Liber II Maccabaeorum, 12

1. His factis pactionibus, Lysias pergebat ad regem, Iudaei autem agriculturae operam dabant.

1. When this agreement had been reached, Lysias returned to the king, and the Jews went about their farming.

2. Sed ex his, qui duces erant in singulis locis, Timotheus et Apollonius Gennaei filius, sed et Hieronymus et Demophon, super hos et Nicanor Cypriarches, non sinebant eos in silentio agere et quiete.

2. But some of the governors in various places, Timothy and Apollonius the son of Gennaeus, as well as Hieronymus and Demophon, and in addition to these Nicanor the governor of Cyprus, would not let them live quietly and in peace.

3. Ioppitae vero tale quoddam flagitium perpetrarunt: cum rogavissent Iudaeos, cum quibus habitabant, ascendere scaphas, quas ipsi paraverant, cum uxoribus et filiis, quasi nullis inimicitiis in eos subiacentibus,

3. And some men of Joppa did so ungodly a deed as this: they invited the Jews who lived among them to embark, with their wives and children, on boats which they had provided, as though there were no ill will to the Jews;

4. secundum autem commune civitatis decretum, et ipsis acquiescentibus, utpote qui pacem obtinere cuperent et nihil suspectum haberent, eos provectos in altum submerserunt non minus ducentos.

4. and this was done by public vote of the city. And when they accepted, because they wished to live peaceably and suspected nothing, the men of Joppa took them out to sea and drowned them, not less than two hundred.

5. Quam crudelitatem Iudas in suae gentis homines factam ut cognovit, praecepit viris, qui erant cum ipso, et, invocato iusto iudice Deo,

5. When Judas heard of the cruelty visited on his countrymen, he gave orders to his men

6. venit adversus interfectores fratrum et portum quidem noctu succendit, scaphas exussit, eos autem, qui illuc refugerant, gladio peremit.

6. and, calling upon God the righteous Judge, attacked the murderers of his brethren. He set fire to the harbor by night, and burned the boats, and massacred those who had taken refuge there.

7. Et, cum conclusus esset locus, discessit quasi iterum reversurus et universam Ioppitarum civitatem eradicaturus.

7. Then, because the city's gates were closed, he withdrew, intending to come again and root out the whole community of Joppa.

8. Sed, cum cognovisset et eos, qui erant Iamniae, velle pari modo facere habitantibus secum Iudaeis,

8. But learning that the men in Jamnia meant in the same way to wipe out the Jews who were living among them,

9. Iamnitis quoque nocte supervenit et portum cum navibus succendit, ita ut lumen ignis appareret Hierosolymis a stadiis ducentis quadraginta.

9. he attacked the people of Jamnia by night and set fire to the harbor and the fleet, so that the glow of the light was seen in Jerusalem, thirty miles distant.

10. Inde, cum iam abiissent novem stadiis et iter facerent ad Timotheum, commiserunt cum eo Arabes non minus quam quinque milia viri et equites quingenti.

10. When they had gone more than a mile from there, on their march against Timothy, not less than five thousand Arabs with five hundred horsemen attacked them.

11. Cumque pugna valida fieret et hi, qui circa Iudam erant, per auxilium Dei prospere gessissent, nomades victi petebant a Iuda dextram sibi dari, promittentes se pascua daturos et in ceteris profuturos eis.

11. After a hard fight Judas and his men won the victory, by the help of God. The defeated nomads besought Judas to grant them pledges of friendship, promising to give him cattle and to help his people in all other ways.

12. Iudas autem arbitratus vere in multis eos utiles promisit se pacem acturum cum eis; dextrisque acceptis, discessere ad tabernacula sua.

12. Judas, thinking that they might really be useful in many ways, agreed to make peace with them; and after receiving his pledges they departed to their tents.

13. Aggressus est autem et civitatem quandam firmam pontibus murisque circumsaeptam, quae a promiscuis gentibus habitabatur, cui nomen Caspin.

13. He also attacked a certain city which was strongly fortified with earthworks and walls, and inhabited by all sorts of Gentiles. Its name was Caspin.

14. Hi vero, qui intus erant, confidentes in stabilitate murorum et apparatu alimoniarum contumeliosius agebant cum eis, qui circa Iudam erant, maledictis lacessentes et blasphemantes ac loquentes, quae fas non est.

14. And those who were within, relying on the strength of the walls and on their supply of provisions, behaved most insolently toward Judas and his men, railing at them and even blaspheming and saying unholy things.

15. Qui autem cum Iuda erant, invocato magno mundi Principe, qui sine arietibus et machinis organicis temporibus Iosue praecipitavit Iericho, irruerunt ferociter muris

15. But Judas and his men, calling upon the great Sovereign of the world, who without battering-rams or engines of war overthrew Jericho in the days of Joshua, rushed furiously upon the walls.

