# Ælfric's Lives of Saints/Of the Machabees

XXV.
AUGUST I. THE MACCABEES.
§ I. I Macc. i. 1-64; 2 Macc. vi. 18-vii. 42.
After that Alexander the terrible king
divided his kingdom amongst his several favorites
on his decease, and they took to the kingdom,
each in his portion, then grew up many evils
wide-spread on the earth, because of these kings' battles.
One of these kings there was of them all the wickedest,
irreverent and proud, named Antiochus,
who fought in Egypt and put to flight the king;
and marched afterwards to Jerusalem with a great army,
and despoiled God's temple of gold and silver,
and took many gold-hoards away with him,
and the holy treasure-vessels, and the great altar,
and slew many of the people in the town,
and spake haughtily, trusting in his might.
Again after some time, the king sent,
by a written message, that all men should bow down
to his heathendom and to his ordinances;
​and sent to Jerusalem the Jewish town,
in which was then worshipped the all-ruling God
after the old law, which they alone then kept,
and commanded them to turn from God, and from his services,
and raised up the devil's form upon the Lord's altar,
and commanded them all to offer sacrifice to that idol,
and to kill each one, who spake against his commands.
There was then great sorrow amongst all the people,
who believed on God, because of the cruel deeds;
And many bowed down to the wicked idol;
and also many spake against the king's commands,
and would lose their lives rather than their belief,
and would not defile themselves with the foul heathendom.
nor break God's law which they read in books.
Now there was taken a certain faithful scribe[2 Macc.vi. 18 ],
hoary and old, who was called Eleazar;
and they stuck in his mouth, with many threatenings,
the foul meat which Moses forbade
God's people to taste because of its spiritual signification.
"We must now speak more plainly concerning these,
as to what meats were forbidden to men
in the old law, which one eats now nevertheless.
Moses forbad, because of its great significance [Levit. xi. 2 ]
in the old law, according to God's ordinance,
the old people — to eat those beasts
which chew not their cud, and commanded them [to be] unclean;
and those that are hoofed in a horse's likeness,
those with uncloven claws, were unclean also.
The clean beasts who chew their cud
betoken those men who meditate in their mind
about God's will, after that they hear his word
​from teachers' mouths, as if they chewed their meat.
And those are unclean which chew not their cud,
because they betoken those who desire not rightly,
neither will learn what may be pleasing to God,
nor revolve in their minds the Saviour's commands,
and they are therefore unclean just like the wicked beasts.
Those beasts are clean that cleave their claws,
and chew their cud; they betoken the believers
in God's congregation, who with belief receive
the old testament and Christ's ordinance,
that is, the old law and the new testament,
and chew God's commands ever with meditation.
Those beasts were called unclean in the law,
who do not cleave their claws, although they chew the cud;
or if they do cleave, and will not chew;
for the betokening, which was then still to come,
that we cleave our claws in the two testaments,
the old and the new, that is Law and Gospel;
and that we ponder in mind the Almighty's behest;
and he who forsakes either, he liveth unclean.
Even so the Jews who despise our Lord,
and have in contempt his Gospel-preaching,
are unclean, and to Christ odious,
although they in their mouth revolve Moses' law,
and will only understand the literal meaning.
Many things were forbidden to God's people in the law,
which now are clean, after Christ's advent,
since Paul saith to the Christians thus;
omnia munda mundis (Titus i. 15);
​All things are clean to clean men;
to the unbelievers and the unclean there is nothing clean.
A hare was then unclean, because he is [not] cloven-footed,
and a swine was then unclean because it chewed not its cud.
Some were then foul, which now are also foul;
but it will be too tedious to discourse here fully
concerning the clean beasts or concerning the unclean
in the old law, which one eats now nevertheless.
Then would Eleazar manfully die
rather than he would transgress God's law,
and would not swallow the bit of the bacon
which they stuck in his mouth, because Moses forbade [them]
to eat swine; as we before said.
Then the executioners prayed him, for old acquaintance sake,
that they might bring him unforbidden, flesh,
and he should do as if he ate of the sacrifice-bacon,
and so with that deception save himself.
Then spake Eleazar, 'I am old to practise deceit,
and the young ones will think that I am ready to transgress
God's ordinance for [the sake of] this short life,
and then shall my deception be to their destruction,
and I myself shall be an opponent [to God] by such an example.
Though I be saved from men's cruelty,
I may not anywhere escape from the Almighty
in life or in death; but I shall afford an example
to the young folk, if I boldly die
an honourable death for the holy law.'
Then became the executioners, who had addressed him kindly,
very much angered because of that answer,
and they dragged him to the tortures that he might be killed;
and he then ended his life with faith.
