1 But aftir tyme of thre yeer Judas knew, and thei that weren with hym, that Demetrie Seleucus stiede to couenable places, with strong multitude, and schippis, bi the hauene of Tripolis,
2 and hath holdun cuntreis ayens Antiok, and his duyk Lisias.
3 Forsothe oon Alchimus, that was hiyeste prest, but wilfuli was defoulid in tymes of myngyng togidere, bihelde that in no maner heelthe was to hym, nether neiyyng to the auter,
4 and he cam to kyng Demetrie, in the hundrid and fiftithe yeer, and offride hym a goldun coroun, and palme, ouer these thingis and offride vessels, that weren seyn for to be of the temple; and sotheli in that day he was stille.
5 Forsothe he gat a couenable tyme of his woodnesse, and he was clepid of Demetrie to counsel, and was axid with what thingis and counsels Jewis enforsiden, and he answeride,
6 Thei that ben seid Assideis of Jewis, of whiche Judas Machabeus is souereyn, nurschen batels, and mouen discenciouns, nether suffren the rewme for to be quyet.
7 For whi and Y am defraudid of glorie of fadir and modir, sotheli Y seie, of hiyest presthod, and Y cam hidur,
8 first sotheli kepyng feith to the kyngis profitis, the secounde tyme sotheli counselynge also the citeseyns, for whi bi schrewidnesse of hem al oure kyn is trauelid greetli.
9 But Y preie, thou kyng, whanne alle these thingis ben knowun, biholde to the cuntre and kyn, by thi manlynesse schewid to alle men.
10 For whi as long as Judas lyueth, it is impossible that pees be to nedis.
11 Forsothe whanne siche thingis weren seid of hym, and othere frendis, hauynge hem enemyly, enflawmeden Demetrie ayens Judas.
12 Whiche anoon sente Nycanor, souereyn of olifauntis, a duyk in to Judee,
13 with comaundementis youun for to take thilke Judas quyk, for to scatere sotheli hem that weren with hym, and for to ordeyne Alchymus hiyeste prest of the moste holy temple.
14 Thanne hethene men that fledden Judas fro Judee, flokmel ioyneden hem to Nycanor, and gessiden the wretchidnessis and dethis of Jewis prosperitees of her thingis.
15 Therfor whanne comyng of Nycanor was herd, and comyng togidere of naciouns, Jewis bispreynt with erthe preieden hym, that ordeynede his puple in to with outen ende for to kepe, and which defendith his part with open signes.
16 Forsothe for the duyk comaundide, anoon thei mouyden fro thennus, and camen togidere to castel Dessau.
17 Symount forsothe, brother of Judas, ioynede batel with Nycanor, but he was al to-brokun with sudeyn comyng of aduersaries.
18 Netheles Nycanor herde the vertu of Judas felowis, and greetnesse of hardynesse, which thei hadden for stryues of the cuntree, and dredde for to make dom bi blood.
19 Wherfor he bifore sente Possidonye, and Theodote, and Mathie, for to yyue riythondis, and take.
20 And whanne longe counsel was don of these thingis, and the duyk hym silf hadde teld to the multitude, o sentence was of alle, for to graunte to frenschipis.
21 Therfor thei ordeyneden a dai, in which thei schulden do priueli bitwixe hem silf; `smale setis weren brouyt forth, and set to ech.
22 Forsothe Judas comaundide armed men for to be in couenable places, lest perauenture ony thing of yuel schulde rise sudenli of enemyes; and thei maden a couenable speche togidere.
23 Forsothe Nycanor dwelte in Jerusalem, and no thing dide yuel; and he lefte flockis of cumpenyes, that weren gaderid.
24 Forsothe he hadde Judas euere more dereworthe of herte, and was bowid to the man;
25 and preiede hym for to wedde a wijf, and gendre sones; and he made weddyngis, and dide quyetli, and thei lyueden comynli, `ether togidere.
26 Alchimus forsothe siy the charite of hem togidere, and acordyngis, and cam to Demetrie, and seide, that Nycanor assentith to alyen thingis, and hath ordeynede Judas, traitour of the rewme, successour to hym.
27 Therfor the kyng was maad scharp, and terrid to wraththe with siche worste accusyngis, and wroot to Nycanor, and seide, that sotheli he bar greuously of acordyng of frendschipe, and netheles comaundide for to sende Machabeus boundun to Antiochie.
28 And whanne these thingis weren knowun, Nycanor was astonyed, and greuousli bar, if he made voide tho thingis that weren acordid, and he was no thing harmed of the man;
29 but for he myyte not ayen stonde the kyng, he kepte couenablete, in which he schulde perfourme the maundement.
30 And Machabeus siy, that Nycanor dide with hym most sterneli, and yaf fersliere customable comyng togidere, and he vndurstode that this sternesse was not of goode, and with a fewe of hise gaderid, he hidde hym fro Nycanor.
31 And as he knew this thing, that he was strongli bifore comun, `ether aspied, of the man, he cam to the mooste and holieste temple, and he comaundide to the prestis offrynge customable sacrifices, that the man be takun to hym.
32 And whanne thei seiden with ooth, that thei wisten not, where he was that was souyt, he stretchide forth the hond to the temple,
33 and swoor, If ye schulen not bitake to me Judas boundun, Y schal drawe doun this temple of God in to pleynesse, and digge out the auter, and Y schal halewe this temple to Liber, ether Bachus, the fadir.
34 And whanne he hadde seid these thingis, he wente awei. Forsothe the prestis helden forth hondis in to heuene, and clepiden hym to help that euere is forfiytere of the folc of hem, and seiden these thingis,
35 Thou, Lord of `alle creaturis, that of no thing hast nede, woldist that the temple of thin habitacioun be maad in vs.
36 And now, thou Lord, hooli of alle hooli, kepe with outen ende this hous vndefoulid, that a litil agon was clensid.
37 Forsothe Rasias, oon of the eldre men of Jerusalem, was accusid to Nycanor; and Rasias was a man, louyere of the citee, and wel herynge, that for affeccioun was clepid fadir of Jewis.
38 This man many tymes helde purpos of contynence in Judee, and was apayed for to bitake bodi and soule for perseueraunce, `ether lastyng.
39 Forsothe Nycanor wolde schewe the hatrede, that he hadde ayens Jewis, and sente fyue hundrid knyytis, for to take him.
40 For he gesside, if he hadde disseyued hym, that he shulde bringe in most deth to Jewis.
41 Forsothe whanne cumpenyes coueitiden for to falle in to his hous, and for to breke the yate, and for to moue to fier, whanne now he was takun, he asailide hym silf with swerd;
42 chesynge for to die nobli, rather than for to be maad suget to synneris, and ayens his birthis for to be led with vnworthi wrongis.
43 But whanne bi hastyng he hadde youun wounde with vncerteyne strook, and cumpenyes bitwixe doris brasten in, he ran ayen hardli to the wal, and castide doun hym silf manli in to the cumpenyes.
44 And whanne thei yauen swiftli place to his fal, he cam bi the myddil of the nol,
45 and yit while he brethide, he was kyndlid in herte, and roos. And whanne his blood with greet flowyng flowide doun, and with most greuouse woundis he was woundid, bi rennyng he passide the cumpeny; and stood on an heey stoon,
46 and now was maad with out blood, and biclippide his entrailis with both hondis, and castide forth on the cumpenyes, and clepide to helpe the lordschipere of lijf and spirit, that he schulde yelde eftsoone these thingis to hym; and thus he was deed fro lijf.