16. et, capta civitate per Dei voluntatem, inenarrabiles caedes fecerunt, ita ut adiacens stagnum latitudinem habens stadiorum duorum defluere repletum sanguine videretur.

16. They took the city by the will of God, and slaughtered untold numbers, so that the adjoining lake, a quarter of a mile wide, appeared to be running over with blood.

17. Inde autem discesserunt stadia septingenta quinquaginta et pervenerunt in Characa ad eos, qui dicuntur Tubiani, Iudaeos.

17. When they had gone ninety-five miles from there, they came to Charax, to the Jews who are called Toubiani.

18. Et Timotheum quidem in illis locis non comprehenderunt, qui, nullo negotio perfecto, tunc de locis regressus erat, relicto tamen in quodam loco firmissimo praesidio.

18. They did not find Timothy in that region, for he had by then departed from the region without accomplishing anything, though in one place he had left a very strong garrison.

19. Dositheus autem et Sosipater, ex ducibus, qui cum Maccabaeo erant, exeuntes peremerunt a Timotheo relictos in praesidio plures quam decem milia viros.

19. Dositheus and Sosipater, who were captains under Maccabeus, marched out and destroyed those whom Timothy had left in the stronghold, more than ten thousand men.

20. At Maccabaeus, ordinato exercitu circum se per cohortes, constituit eos super cohortes et adversus Timotheum processit habentem secum centum viginti milia peditum equitumque duo milia quingentos.

20. But Maccabeus arranged his army in divisions, set men in command of the divisions, and hastened after Timothy, who had with him a hundred and twenty thousand infantry and two thousand five hundred cavalry.

21. Cognito autem Iudae adventu, Timotheus praemisit mulieres et filios et reliquum apparatum in locum, qui Carnion dicitur; erat enim inexpugnabile et accessu difficile praesidium propter locorum angustias.

21. When Timothy learned of the approach of Judas, he sent off the women and the children and also the baggage to a place called Carnaim; for that place was hard to besiege and difficult of access because of the narrowness of all the approaches.

22. Cumque cohors Iudae prima apparuisset, et pavor factus esset super hostes, ac timor ex praesentia illius, qui universa conspicit, super eos esset, in fugam exsiluerunt, alius alio se ferens, ita ut saepe a suis laederentur et gladiorum acuminibus configerentur.

22. But when Judas' first division appeared, terror and fear came over the enemy at the manifestation to them of him who sees all things; and they rushed off in flight and were swept on, this way and that, so that often they were injured by their own men and pierced by the points of their swords.

23. Iudas autem vehementer instabat confodiens impios et prostravit ad triginta milia virorum.

23. And Judas pressed the pursuit with the utmost vigor, putting the sinners to the sword, and destroyed as many as thirty thousand men.

24. Ipse vero Timotheus incidens in eos, qui erant cum Dositheo et Sosipatre, cum multa adulatione postulabat, ut vivus dimitteretur, eo quod multorum quidem parentes, aliorum autem fratres haberet, et contingeret horum curam non haberi.

24. Timothy himself fell into the hands of Dositheus and Sosipater and their men. With great guile he besought them to let him go in safety, because he held the parents of most of them and the brothers of some and no consideration would be shown them.

25. Et cum pluribus modis fidem dedisset secundum hoc constitutum, restituturum se eos illaesos, dimiserunt eum propter fratrum salutem.

25. And when with many words he had confirmed his solemn promise to restore them unharmed, they let him go, for the sake of saving their brethren.

26. Egressus autem ad Carnion et Atergation interfecit viginti quinque milia corporum.

26. Then Judas marched against Carnaim and the temple of Atargatis, and slaughtered twenty-five thousand people.

27. Post autem horum fugam et necem, movit exercitum etiam adversus Ephron civitatem munitam, in qua multitudo diversarum gentium inhabitabat, et robusti iuvenes pro muris consistentes fortiter repugnabant; in hac autem machinarum et telorum multi erant apparatus.

27. After the rout and destruction of these, he marched also against Ephron, a fortified city where Lysias dwelt with multitudes of people of all nationalities. Stalwart young men took their stand before the walls and made a vigorous defense; and great stores of war engines and missiles were there.

28. Sed, cum Potentem invocassent, qui potestate sua vires hostium confringit, ceperunt subiectam civitatem et ex eis, qui intus erant, ad viginti quinque milia prostraverunt.

28. But the Jews called upon the Sovereign who with power shatters the might of his enemies, and they got the city into their hands, and killed as many as twenty-five thousand of those who were within it.