​There were also taken and led to the king [2 Macc. vii. i.]
seven brethren, very believing;
and their mother together, and them they vexed with scourging,
that they should eat bacon, against God's law.
Then saith the eldest, 'what askest thou of us?
we are ready to die rather than to transgress
our creator's law which he ordained by Moses.'
Then the king grew angry and commanded to cut out his tongue,
and to scalp him and to cut off his hands,
and also to cut off his feet, and commanded to fetch a cauldron,
and to boil him therein until he gave up the ghost
before his brethren, that they might yield.
Moreover the six brethren themselves there testified
and the mother together, saying amongst themselves,
that they would die for God's ordinances.
' God himself comforteth us, as Moses revealed [Deut. xxxii. 43 ]
in the fifth book, that God comforteth his servants.'
Then the tormentors bound the second brother,
and they scalped him hatefully and asked him
whether he eat would before he should be hamstrung.
He saith 'that he would not,' and he then the like punishment
as his elder brother immediately received,
and saith to the king who commanded to kill them,
'Thou, most guilty king, slayest and consumest us,
but the Almighty King will raise us up again
to the eternal life, now that we die for his law.'
They bound the third and in derision they commanded
him to put out his tongue, and he quickly did so.
and reached out his hands to them, and with firmness quoth,
' These limbs I had through the heavenly king,
​but I now despise them for [the sake of] His ordinance,
because I have hope in him that I may receive them again from him,'
And the king wondered, and they that were with him,
at the young man's constancy, that he despised the death-tormeht.
After this one's departure (from life), they took the fourth,
and tormented him in like manner, but he firmly quoth,
'It is better for us to die and soothly to abide
the eternal resurrection at (the hands of) the Almighty God;
but for thee shall be no resurrection to the eternal life.'
He then ended (his life) with constant belief,
and they took, to torment (him), the fifth brother.
He looked then towards the king, and quoth thus to him,
'Now (that) thou hast might amongst men for a while,
thou dost as thou wilt, but think not, nevertheless,
that the God upon whom we believe forsakes us.
thou shalt find His might, not far hence, over thyself,
how He will torment thee sharply with punishments.'
He ended (liis life) then, and they quickly caught
The sixth brother; and he, dying, quoth,
'Err not thou vainly, though the Lord permit thee
that we for our sins become such a spectacle;
and think not thou concerning thyself that thou shalt be untormented,
now (that) thou fightest against God; ' and he departed then soon.
Then wondered their mother that they strove so well,
and she with blithe mood ever exhorted her children,
each one severally, and said to them all,
'I joined not your limbs, nor did I supply you with life,
but the world's Creator gave you your spirit and life,
and He again will give you the eternal life with Him,
even as ye now ofifer yourselves for His law.'
Thereupon Antiochus, the impious king,
promised the one boy who was still alive
​much worldly wealth, if he would submit to him,
and prayed also the mother to exhort her child,
that heat least should alone submit,though his brothers would not.
And the mother promised him that she would teach him.
Then bent down the mother to her bairn, and quoth,
'Pity me, my son, I bore thee as a man;
look up now to the heavens, and behold this earth,
and all the creatures that are now thereon,
and understand by them how the Almighty God
shaped them all, without material, of nothing;
and fear not thou only because of this fiendlike murderer,
but receive the death, even as thy brothers did,
that I may again receive thee in blessedness with them.'
Then called the youngster to the tormentors thus, and quoth,
'What are ye waiting for? I shall not be
in no wise [any wise] obedient to the king's behest,
but to God's commandments which He commanded by Moses.
And thou, king full of evil, for thy pride shalt
soothly, in God's doom, suffer torment.
I offer my own life and my body together
for God's ordinances, even as did my six brothers;
and I cry to God that He will pity our kindred,
and that He may cause, by torments, that thou mayst know that He is God alone.'
Then became the king infuriated against the boy
over all the others that he before had killed
for that contemptuousness; and the sainted boy
amid the fierce torments departed then from life
with full belief; and the faithful mother
was also killed before the king,
after her seven sons, happily, for [the sake of] God.
The commemoration of these martyrs is on Lammas day,
as far and wide as God's servants pay heed to God's service.
​Many saints were (there) under Moses' law,
but we hold not their commemoration on any mass-day,
except of these brethren, that so boldly suffered.
§ II. I Macc. ii. 1-70.
II. We will also write how that contest ended,
and how the Almighty God put to flight the impious ones
with mickle shame, even as the narrative tells us.
A certain high servant of God was named Mattathias,
who had five sons, full bold ones, with him.
