Then Gorgias took five thousand men, and a thousand of the best horsemen: and they removed out of the camp by night.

Et assumpsit Gorgias quinque millia virorum, et mille equites electos: et moverunt castra nocte,

That night, a detachment of five thousand foot and a thousand picked horsemen left their lines, under the command of Gorgias,

That they might come upon the camp of the Jews, and strike them suddenly: and the men that were of the castle were their guides.

ut applicarent ad castra Judæorum, et percuterent eos subito: et filii, qui erant ex arce, erant illis duces.

thinking to reach the Jewish camp and strike a sudden blow at it; for guides, they had men of the Jerusalem garrison.

And Judas heard of it, and rose up, he and the valiant men, to attack the king’s forces that were in Emmaus.

Et audivit Judas, et surrexit ipse et potentes percutere virtutem exercituum regis, qui erant in Emmaum:

But Judas had word of it; out he went, and all his valiant company with him, to attack the main body of the king’s army at Emmaus,

For as yet the army was dispersed from the camp.

adhuc enim dispersus erat exercitus a castris.

while the defences of the camp were yet scattered.

And Gorgias came by night into the camp of Judas, and found no man, and he sought them in the mountains: for he said: These men flee from us.

Et venit Gorgias in castra Judæ noctu, et neminem invenit: et quærebat eos in montibus, quoniam dixit: Fugiunt hi a nobis.

So Gorgias, making his night attack on the camp of Judas, and finding it empty, made no doubt they had given him the slip, and fell to scouring the hill-country for them;

And when it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men only, who neither had armour nor swords.

Et cum dies factus esset, apparuit Judas in campo cum tribus millibus virorum tantum, qui tegumenta et gladios non habebant:

meanwhile, came day-break, and there was Judas down in the valley. True, there were but three thousand at his back, for defence and attack very ill arrayed;

And they saw the camp of the Gentiles that it was strong, and the men in breastplates, and the horsemen round about them, and these were trained up to war.

et viderunt castra gentium valida, et loricatos et equitatus in circuitu eorum, et hi docti ad prælium.

and here was this army of heathen folk, both strong and well protected, with cavalry circling about them, men bred to war!

And Judas said to the men that were with him: Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.

Et ait Judas viris, qui secum erant: Ne timueritis multitudinem eorum, et impetum eorum ne formidetis.

But Judas cried to his fellows, What, would you be daunted by the numbers of them? Would you give ground before their attack?

Remember in what manner our fathers were saved in the Red Sea, when Pharao pursued them with a great army.

Mementote qualiter salvi facti sunt patres nostri in mari Rubro, cum sequeretur eos Pharao cum exercitu multo.

Bethink you, what a host it was Pharao sent in pursuit of our fathers, there by the Red Sea, and they escaped none the less.

And now let us cry to heaven: and the Lord will have mercy on us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and will destroy this army before our face this day:

Et nunc clamemus in cælum: et miserebitur nostri Dominus, et memor erit testamenti patrum nostrorum, et conteret exercitum istum ante faciem nostram hodie:

Now, as then, besiege we heaven with our cries; will not the Lord have mercy? Will he not remember the covenant he had with our fathers, and rout, this day, yonder army at our coming?

And all nations shall know that there is one that redeemeth and delivereth Israel.

et scient omnes gentes quia est qui redimat et liberet Israël.

No doubt shall the world have thenceforward, but there is one claims Israel for his own, and grants her deliverance.

And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them.

Et elevaverunt alienigenæ oculos suos, et viderunt eos venientes ex adverso.

And now the heathen folk caught sight of them as they advanced to the attack,

And they went out of the camp to battle, and they that were with Judas sounded the trumpet.

Et exierunt de castris in prælium, et tuba cecinerunt hi qui erant cum Juda.

and left their lines to give battle. Thereupon Judas’ men sounded with the trumpet,

And they joined battle: and the Gentiles were routed, and fled into the plain.

Et congressi sunt: et contritæ sunt gentes, et fugerunt in campum.

and the two armies met. Routed the Gentiles were, sure enough, and took to their heels across the open country,

But all the hindmost of them fell by the sword, and they pursued them as far as Gezeron, and even to the plains of Idumea, and of Azotus, and of Jamnia: and there fell of them to the number of three thousand men.

Novissimi autem omnes ceciderunt in gladio, et persecuti sunt eos usque Gezeron, et usque in campos Idumææ, et Azoti, et Jamniæ: et ceciderunt ex illis usque ad tria millia virorum.

sword of the pursuer ever catching the hindmost. All the way to Gezeron they were chased, and on into the plains by Idumaea, Azotus and Jamnia, with a loss of three thousand men.

And Judas returned again with his army that followed him,

Et reversus est Judas, et exercitus ejus sequens eum.

