Liber I Maccabaeorum, 3

1. Et surrexit Iudas, qui vocaba tur Maccabaeus, filius eius pro eo.

1. Then Judas his son, who was called Maccabeus, took command in his place.

2. Et adiuvabant eum omnes fratres eius et universi, qui se coniunxerant patri eius; et proeliabantur proelium Israel cum laetitia.

2. All his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him; they gladly fought for Israel.

3. Et dilatavit gloriam populo suo et induit se loricam sicut gigas et succinxit se arma bellica sua et proelia constituit protegens castra gladio.

3. He extended the glory of his people. Like a giant he put on his breastplate; he girded on his armor of war and waged battles, protecting the host by his sword.

4. Similis factus est leoni in operibus suis et sicut catulus leonis rugiens in venationem;

4. He was like a lion in his deeds, like a lion's cub roaring for prey.

5. et persecutus est iniquos perscrutans et eos, qui conturbabant populum suum, succendit.

5. He searched out and pursued the lawless; he burned those who troubled his people.

6. Et subducti sunt iniqui prae timore eius, et omnes operarii iniquitatis conturbati sunt; et prosperata est salus in manu eius.

6. Lawless men shrank back for fear of him; all the evildoers were confounded; and deliverance prospered by his hand.

7. Et exacerbabat reges multos; et laetificabat Iacob in operibus suis, et in saeculum memoria eius in benedictionem.

7. He embittered many kings, but he made Jacob glad by his deeds, and his memory is blessed for ever.

8. Et perambulavit in civitatibus Iudae et disperdidit impios ex ea et avertit iram ab Israel;

8. He went through the cities of Judah; he destroyed the ungodly out of the land; thus he turned away wrath from Israel.

9. et nominatus est usque ad ultimum terrae et congregavit pereuntes.

9. He was renowned to the ends of the earth; he gathered in those who were perishing.

10. Et congregavit Apollonius gentes et a Samaria virtutem magnam ad bellandum contra Israel.

10. But Apollonius gathered together Gentiles and a large force from Samaria to fight against Israel.

11. Et cognovit Iudas et exiit obviam illi; et percussit eum et occidit, et ceciderunt vulnerati multi, et reliqui fugerunt.

11. When Judas learned of it, he went out to meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell, and the rest fled.

12. Et acceperunt spolia eorum, et gladium Apollonii accepit Iudas; et erat pugnans in eo omnibus diebus.

12. Then they seized their spoils; and Judas took the sword of Apollonius, and used it in battle the rest of his life.

13. Et audivit Seron, princeps exercitus Syriae, quod congregavit Iudas congregationem et convocationem fidelium secum et egredientium in proelium,

13. Now when Seron, the commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had gathered a large company, including a body of faithful men who stayed with him and went out to battle,

14. et ait: “Faciam mihi nomen et glorificabor in regno et debellabo Iudam et eos, qui cum ipso sunt, qui spernunt verbum regis”.

14. he said, "I will make a name for myself and win honor in the kingdom. I will make war on Judas and his companions, who scorn the king's command."

15. Et accessit, et ascendit cum eo exercitus impiorum fortis auxiliari ei, ut faceret vindictam in filios Israel.

15. And again a strong army of ungodly men went up with him to help him, to take vengeance on the sons of Israel.

16. Et appropinquavit usque ad ascensum Bethoron, et exivit Iudas obviam illi cum paucis.

16. When he approached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him with a small company.

17. Ut autem viderunt exercitum venientem sibi obviam dixerunt Iudae: “Quomodo poterimus pauci pugnare contra multitudinem tantam, fortem, et nos fatigati sumus ieiunio hodie?”.

17. But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to Judas, "How can we, few as we are, fight against so great and strong a multitude? And we are faint, for we have eaten nothing today."

18. Et ait Iudas: “Facile est concludi multos in manibus paucorum; et non est differentia in conspectu caeli liberare in multis aut in paucis,

18. Judas replied, "It is easy for many to be hemmed in by few, for in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few.

19. quoniam non in multitudine exercitus victoria belli, sed de caelo fortitudo est.

19. It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from Heaven.

20. Ipsi veniunt ad nos in multitudine contumeliae et iniquitatis, ut disperdant nos et uxores nostras et filios nostros et ut spolient nos;

20. They come against us in great pride and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to despoil us;

21. nos vero pugnamus pro animabus nostris et pro legitimis nostris,

21. but we fight for our lives and our laws.

22. et ipse Dominus conteret eos ante faciem nostram; vos autem ne timueritis eos”.

