Sed post triennii tempus, cognovit Judas et qui cum eo erant Demetrium Seleuci cum multitudine valida et navibus per portam Tripolis ascendisse ad loca opportuna,

Three years later, came tidings to Judas and his company that Demetrius, son of Seleucus, was on the throne. This Demetrius, with a body of resolute followers and with ships to support him, had landed at Tripolis, in a part of the country well suited to his purpose,

But after the space of three years Judas, and they that were with him, understood that Demetrius, the son of Seleucus was come up with great power, and a navy by the haven of Tripolis to places proper for his purpose.

et tenuisse regiones adversus Antiochum, et ducem ejus Lysiam.

and had wrested the whole kingdom from Antiochus, and from Lysias his general.

And had made himself master of the countries against Antiochus, and his general, Lysias.

Alcimus autem quidam, qui summus sacerdos fuerat, sed voluntarie coinquinatus est temporibus commistionis, considerans nullo modo sibi esse salutem neque accessum ad altare,

Now turn we to one Alcimus, that had been high priest formerly, but had wilfully incurred defilement in the days when folk began consorting with the Gentiles. Little hope was left him, he should live to present himself at the altar again;

Now one Alcimus, who had been chief priest, but had wilfully defiled himself in the time of mingling with the heathens, seeing that there was no safety for him, nor access to the altar,

venit ad regem Demetrium centesimo quinquagesimo anno, offerens ei coronam auream et palmam, super hæc et thallos, qui templi esse videbantur. Et ipsa quidem die siluit.

and now he had recourse to king Demetrius, in the hundred and fiftieth year. He came with gifts, a gold crown and a palm branch, and wreaths that had been better employed in the service of the temple. No word said he on the first day of his arriving;

Came to king Demetrius in the year one hundred and fifty, presenting unto him a crown of gold, and a palm, and besides these, some boughs which seemed to belong to the temple. And that day indeed he held his peace.

Tempus autem opportunum dementiæ suæ nactus, convocatus a Demetrio ad consilium, et interrogatus quibus rebus et consiliis Judæi niterentur,

but ere long opportunity was given him of carrying out his impious design. He was called into counsel by Demetrius himself, and asked what resources the Jews had, or what purposes in view, that gave them such confidence.

But having gotten a convenient time to further his madness, being called to counsel by Demetrius, and asked what the Jews relied upon, and what were their counsels,

respondit: Ipsi qui dicuntur Assidæi Judæorum, quibus præest Judas Machabæus, bella nutriunt, et seditiones movent, nec patiuntur regnum esse quietum:

And this was his answer: It is the faction of the Assideans, with Judas Machabaeus at their head, that will ever be fanning the flames of war, and moving revolt, and destroying the peace of the realm.

He answered thereunto: They among the Jews that are called Assideans, of whom Judas Machabeus is captain, nourish wars, and raise seditions, and will not suffer the realm to be in peace.

nam et ego defraudatus parentum gloria (dico autem summo sacerdotio) huc veni:

Thou seest here a man robbed of the high priesthood, his rightful inheritance. And the cause of my coming is,

For I also being deprived of my ancestor’s glory (I mean of the high priesthood) am now come hither:

primo quidem utilitatibus regis fidem servans, secundo autem etiam civibus consulens: nam illorum pravitate universum genus nostrum non minime vexatur.

first, the loyalty I have to the king’s own interest, but not less, the love of my own fellow-countrymen; by the false aims of a faction the whole of our race is brought into utter misery.

Principally indeed out of fidelity to the king’s interests, but in the next place also to provide for the good of my countrymen: for all our nation suffereth much from the evil proceedings of those men.

Sed oro his singulis, o rex, cognitis, et regioni et generi, secundum humanitatem tuam pervulgatam omnibus, prospice:

Do but satisfy thyself, my lord king, that all is as I have said, and then, with that kindliness the world knows so well, take order concerning the country and its inhabitants.

Wherefore, O king, seeing thou knowest all these things, take care, I beseech thee, both of the country, and of our nation, according to thy humanity which is known to all men,

nam, quamdiu superest Judas, impossibile est pacem esse negotiis.

No peace the commonwealth may have, while Judas lives.

For as long as Judas liveth, it is not possible that the state should be quiet.

Talibus autem ab hoc dictis, et ceteri amici hostiliter se habentes adversus Judam, inflammaverunt Demetrium.

Such was the opinion he gave, and the courtiers, that had little love for Judas, fell to egging Demetrius on;

Now when this man had spoken to this effect, the rest also of the king’s friends, who were enemies of Judas, incensed Demetrius against him.

