2 Machabees 8
Judas Machabeus gathering an army gains divers victories.
Judas vero Machabæus, et qui cum illo erant, introibant latenter in castella: et convocantes cognatos et amicos, et eos qui permanserunt in Judaismo assumentes, eduxerunt ad se sex millia virorum.
But Judas Machabeus, and they that were with him, went privately into the towns: and calling together their kinsmen and friends, and taking unto them such as continued in the Jews' religion, they assembled six thousand men.
Et invocabant Dominum, ut respiceret in populum qui ab omnibus calcabatur, et misereretur templo quod contaminabatur ab impiis:
And they called upon the Lord, that he would look upon his people that was trodden down by all and would have pity on the temple, that was defiled by the wicked:
misereretur etiam exterminio civitatis, quæ esset illico complananda, et vocem sanguinis ad se clamantis audiret:
That he would have pity also upon the city that was destroyed, that was ready to be made even with the ground, and would hear the voice of the blood that cried to him:
memoraretur quoque iniquissimas mortes parvulorum innocentum, et blasphemias nomini suo illatas, et indignaretur super his.
That he would remember also the most unjust deaths of innocent children, and the blasphemies offered to his name, and would shew his indignation on this occasion.
At Machabæus, congregata multitudine, intolerabilis gentibus efficiebatur: ira enim Domini in misericordiam conversa est.
Now when Machabeus had gathered a multitude, he could not be withstood by the heathens: for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy.
Et superveniens castellis et civitatibus improvisus, succendebat eas: et opportuna loca occupans, non paucas hostium strages dabat:
So coming unawares upon the towns and cities, he set them on fire, and taking possession of the most commodious places, he made no small slaughter of the enemies:
maxime autem noctibus ad hujuscemodi excursus ferebatur, et fama virtutis ejus ubique diffundebatur.
And especially in the nights he went upon these expeditions, and the fame of his valour was spread abroad every where.
Videns autem Philippus paulatim virum ad profectum venire, ac frequentius res ei cedere prospere, ad Ptolemæum ducem Cœlesyriæ et Phœnicis scripsit ut auxilium ferret regis negotiis.
Then Philip seeing that the man gained ground by little and little, and that things for the most part succeeded prosperously with him, wrote to Ptolemee, the governor of Celesyria and Phenicia, to send aid to the king's affairs.
At ille velociter misit Nicanorem Patrocli de primoribus amicum, datis ei de permistis gentibus, armatis non minus viginti millibus, ut universum Judæorum genus deleret, adjuncto ei Gorgia viro militari, et in bellicis rebus experientissimo.
And he with all speed sent Nicanor, the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends, giving him no fewer than twenty thousand armed men of different nations, to root out the whole race of the Jews, joining also with him Gorgias, a good soldier, and of great experience in matters of war.
Constituit autem Nicanor, ut regi tributum, quod Romanis erat dandum, duo millia talentorum de captivitate Judæorum suppleret:
And Nicanor purposed to raise for the king the tribute of two thousand talents, that was to be given to the Romans, by making so much money of the captive Jews:
statimque ad maritimas civitates misit, convocans ad coëmptionem Judaicorum mancipiorum, promittens se nonaginta mancipia talento distracturum, non respiciens ad vindictam quæ eum ab Omnipotente esset consecutura.
Wherefore he sent immediately to the cities upon the sea coast, to invite men together to buy up the Jewish slaves, promising that they should have ninety slaves for one talent, not reflecting on the vengeance which was to follow him from the Almighty.
Judas autem ubi comperit, indicavit his qui secum erant Judæis Nicanoris adventum.
Now when Judas found that Nicanor was coming, he imparted to the Jews that were with him, that the enemy was at hand.
Ex quibus quidam formidantes, et non credentes Dei justitiæ, in fugam vertebantur:
And some of them being afraid, and distrusting the justice of God, fled away.
alii vero si quid eis supererat vendebant, simulque Dominum deprecabantur ut eriperet eos ab impio Nicanore, qui eos priusquam cominus veniret, vendiderat:
Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord, that he would deliver them from the wicked Nicanor, who had sold them before he came near them:
etsi non propter eos, propter testamentum tamen quod erat ad patres eorum, et propter invocationem sancti et magnifici nominis ejus super ipsos.
And if not for their sakes, yet for the covenant that he had made with their fathers, and for the sake of his holy and glorious name that was invoked upon them.
Convocatis autem Machabæus septem millibus qui cum ipso erant, rogabat ne hostibus reconciliarentur, neque metuerent inique venientium adversum se hostium multitudinem: sed fortiter contenderent,
But Machabeus calling together seven thousand that were with him, exhorted them not to be reconciled to the enemies, nor to fear the multitude of the enemies who came wrongfully against them, but to fight manfully:
ante oculos habentes contumeliam quæ loco sancto ab his injuste esset illata, itemque et ludibrio habitæ civitatis injuriam, adhuc etiam veterum instituta convulsa.
Setting before their eyes the injury they had unjustly done the holy place, and also the injury they had done to the city, which had been shamefully abused, besides their destroying the ordinances of the fathers.
Nam illi quidem armis confidunt, ait, simul et audacia: nos autem in omnipotente Domino, qui potest et venientes adversum nos, et universum mundum, uno nutu delere, confidimus.