22. He himself will crush them before us; as for you, do not be afraid of them."

23. Ut cessavit autem loqui, insiluit in eos subito; et contritus est Seron et exercitus eius in conspectu ipsius.

23. When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Seron and his army, and they were crushed before him.

24. Et persequebantur eum in descensu Bethoron usque ad campum, et ceciderunt ex eis octingenti viri; reliqui autem fugerunt in terram Philisthim.

24. They pursued them down the descent of Beth-horon to the plain; eight hundred of them fell, and the rest fled into the land of the Philistines.

25. Et coepit timor Iudae ac fratrum eius, et formido cecidit super gentes in circuitu eorum;

25. Then Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and terror fell upon the Gentiles round about them.

26. et pervenit ad regem nomen eius, et de proeliis Iudae narrabant omnes gentes.

26. His fame reached the king, and the Gentiles talked of the battles of Judas.

27. Ut audivit autem Antiochus sermones istos, iratus est animo; et misit et congregavit exercitum universi regni sui, castra fortia valde.

27. When king Antiochus heard these reports, he was greatly angered; and he sent and gathered all the forces of his kingdom, a very strong army.

28. Et aperuit aerarium suum et dedit stipendia exercitui in annum et mandavit illis, ut essent parati ad omnia.

28. And he opened his coffers and gave a year's pay to his forces, and ordered them to be ready for any need.

29. Et vidit quod defecit pecunia de thesauris suis, et tributa regionis modica propter dissensionem et plagam, quam fecit in terra, ut tolleret legitima, quae erant a primis diebus;

29. Then he saw that the money in the treasury was exhausted, and that the revenues from the country were small because of the dissension and disaster which he had caused in the land by abolishing the laws that had existed from the earliest days.

30. et timuit, ne non haberet ut semel et bis in sumptus et donaria, quae dederat antea larga manu, et abundaverat super reges, qui ante eum fuerant.

30. He feared that he might not have such funds as he had before for his expenses and for the gifts which he used to give more lavishly than preceding kings.

31. Et consternatus erat animo valde et cogitavit ire in Persidem et accipere tributa regionum et congregare argentum multum.

31. He was greatly perplexed in mind, and determined to go to Persia and collect the revenues from those regions and raise a large fund.

32. Et reliquit Lysiam hominem nobilem de genere regali super negotia regia a flumine Euphrate usque ad fines Aegypti

32. He left Lysias, a distinguished man of royal lineage, in charge of the king's affairs from the river Euphrates to the borders of Egypt.

33. et ut nutriret Antiochum filium suum, donec rediret.

33. Lysias was also to take care of Antiochus his son until he returned.

34. Et tradidit ei dimidium exercitum et elephantos et mandavit ei de omnibus, quae volebat, et de inhabitantibus Iudaeam et Ierusalem,

34. And he turned over to Lysias half of his troops and the elephants, and gave him orders about all that he wanted done. As for the residents of Judea and Jerusalem,

35. ut mitteret ad eos exercitum ad conterendam et exstirpandam virtutem Israel et reliquias Ierusalem et auferendam memoriam eorum de loco,

35. Lysias was to send a force against them to wipe out and destroy the strength of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem; he was to banish the memory of them from the place,

36. et ut constitueret habitatores filios alienigenas in omnibus finibus eorum et sorte distribueret terram eorum.

36. settle aliens in all their territory, and distribute their land.

37. Et rex assumpsit dimidium exercitum residuum et exivit ab Antiochia de civitate regni sui anno centesimo et quadragesimo septimo et transfretavit Euphratem flumen et perambulabat superiores regiones.

37. Then the king took the remaining half of his troops and departed from Antioch his capital in the one hundred and forty-seventh year. He crossed the Euphrates river and went through the upper provinces.

38. Et elegit Lysias Ptolemaeum filium Dorymeni et Nicanorem et Gorgiam viros potentes ex amicis regis

38. Lysias chose Ptolemy the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, mighty men among the friends of the king,

39. et misit cum eis quadraginta milia virorum et septem milia equitum, ut venirent in terram Iudae et disperderent eam secundum verbum regis.

39. and sent with them forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to go into the land of Judah and destroy it, as the king had commanded.

40. Et processerunt cum universa virtute sua; et venerunt et applicaverunt prope Emmaus in terra campestri.

40. so they departed with their entire force, and when they arrived they encamped near Emmaus in the plain.

41. Et audierunt mercatores regionis nomen eorum et acceperunt argentum et aurum multum valde et compedes et venerunt in castra, ut acciperent filios Israel in servos, et additi sunt ad eos exercitus Syriae et terrae alienigenarum.

