Liber I Maccabaeorum, 7
1. anno centesimo quinquagesimo et primo exiit Demetrius Seleuci filius ab urbe Roma et ascendit cum paucis viris in civitatem maritimam et regnavit illic
1. In the hundred and fifty-first year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from the city of Rome, and came up with a few men into a city of the sea coast, and reigned there.
2. et factum est ut ingressus est in domum regni patrum suorum conprehendit exercitus Antiochum et Lysiam ut adduceret eos ad eum
2. And it came to pass, as he entered into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army seized upon Antiochus, and Lysias, to bring them unto him.
3. et res ei innotuit et ait nolite mihi ostendere faciem eorum
3. And when he knew it, he said: Let me not see their face.
4. et occidit eos exercitus et sedit Demetrius super sedem regni sui
4. So the army slew them. And Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom:
5. et venerunt ad eum viri iniqui et impii ex Israël et Alchimus dux eorum qui volebat fieri sacerdos
5. And there came to him the wicked and ungodly men of Israel: And Alcimus was at the head of them, who desired to be made high priest.
6. et accusaverunt populum apud regem dicentes perdidit Judas et fratres ejus amicos tuos et nos disperdit de terra nostra
6. And they accused the people to the king, saying: Judas and his brethren have destroyed all thy friends, and he hath driven us out of our land.
7. nunc ergo mitte virum cui credis et eat et videat exterminium omne quod fecit nobis et regionibus regis et puniit omnes amicos ejus et adiutores eorum
7. Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go, and see all the havock he hath made amongst us, and in the king's lands: and let him punish all his friends and their helpers.
8. et elegit rex ex amicis suis Bacchidem qui dominabatur trans Flumen magnum in regno et fidelem regi et misit eum
8. Then the king chose Bacchides, one of his friends that ruled beyond the great river in the kingdom, and was faithful to the king: and he sent him,
9. et Alchimum impium constituit in sacerdotio et mandavit ei facere ultionem in filios Israël
9. To see the havock that Judas had made: and the wicked Alcimus he made high priest, and commanded him to take revenge upon the children of Israel.
10. et surrexerunt et venerunt cum exercitu magno in terram Juda et miserunt nuntios et locuti sunt ad Judam et fratres ejus verbis pacificis in dolo
10. And they arose, and came with a great army into the land of Juda: and they sent messengers, and spoke to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.
11. et non intenderunt sermonibus eorum viderunt enim quia venerunt cum exercitu magno
11. But they gave no heed to their words: for they saw that they were come with a great army.
12. et convenerunt ad Alchimum et Bacchidem congregatio scribarum requirere quæ justa sunt
12. Then there assembled to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of the scribes to require things that are just:
13. et primi Asidei qui erant in filiis Israël et exquirebant ab eis pacem
13. And first the Assideans that were among the children of Israel, and they sought peace of them.
14. dixerunt enim homo sacerdos de semine Aaron venit non decipiet nos
14. For they said: One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come, he will not deceive us.
15. et locutus est cum eis verba pacifica et juravit illis dicens non inferemus vobis malum neque amicis vestris
15. And he spoke to them peaceably: and he swore to them, saying: We will do you no harm nor your friends.
16. et crediderunt ei et conprehendit ex eis sexaginta viros et occidit eos in una die secundum verbum quod scriptum est
16. And they believed him. And he took threescore of them, and slew them in one day, according to the word that is written:
17. carnes sanctorum tuorum et sanguinem ipsorum effuderunt in circuitu Hierusalem et non erat qui sepeliret
17. The flesh of thy saints, and the blood of them they have shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.
18. et incubuit timor et tremor in omnem populum quia dixerunt non est ei veritas et judicium transgressi sunt enim constitutum et jusiurandum quod juraverunt
18. Then fear and trembling fell upon all the people: for they said: There is no truth, nor justice among them: for they have broken the covenant, and the oath which they made.
19. et movit Bacchides castra ab Hierusalem et adplicuit in Bethzetha et misit et conprehendit multos ex eis qui a se refugerant et quosdam de populo mactavit et in puteum magnum projecit
19. And Bacchides removed the camp from Jerusalem, and pitched in Bethzecha: and he sent, and took many of them that were fled away from him, and some of the people he killed, and threw them into a great pit.
20. et commisit regionem Alchimo et reliquit cum eo auxilium in adiutorium ipsi et abiit Bacchides ad regem
20. Then he committed the country to Alcimus, and left with him troops to help him. So Bacchides went away to the king:
21. et satis agebat Alchimus pro principatu sacerdotii sui
21. But Alcimus did what he could to maintain his chief priesthood.
22. et convenerunt ad eum omnes qui perturbabant populum suum et obtinuerunt terram Juda et fecerunt plagam magnam in Israël
22. And they that disturbed the people resorted to him, and they got the land of Juda into their power, and did much hurt in Israel.
23. et vidit Judas omnia mala quæ fecit Alchimus et qui cum eo erant in filios Israël plus multo quam gentes
23. And Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus, and they that were with him, did to the children of Israel, much more than the Gentiles.
24. et exiit in omnes fines Judæ in circuitu et fecit vindictam in viros desertores et cessaverunt ultra exire in regionem
24. And he went out into all the coasts of Juda round about, and took vengeance upon the men that had revolted, and they ceased to go forth any more into the country.
25. vidit autem Alchimus quod prævaluit Judas et qui cum eo sunt et cognovit quia non potest sustinere eos et regressus est ad regem et accusavit eos multis criminibus
25. And Alcimus saw that Judas, and they that were with him prevailed: and he knew that he could not stand against them, and he went back to the king, and accused them of many crimes.
