyas, Azarias, Misael, bileuyden, and weren delyuered fro flawme.
60 Danyel in his symplenesse was delyuered fro the mouth of liouns.
61 And thus bithenke ye bi generacioun and generacioun, for alle that hopen in to hym ben not maad vnstidefast.
62 And drede ye not of the wordis of a man synnere, for the glorie of hym is tord and worm;
63 to dai he is enhaunsid, and to morewe he schal not be foundun, for he is turned in to his erthe, and his thouyt schal perische.
64 Therfor, ye sones, be coumfortid, and do ye manli in the lawe; for whanne ye schulen do tho thingis that ben bodun to you in the lawe of youre Lord God, in it ye schulen be gloriouse.
65 And lo! Symount, youre brother; Y woot, that he is a man of councel, here ye hym eueremore, and he schal be fadir to you.
66 And Judas Machabeus, stronge in miytis fro his yongthe, be to you a prince in knyythod, and he schal do batel of the puple.
67 And ye schulen brynge to you alle doeris of the lawe, and venge ye the veniaunce of youre puple.
68 Yelde ye yeldyng to hethene men, and take ye tent to the heeste of the lawe.
69 And he blesside hem, and was put to hise fadris.
70 And he was deed in the hundrid and `sixe and fourti yeer, and was biried of hise sones in to sepulcre of hise fadris in Modyn; and al Israel weiliden hym with greet weilyng.