41. When the traders of the region heard what was said to them, they took silver and gold in immense amounts, and fetters, and went to the camp to get the sons of Israel for slaves. And forces from Syria and the land of the Philistines joined with them.

42. Et vidit Iudas et fratres eius quia multiplicata sunt mala, et exercitus applicabant ad fines eorum, et cognoverunt verba regis, quae mandavit facere populo in interitum et consummationem.

42. Now Judas and his brothers saw that misfortunes had increased and that the forces were encamped in their territory. They also learned what the king had commanded to do to the people to cause their final destruction.

43. Et dixerunt unusquisque ad proximum suum: “Erigamus deiectionem populi nostri et pugnemus pro populo nostro et sanctis nostris”.

43. But they said to one another, "Let us repair the destruction of our people, and fight for our people and the sanctuary."

44. Et congregatus est conventus, ut essent parati in proelium et ut orarent et peterent misericordiam et miserationes.

44. And the congregation assembled to be ready for battle, and to pray and ask for mercy and compassion.

45. Et Ierusalem non habitabatur sicut desertum; non erat qui ingrederetur et egrederetur de natis eius, et sanctum conculcabatur, et filii alienigenarum erant in arce; ibi erat habitatio gentibus. Et ablata est voluptas a Iacob, et defecit tibia et cithara.

45. Jerusalem was uninhabited like a wilderness; not one of her children went in or out. The sanctuary was trampled down, and the sons of aliens held the citadel; it was a lodging place for the Gentiles. Joy was taken from Jacob; the flute and the harp ceased to play.

46. Et congregati sunt et venerunt in Maspha contra Ierusalem, quia in Maspha erat antea locus orationis Israeli;

46. So they assembled and went to Mizpah, opposite Jerusalem, because Israel formerly had a place of prayer in Mizpah.

47. et ieiunaverunt illa die et induerunt se ciliciis et cinerem imposuerunt capiti suo et disciderunt vestimenta sua

47. They fasted that day, put on sackcloth and sprinkled ashes on their heads, and rent their clothes.

48. et expanderunt librum Legis, de quibus scrutabantur gentes similitudines simulacrorum suorum;

48. And they opened the book of the law to inquire into those matters about which the Gentiles were consulting the images of their idols.

49. et attulerunt ornamenta sacerdotalia et primitias et decimas et suscitaverunt nazaraeos, qui impleverunt dies,

49. They also brought the garments of the priesthood and the first fruits and the tithes, and they stirred up the Nazirites who had completed their days;

50. et clamaverunt voce in caelum dicentes: “Quid faciemus istis et quo eos ducemus?

50. and they cried aloud to Heaven, saying, "What shall we do with these? Where shall we take them?

51. Et sancta tua conculcata sunt et contaminata, et sacerdotes tui in luctu et humiliatione;

51. Thy sanctuary is trampled down and profaned, and thy priests mourn in humiliation.

52. et ecce nationes convenerunt adversum nos, ut nos disperdant: tu scis, quae cogitant in nos.

52. And behold, the Gentiles are assembled against us to destroy us; thou knowest what they plot against us.

53. Quomodo poterimus subsistere ante faciem eorum, nisi tu adiuves nos?”.

53. How will we be able to withstand them, if thou dost not help us?"

54. Et tubis bucinaverunt et clamaverunt voce magna.

54. Then they sounded the trumpets and gave a loud shout.

55. Et post haec constituit Iudas duces populi, tribunos et centuriones et pentacontarchos et decuriones

55. After this Judas appointed leaders of the people, in charge of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens.

56. et dixit his, qui aedificabant domos et sponsabant uxores et plantabant vineas, et formidolosis, ut redirent unusquisque in domum suam secundum legem.

56. And he said to those who were building houses, or were betrothed, or were planting vineyards, or were fainthearted, that each should return to his home, according to the law.

57. Et moverunt castra et collocaverunt ad austrum Emmaum.

57. Then the army marched out and encamped to the south of Emmaus.

58. Et ait Iudas: “Accingimini et estote filii potentes et estote parati in mane, ut pugnetis adversus nationes has, quae convenerunt adversus nos disperdere nos et sancta nostra;

58. And Judas said, "Gird yourselves and be valiant. Be ready early in the morning to fight with these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.

59. quoniam melius est nos mori in bello quam respicere mala gentis nostrae et sanctorum.

59. It is better for us to die in battle than to see the misfortunes of our nation and of the sanctuary.

60. Sicut autem fuerit voluntas in caelo, sic faciet”.

60. But as his will in heaven may be, so he will do."