When Judas and his army came back from the pursuit,

And he said to the people: Be not greedy of the spoils: for there is war before us:

Dixitque ad populum: Non concupiscatis spolia: quia bellum contra nos est,

Not yours, he told them, to run greedily after the spoils of the camp; there is battle still awaiting us over yonder.

And Gorgias and his army are near us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overthrow them, and you shall take the spoils afterwards with safety.

et Gorgias et exercitus ejus prope nos in monte: sed state nunc contra inimicos nostros, et expugnate eos, et sumetis postea spolia securi.

Not far away, in the hill-country, lie Gorgias and his army; first meet you and beat you the enemy, and then you shall fall to your pillaging unafraid.

And as Judas was speaking these words, behold part of them appeared looking forth from the mountain.

Et adhuc loquente Juda hæc, ecce apparuit pars quædam prospiciens de monte.

Even as he spoke, they were ware of a company that watched them from the hill-side.

And Gorgias saw that his men were put to flight, and that they had set fire to the camp: for the smoke that was seen declared what was done.

Et vidit Gorgias quod in fugam conversi sunt sui, et succenderunt castra: fumus enim, qui videbatur, declarabat quod factum est.

But by now the camp was on fire, and it needed no more than the smoke of it to warn Gorgias of his defeat;

And when they had seen this, they were seized with great fear, seeing at the same time Judas and his army in the plain ready to fight.

Quibus illi conspectis timuerunt valde, aspicientes simul et Judam, et exercitum in campo paratum ad prælium.

that sight took the heart out of Syria, the more so when it proved that Judas and his army were in the valley, all appointed for battle,

So they all fled away into the land of the strangers.

Et fugerunt omnes in campum alienigenarum:

and they fled for their lives, down into the plain of Philistia.

And Judas returned to take the spoils of the camp, and they got much gold, and silver, and blue silk, and purple of the sea, and great riches.

et Judas reversus est ad spolia castrorum, et acceperunt aurum multum, et argentum, et hyacinthinum, et purpuram marinam, et opes magnas.

So to the pillaging of the camp Judas returned; what gold and silver they found there, what garments of blue and sea-purple, what rich treasures!

And returning home they sung a hymn, and blessed God in heaven, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.

Et conversi, hymnum canebant, et benedicebant Deum in cælum, quoniam bonus est, quoniam in sæculum misericordia ejus.

Be sure there was singing of songs on their homeward journey, as they praised God in heaven, God who is gracious, whose mercy endures for ever.

So Israel had a great deliverance that day.

Et facta est salus magna in Israël in die illa.

Here was a day of signal deliverance for Israel.

And such of the strangers as escaped, went and told Lysias all that had happened.

Quicumque autem alienigenarum evaserunt, venerunt, et nuntiaverunt Lysiæ universa quæ acciderant.

And what of Lysias? News reached him, through the survivors, of what had befallen,

And when he heard these things, he was amazed and discouraged: because things had not succeeded in Israel according to his mind, and as the king had commanded.

Quibus ille auditis, consternatus animo deficiebat: quod non qualia voluit, talia contigerunt in Israël, et qualia mandavit rex.

and he was both sick and sorry at the hearing; his own will crossed, and his master’s command ill carried out!

So the year following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand chosen men, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.

Et sequenti anno, congregavit Lysias virorum electorum sexaginta millia, et equitum quinque millia, ut debellaret eos.

So, in the following year, he made a muster of sixty thousand picked men, with five thousand horse, to crush the rebellion;

And they came into Judea, and pitched their tents in Bethoron, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

Et venerunt in Judæam, et castra posuerunt in Bethoron, et occurrit illis Judas cum decem millibus viris.

into Judaea they marched, and encamped at Bethoron, where Judas met them with ten thousand.

And they saw that the army was strong, and he prayed, and said: Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst break the violence of the mighty by the hand of thy servant David, and didst deliver up the camp of the strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul and of his armourbearer.

Et viderunt exercitum fortem, et oravit, et dixit: Benedictus es, salvator Israël, qui contrivisti impetum potentis in manu servi tui David, et tradidisti castra alienigenarum in manu Jonathæ filii Saul, et armigeri ejus.

At the sight of their great numbers, this was Judas’ prayer: Blessed art thou, Saviour of Israel, who didst make use of thy servant David, a giant’s onset to overthrow! Victory thou didst give, over an invading army, to Saul’s son Jonathan and the squire that bore him company!

Shut up this army in the hands of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their host and their horsemen.

Conclude exercitum istum in manu populi tui Israël, et confundantur in exercitu suo et equitibus.

So may yonder host, left at Israel’s mercy, unlearn its confidence in strength and in speed;

Strike them with fear, and cause the boldness of their strength to languish, and let them quake at their own destruction.

