In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas understood that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a multitude against Judea,

Anno centesimo quadragesimo nono, cognovit Judas Antiochum Eupatorem venire cum multitudine adversus Judæam,

It was in the hundred and forty-ninth year news came to Judas that Antiochus Eupator was marching on Judaea in great force.

And with him Lysias the regent, who had charge over the affairs of the realm, having with him a hundred and ten thousand footmen, five thousand horsemen, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots armed with hooks.

et cum eo Lysiam procuratorem et præpositum negotiorum, secum habentem peditum centum decem millia, et equitum quinque millia, et elephantos viginti duos, currus cum falcibus trecentos.

Lysias was at his side, that was lord protector and managed the affairs of the realm, and with him were a hundred and ten thousand foot, five thousand horse, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred scythed chariots.

Menelaus also joined himself with them: and with great deceitfulness besought Antiochus, not for the welfare of his country, but in hopes that he should be appointed chief ruler.

Commiscuit autem se illis et Menelaus: et cum multa fallacia deprecabatur Antiochum, non pro patriæ salute, sed sperans se constitui in principatum.

Menelaus, too, must be of their company, and ever it was treacherous advice he gave to Antiochus; not that he cared for his country’s safety, but he had designs upon the high priesthood still.

But the King of kings stirred up the mind of Antiochus against the sinner, and upon Lysias suggesting that he was the cause of all the evils, he commanded (as the custom is with them) that he should be apprehended and put to death in the same place.

Sed Rex regum suscitavit animos Antiochi in peccatorem: et suggerente Lysia hunc esse causam omnium malorum, jussit (ut eis est consuetudo) apprehensum in eodem loco necari.

And hereupon the King of all kings brought this guilty wretch into ill favour with his master Antiochus, who (upon Lysias’ averring, here was the true source of all their misadventures) would have him apprehended and put to death according to the custom of the place where they were quartered.

Now there was in that place a tower fifty cubits high, having a heap of ashes on every side: this had a prospect steep down.

Erat autem in eodem loco turris quinquaginta cubitorum, aggestum undique habens cineris: hæc prospectum habebat in præceps.

There is here a tower fifty cubits in height, rising sheer above a heap of ashes that surrounds it;

From thence he commanded the sacrilegious wretch to be thrown down into the ashes, all men thrusting him forward unto death.

Inde in cinerem dejici jussit sacrilegum, omnibus eum propellentibus ad interitum.

from its walls the author of sacrilege is thrust forward to his death by the common impulse of the bystanders.

And by such a law it happened that Menelaus the transgressor of the law was put to death: not having so much as burial in the earth.

Et tali lege prævaricatorem legis contigit mori, nec terræ dari Menelaum.

This, then, was the doom of Menelaus; by this law the law-breaker met his end, and lay there unburied.

And indeed very justly, for insomuch as he had committed many sins against the altar of God, the fire and ashes of which were holy: he was condemned to die in ashes.

Et quidem satis juste: nam quia multa erga aram Dei delicta commisit, cujus ignis et cinis erat sanctus: ipse in cineris morte damnatus est.

A fitting reward, this, for one that had done so many outrages upon God’s altar; fire of it and ashes of it are sacred, and it was by ashes Menelaus went to his death.

But the king, with his mind full of rage, came on to shew himself worse to the Jews than his father was.

Sed rex mente effrenatus veniebat, nequiorem se patre suo Judæis ostensurus.

Yet still the king pressed forward on his mad career, as if he would prove himself a worse enemy of Jewry than his father;

Which, when Judas understood, he commanded the people to call upon the Lord day and night, that as he had always done, so now also he would help them:

Quibus Judas cognitis, præcepit populo ut die ac nocte Dominum invocarent, quo, sicut semper, et nunc adjuvaret eos,

and Judas, when the news came to him, bade the people entreat God night and day he would come to their rescue, as ever he was wont hitherto.

Because they were afraid to be deprived of the law, and of their country, and of the holy temple: and that he would not suffer the people, that had of late taken breath for a little while, to be again in subjection to blasphemous nations.

quippe qui lege, et patria, sanctoque templo privari vererentur: ac populum, qui nuper paululum respirasset, ne sineret blasphemis rursus nationibus subdi.

Here was great peril, they should be deprived at one blow of law, of country, and of sanctuary; would he allow blaspheming Gentiles to lord it again over his people, that had but now won a little breathing-space?

So when they had all done this together, and had craved mercy of the Lord with weeping and fasting, lying prostrate on the ground for three days continually, Judas exhorted them to make themselves ready.

Omnibus itaque simul id facientibus, et petentibus a Domino misericordiam cum fletu et jejuniis, per triduum continuum prostratis, hortatus est eos Judas ut se præpararent.

Entreat the Lord they did, and with one accord, for his mercy; wept they and fasted, and kept on their knees for three days together. Then Judas gave them the word to arm,

But he with the ancients determined, before the king should bring his army into Judea, and make himself master of the city, to go out, and to commit the event of the thing to the judgment of the Lord.

Ipse vero cum senioribus cogitavit priusquam rex admoveret exercitum ad Judæam et obtineret civitatem, exire, et Domini judicio committere exitum rei.

and himself called the elders to a council; his plan was, he told them, to march out and engage the king before he could reach Judaea and overpower the city, and the issue of it he would leave to the Lord’s good pleasure.

