1 And it was don, aftir that Alisaundre of Filip, king of Macedoyne, which regnede first in Grece, and yede out of the lond of Sethym, smoot Darius, king of Perseis and of Medeis,

2 he ordeynede many batels, and gat strengthis of alle; and he slow the kingis of erthe,

3 and passide forth til to endis of erthe, and took spuylis of multitude of folkis; and the erthe was stille in siyt of hym.

4 And he gaderide vertu, and oost ful strong, and the herte of hym was enhaunsid and lift vp.

5 And he gat the cuntreis of folkis, and tirauntis; and thei weren maad to hym in to tribut.

6 And after these thingis he felle in to bed, and knew that he schulde die.

7 And he clepide his noble children, that weren nurschid with hym fro yongthe, and departide to hem his kingdom, whanne he lyuede yit.

8 And Alisaundre regnede twelue yeer, and was deed.

9 And his children weldiden the rewme,

10 ech in his place, and alle puttiden to hem diademys aftir his deth, and the sones of hem after hem, many yeeris; and yuels weren multiplied in erthe.

11 And ther wente out of hem a roote of synne, Antiok the noble, the sone of Antiok kyng, that was at Rome in ostage, and regnede in the hundrid and seuene and thrittithe yeer of the rewme of Grekis.

12 In tho daies wickid sones `of Israel wenten out, and counseiliden many, and seide, Go we, and ordeyne we testament with hethene men, that ben aboute vs; for sithen we departiden fro hem, many yuels foundun vs.

13 And the word was seyn good bifore the iyen of hem.

14 And summe of the puple senten, and wenten to the kyng; and he yaf power to hem for to do riytwisnesse of hethene men.

15 And thei bildiden a scole in Jerusalem, bi lawis of naciouns;

16 and maden to hem prepucies, and wenten awei fro the hooli testament, and weren ioyned to naciouns, and weren seeld for to do yuel.

17 And the rewme hadde prosperite in the siyt of Antiok, and he bigan for to regne in the lond of Egipt, that he schulde regne on twei rewmes.

18 And he entride in to Egipt with a greuouse multitude, in charis, and olifauntis, and horse men, `ether kniytis, and plenteuouse multitude of schippis,

19 and he ordeynede batel ayens Tholome, kyng of Egipt; and Tolome dredde of his face, and flei; and many weren woundid, and fellen doun.

20 And he took the stronge citees in the lond of Egipt, and took the preies of the lond of Egipt.

21 And Antiok turnede, after that he smoot Egipt, in the hundrid and thre and fourtithe yeer, and stiede to Israel.

22 And he stiede to Jerusalem with a greuouse multitude,

23 and entride in to the halewyng with pride; and he took the goldun auter, and the candilstike of liyt, and alle vessels therof, and the boord of proposicioun, and vessels of fletynge sacrifices, and cruetis, and goldun morteris, and veil, and crownes, and goldun ournement that was in the face of the temple; and he brak alle.

24 And he took siluer and gold, and alle desirable vessels, and he took the priuy tresours, whiche he foond; and whanne he hadde takun vp alle thingis, he wente in to his lond.

25 And he made slauyter of men, and spak in greet pride.

26 And greet weilyng was maad in Israel, and in ech place of hem;

27 and princes sorewiden inwardli, and eldere men, and maidens, and yonge men weren maad sike, and fairnesse of wymmen was chaungid.

28 Ech hosebonde took weilyng, and thei that saten in hosebondis bed, morenyden.

29 And the lond was mouyd togidere on men dwellynge therynne, and al the hous of Jacob was clothid with confusioun.

30 And aftir twei yeeris of daies, the kyng sente a prince of tributis in to the citees of Juda, and he cam to Jerusalem with greet cumpanye.

31 And he spak to hem pesible wordis in gile, and thei bileuyden to hym.

32 And sudeynli he felle in on the citee, and smoot it with a greet wounde, and loste myche puple of Israel.

33 And he took preies of the citee, and brente it with fier, and distriede housis therof, and wallis therof in cumpas.

34 And thei ledden wymmen caitif, and children, and weldiden beestis.

35 And thei bildiden the citee of Dauid with greet wal and sad, and sadde touris; and it was maad to hem in to an hiy tour.