Qui statim Nicanorem præpositum elephantorum ducem misit in Judæam:

he, with all haste, despatched one of his generals to Judaea, Nicanor, that was in command of the elephants.

And forthwith he sent Nicanor, the commander over the elephants, governor into Judea:

datis mandatis ut ipsum quidem Judam caperet: eos vero qui cum illo erant, dispergeret, et constitueret Alcimum maximi templi summum sacerdotem.

His orders were, to take Judas alive, to disperse his company, and of our glorious temple to make Alcimus high priest.

Giving him in charge, to take Judas himself: and disperse all them that were with him, and to make Alcimus the high priest of the great temple.

Tunc gentes quæ de Judæa fugerant Judam, gregatim se Nicanori miscebant, miserias et clades Judæorum prosperitates rerum suarum existimantes.

The Gentiles whom Judas had chased out of the country flocked, now, to Nicanor’s side, confident that the miserable ruin of the Jews would be the foundation of their own prosperity.

Then the Gentiles who had fled out of Judea from Judas, came to Nicanor by flocks, thinking the miseries and calamities of the Jews to be the welfare of their affairs.

Audito itaque Judæi Nicanoris adventu, et conventu nationum, conspersi terra rogabant eum qui populum suum constituit, ut in æternum custodiret, quique suam portionem signis evidentibus protegit.

As for the Jews, when they heard Nicanor was on the march, with all this rabble of alien folk, they cast earth on their heads and betook themselves to prayer. Was it not God’s appointment, his people he should evermore preserve? Was he not wont to protect them with signal marks of his favour?

Now when the Jews heard of Nicanor’s coming, and that the nations were assembled against them, they cast earth upon their heads, and made supplication to him, who chose his people to keep them for ever, and who protected his portion by evident signs.

Imperante autem duce, statim inde moverunt, conveneruntque ad castellum Dessau.

And now orders came to them from their leader; they must be on the march. Their mustering-place was a fortress called Dessau,

Then at the commandment of their captain, they forthwith removed from the place where they were, and went to the town of Dessau, to meet them.

Simon vero frater Judæ commiserat cum Nicanore: sed conterritus est repentino adventu adversariorum.

to which Simon, Judas’ brother, had withdrawn after a brush with the enemy, who daunted him by the suddenness of their advance.

Now Simon the brother of Judas had joined battle with Nicanor, but was frightened with the sudden coming of the adversaries.

Nicanor tamen, audiens virtutem comitum Judæ, et animi magnitudinem quam pro patriæ certaminibus habebant, sanguine judicium facere metuebat.

But Nicanor had heard much about the valour of Judas’ men, and how nobly they fought in their country’s quarrel; no wonder if he shrank from the arbitrament of the sword,

Nevertheless Nicanor hearing of the valour of Judas’s companions, and the greatness of courage with which they fought for their country, was afraid to try the matter by the sword.

Quam ob rem præmisit Posidonium, et Theodotium, et Matthiam, ut darent dextras atque acciperent.

and sent envoys to meet them, Posidonius, Theodotius and Matthias, with an offer of terms.

Wherefore he sent Posidonius, and Theodotius, and Matthias before to present and receive the right hands.

Et cum diu de his consilium ageretur, et ipse dux ad multitudinem retulisset, omnium una fuit sententia amicitiis annuere.

After a deal of negotiation, Judas referred the matter to the general voice, and all were agreed upon accepting the offer of friendship.

And when there had been a consultation thereupon, and the captain had acquainted the multitude with it, they were all of one mind to consent to covenants.

Itaque diem constituerunt, qua secreto inter se agerent: et singulis sellæ prolatæ sunt, et positæ.

So the day was fixed for a secret conference to be held between them; thrones of honour were brought out and set ready,

So they appointed a day upon which they might commune together by themselves: and seats were brought out, and set for each one.

Præcepit autem Judas armatos esse locis opportunis, ne forte ab hostibus repente mali aliquid oriretur: et congruum colloquium fecerunt.

and you may be sure Judas had armed men posted in waiting, to forestall any sudden treachery on the enemy’s part; but their parleys ended happily enough.

But Judas ordered men to be ready in convenient places, lest some mischief might be suddenly practised by the enemies: so they made an agreeable conference.

Morabatur autem Nicanor Jerosolymis, nihilque inique agebat: gregesque turbarum quæ congregatæ fuerant, dimisit.

Nicanor was now lodged in Jerusalem, and did there no manner of hurt; all the rabble he had brought with him were dispersed to their homes.

And Nicanor abode in Jerusalem, and did no wrong, but sent away the flocks of the multitudes that had been gathered together.

Habebat autem Judam semper carum ex animo, et erat viro inclinatus.

