1 Maccabees 8
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1IVdas heard also the fame of the Romains, that thei were mightie, and valiant, and agreable to all things that were required of them, and made peace with all that came vnto them, 2And that they were men of great power, and they tolde him of their battels, and their worthie actes, which they did among the Galatians whome they had conquered, and made to paye tribute, 3And what they had done in the countrey of Spaine: how that they had wonne there the mines of siluer and golde, 4And that by their counsel, and gentle behauiour they were rulers in euerie place, thogh the place was farre from them, and that they had discomfited, and giuen great ouerthrowes to the Kings that came against them, from the vttermost parte of the earth, and that others gaue them tribute euerie yere, 5How they had also discomfited by battel Philippe and Perses Kings of the Macedonians, and others, that rose against them, and how they ouercame them, 6And how great Antiochus King of Asia that came against them in battel, hauing an hundreth and twentie elephants, with horsemen, & charrets, and a verie great armie, was discomfited by them, 7And how they toke him aliue, and ordeined him, with suche as shulde reigne after him, to paye a great tribute, & to giue hostages, and a separate porcion, 8Euen the countrey of India, and Media, and Lydia, and of his best countreys, which they toke of him and gaue them to King Eumenes. 9Againe when it was tolde them that the Grecians were comming to destroye them, 10They sent against them a captaine, which gaue them battel, & slewe manie of them, & toke manie prisoners with their wiues, and children, and spoyled them, and conquered their land, and destroyed their strong holdes, and subdued them to be their bondmen, vnto this day: 11Moreouer, how they destroyed, & broght into subiection other kingdomes & yles, whosoeuer had withstand them: 12But that thei kept amitie with their owne friends, and those that stayed vpon them: finally, that conquered kingdomes, bothe farre and nere, in so muche that whosoeuer heard of their renoume, was afrayed of them. 13For whome they wolde helpe to their kingdomes, those reigned, and whome they wolde, they put downe: thus were thei in moste high autoritie. 14Yet for all this that none of them ware a crowne, nether was clothed in purple, to be magnified thereby, 15But that thei had ordeined them selues a counsel, wherein thre hundreth and twentie men consulted daiely, and prouided for the commune affaires, to gouerne them wel, 16And that they committed their gouernement to one man euerie yere, who did rule ouer all their countrey, to whome euerie man was obedient: and there was nether hatred nor enuie among them. 17¶Then Iudas chose Eupolemus the sonne of Iohn, the sonne of Accus, and Iason, the sonne of Eleazar, and sent them vnto Rome to make friendship, & mutual felowship with them, 18That they might take from them the yoke (for they sawe that the kingdome of the Grecians wolde kepe Israel in bondage) 19So they went vnto Rome, which was a verie great iourney, and came into the Senat where they spake and said, 20Iudas Maccabeus with his brethren, and the people of the Iewes hathe sent vs vnto you, to make a bonde of friendship, and peace with you, and ye to register vs as your partakers and friends. 21And the matter pleased them. 22And this is the copie of the epistle that they wrote in tables of brasse and sent to Ierusalem, that they might haue by them a memorial of the peace, and mutual felowship. 23Good successe be to the Romaines, and to the people of the Iewes, by sea, and by land for euer, and the sworde, and enemie be from them. 24If there come first anie warre vpon the Romaines, or anie of their friends throughout all their dominion, 25The people of the Iewes shal helpe them, as the time shalbe appointed, with all their heart, 26Also they shal giue nothing to them that come to fight for them, nor serue them with wheat nor weapons, nor monei, nor shippes as it pleaseth the Romaines, but they shal kepe their couenantes without taking anie thing of them. 27Likewise also if warre come first against the nacion of the Iewes, the Romains shal helpe them with a good wil, according as the time shalbe appointed them. 28Nether shal wheat be giuen vnto them, that take their parte, nor weapons, nor money, nor shippes, as it pleaseth the Romains, who wil kepe these couenants without deceite. 29According to these articles the Romains made the bonde with the people of the Iewes. 30If after these pointes the one partie, or the other wil adde or diminish, they may do it, at their pleasures, & whatsoeuer they shal adde, or take away, shal be ratified. 31And as touching the euil that Demetrius hathe done vnto the Iewes, we haue written vnto him, saying, Wherefore layest thou thine heauie yoke vpon our friends, and confederates the Iewes? 32If therefore they complaine anie more against thee, we wil do them iustice, and fight with thee by sea and by land.