For, said he, they trust in their weapons, and in their boldness: but we trust in the Almighty Lord, who at a beck can utterly destroy both them that come against us, and the whole world.
Admonuit autem eos et de auxiliis Dei, quæ facta sunt erga parentes: et quod sub Sennacherib centum octoginta quinque millia perierunt:
Moreover, he put them in mind also of the helps their fathers had received from God: and how, under Sennacherib, a hundred and eighty-five thousand had been destroyed.
et de prælio quod eis adversus Galatas fuit in Babylonia, ut omnes, ubi ad rem ventum est, Macedonibus sociis hæsitantibus, ipsi sex millia soli peremerunt centum viginti millia, propter auxilium illis datum de cælo, et beneficia pro his plurima consecuti sunt.
And of the battle that they had fought against the Galatians, in Babylonia; how they, being in all but six thousand, when it came to the point, and the Macedonians, their companions, were at a stand, slew a hundred and twenty thousand, because of the help they had from heaven, and for this they received many favours.
His verbis constantes effecti sunt, et pro legibus et patria mori parati.
With these words they were greatly encouraged and disposed even to die for the laws and their country.
Constituit itaque fratres suos duces utrique ordini, Simonem, et Josephum, et Jonathan, subjectis unicuique millenis et quingentenis.
So he appointed his brethren captains over each division of his army; Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving to each one fifteen hundred men.
Ad hoc etiam ab Esdra lecto illis sancto libro, et dato signo adjutorii Dei, in prima acie ipse dux commisit cum Nicanore.
And after the holy book had been read to them by Esdras, and he had given them for a watchword, The help of God: himself leading the first band, he joined battle with Nicanor:
Et facto sibi adjutore Omnipotente, interfecerunt super novem millia hominum: majorem autem partem exercitus Nicanoris vulneribus debilem factam fugere compulerunt.
And the Almighty being their helper, they slew above nine thousand men: and having wounded and disabled the greater part of Nicanor's army, they obliged them to fly.
Pecuniis vero eorum, qui ad emptionem ipsorum venerant, sublatis, ipsos usquequaque persecuti sunt:
And they took the money of them that came to buy them, and they pursued them on every side.
sed reversi sunt hora conclusi, nam erat ante sabbatum: quam ob causam non perseveraverunt insequentes.
But they came back for want of time: for it was the day before the sabbath: and therefore they did not continue the pursuit.
Arma autem ipsorum, et spolia congregantes, sabbatum agebant, benedicentes Dominum, qui liberavit eos in isto die, misericordiæ initium stillans in eos.
But when they had gathered together their arms and their spoils, they kept the sabbath: blessing the Lord who had delivered them that day, distilling the beginning of mercy upon them.
Post sabbatum vero debilibus, et orphanis, et viduis diviserunt spolia: et residua ipsi cum suis habuere.
Then after the sabbath they divided the spoils to the feeble and the orphans, and the widows, and the rest they took for themselves and their servants.
His itaque gestis, et communiter ab omnibus facta obsecratione, misericordem Dominum postulabant ut in finem servis suis reconciliaretur.
When this was done, and they had all made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord, to be reconciled to his servants unto the end.
Et ex his qui cum Timotheo et Bacchide erant contra se contendentes, super viginti millia interfecerunt, et munitiones excelsas obtinuerunt: et plures prædas diviserunt, æquam portionem debilibus, pupillis, et viduis, sed et senioribus facientes.
Moreover, they slew above twenty thousand of them that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who fought against them, and they made themselves masters of the high strong holds: and they divided amongst them many spoils, giving equal portions to the feeble, the fatherless, and the widows; yea, and the aged also
Et cum arma eorum diligenter collegissent, omnia composuerunt in locis opportunis: residua vero spolia Jerosolymam detulerunt:
And when they had carefully gathered together their arms, they laid them all up in convenient places, and the residue of their spoils they carried to Jerusalem:
et Philarchen, qui cum Timotheo erat, interfecerunt, virum scelestum, qui in multis Judæos afflixerat.
They slew also Philarches, who was with Timotheus, a wicked man, who had many ways afflicted the Jews.
Et cum epinicia agerent Jerosolymis, eum qui sacras januas incenderat, id est, Callisthenem, cum in quoddam domicilium refugisset, incenderunt, digna ei mercede pro impietatibus suis reddita.
And when they kept the feast of the victory at Jerusalem, they burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire to the holy gates, who had taken refuge in a certain house, rendering to him a worthy reward for his impieties:
Facinorosissimus autem Nicanor, qui mille negotiantes ad Judæorum venditionem adduxerat,
But as for that most wicked man, Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to the sale of the Jews,
humiliatus auxilio Domini ab his quos nullos existimaverat, deposita veste gloriæ, per mediterranea fugiens, solus venit Antiochiam, summam infelicitatem de interitu sui exercitus consecutus.
Being, through the help of the Lord, brought down by them, of whom he had made no account, laying aside his garment of glory, fleeing through the midland country, he came alone to Antioch, being rendered very unhappy by the destruction of his army.
Et qui promiserat Romanis se tributum restituere de captivitate Jerosolymorum, prædicabat nunc protectorem Deum habere Judæos, et ob ipsum invulnerabiles esse, eo quod sequerentur leges ab ipso constitutas.
And he that had promised to levy the tribute for the Romans, by the means of the captives of Jerusalem, now professed that the Jews had God for their protector, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws appointed by him.