One was named John; a second Simon,
a third — Judas; a fourth — Eleazar,
a fifth — Jonathan, within Jerusalem,
who bemoaned sorely with vehement mourning
that they saw such distress in their life,
and would not submit to the reproachful heathendom.
Then sent the king to the aforesaid thane,
and bade them all bow down to his blind gods,
and offer to them sacrifice, and abandon God's law.
But Mattathias would not hear the wicked one,
nor transgress God's law for his wrathful threat.
Therewith there came in sight of them all
a Jewish man to the devil-image,
and offered his offering, as Antiochus commanded.
However, Mattathias was enraged in his mood,
and rushed at the man who would there offer,
and slew him soon, and afterwards the other,
the king's thane, who had urged him thereto,
and cast down the devil-image, and departed from it.
He cried then loudly — ' each one who hath belief
and heedeth God's law, let him come to me.'
​He fled then to the wilderness, and many men with him,
with constant minds, and despised the wicked one.
Then sent the king soon after him
a great company to the vast mountains,
where they by troops went with their families.
Then was there slain a part of the folk,
that were at a distance from Mattathias,
because that they would not fight on the feast-day [sabbath],
but let them slay them with impunity.
The host then waxed exceedingly that was with Mattathias,
and they firmly fought, and put to flight the heathen,
with great strength, who were highminded against God.
Mattathias then went, with his kinsmen's help,
and chased the heathen, and altogether drove them away,
and reared up God's law, and God also helped them.
He then grew old, and his end approached,
and he taught his sons with faith, and quoth,
and proffer your own life for the true law,
and for our fathers' testimony; it shall come to your glory.
Be ye mindful now, my children,
how the great Abraham, in much temptation,
was true to God, and that was imputed to him for righteousness.
Also Joseph, and Jesus [Joshua] son of Naue [Nun],
David and Daniel, and all they who trusted in God,
were ever encouraged, for their trust in Him.
Be ye now heartened, and rejoice in God,
and hold with (true) service the holy law of God,
because that ye shall be glorified therein.
Fear ye not, I pray, the threats of the sinful one,
because his glory is corruption and muck;
​now, to-day, he is highminded, and tomorrow be shall not be,
he returneth to earth, and his thought perisheth.
Your brother Simon is wise and prudent,
he shall be your father; follow ye his counsels.
Judas Machabeus is mighty and strong,
let him be your elder in every fight;
and gather to yourselves them who love God's law,
and avenge your folk on the foul heathen,
and hold God's law in good services.'
He blessed then his sons, and so departed from life,
and his body was buried in his own city,
and Israel wept for him, in the ancient wise.
§ III. I Macc. iii. 1-26.
III. Moreover, Judas Machabeus mightily arose
in his father's stead, and withstood his enemies,
and his four brothers supported him with one accord,
and all they who were dwelling with his father,
and fought then with joy, and defeated the heathen.
Judas then girt himself with his shining breast-plate,
even as an immense giant, and completely armed himself,
and guarded his host against the foes with his sword.
He became then like a lion in his strifes and deeds,
and pursued the heathen and cleared his country.
His enemies then fled (being) afraid of him,
and all the evil-workers were driven away.
And safety then prospered in Judas' hands,
and he made his kin joyful, that was named Jacob;
and his glory then extended to the uttermost lands.
Then gathered Apollonius, a wrathful leader,
from the city of Samaria, an immense army,
​and from many people men, for fighting
against Israel, and Judas' family.
But Judas came to him, and killed him soon,
and many of his people, and the others fled.
Judas then seized Apollonius' sword,
that was a famous weapon, and he fought therewith
in every battle, throughout his whole life.
Again there was a leader, named Seron,
in the land of Syria, who quoth to his people,
'I will get me a name and overcome Judas,
and them that are with him, who despised the king.'
He gathered then his host, and went with great array
to Judea-land, and many people with him.
Judas then came to him, and his companions said,
' How may we, being so few, fight against the multitude,
now that we are weakened with toil and fasting? '
Judas answered them resolutely, and quoth,
'It is no difficulty to the Almighty God,
with few men or with a vast army
to help in battle, and support them whom He will,
because that victory is ever from heaven.
These come against us as though they are more warlike,
and desire to destroy us and lay waste our land;
we verily fight for ourselves against them,
and for God's law, and God shall eke destroy them
before our sight; fear ye not ever so little.'
After this speech they came together,
and Judas then defeated the aforesaid Seron,
and his army together with exceeding boldness;
and there were slain, eight hundred men,
and the rest fled away to the land of the Philistines.
