Anno centesimo quinquagesimo primo, exiit Demetrius Seleuci filius ab urbe Roma, et ascendit cum paucis viris in civitatem maritimam, et regnavit illic.

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.

It was now, in the hundred and fifty-first year, that Demetrius, the son of Seleu-cus, escaped from Rome and landed with a small retinue at one of the sea-ports, where he was proclaimed king.

Et factum est, ut ingressus est domum regni patrum suorum, comprehendit exercitus Antiochum et Lysiam, ut adducerent eos ad eum.

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.

No sooner had he set foot in the palace of his ancestors, than his men laid hold of Antiochus and Lysias, meaning to bring them into his presence.

Et res ei innotuit, et ait: Nolite mihi ostendere faciem eorum.

And when he knew it, he said: Let me not see their face.

But he was warned of it, and gave it out, sight of them he would have none;

Et occidit eos exercitus. Et sedit Demetrius super sedem regni sui.

So the army slew them. And Demetrius sat upon the throne of his kingdom:

so they were dispatched by the troops, and Demetrius established himself on the royal throne.

Et venerunt ad eum viri iniqui et impii ex Israël: et Alcimus dux eorum, qui volebat fieri sacerdos.

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.

To him came certain Israelites, enemies of the law and of religion, with Alcimus at their head, a man who coveted the high-priestly office.

Et accusaverunt populum apud regem, dicentes: Perdidit Judas et fratres ejus omnes amicos tuos, et nos dispersit de terra nostra.

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.

And thus, in the royal presence, they defamed their own people: Here be Judas and his brethren have made away with all thy friends, and driven us out of our country!

Nunc ergo mitte virum, cui credis, ut eat, et videat exterminium omne quod fecit nobis, et regionibus regis: et puniat omnes amicos ejus, et adjutores eorum.

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.

Do but send some trusted agent to survey the scene of it, the havoc this man has wrought upon our own persons and upon the king’s domain; ay, and to punish his partisans, with all who comfort them.

Et elegit rex ex amicis suis Bacchidem, qui dominabatur trans flumen magnum in regno, et fidelem regi: et misit eum,

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,

The king’s choice fell on Bacchides, a courtier that was loyal to him, and had charge now of all the realm east of Euphrates.

ut videret exterminium quod fecit Judas: sed et Alcimum impium constituit in sacerdotium, et mandavit ei facere ultionem in filios Israël.

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.

Of the havoc wrought by Judas he should be judge, and with him went the traitor Alcimus, now confirmed in the high priesthood; thus should the royal vengeance fall on Israel.

Et surrexerunt, et venerunt cum exercitu magno in terram Juda: et miserunt nuntios, et locuti sunt ad Judam et ad fratres ejus verbis pacificis in dolo.

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.

So they took the road, and reached the land of Juda with a great army at their heels. Envoys they sent out, to cheat Judas and his brethren with fair promises;

Et non intenderunt sermonibus eorum: viderunt enim quia venerunt cum exercitu magno.

But they gave no heed to their words: for they saw that they were come with a great army.

but from these they got no hearing; the sight of such armed strength was enough.

Et convenerunt ad Alcimum et Bacchidem congregatio scribarum requirere quæ justa sunt:

Then there assembled to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of the scribes to require things that are just:

It was a company of scribes that went out to meet Alcimus and Bacchides, asking for honourable terms;

et primi, Assidæi qui erant in filiis Israël: et exquirebant ab eis pacem.

And first the Assideans that were among the children of Israel, and they sought peace of them.

of all Israel, the Assidaeans were foremost in demanding peace;

Dixerunt enim: Homo sacerdos de semine Aaron venit; non decipiet nos:

For they said: One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come, he will not deceive us.

Here is a priest of Aaron’s line, said they, in yonder company, fear we no treachery from him.

et locutus est cum eis verba pacifica, et juravit illis, dicens: Non inferemus vobis malum, neque amicis vestris.

And he spoke to them peaceably: and he swore to them, saying: We will do you no harm nor your friends.

Fair promises he made them, and swore they should take no harm, nor their friends neither;

Et crediderunt ei: et comprehendit ex eis sexaginta viros, et occidit eos in una die, secundum verbum quod scriptum est:

And they believed him. And he took threescore of them, and slew them in one day, according to the word that is written:

and they took him at his word. And what did he? A full sixty of them he seized and put to death in one day. Not idly the word was written,

Carnes sanctorum tuorum, et sanguinem ipsorum effuderunt in circuitu Jerusalem, et non erat qui sepeliret.

The flesh of thy saints, and the blood of them they have shed round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

Bleeding corpses of thy true lovers they have strewn about on every side of Jerusalem, and there was none to bury the dead.