Towards Judas he shewed unaffected friendship, such a liking he had taken for the man;

And Judas was always dear to him from the heart, and he was well affected to the man.

Rogavitque eum ducere uxorem, filiosque procreare. Nuptias fecit: quiete egit, communiterque vivebant.

ay, and encouraged him to take a wife and beget children; so Judas married, and took his ease, and ever he lived on close terms with Nicanor.

And he desired him to marry a wife, and to have children. So he married: he lived quietly, and they lived in common.

Alcimus autem, videns caritatem illorum ad invicem et conventiones, venit ad Demetrium, et dicebat Nicanorem rebus alienis assentire, Judamque regni insidiatorem successorem sibi destinasse.

And what of Alcimus? Little it liked him to see all this good-will between the two of them, and their treaty-making; to Demetrius he betook him, and charged Nicanor with disaffection; was he not purposing to hand over his command to Judas, a traitor against the realm?

But Alcimus seeing the love they had one to another, and the covenants, came to Demetrius, and told him that Nicanor assented to the foreign interest, for that he meant to make Judas, who was a traitor to the kingdom, his successor.

Itaque rex exasperatus, et pessimis hujus criminationibus irritatus, scripsit Nicanori, dicens graviter quidem se ferre de amicitiæ conventione, jubere tamen Machabæum citius vinctum mittere Antiochiam.

Vile accusations, that threw Demetrius into a great taking of fury; he wrote to Nicanor, he was very ill content with the peace made, and would have Machabaeus sent to Antioch in chains without more ado.

Then the king being in a rage and provoked with this man’s wicked accusations, wrote to Nicanor, signifying, that he was greatly displeased with the covenant of friendship: and that he commanded him nevertheless to send Machabeus prisoner in all haste to Antioch.

Quibus cognitis, Nicanor consternabatur, et graviter ferebat, si ea quæ convenerant irrita faceret, nihil læsus a viro:

Here was Nicanor left in great confusion of mind; it went against the grain with him to cancel the treaty with Judas, that had nothing wronged him,

When this was known, Nicanor was in a consternation, and took it grievously that he should make void the articles that were agreed upon, having received no injury from the man.

sed quia regi resistere non poterat, opportunitatem observabat qua præceptum perficeret.

yet run counter to the king’s will he might not. So he began looking for an opportunity of carrying out his orders;

But because he could not oppose the king, he watched an opportunity to comply with the orders

At Machabæus, videns secum austerius agere Nicanorem, et consuetum occursum ferocius exhibentem, intelligens non ex bono esse austeritatem istam, paucis suorum congregatis, occultavit se a Nicanore.

and Machabaeus, remarking that a coolness had sprung up, and their meetings were less courteous than hitherto, made sure this behaviour of his boded no good. Whereupon he gathered some of his company, and went into concealment.

But when Machabeus perceived that Nicanor was more stern to him, and that when they met together as usual he behaved himself in a rough manner: and was sensible that this rough behaviour came not of good, he gathered together a few of his men, and hid himself from Nicanor.

Quod cum ille cognovit, fortiter se a viro præventum, venit ad maximum et sanctissimum templum: et sacerdotibus solitas hostias offerentibus, jussit sibi tradi virum.

So Nicanor found himself quite outwitted; and he must needs make his way into the high and holy precincts of the temple, where even then the priests were offering their accustomed sacrifice. Judas, he said, must be handed over to him;

But he finding himself notably prevented by the man, came to the great and holy temple: and commanded the priests that were offering the accustomed sacrifices, to deliver him the man.

Quibus cum juramento dicentibus nescire se ubi esset qui quærebatur, extendens manum ad templum,

and when they, upon oath, denied all knowledge of his hiding-place, what did Nicanor? He pointed to the temple,

And when they swore unto him, that they knew not where the man was whom he sought, he stretched out his hand to the temple,

juravit, dicens: Nisi Judam mihi vinctum tradideritis, istud Dei fanum in planitiem deducam, et altare effodiam, et templum hoc Libero patri consecrabo.

and swore that if Judas were not handed over to him in chains he would raze yonder sanctuary to the ground, demolish the altar, and consecrate its precincts anew to Bacchus.

And swore, saying: Unless you deliver Judas prisoner to me, I will lay this temple of God even with the ground, and will beat down the altar, and I will dedicate this temple to Bacchus.

Et his dictis abiit. Sacerdotes autem protendentes manus in cælum, invocabant eum qui semper propugnator esset gentis ipsorum, hæc dicentes:

With that, he left them; and the priests, lifting up their hands to heaven, called upon the God that was ever the champion of their race, with such prayer as this:

And when he had spoken thus he departed. But the priests stretching forth their hands to heaven, called upon him that was ever the defender of their nation, saying in this manner:

Tu, Domine universorum, qui nullius indiges, voluisti templum habitationis tuæ fieri in nobis.