So committing all to God, the creator of the world, and having exhorted his people to fight manfully, and to stand up even to death for the laws, the temple, the city, their country, and citizens: he placed his army about Modin.

Dans itaque potestatem omnium Deo mundi creatori, et exhortatus suos ut fortiter dimicarent, et usque ad mortem pro legibus, templo, civitate, patria, et civibus starent, circa Modin exercitum constituit.

So, committing all to God, the world’s creator, and bidding his men fight bravely, even to the death, for law, temple, city, country and kinsmen, he pitched his camp at Modin.

And having given his company for a watchword, The victory of God, with most valiant chosen young men, he set upon the king’s quarter by night, and slew four thousand men in the camp, and the greatest of the elephants, with them that had been upon him,

Et dato signo suis Dei victoriæ, juvenibus fortissimis electis nocte aggressus aulam regiam, in castris interfecit viros quatuor millia, et maximum elephantorum cum his qui superpositi fuerant:

The watchword he gave them was, Victory lies with God; and now, choosing out the best of his fighting men, he made a night attack upon the royal quarters. Four thousand men they slew in the camp, and the greatest of all the elephants, with the crew that rode him,

And having filled the camp of the enemies with exceeding great fear and tumult, they went off with good success.

summoque metu ac perturbatione hostium castra replentes, rebus prospere gestis, abierunt.

and so went back in triumph, leaving the camp all confusion and dismay.

Now this was done at the break of day, by the protection and help of the Lord.

Hoc autem factum est die illucescente, adjuvante eum Domini protectione.

After this daybreak victory, won under God’s protection,

But the king having taken a taste of the hardiness of the Jews, attempted to take the strong places by policy:

Sed rex, accepto gustu audaciæ Judæorum, arte difficultatem locorum tentabat:

the king had taste enough of Jewish valour, and set about to reduce the strongholds by policy.

And he marched with his army to Bethsura, which was a strong hold of the Jews: but he was repulsed, he failed, he lost his men.

et Bethsuræ, quæ erat Judæorum præsidium munitum, castra admovebat: sed fugabatur, impingebat, minorabatur.

And first he would deliver an attack upon Bethsura, a fortress of the Jews, but ever he was thrown back and repulsed with great loss,

Now Judas sent necessaries to them that were within.

His autem qui intus erant, Judas necessaria mittebat.

so well did Judas supply the garrison with all they needed.

But Rhodocus, one of the Jews’ army, disclosed the secrets to the enemies, so he was sought out, and taken up, and put in prison.

Enuntiavit autem mysteria hostibus Rhodocus quidam de judaico exercitu, qui requisitus comprehensus est, et conclusus.

There was one Rhodocus in the Jewish army that betrayed secrets to the enemy, but, upon enquiry made, he was apprehended and put under arrest;

Again the king treated with them that were in Bethsura: gave his right hand: took theirs: and went away.

Iterum rex sermonem habuit ad eos qui erant in Bethsuris: dextram dedit, accepit, abiit:

so the king was fain to parley with the defenders of Bethsura, and, upon agreed terms, the siege of it was raised.

He fought with Judas: and was overcome. And when he understood that Philip, who had been left over the affairs, had rebelled at Antioch, he was in a consternation of mind, and entreating the Jews, and yielding to them, he swore to all things that seemed reasonable, and, being reconciled, offered sacrifices, honoured the temple, and left gifts.

commisit cum Juda, superatus est. Ut autem cognovit rebellasse Philippum Antiochiæ, qui relictus erat super negotia, mente consternatus, Judæos deprecans, subditusque eis, jurat de omnibus quibus justum visum est: et reconciliatus obtulit sacrificium, honoravit templum, et munera posuit.

Thus did he try conclusions with Judas, and had the worst of it; news came to him besides that Philip, whom he had left in charge at Antioch, was levying revolt against him. So, in great consternation of mind, he must needs throw himself on the mercy of the Jews, submitting under oath to the just terms they imposed on him. In token of this reconciliation, he offered sacrifice, paying the temple much reverence and offering gifts there;

He embraced Machabeus, and made him governor and prince from Ptolemais unto the Gerrenians.

Machabæum amplexatus est, et fecit eum a Ptolemaide usque ad Gerrenos ducem et principem.

as for Machabaeus, the king made a friend of him, and appointed him both governor and commander of all the territory from Ptolemais to the Gerrenes.

But when he was come to Ptolemais, the men of that city were much displeased with the conditions of the peace, being angry for fear they should break the covenant.

Ut autem venit Ptolemaidam, graviter ferebant Ptolemenses amicitiæ conventionem, indignantes ne forte fœdus irrumperent.

When he reached Ptolemais, he found the citizens much incensed over this treaty made, and angrily averring the terms of it would never be kept;

Then Lysias went up to the judgment seat, and set forth the reason, and appeased the people, and returned to Antioch: and thus matters went with regard to the king’s coming and his return.

Tunc ascendit Lysias tribunal, et exposuit rationem, et populum sedavit, regressusque est Antiochiam: et hoc modo regis profectio et reditus processit.

until at last Lysias must go up to an open stage, and give his reasons; whereby he calmed the indignation of the people, and so returned to Antioch. Such was the king’s march upon Judaea, and such his homecoming.