26. et misit rex Nicanorem unum ex principibus suis nobilioribus qui erat inimicitias exercens contra Israël et mandavit ei evertere populum
26. And the king sent Nicanor one of his principal lords, who was a great enemy to Israel: and he commanded him to destroy the people.
27. et venit Nicanor in Hierusalem cum exercitu magno et misit ad Judam et ad fratres ejus cum dolo verbis pacificis
27. And Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army, and he sent to Judas and to his brethren deceitfully with friendly words,
28. dicens non sit pugna inter me et vos veniam cum viris paucis et videam facies vestras cum pace
28. Saying: Let there be no fighting between me and you: I will come with a few men to see your faces with peace.
29. et venit ad Judam et salutaverunt se invicem pacifice et hostes parati erant rapere Judam
29. And he came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably: and the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by force.
30. et innotuit sermo Judæ quoniam cum dolo venerat ad eum et conterritus est ab eo et amplius noluit videre faciem ejus
30. And the thing was known to Judas that he was come to him with deceit: and he was much afraid of him, and would not see his face any more.
31. et cognovit Nicanor quoniam denudatum est consilium ejus et exivit obviam Judæ in pugnam juxta Capharsalama
31. And Nicanor knew that his counsel was discovered: and he went out to fight against Judas near Capharsalama.
32. et ceciderunt de Nicanoris fere quinque milia viri et fugerunt in civitatem David
32. And there fell of Nicanor's army almost five thousand men, and they fled into the city of David.
33. et post hæc verba ascendit Nicanor in montem Sion et exierunt de sacerdotibus populi salutare eum in pace et demonstrare ei holocaustomata quæ offerebantur pro rege
33. And after this Nicanor went up into mount Sion: and some of the priests and the people came out to salute him peaceably, and to shew him the holocausts that were offered for the king.
34. et inridens sprevit eos et polluit et locutus est superbe
34. But he mocked them and despised them, and abused them: and he spoke proudly,
35. et juravit cum ira dicens nisi traditus fuerit Judas et exercitus ejus in manus meas continuo cum regressus fuero in pace succendam domum istam et exiit cum ira magna
35. And swore in anger, saying: Unless Judas and his army be delivered into my hands, as soon as ever I return in peace, I will burn this house. And he went out in a great rage.
36. et intraverunt sacerdotes et steterunt ante faciem altaris et templi et flentes dixerunt
36. And the priests went in, and stood before the face of the altar and the temple: and weeping, they said:
37. tu elegisti domum istam Domine ad invocandum nomen tuum in ea ut esset domus orationis et obsecrationis populo tuo
37. Thou, O Lord, hast chosen this house for thy name to be called upon therein, that it might be a house of prayer and supplication for thy people.
38. fac vindictam in homine isto et exercitu ejus et cadant gladio memento blasphemias eorum et ne dederis eis ut permaneant
38. Be avenged of this man, and his army, and let them fall by the sword: remember their blasphemies, and suffer them not to continue any longer.
39. et exiit Nicanor ab Hierusalem et castra adplicuit ad Bethoron et occurrit illi exercitus Syriæ
39. Then Nicanor went out from Jerusalem, and encamped near to Bethoron: and an army of Syria joined him.
40. et Judas adplicuit in Adarsa cum tribus milibus viris et oravit Judas et dixit
40. But Judas pitched in Adarsa with three thousand men: and Judas prayed, and said:
41. qui missi erant a rege Sennacherib Domine qui blasphemaverunt te exiit angelus et percussit ex eis centum octoginta quinque milia
41. O Lord, when they that were sent by king Sennacherib blasphemed thee, an angel went out, and slew of them a hundred and eighty-five thousand:
42. sic percute exercitum istum in conspectu nostro hodie et sciant ceteri quia male locutus est super sancta tua et judica illum secundum malitiam illius
42. Even so destroy this army in our sight to day, and let the rest know that he hath spoken ill against thy sanctuary: and judge thou him according to his wickedness.
43. et commiserunt exercitus prœlium tertiadecima die mensis adar et contrita sunt castra Nicanoris et cecidit ipse primus in prœlio
43. And the armies joined battle on the thirteenth day of the month Adar: and the army of Nicanor was defeated, and he himself was first slain in the battle.
44. ut vidit autem exercitus ejus quia cecidit Nicanor projecerunt arma sua et fugerunt
44. And when his army saw that Nicanor was slain, they threw away their weapons, and fled:
45. et persecuti sunt eos viam diei unius ab Adasor usquequo veniatur Gazera et tubis cecinerunt post eos cum significationibus
45. And they pursued after them one day's journey from Adazer, even till ye come to Gazara, and they sounded the trumpets after them with signals.
46. et exierunt de omnibus castellis Judæ in circuitu et ventilabant eos cornibus et convertebantur iterum ad eos et ceciderunt omnes gladio et non est relictus ex eis nec unus
46. And they went forth out of all the towns of Judea round about, and they pushed them with the horns, and they turned again to them, and they were all slain with the sword, and there was not left of them so much as one.
47. et acceperunt spolia eorum et prædam et caput Nicanoris amputaverunt et dexteram ejus quam extenderat superbe et adtulerunt et suspenderunt contra Hierusalem
47. And they took the spoils of them for a booty, and they cut off Nicanor's head, and his right hand, which he had proudly stretched out, and they brought it, and hung it up over against Jerusalem.
48. et lætatus est populus valde et egerunt diem illam in lætitia magna
48. And the people rejoiced exceedingly, and they spent that day with great joy.
49. et constituit agi omnibus annis diem istam tertiadecima die mensis adar
49. And he ordained that this day should be kept every year, being the thirteenth of the month of Adar.
50. et siluit terra Juda dies paucos
50. And the land of Juda was quiet for a short time.