Lord of all, that need of thy creatures hast none, thy will it was to have thy dwelling-place among us!

Thou, O Lord of all things, who wantest nothing, wast pleased that the temple of thy habitation should be amongst us.

Et nunc, Sancte sanctorum, omnium Domine, conserva in æternum impollutam domum istam, quæ nuper mundata est.

Holy thou art, and of all holy things the master; this house, that was so lately cleansed of its defilement, keep thou for ever undefiled.

Therefore now, O Lord the holy of all holies, keep this house for ever undefiled which was lately cleansed.

Razias autem quidam de senioribus ab Jerosolymis delatus est Nicanori, vir amator civitatis, et bene audiens: qui pro affectu pater Judæorum appellabatur.

It was this Nicanor that received information against one of the elders at Jerusalem, named Razias, a true patriot and a man of good repute; for the love he bore it, men called him the father of the Jewish people.

Now Razias, one of the ancients of Jerusalem, was accused to Nicanor, a man that was a lover of the city, and of good report, who for his affection was called the father of the Jews.

Hic multis temporibus continentiæ propositum tenuit in Judaismo, corpusque et animam tradere contentus pro perseverantia.

Long time this man had held to his resolve of keeping aloof from the Gentiles, ready to put life and limb in jeopardy, so he might persevere.

This man, for a long time, had held fast his purpose of keeping himself pure in the Jews’ religion, and was ready to expose his body and life, that he might persevere therein.

Volens autem Nicanor manifestare odium quod habebat in Judæos, misit milites quingentos ut eum comprehenderent.

And now, as if to give public proof of hatred towards the Jews, Nicanor sent five hundred men to take him alive;

So Nicanor being willing to declare the hatred that he bore the Jews, sent five hundred soldiers to take him.

Putabat enim, si illum decepisset, se cladem Judæis maximam illaturum.

shrewder blow was none he could deal them, than to beguile such a man as this.

For he thought by insnaring him to hurt the Jews very much.

Turbis autem irruere in domum ejus, et januam dirumpere: atque ignem admovere cupientibus, cum jam comprehenderetur, gladio se petiit,

And when this great company set about to force an entry into his dwelling, breaking down the door and calling out for firebrands, cut off from all escape, what did Razias? He thrust a sword into his own body,

Now as the multitude sought to rush into his house, and to break open the door, and to set fire to it, when he was ready to be taken, he struck himself with his sword:

eligens nobiliter mori potius quam subditus fieri peccatoribus, et contra natales suos indignis injuriis agi.

counting it better to die honourably than to fall into the hands of sinners, and suffer outrage unworthy of a free-born man.

Choosing to die nobly rather than to fall into the hands of the wicked, and to suffer abuses unbecoming his noble birth.

Sed cum per festinationem non certo ictu plagam dedisset, et turbæ intra ostia irrumperent, recurrens audacter ad murum præcipitavit semetipsum viriliter in turbas:

The hasty blow missed its aim; and now, with a rabble of men pouring in through the doors he made gallantly for the outer wall, and never hesitated to cast himself down, there in the heart of the crowd.

But whereas through haste he missed of giving himself a sure wound, and the crowd was breaking into the doors, he ran boldly to the wall, and manfully threw himself down to the crowd:

quibus velociter locum dantibus casui ejus, venit per mediam cervicem.

You may be sure they made room for his coming, and he fell on the very joints of his neck;

But they quickly making room for his fall, he came upon the midst of the neck.

Et cum adhuc spiraret, accensus animo, surrexit, et cum sanguis ejus magno fluxu deflueret, et gravissimis vulneribus esset saucius, cursu turbam pertransiit:

yet, breathing still, he rose to his feet undaunted; blood streaming from his mortal wounds, he made his way through the press of men,

And as he had yet breath in him, being inflamed in mind he arose: and while his blood ran down with a great stream, and he was grievously wounded, he ran through the crowd:

et stans supra quamdam petram præruptam, et jam exsanguis effectus, complexus intestina sua, utrisque manibus projecit super turbas, invocans dominatorem vitæ ac spiritus ut hæc illi iterum redderet: atque ita vita defunctus est.

till he stood on a sheer rock above them. And there, for now he had no blood left in him, he laid hold of his own entrails, and with both hands cast them into the crowd beneath, calling upon the Lord, giver of life and breath, to restore these same to his body; and so died.

And standing upon a steep rock, when he was now almost without blood, grasping his bowels with both hands, he cast them upon the throng, calling upon the Lord of life and spirit, to restore these to him again: and so he departed this life.