​The fear of Judas then extended far across the land,
and the dread of his brethren, over all the heathen;
and all peoples said how nobly they fought.
Judea-land was then long without a king
in all these contests, but Judas defended them,
and afterwards his brethren, after his ending.
§ IV. I Macc. iii. 27 — iv. 54.
IV. Afterwards it was made known to king Antiochus
concerning Judas' victory, and he grew angry in his mood,
and sent then his army with a high-thane [nobleman],
named Lysias, to Judea-land.
In that army were forty thousand [foot],
and seven thousand [horse] well armed,
and they came with power to the Jews' kindred.
Judas then encouraged his companions with words,
and fasted one day, praying for assistance
from the Almighty God, that He would protect them,
and defend His holy temple against the heathen.
They went then, thus encouraged, towards the battle,
and Judas then again spake to all his companions —
'Be ye girt about strongly for this hard contest,
because that it is better for us, that we should die in battle
than see this misery upon our kindred thus,
and upon our sanctuary; but even as the heavenly God
will do concerning us, so let it be!
Be ye mindful how mightily He delivered
our fathers formerly against Pharaoh the king
in the Red Sea, wherein he sank to the bottom.
Let us call to the heavens, that God may help us,
and destroy this army, that the heathen may acknowledge
​that there is no other God that may deliver Israel.'
Machabeus then drew near with his little army
that was three thousand, that would then follow him.
They blew then their trumpets, and boldly fought,
till that the heathen fled to distant lands
and Judas drove them away, like beasts to the wood.
There were slain some three thousand;
and Judas then found, when he returned from the expedition,
gold and silver, fine cloth and purple,
and many other spoils, within the camps;
and they then thanked God for all his goodness.
Again in the second year Lysias gathered together
five and sixty thousand of marching thanes,
and desired to overcome the Jewish folk.
Then Judas Machabeus trusted greatly in God,
and marched against him with the folk that he had,
that were twelve thousand of fighting men.
And Judas awaited him there, and blessed his Creator —
'Blessed art Thou, Almighty Saviour of Israel;
Thou that didst quell formerly the violent host
by the hands of David, now disperse the heathen
by the hands of thy people, and terrify them with fright;
overthrow them by the swords of them that love Thee,
that all may praise Thee, that hear Thy name.'
They joined battle then together, un-slow with weapons,
and there fell then of the heathen five thousand slain,
and Lysias fled with the remnant of the army.
Then quoth Judas to his comrades, that he would do away the filth
out of the temple of God, which the wrathful Antiochus
​had commanded (men) to rear there, in the heathen wise.
And they went thereunto, and did away the filth
out of the house of God, and raised up the praise of God
after Moses' law, with much joy,
and offered to God sacrifice with belief and song.
§ V. I Macc. v. 1-68; and 2 Macc. xii. 39-45.
V. Judas then turned himself, and fought against the heathen,
because that they wished to destroy the Jews;
but Judas overcame them, and ever drove them away,
and burnt up their cities, and treated them with insult.
Verily, then, on a certain day, people sent to Judas
written messages, from the people of Israel,
and made known that the heathen had beset them,
and had put to death about a thousand men.
Eke, on the other side, messengers came to him
from the Galilsean land, despairing of their lives,
and told that the heathen came against them on all sides,
and desired to overwhelm them, and destroy their country.
Judas then asked his comrades for their counsel,
and quoth to Simon-, his discreet brother,
' Choose thee now assistance, and go to Galilee,
and help thy relations, whom the wicked ones harass.
I and Jonathan, my younger brother,
will go to Galaad to defeat the heathen.'
He appointed then captains to keep the folk,
and bade that they should not go to any fight
against the heathen, till he should come home.
Simon then took three thousand with him,
and Judas and Jonathan eight thousand;
and Simon fought often, and defeated the heathen,
and delivered his kindred against their cruelty,
and brought them to the land with much bliss.
​Judas also went over the river Jordan,
across the vast desert, and subdued the heathen.
He came then to a city, named Bosor,
in which were the heathen that oppressed his kindred.
All them he put to death with the edge of the sword,
and set the city on fire, and hastened away afterwards.
Verily, then in the morning there came against him so many men
that no man might (at all) number the multitude,
and began to fight firmly with craft,
and knew not that Maccabeus was with the men.
When Judas heard the noise of the heathen,
and the shout of the fight, then went he behind them
with three companies, and slew the heathen,
until that they perceived that the keen Judas
was fighting against them, and turned then to (their) horses;
they knew that they could not withstand Maccabeus.
In the battle there were eight thousand men
slain, of the heathen folk, and the rest fled away.