36 And thei puttiden there a folc of synneris, wickid men, and thei weren strong in it; and thei puttiden armeris, and metis, and gaderiden preies of Jerusalem;

37 and puttiden vp there, and weren maad in to a greet snare.

38 And this thing was maad to aspiyngis in yuel, `ether tresouns, to halewyng, and in to an yuel deuel in Israel euere more.

39 And thei schedden out innocent blood, bi cumpas of the halewyng, and defouliden the halewyng.

40 And dwelleris of Jerusalem fledden for hem, and it was maad abitacioun of straungeris, and it was maad straunge to his seed, and sones therof forsoken it.

41 The halewyng therof was desolat as wildirnesse; feeste daies therof weren turned in to mourenyng, sabotis therof in to schenschip, onouris therof in to nouyt.

42 Bi the glorie therof the yuel fame therof was multiplied, and hyynesse therof was turned in to mournyng.

43 And kyng Antiok wroot to al his rewme, that al the puple schulde be oon. And thei forsoken ech man his lawe;

44 and alle folkis consentiden bi the word of kyng Antiok,

45 and many of Israel consentiden to him, and sacrifieden to idols, and defouliden sabot.

46 And king Antiok sente bokis bi the hondis of messangeris in to Jerusalem, and in to alle citees of Judee, that thei schulden sue lawis of folkis of erthe,

47 and schulden forbede brent sacrifices, and sacrifices, and plesyngis for to be don in the temple of God,

48 and that thei schulden forbede the sabot for to be halewid, and solempne daies,

49 and hooli thingis for to be defoulid, and the hooli puple of Israel.

50 And he comaundide auteris for to be bildid, and templis, and idols; and swynes fleisch for to be sacrifisid, and vncleene beestis;

51 and for to leeue her sones vncircumcidid, and the soulis of hem for to be defoulid in alle vnclennessis and abhomynaciouns, so that thei schulden foryete the lawe, and schulen chaunge alle the iustifiyngis of God.

52 And who euere dide not bi the word of kyng Antiok, schulden die.

53 Bi alle these wordis he wroot to al his rewme, and aboue settide princes to the puple, whiche schulden constreyne these thingis for to be don.

54 And thei comaundiden to citees of Juda for to make sacrifice.

55 And many of the puple weren gaderid to hem, whiche forsoken the lawe of the Lord, and diden yuels on erthe.

56 And thei dryueden out the puple of Israel fro priuy places, and in hid places of fleynge men.

57 In the fiftenthe dai of the monethe Casleu, in the hundrid and fyue and fourtithe yeer, king Antiok bildide abhominable idol of discoumfort on the auter of God; and bi alle citees of Judee in cumpas thei bildiden auters.

58 And bifore the yatis of housis and in stretis thei brenten encensis, and sacrifieden;

59 and brenten bi fier the bookis of the lawe of God, and keruyden hem.

60 And anentis whom euere the bookis of testament of the Lord weren foundun, and who euere kepte the lawe of the Lord, bi the maundement of the kyng thei slowen hym.

61 In her power thei diden these thingis to the puple of Israel, that was foundun in ech monethe in citees.

62 And in the fyue and twentithe dai of the monethe, thei sacrifieden on the auter, that was ayens the auter of God.

63 And wymmen, that circumcididen her sones, weren stranglid, bi comaundement of kyng Antiok;

64 and thei hangiden children bi the neckis, bi alle housis of hem, and strangliden hem that circumcididen hem.

65 And many of the puple of Israel determyneden anentis hem, that thei schulden not ete vnclene thingis, and chesiden more for to die, than for to be defoulid with vnclene metis.

66 And thei wolden not breke the hooli lawe of God, and thei weren slayn;

67 and ful greet wraththe was maad on the puple.