Et incubuit timor et tremor in omnem populum: quia dixerunt: Non est veritas, et judicium in eis: transgressi sunt enim constitutum, et jusjurandum quod juraverunt.

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.

After this, all alike dreaded the newcomers and shrank from them; here was neither trust nor troth, when covenant and sworn promise went for nothing.

Et movit Bacchides castra ab Jerusalem, et applicuit in Bethzecha: et misit, et comprehendit multos ex eis qui a se effugerant: et quosdam de populo mactavit, et in puteum magnum projecit.

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.

So Bacchides left Jerusalem and pitched his camp at Bethzecha, where he made search and laid hands on many that had deserted from his own army; some of the Jews he massacred besides, and had their bodies thrown into the Great Cistern;

Et commisit regionem Alcimo, et reliquit cum eo auxilium in adjutorium ipsi. Et abiit Bacchides ad regem:

Then he committed the country to Alcimus, and left with him troops to help him. So Bacchides went away to the king:

then he left the whole country in Alcimus’ charge, with troops to maintain him. So off went Bacchides to his master,

et satis agebat Alcimus pro principatu sacerdotii sui:

But Alcimus did what he could to maintain his chief priesthood.

and Alcimus remained to make the best of his high priesthood.

et convenerunt ad eum omnes, qui perturbabant populum suum, et obtinuerunt terram Juda, et fecerunt plagam magnam in Israël.

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.

Be sure all the malcontents in Judaea rallied to his side, and took possession of the country, to Israel’s great mischief.

Et vidit Judas omnia mala quæ fecit Alcimus et qui cum eo erant filiis Israël, multo plus quam gentes:

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.

Little it liked Judas, to see Alcimus and his crew mishandling the men of Israel as never the Gentiles had;

et exiit in omnes fines Judææ in circuitu, et fecit vindictam in viros desertores, et cessaverunt ultra exire in regionem.

And he went out into all the coasts of Judea round about, and took vengeance upon the men that had revolted, and they ceased to go forth any more into the country.

from end to end of Juda he passed, executing vengeance on such as had left his cause, till they might take the field no longer.

Vidit autem Alcimus quod prævaluit Judas et qui cum eo erant, et cognovit quia non potest sustinere eos: et regressus est ad regem, et accusavit eos multis criminibus.

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.

Everywhere Judas and his company had their way, and the sight of it warned Alcimus he was no match for them; so he, too, went back to the king, loud in his complaints.

Et misit rex Nicanorem, unum ex principibus suis nobilioribus, qui erat inimicitias exercens contra Israël: et mandavit ei evertere populum.

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.

Thereupon the king sent out an army for the people’s undoing, with Nicanor at the head of it, that was one of his most notable princes, and had a grudge against Israel to satisfy.

Et venit Nicanor in Jerusalem cum exercitu magno, et misit ad Judam et ad fratres ejus verbis pacificis cum dolo,

And Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great army, and he sent to Judas and to his brethren deceitfully with friendly words,

This Nicanor, reaching Jerusalem with a great array, made peaceful overtures to Judas and his brethren, but treacherously;

dicens: Non sit pugna inter me et vos: veniam cum viris paucis, ut videam facies vestras cum pace.

Saying: Let there be no fighting between me and you: I will come with a few men to see your faces with peace.

Need is none there should be blows given between us, he said. Let me come with a handful of men, and parley we together under safe conduct.

Et venit ad Judam, et salutaverunt se invicem pacifice: et hostes parati erant rapere Judam.

And he came to Judas, and they saluted one another peaceably: and the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by force.

Come he did, and the greeting between them was friendly enough, but Judas was like to have been seized, then and there, by the enemy;

Et innotuit sermo Judæ quoniam cum dolo venerat ad eum: et conterritus est ab eo, et amplius noluit videre faciem ejus.

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.

and when he had proof of Nicanor’s treachery, he went in dread of him and would parley with him no longer.

Et cognovit Nicanor quoniam denudatum est consilium ejus: et exivit obviam Judæ in pugnam juxta Capharsalama.

And Nicanor knew that his counsel was discovered: and he went out to fight against Judas near Capharsalama.

Nicanor, then, his plot being now manifestly discovered, would take to the field; it was close to Capharsalama that he engaged Judas;

Et ceciderunt de Nicanoris exercitu fere quinque millia viri, et fugerunt in civitatem David.

And there fell of Nicanor’s army almost five thousand men, and they fled into the city of David.

and his army, routed with a loss of five thousand men, must needs take refuge in the Keep of David.

Et post hæc verba ascendit Nicanor in montem Sion: et exierunt de sacerdotibus populi salutare eum in pace, et demonstrare ei holocautomata, quæ offerebantur pro rege.

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.