Judas then went, fighting against the heathen,
and burned up their cities, and slew them reproachfully.
Then came Timotheus, a keen leader
with an excessive army, and laid wait at a ford.
But Judas came against him boldly with weapons,
and passed over the ford, and fought with the heathen,
as his custom was, until that they turned from him,
and cast away their weapons, and went to a town;
but Judas burned them up, and the town together.
He took then his kinsmen from among the wicked ones,
with wives and children, and they returned home.
Then was there a great town, in the midst of their way,
and there was no high-road on either side of the town
​except through the city, and then they prayed earnestly
that they might in peace pass through the town,
because they could not turn aside; but the burghers would not
permit them the passage, but fastened the gate
with great hewn stones, and J;rusted to the wall.
Then would not Judas meatless abide there,
but bade (them) break down the wall, though it was broad.
Then went all in, and slew all the heathen,
and destroyed the borough, and turned them homeward,
until that they came safe to (their) land,
and offered their offerings to the living God,
thanking His protection that they all (thus) sound
had come again to their country out of so great danger.
But their comrades at home fought unwarily
against the heathen people, transgressing Judas' leave,
the while that he was away, and were then slain,
very many men, when they fought without wisdom.
The Second Book tells us [2. Macc. xii. 39] that they fought on one occasion,
when some of them were deceived with covetousness,
so that they took spoil, and wickedly hid it,
in their bosoms, of the devilish offerings,
against God's law; and they all fell there
that hid the spoil, slain in the battle.
And their comrades found the spoil in their bosoms,
and said that God Himself manifested their sin,
and praised God's doom, who discovered their secrets.
Judas then gathered a good deal of spoil,
that amounted to twelve thousand shillings, all of white silver,
and sent to Jerusalem to offer for their sins
for the release of the souls of them that were there slain.
​understanding religiously, concerning the resurrection of us all.
Excepting he believed that they, after long delay,
would arise from death, they who there were slain,
otherwise he offered in vain his offering.
But he verily considered that they that with true religion
in death shall decease, that they with the Lord shall have
the happiest gift in the true life.
It is a holy thought, and religious to pray
for those who are departed, that they may be released from sins.
§ VI. 2 Macc. X. 24-38.
VI. It saith in the Second Book of Maccabees thus;
that Timotheus, who before fled at the ford from Judas,
that he again gathered a second army to him,
and wished with weapons to subdue the Jews, R
and came then with an army, ready to fight;
and Machabeus the bold cried to God,
and his fellows also, praying for help.
They went then from the city, emboldened by God,
and they fought together firmly with weapons.
Lo! then wonderfully came five angels from heaven,
riding on horses with golden apparel,
and twain of the angels on both sides of Judas
were fighting, and eke defended him;
and they all five fought on the side of Judas,
shooting their arrows and fiery lightnings
on the heathen people, till they, lying-down, died,
twenty thousand men, and six hundred [horsemen] slain.
Timotheus then fled, seized with fright,
into a town; and after him went
Judas with assistance, and fought without
​until they overcame them, and took the city,
and killed Timotheus, there where he had crept in,
and his brother together, with the sword's edge.
After these deeds, they thanked the Lord
with songs of praise and confessions of all the wonders
that He for the Jews did very often,
and gave them the victory; and then journeyed home.
If any one now should wonder how it might happen
that angels should ride on apparelled horses,
then let him know soothly that everywhere say to us
the holy books of God, that may not be false,
that angels oft came certainly to men
as riding upon horses, even as we have here related.
The Jews were the dearest to God
in the old law, because they alone honoured
the Almighty God with worship continually;
until Christ, God's son, was Himself conceived
of human nature, of the Jewish kin,
of Mary the maiden, without human father.
Then would not some (of them) believe that He was Very God,
but laid snares for His life, even as He Himself permitted.
There were however many good men of that nation,
both in the old law, and eke in the new.
patriarchs and prophets, and holy apostles,
and many thousands that follow Christ,
although some remain froward until now.
They shall, however, all finally believe,
but there shall perish too many, in the period between,
for their hardheartedness against the heavenly Saviour.
§ VII. I Macc. vi. i.-vii. 4; see also 2 Macc. ix. i-ii.
VII. About this time went the foresaid Antiochus
to the Persian people with great strength;
he would there overcome a wealthy city;
hut he was chased thence and shamefully escaped,
and with much anxiety out of the country turned
towards Babylon; and it was there told him
how Judas overcame his enemies with weapons,
and how he had cleansed the holy temple of God
from all the abominations that he formerly set up there.