29. Inde profecti ad civitatem Scytharum perrexerunt, quae ab Hierosolymis sescentis stadiis aberat.

29. Setting out from there, they hastened to Scythopolis, which is seventy-five miles from Jerusalem.

30. Contestantibus autem his, qui erant illic Iudaei, benevolentiam, quam Scythopolitae erga eos habebant, et mitem occursum temporibus infelicitatis,

30. But when the Jews who dwelt there bore witness to the good will which the people of Scythopolis had shown them and their kind treatment of them in times of misfortune,

31. gratias agentes et exhortati etiam de cetero erga genus ipsum benignos esse, venerunt Hierosolymam die sollemni Septimanarum instante.

31. they thanked them and exhorted them to be well disposed to their race in the future also. Then they went up to Jerusalem, as the feast of weeks was close at hand.

32. Post eam vero, quae dicitur Pentecoste, abierunt contra Gorgiam praepositum Idumaeae.

32. After the feast called Pentecost, they hastened against Gorgias, the governor of Idumea.

33. Exivit autem cum peditibus tribus milibus et equitibus quadringentis.

33. And he came out with three thousand infantry and four hundred cavalry.

34. Quibus autem congressis, contigit paucos ruere Iudaeorum.

34. When they joined battle, it happened that a few of the Jews fell.

35. Dositheus vero quidam de iis, qui Bacenoris erant, eques vir et fortis, Gorgiam tenuit chlamydeque apprehensum ducebat eum fortiter; et, cum vellet illum capere vivum, eques quidam de Thracibus irruit in eum umerumque amputavit, et Gorgias effugit in Maresa.

35. But a certain Dositheus, one of Bacenor's men, who was on horseback and was a strong man, caught hold of Gorgias, and grasping his cloak was dragging him off by main strength, wishing to take the accursed man alive, when one of the Thracian horsemen bore down upon him and cut off his arm; so Gorgias escaped and reached Marisa.

36. At illis, qui cum Esdrin erant, diutius pugnantibus et fatigatis, cum invocasset Iudas Dominum, ut adiutorem se ostenderet et ducem belli,

36. As Esdris and his men had been fighting for a long time and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord to show himself their ally and leader in the battle.

37. incipiens patria voce clamorem cum hymnis, irruens improviso in eos, qui circa Gorgiam erant, fugam eis incussit.

37. In the language of their fathers he raised the battle cry, with hymns; then he charged against Gorgias' men when they were not expecting it, and put them to flight.

38. Iudas autem, collecto exercitu, venit in civitatem Odollam et, cum septima dies superveniret, secundum consuetudinem purificati in eodem loco sabbatum egerunt.

38. Then Judas assembled his army and went to the city of Adullam. As the seventh day was coming on, they purified themselves according to the custom, and they kept the sabbath there.

39. Et sequenti die venerunt, qui cum Iuda erant, eo tempore, quo necessarium factum erat, ut corpora prostratorum tollerent et cum parentibus reponerent in sepulcris paternis.

39. On the next day, as by that time it had become necessary, Judas and his men went to take up the bodies of the fallen and to bring them back to lie with their kinsmen in the sepulchres of their fathers.

40. Invenerunt autem sub tunicis uniuscuiusque interfectorum donaria idolorum, quae apud Iamniam fuerunt, a quibus lex prohibet Iudaeos. Omnibus ergo manifestum factum est ob hanc causam eos corruisse.

40. Then under the tunic of every one of the dead they found sacred tokens of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. And it became clear to all that this was why these men had fallen.

41. Omnes itaque, cum benedixissent, quae sunt iusti iudicis, Domini, qui occulta manifesta facit,

41. So they all blessed the ways of the Lord, the righteous Judge, who reveals the things that are hidden;

42. ad obsecrationem conversi sunt, rogantes, ut id, quod factum erat, delictum oblivioni ex integro traderetur. At vero fortissimus Iudas hortatus est populum conservare se sine peccato, cum sub oculis vidissent, quae facta sunt propter peccatum eorum, qui prostrati sunt.

42. and they turned to prayer, beseeching that the sin which had been committed might be wholly blotted out. And the noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen.

43. Et, facta viritim collatione ad duo milia drachmas argenti, misit Hierosolymam offerri pro peccatis sacrificium, valde bene et honeste de resurrectione cogitans.

43. He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection.

44. Nisi enim eos, qui ceciderant, resurrecturos speraret, superfluum et vanum esset orare pro mortuis.

44. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead.

45. Deinde considerans quod hi, qui cum pietate dormitionem acceperant, optimum haberent repositum gratiae donum:

45. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.

46. sancta et pia cogitatio. Unde pro defunctis expiationem fecit, ut a peccato solverentur.

46.