2 Maccabees 14
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1AFter thre yeres was Iudas enformed that Demetrius the sonne of Seleucus was come vp with a great power and name by the hauen of Tripolis, 2When he had wonne the countrey, and slaine Antiochus and his lieutenant Lysias. 3Now Alcimus, which had bene the high Priest, and wilfully defiled him self in the time that all things were confounded, seing that by no meanes he colde saue him self, nor haue anie more entrance to the holie altar, 4He came to King Demetrius in the hundreth, fiftie and one yere, presenting vnto him a crowne of golde, and a palme, & of the boughes, which were vsed solemnely in the Temple, and that day he helde his tongue. 5But when he had gotten opportunitie, & occasion for his rage, Demetrius called him to counsel, and asked him what deuises or counsels the Iewes leaned vnto. 6To the which he answered, the Iewes that be called Asideans whose captaine is Iudas Maccabeus, mainteine warres, and make insurrections, and wil not let the realme be in peace. 7Therefore I, being depriued of my fathers honour( I meane the high priesthode)am now come hether, 8Partely because I was wel affectioned vnto the Kings affaires, and secondly because I soght the profite of mine owne citizens: for all our people, ’thorowe their rashnes, are not a litle troubled. 9Wherefore, ô King, seing thou knowest all these things, make prouision for the countrey, and our nacion which is abused, according to thine owne humanitie, that is readie to helpe all men. 10For as long as Iudas liueth, it is not possible that the matter shulde be wel. 11When he had spoken these wordes, other friends also hauing euil wil at Iudas, set Demetrius on fyre. 12Who immediatly called for Nicanor, the ruler of the elephantes, and made him captaine ouer Iudea, 13And sent him forthe, commanding him to slay Iudas, and to scatter them that were with him, & to make Alcimus high Priest of the great Temple. 14Then the heathen which fled out of Iudea from Iudas, came to Nicanor by flockes, thinking the harme and calamities of the Iewes to be their welfare. 15Now when the Iewes heard of Nicanors comming, and the gathering together of the heathen, they sprinkled them selues with earth, & prayed vnto him which had appointed him self a people foreuer, and did alwais defende his owne porcion with euident tokens. 16So at the commandement of the captaine, they remoued straight wayes from thence, and came to the towne of Dessan, 17Where Simon Iudas brother had ioyned battel with Nicanor, and was somewhat astonished thorowe the sudden silence of the enemies: 18Neuertheles Nicanor hearing the manlines of them that were with Iudas, & the bolde stomackes that they had for their countrey, durst not proue the matter with blood shedding. 19Wherefore, he sent Posidonius, ”Theodocius, and ”Matthias before, to make peace. 20So when they had taken long aduisement thereupon, and the captaine shewed it vnto the multitude, they were agreed in one minde, and consented to the couenants. 21And they appointed a day when they shulde particularly come together: so when the day was come, they set for euerie man his stoole. 22Neuertheles Iudas commanded certeine men of armes to waite in conuenient places, lest there shulde suddenly arise anie euil thorowe the enemies: and so they communed together of the things whereupon they had agreed. 23Nicanor, while he abode at Ierusalem, did none hurt, but sent away the people that were gathered together. 24He ”loued Iudas, and fauoured him in his heart. 25He praid him also to take a wife, and to beget children: so he maried, & they liued together. 26But Alcimus perceiuing the loue that was betwene them, and vnderstanding the couenantes that were made, came to Demetrius, and tolde him that Nicanor had taken strange matters in hand, and ordeined Iudas a traitour to the realme, to be his successour. 27Then the King was displeased, and by the reportes of this wicked man, he wrote to Nicanor, saying, that he was very angrie for the couenants, commanding him that he shulde send Maccabeus in all haste prisoner vnto Antiochia. 28When these things came to Nicanor, he was astonished & sore grieued, that he shulde breake the things wherein they had agreed, seing that that man had committed no wickednes. 29But because it was not commodious to him to withstand the King, he soght craftely to accomplish it. 30Notwithstanding when Maccabeus perceiued that Nicanor beganne to be rough vnto him, and that he intreated him more rudely then he was wonte, he perceiued that suche rigour came not of good, and therefore he gathered a fewe of his men, and withdrewe him self from Nicanor. 31But the other perceiuing that he was preuented by Maccabeus worthie policie, came into the great & holie Temple, and commanded the Priests, which were offring their vsual sacrifices, to deliuer him the man. 32And when they sware that they colde not tell where the man was, whome he soght, 33He stretched out his right hand towarde the Temple, and made an othe in this maner, If ye wil not deliuer me Iudas as a prisoner, I wil make this Temple of God a plaine field, and wil breake downe the altar, and wil erect a notable Temple vnto Bacchus. 34After these wordes he departed: then the Priests lift vp their hands towarde heauen, and besoght him that was euer the defender of their nacion, saying in this maner, 35Thou, ô Lord of all things, which hast nede of nothing, woldest that the Temple of thine habitacion shulde be among vs. 36Therefore now, ô moste holie Lord, kepe this house euer vndefiled, which lately was clensed, and stoppe all the mouths of the vnrighteous. 37Now was there accused vnto Nicanor, Razis one of the Elders of Ierusalem, a louer of the citie, and a man of very good reporte, which for his loue was called a father of the Iewes. 38For this man afore times when the Iewes were minded to kepe them selues vndefiled and pure, being accused to be of the religion of the Iewes, did offer to spend his bodie and life with all constancie for the religion of the Iewes. 39So Nicanor willing to declare the hatred that he bare to the Iewes, sent about fiue hundreth men of warre to take him. 40For he thoght by taking him to do the Iewes muche hurte. 41But when this companie wolde haue taken his castel, and wolde haue broken the gates by violence, and commanded to bring fyre to burne the gates, so that he was readie to be taken on euerie side, he fel on his sworde, 42Willing rather to dye manfully, then to giue him self into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer reproche vnworthie for his noble stocke. 43Notwithstanding what time as he missed of his stroke for haste, and the multitude russhed in violently between the dores, he ran boldely to the wall, and cast him self downe manfully among the multitude. 44Which conueyed them selues lightly away, and gaue place, so that he fell vpon his bellie. 45Neuertheles while there was yet breth in him, being kindled in his minde, he rose vp, and thogh his blood gushed out like a fountaine, and he was verie sore wounded, yet he ran thorow the middes of the people, 46And gate him to the toppe of an hie rocke: so when his blood was vtterly gone, he toke out his owne bowels with bothe his hands, and threwe them vpon the people, calling vpon the Lord of life and spirit, that he wolde restore them againe vnto him, and thus he dyed.