He was then vexed, and eke afflicted with sickness,
because God was angry with him, and he raged terribly,
saying and affirming that it had so happened to him,
because that he treated God's temple reproachfully,
and would destroy the faithful ones out of their land.
Then worms rose out of him, out of his afflicted body,
and he stank so foully that no one could carry him,
and he then evilly and miserably ended (his life),
in a foreign land, (going) to eternal torments;
and his son Eupator reigned after him.
He was likewise inclined so that he wished to slay
the believing Jews, who believed then in God.
They believed then, in the old manner, in Almighty God,
though that some of them [afterwards] denied the Saviour,
and even so slew (Him), as He himself desired.
Well then, Eupator, Antiochus' son,
gathered his army far and near,
and sent a hundred thousand of marching men,
and twenty thousand of mounted men,
and thirty elephants, all tamed,
​and trained to war with wonderful craft.
Five hundred mounted men went with each elephant,
and on each elephant was a war-house built,
and in each war-house were thirty men,
fighting with craft and going with eagerness.
To some men it will seem strange to hear this,
because that elephants have never come to England.
An elephant is an immense beast, greater than a house,
all surrounded with bones, within the skin,
except at the navel, and he never lies down.
Four and twenty months goeth the mother with foal;
and three hundred years they live, if they be not crippled;
and man may tame them wonderfully for battle.
The whale is of all fishes greatest, and the elephant is of all beasts greatest,
but nevertheless man's skill may tame them.
The heathen then went to the battle swiftly,
and with mulberries emboldened the elephants,
because mulberries are to them the pleasantest of food.
There was a very terrible army of the heathen men,
but nevertheless Judas went against them with war,
and slew there soon six hundred men;
and one of his comrades, Eleazar he hight,
ran to an elephant that was the most excellent there,
weened that the king was in the war-house that he bare.
He ran with drawn sword through the midst of the band,
and slew ever on both sides, so that they fell dying,
until he came to the elephant, and went under him,
pricked (him) then at the navel, so that they both lay there,
each one the other's slayer; and Judas afterwards returned
​unto Jerusalem, with all his army,
and they defended themselves keenly against the conquering army
until the king instituted peace with them
by his counsellors' advice; but he quickly brake it.
He turned then homeward with the remnant of his army,
and soon a victorious thane slew him,
named Demetrius, and possessed his kingdom
in the city Antioch, and everywhere thereabout.
§ VIII. I Macc. vii. 5-viii. 17.
VIII. Moreover Alcimus, the impious priest,
accused with lyings his people to the king;
and the king Demetrius believed the wicked one,
and aflflicted the Jews until he sent to them
Nicanor his alderman, that he might destroy them all.
Nicanor then went with a host to Jerusalem,
and sent to Judas with deceit, and quoth,
'I have not come for any battle, but for friendship to you,'
and kissed then Judas, and his champions were
ready to take Judas in bands.
Judas then perceived their cruel deceitfulness,
and turned from him soon, and would not see him.
Nicanor then perceived that his guile was known,
began then to fight suddenly against Judas,
until there fell of his army five thousand men,
and the rest fled, affrighted because of Judas.
Nicanor then beheld Solomon's temple,
and swore by his gods that he the house of God
would burn up with fire, except one should give up to him
Judas bound, to shameful death;
(and) so turned him away, madly enraged.
​Thereupon the priests with excessive mourning
prayed the Almighty God that He would shield His own house
against the impious one, and would quickly destroy him.
Nicanor then again took another army from Syria;
he desired to execute his threat with works;
and Judas came to him with three thousand warriors,
and prayed to God with bent limbs thus.
'Lord, thou that sentest thy shining angel,
when the king of Syria sent by his leaders
in written messages a reproachful word to Thee,
and the angel slew then, in one night, of them
a hundred thousand men and eighty thousand,
destroy now, I pray Thee, this furious army
before our faces, that men may see Thy might over them.'
They then joined battle together quickly with weapons,
and Nicanor at the first fell there slain,
and his host cast away their weapons, and fled.
But Judas followed them quickly with weapons,
and summoned on all sides with blowing [of trumpets] assistance to him,
until that they drove (?) them back again to Judas,
and slew them all, that there remained not one.
They took then their weapons and their garments with them,
and Nicanor's head and his right hand,
and set them for a token, for his injury (to them),
and thanked God then exceedingly with worship.
They dwelt then in peace some time after that,
and Judas then sent, with peace, to Eorae
chosen messengers; he would have friendship with them,
because the Roman senators were then mighty,
and prudent in works, and overcame their enemies.
§ IX. I Macc. ix. 1-22.
IX. It was afterwards told the king Demetrius,
that Nicanor fell, and all his folk with him.