Da illis formidinem, et tabefac audaciam virtutis eorum, et commoveantur contritione sua.

strike terror into them, let their manhood melt away, as they tremble at the approach of doom;

Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee: and let all that know thy name, praise thee with hymns.

Dejice illos gladio diligentium te: et collaudent te omnes, qui noverunt nomen tuum, in hymnis.

sword of thy true lovers be their undoing, triumph-song of thy worshippers their dirge!

And they joined battle: and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men.

Et commiserunt prælium: et ceciderunt de exercitu Lysiæ quinque millia virorum.

With that, battle was joined, and of Lysias’ men, five thousand were left dead on the field.

And when Lysias saw that his men were put to flight, and how bold the Jews were, and that they were ready either to live, or to die manfully, he went to Antioch, and chose soldiers, that they might come again into Judea with greater numbers.

Videns autem Lysias fugam suorum, et Judæorum audaciam, et quod parati sunt aut vivere, aut mori fortiter, abiit Antiochiam, et elegit milites, ut multiplicati rursus venirent in Judæam.

What should he do? Here were his troops fled in disorder, here was Judas in command of brave men, that would as soon have an honourable death as life itself. Back he went to Antioch, and there levied soldiers for a greater expedition yet against Judaea.

Then Judas, and his brethren said: Behold our enemies are discomfited: let us go up now to cleanse the holy places and to repair them.

Dixit autem Judas, et fratres ejus: Ecce contriti sunt inimici nostri: ascendamus nunc mundare sancta, et renovare.

And now Judas and his brethren had but one thought; the enemy vanquished, they would betake themselves to Jerusalem, to cleanse and restore the sanctuary.

And all the army assembled together, and they went up into mount Sion.

Et congregatus est omnis exercitus, et ascenderunt in montem Sion.

So the whole army fell into rank, and they climbed the hill of Sion together.

And they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burnt, and shrubs growing up in the courts as in a forest, or on the mountains, and the chambers joining to the temple thrown down.

Et viderunt sanctificationem desertam, et altare profanatum, et portas exustas, et in atriis virgulta nata sicut in saltu vel in montibus, et pastophoria diruta.

What saw they? The holy place desolate, the altar profaned, charred gates, courts overgrown with brushwood, like forest clearing or mountain glen, the priests’ lodging in ruins.

And they rent their garments, and made great lamentation, and put ashes on their heads:

Et sciderunt vestimenta sua, et planxerunt planctu magno, et imposuerunt cinerem super caput suum,

Upon this, there was rending of garments, and loud lament; dust they cast on their heads,

And they fell down to the ground on their faces, and they sounded with the trumpets of alarm, and they cried towards heaven.

et ceciderunt in faciem super terram, et exclamaverunt tubis signorum, et clamaverunt in cælum.

and fell face to earth; then, as the trumpet’s note gave the summons, raised their cries to heaven.

Then Judas appointed men to fight against them that were in the castle, till they had cleansed the holy places.

Tunc ordinavit Judas viros ut pugnarent adversus eos qui erant in arce, donec emundarent sancta.

And what did Judas? First, he sent a force to engage the citadel’s garrison, while the holy place was a-cleansing;

And he chose priests without blemish, whose will was set upon the law of God:

Et elegit sacerdotes sine macula, voluntatem habentes in lege Dei:

then he chose priests, without blot or blemish, and true lovers of the law besides,

And they cleansed the holy places, and took away the stones that had been defiled into an unclean place.

et mundaverunt sancta, et tulerunt lapides contaminationis in locum immundum.

who thereupon cleansed the sanctuary, nor any stone that was polluted with idolatry but they had it away into a place unclean.

And he considered about the altar of holocausts that had been profaned, what he should do with it.

Et cogitavit de altari holocaustorum, quod profanatum erat, quid de eo faceret.

And next, he must concern himself with the altar of burnt-sacrifice, that was now all defiled.

And a good counsel came into their minds, to pull it down: lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it; so they threw it down.

Et incidit illis consilium bonum ut destruerent illud: ne forte illis esset in opprobrium, quia contaminaverunt illud gentes, et demoliti sunt illud.

And it was good counsel they took; the altar must be destroyed, else the day when the Gentiles polluted it should be remembered to their shame. So destroy it they did,

And they laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, till there should come a prophet, and give answer concerning them.

Et reposuerunt lapides in monte domus in loco apto, quoadusque veniret propheta, et responderet de eis.

and laid up the stones in a place apt for their purpose, there on the temple hill. Here they must remain, until the coming of a prophet that should give sentence, what was to be done with them.

Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former:

Et acceperunt lapides integros secundum legem, et ædificaverunt altare novum secundum illud quod fuit prius:

Then they raised a new altar in place of the old, using stones that had never felt the pick, as the law bade;

And they built up the holy places, and the things that were within the temple: and they sanctified the temple, and the courts.

et ædificaverunt sancta, et quæ intra domum erant intrinsecus: et ædem, et atria sanctificaverunt.

repaired shrine and inner walls, and rid both temple and temple courts of their defilement.