It was after this that Nicanor made his way to mount Sion, where some of the priests and elders came out to greet him in friendly fashion, and shew him how burnt-sacrifice was offered there on the king’s behalf.

Et irridens sprevit eos, et polluit: et locutus est superbe,

But he mocked and despised them, and abused them: and he spoke proudly,

But nothing could they get from him but mockery and contempt; he did despite to their sacred persons, and sent them away with threats.

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.

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.

In his anger, he swore to them nothing would serve but he should have Judas and Judas’ army at his mercy; if not, he would burn the temple down, as soon as ever he returned in safety. So, in high disdain, he left them;

Et intraverunt sacerdotes, et steterunt ante faciem altaris et templi, et flentes dixerunt:

And the priests went in, and stood before the face of the altar and the temple: and weeping, they said:

and the priests must take themselves back within the walls, where they stood before altar and temple, praying very mournfully.

Tu, Domine, elegisti domum istam ad invocandum nomen tuum in ea, ut esset domus orationis et obsecrationis populo tuo:

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.

Lord, they said, thou hast chosen this house to be the shrine of thy name; here thy people should offer prayer, and sue for thy favour.

fac vindictam in homine isto et exercitu ejus, et cadant in gladio: memento blasphemias eorum, et ne dederis eis ut permaneant.

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.

Do thou avenge thyself on chieftain and army both; die they at the sword’s point! Wouldst thou forget their blasphemy; should they escape with their lives?

Et exiit Nicanor ab Jerusalem, et castra applicuit ad Bethoron: et occurrit illi exercitus Syriæ.

Then Nicanor went out from Jerusalem, and encamped near to Bethoron: and an army of Syria joined him.

After this, Nicanor left Jerusalem, and pitched his camp at Bethoron, where he was met by a fresh army from Syria;

Et Judas applicuit in Adarsa cum tribus millibus viris: et oravit Judas, et dixit:

But Judas pitched in Adarsa with three thousand men: and Judas prayed, and said:

Judas, in his camp at Adarsa, had but three thousand men. And this was the prayer Judas prayed:

Qui missi erant a rege Sennacherib, Domine, quia blasphemaverunt te, exiit angelus, et percussit ex eis centum octoginta quinque millia:

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:

Time was, Lord, when Sennacherib’s men were loud in their blasphemy, and thy angel must go out to smite them down, a hundred and eighty thousand of them.

sic contere exercitum istum in conspectu nostro hodie: et sciant ceteri quia male locutus est super sancta tua: et judica illum secundum malitiam illius.

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.

This day a new enemy overwhelm with our onslaught, and let all the world know what comes of threatening thy holy place; for his ill-doing, ill requite him!

Et commiserunt exercitus prælium tertiadecima die mensis Adar: et contrita sunt castra Nicanoris, et cecidit ipse primus in prælio.

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.

It was the thirteenth of Adar when the two armies met; sure enough, Nicanor’s army was overwhelmed, and himself the first to fall in the encounter;

Ut autem vidit exercitus ejus quia cecidisset Nicanor, projecerunt arma sua, et fugerunt:

And when his army saw that Nicanor was slain, they threw away their weapons, and fled:

whereupon the rest, seeing their leader gone, cast weapons away and took to their heels.

et persecuti sunt eos viam unius diei ab Adazer usquequo veniatur in Gazara, et tubis cecinerunt post eos cum significationibus:

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.

For a whole day the pursuit of them went on, all the way from Adazer to the approaches of Gazara, and ever there were trumpets sounding the hue and cry.

et exierunt de omnibus castellis Judææ in circuitu, et ventilabant eos cornibus, et convertebantur iterum ad eos, et ceciderunt omnes gladio, et non est relictus ex eis nec unus.

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.

Out came Jewish folk from all the villages round about, to head them off, till at last they turned at bay and fell at the sword’s point all of them, never a man left.

Et acceperunt spolia eorum in prædam: et caput Nicanoris amputaverunt, et dexteram ejus, quam extenderat superbe, et attulerunt, et suspenderunt contra Jerusalem.

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.

Spoil of them was plundered where they lay; as for Nicanor, the Jews cut off the head from his body, and that right hand he lifted up so defiantly, and took them away, to be hung up in full sight of Jerusalem.

Et lætatus est populus valde, et egerunt diem illam in lætitia magna.

And the people rejoiced exceedingly, and they spent that day with great joy.

Glad men they were that day, and kept high festival,

Et constituit agi omnibus annis diem istam tertiadecima die mensis Adar.

And he ordained that this day should be kept every year, being the thirteenth of the month of Adar.

decreeing that never thenceforward should the thirteenth day of Adar go unobserved.

Et siluit terra Juda dies paucos.

And the land of Juda was quiet for a short time.

And for a little while the land of Juda had peace.