Then would he yet send and slay the Jews,
and found then Bacchides, who was filled with wickedness,
and Aleimus with him, the impious priest,
and sent them with a troop to the Jewish folk.
They came then suddenly with battle against Judas,
and his companions were slothful, except eight hundred men,
that fought with him against the hostile host.
Then quoth his companions that they would flee,
because their company was diminished with the flight (of the rest),
and would save themselves against the furious army.
Then answered Judas, as he was wholly bold,
'Let it never happen in our lives, that we. lay aside our glory
with slothful flight, but let us fight against them;
and if God so foreordains, we shall die in our might
for our brethren, without shameful flight.'
They came then together, and began to fight
in two troops, throughout the whole day,
and Judas then looked to the right side,
that they were the stronger, and advanced thither soon
with the most hardy men, that fought with him,
and chased that end (of the army), but after him went
the other troop, with battle, behind (him);
and there fell then on both sides many in the battle,
and Judas fell also, and the rest fled away.
Then his brothers brought his body out of the carnage,
and buried it in Modin, beside Mattathias his father,
and all the people mourned him, in the ancient manner.
​Nevertheless are not written, according as historians say,
all the battles of Judas, for the defence of his friends,
and all the mighty deeds which he illustriously performed,
for the defence of his people, as the books tell us.
Many fold were his great battles;
and he is as holy, in the Old Testament,
as God's elect ones, in the Gospel-preaching;
because that he ever contended for the will of the Almighty.
In those days he was permitted to defeat his enemies,
and especially the heathen, that were angry against him;
and he was God's thane, that most often fought
against their conquerors, in defence of their people.
But Christ, at His coming, taught us another thing,
and bade us hold peace and truthfuluess ever;
and we ought to strive against the cruel enemies,
that is, the invisible ones, and the deceitful devils,
that wish to slay our souls with vices.
Against them we should fight with ghostly weapons,
and pray for protection for us, continually, of Christ,
that we may overcome the cruel iniquities,
and the devil's enticement, that he may not harm us;
Then shall we be God's champions in the spiritual battle,
if we despise the devil, through true belief,
and the chief vices [cardinal sins], through self-control,
and if we perform God's will with our works.
The ancient people of God had to fight then with weapons,
and their contest had the signification of holy men
who drive away vices and devils from them
in the New Testament, that Christ Himself appointed.
Nevertheless teachers say that there are four kinds of war;
​justum, that is, just; injustum, that is, unjust;
civile, between citizens; plusquam civile, between relatives.
Justum helium is just war against the cruel seamen,
or against other peoples that wish to destroy (our) land.
Unjust war is that which comes of anger.
The third war, which comes of contention
between citizens, is very dangerous;
and the fourth war, that is between friends,
is very miserable, and endless sorrow.
§ X. I Macc. ix. 28 — xvi. 24.
X. The people of Israel then unanimously chose
Jonathan his brother, praying that he would be
their head and their leader against the heathen people;
and he took then the leadership, as they all prayed him,
and defended them many years against the invading army,
and fought with Bacchides, who slew his brother,
and obtained there the victory, and slew there a thousand.
Then would Alcimus, the impious priest,
destroy God's temple with irritable wrath;
but him soon God struck with an excessive paralysis,
so that he was dumb, and brought to death,
and with many torments his irritable spirit
out of his body he let loose, to long-enduring punishments.
Jonathan dwelt in worship then a long while,
and kings honoured him with words and gifts,
and he obtained victory in many battles,
and ever was contending concerning God's will,
and eke gave up his life for his people's defence.
Simon then afterwards prudently protected [i Macc. xiii. 8]
​the Jewish country after Jonathan his brother,
and in all his days no man harmed them,
but they ever dwelt in peace in Simon's day,
until that he at last was also slain,
even as his brothers, for true worship,
and for their people's defence; but they live to eternity
with the patriarchs, for their fidelity towards God.
John was chosen, the son of Simon [1 Macc. xvi. 21 ],
who was, after his father, the people's leader,
and gloriously protected them against the heathen people
throughout all his life, and defended the land.
§ XI. Macc. iii. 1-40.
XI. We have passed over, because of this long narrative,
a wonderful thing that we will say now.
In the days when Jerusalem, and all the land of Judaea
dwelt in peace, there was a certain priest,
Onias named, a man of holy life.
And Seleucus the king sent many offerings,
in gold and in silver, to the temple of God,
from the land of Asia, the Eastern kingdom,
and far through the world men honoured tbe temple.
And Onias the venerable would with the offerings
protect against hunger widows and step-children [orphans].