And they made new holy vessels, and brought in the candlestick, and the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.

Et fecerunt vasa sancta nova, et intulerunt candelabrum, et altare incensorum, et mensam, in templum.

New appurtenances, too, the temple must have, lamp-stand, incense-altar and table be restored to it;

And they put incense upon the altar, and lighted up the lamps that were upon the candlestick, and they gave light in the temple.

Et incensum posuerunt super altare, et accenderunt lucernas quæ super candelabrum erant, et lucebant in templo.

incense be put on the altar, lamps kindled to light the holy place,

And they set the loaves upon the table, and hung up the veils, and finished all the works that they had begun to make.

Et posuerunt super mensam panes, et appenderunt vela, et consummaverunt omnia opera quæ fecerant.

loaves set out on the table, and veils hung up; then at length their task was accomplished.

And they arose before the morning on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month (which is the month of Casleu) in the hundred and forty-eighth year.

Et ante matutinum surrexerunt quinta et vigesima die mensis noni (hic est mensis Casleu) centesimi quadragesimi octavi anni:

On the twenty-fifth of Casleu, the ninth month, in the hundred and forty-eighth year, they rose before daybreak,

And they offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of holocausts which they had made.

et obtulerunt sacrificium secundum legem super altare holocaustorum novum, quod fecerunt.

and offered sacrifice, as the law bade, on the new altar they had set up.

According to the time, and according to the day wherein the heathens had defiled it, in the same was it dedicated anew with canticles, and harps, and lutes, and cymbals.

Secundum tempus et secundum diem in qua contaminaverunt illud gentes, in ipsa renovatum est in canticis, et citharis, et cinyris, et in cymbalis.

This was the very month, the very day, when it had been polluted by the Gentiles; now, on the same day of the same month, it was dedicated anew, with singing of hymns, and music of harp, zither and cymbals.

And all the people fell upon their faces, and adored, and blessed up to heaven, him that had prospered them.

Et cecidit omnis populus in faciem, et adoraverunt, et benedixerunt in cælum eum, qui prosperavit eis.

Thereupon all the people fell down face to earth, to adore and praise, high as heaven, the author of their felicity;

And they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and they offered holocausts with joy, and sacrifices of salvation, and of praise.

Et fecerunt dedicationem altaris diebus octo, et obtulerunt holocausta cum lætitia, et sacrificium salutaris et laudis.

and for eight days together they celebrated the altar’s renewal, burned victim and brought welcome-offering with glad and grateful hearts.

And they adorned the front of the temple with crowns of gold, and escutcheons, and they renewed the gates, and the chambers, and hanged doors upon them.

Et ornaverunt faciem templi coronis aureis et scutulis, et dedicaverunt portas et pastophoria, et imposuerunt eis januas.

They decked the front wall of the temple, at this time, with gold crowns and escutcheons, consecrated the gates and the priest’s lodging anew, and furnished it with doors;

And there was exceeding great joy among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.

Et facta est lætitia in populo magna valde, et aversum est opprobrium gentium.

and all the while there was great rejoicing among the people; as for the taunts of the heathen, they were heard no more.

And Judas, and his brethren, and all the church of Israel decreed, that the day of the dedication of the altar should be kept in its season from year to year for eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, with joy and gladness.

Et statuit Judas, et fratres ejus, et universa ecclesia Israël, ut agatur dies dedicationis altaris in temporibus suis ab anno in annum per dies octo a quinta et vigesima die mensis Casleu, cum lætitia et gaudio.

No wonder if Judas and his brethren, with the whole assembly of Israel, made a decree that this feast should be kept year by year for eight days together, the feast-day of the altar’s dedication. Came that season, from the twenty-fifth day of Casleu onwards, all was to be rejoicing and holiday.

They built up also at that time mount Sion, with high walls, and strong towers round about, lest the Gentiles should at any time come, and tread it down as they did before.

Et ædificaverunt in tempore illo montem Sion, et per circuitum muros altos et turres firmas, nequando venirent gentes, et conculcarent eum sicut antea fecerunt.

At this time, too, they fortified the hill of Sion, with walls and strong towers all about; never more should Gentile feet profane it.

And he placed a garrison there to keep it, and he fortified it to secure Bethsura, that the people might have a defence against Idumea.

Et collocavit illic exercitum, ut servarent eum, et munivit eum ad custodiendum Bethsuram, ut haberet populus munitionem contra faciem Idumææ.

Judas put a garrison there, and would have it strong enough to command Bethsura; a bulwark Israel must have against attack from the frontiers of Edom.