Then came a certain liar, and betrayed the treasure,
said to the governor, called Apollonius,
that the treasure might come to the hand of the king;
and the governor soon said it to the king.
Thereupon the king sent soon a thane,
Heliodorus named, to the holy temple,
​that he should fetch the treasure by spoliation.
He came then with a host, and would obtahi the treasure;
and the priest Onias said that it was
the livelihood of widows and of needy men,
the almsgivings of good men, to the praise of the Almighty.
And the priests fell before the altar
praying the Almighty God, that he would help his servants.
Heliodorus then intended to take the treasures,
but there was seen a manifest wonder of God,
so that his comrades fell down without strength,
and overcome with fright, suddenly, through God's power.
And there came riding a terrible rider,
and with him journied two shining angels,
with wonderful appearance, as he was himself adorned.
And the heavenly horse, that the archangel sat on,
soon threw down the venturous Heliodorus,
and the two angels tartly [i. e. severely] beat him,
standing on both sides of him, till he lay still,
without hope of his life; he, who before, with threatening
and with much splendour, pressed into the temple.
He lay then dumb, as beaten unto death,
and his friends then prayed the aforesaid Onias,
that he would intercede for his life with the living God,
in the danger that he was fallen into.
Onias then went, and offered for him sacrifice,
before Almiglity God, in the ancient manner,
and prayed that He would compassionate the man's folly.
And the angels meanwhile addressed Heliodorus,
said that he ought the priest Onias
​greatly to thank, that he might (be allowed to) live;
and commanded him to tell, in his country at home,
God's miracle upon him; and then departed from him.
Heliodorus then revived, and offered his sacrifice
to the Almighty God with his inmost heart,
because he was allowed to be alive, and thanked Onias,
and so fared thence with all his army,
and told his lord and all his people the Almighty's might,
as he himself saw (it), and how he was switched.
Again the king asked Heliodorus, and quoth,
' Whom may we send for the aforesaid treasure? '
Then quoth Heliodorus, 'if thou hast any enemy, send him for the treasure,
and he shall be well switched, or certainly dead,
because that the Almighty God protecteth the place,
and then strikes and puts to shame them that will there do injury.'
Oft is it manifested how God protected the people
against their opponents, if they worshipped him;
and as often as they bent aside from His worship in any wise,
then were they put to shame, and greatly punished.
Be glory and praise to the benevolent God,
ever to eternity; we will say — Amen.
BEADSMEN, LABOURERS, AND SOLDIERS.
It is, however, to wit, that in this world
there are three orders, set in unity,
these are — labourers, headsmen, soldiers.
Labourers are they who obtain with toil our subsistence;
​Beadsmen are they who intercede with God for us;
Soldiers are they who protect our towns,
and defend our soil against an invading army.
Now toils the field-labourer for our subsistence,
and the worldly warrior must fight against our enemies,
and the servant of God must always pray for us,
and fight spiritually against invisible enemies.
Greater therefore is now the struggle of the monks
against the invisible devils that lay snares around us,
than may be that of the worldly men that struggle against fleshly (foes),
and visibly fight against the visible (enemies).
Then the worldly soldiers ought not to the worldly battle
compel the servants of God, away from the spiritual struggle;
because it will profit them more that the invisible enemies
may be overcome than the visible ones;
and it will be very harmful that they leave their service of the Lord,
and incline to the worldly struggle, that in no way concerns them.
Julian, the Apostate and the cruel Caesar,
would compel priests to worldly strife,
and eke the holy monks, and commanded to bring them to prison.
Then was Apollonius, the Egyptian abbot,
locked in the prison with his believing brethren.
But God's angel came to him, to the prison, by night
with a heavenly light, and unlocked the prison.
Moreover the centurion that locked them therein
came early in the morning with a great multitude,
and said that his house fell suddenly with an earthquake,
​so that his dearest men lay there fallen clown,
and they prayed the saints then that they would go thence.
And they then with hymns journied again to the wilderness.
God's servants ought to preserve (their) harmlessness,
even as Christ set the example through Himself,
when he commanded Peter to hide his sword,
and healed by bis might the man's ear
that Peter cut off, and manifested his goodness.
Now the monk that submits to Benedict's rule,
and leaves all worldly things, why will he again return
to worldly weapons, and cast aside his straggle
against the invisible enemies, to vex his Creator
The servant of God may not fight along with worldly men
if he is to have success in the spiritual combat.
There was no holy servant of God after the Saviour's passion,
that would ever defile his hands with fighting,
but they bore the persecution of impious tormentors,
and gave up their lives with harmlessness
for God's belief, and they now live with God,
because they would not even put to death a bird.