to favour his fatherless children 13 Let his posterity be cut off and in the generation following let their name be blotted out 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembred with the LORD and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out 15 Let them be before the LORD continually that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth 16 Because that he remembred not to shew mercy but persecuted the poor and needy man that he might even slay the broken in heart 17 As he loved curing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him 18 As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment so let it come †Heb. within him into his bowels like water and like oyl into his bones 19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually 20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD and of them that speak evil against my soul 21 But do thou for me O GOD the Lord for thy names sake because thy mercy is good deliver thou me 22 For I am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me 23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth I am tossed up and down as the locust 24 My knees are weak through fasting and my flesh faileth of fatness 25 I became also a reproach unto them when they looked upon me they shaked their heads 26 Help me O LORD my God O save me according to thy mercy 27 That they may know that this is thy hand that thou LORD hast done it 28 Let them curse but bless thou when they arise let them be ashamed but let thy servant rejoyce 29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame and let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle 30 I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth yea I will praise him among the multitude 31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor to save him †Heb. from the judâ—es of his soul from those that condemn his soul PSAL. CX 1 The kingdom 4 the priesthood 5 the conquest 7 and the passion of Christ ¶ A psalm of David THe * Mat. 22.44 Mark 12.26 Luke 20.42 Acts 2.24 1 Cor. 15.25 Heb. 1.13 LORD said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool 2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the mids of thine enemies 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness ‖ Or more then the womb of the morning thou shalt have c. from the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth 4 The LORD hath sworn and will not repent * Heb. 5.6 and 7.17 Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek 5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath 6 He shall judge among the heathen he shall fill the places with the dead bodies he shall wound the heads over ‖ Or great many countreys 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head PSAL. CXI 1 The psalmist by his example inciteth others to praise God for his glorious 5 and gracious works 10 The fear of God breedeth true wisdom †Heb. Hallelujah PRaise ye the LORD I will praise the LORD with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation 2 The works of the LORD are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein 3 His work is honourable and glorious and his righteousness endureth for ever 4 He hath made his wonderful works to be remembred the LORD is gracious and full of compassion 5 He hath given †Heb. prey meat unto them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his covenant 6 He hath shewed his people the power of his works that he may give them the heritage of the heathen 7 The works of his hands are verity and judgement all his commandments are sure 8 They †Heb. are stabâ—iâ—ied stand fast for ever and ever and are done in truth and uprightness 9 He sent redemption unto his people he hath commanded his covenant for ever holy and reverend is his name 10 * Job 28.28 Prov. 1.7 and 9.10 Ecclus 1.16 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom ‖ Or. good success a good understanding have all they †Heb that do them that do his commandments his praise endureth for ever PSAL. CXII 1 Godliness hath the promises of this life 4 and of the life to come 10 The prosperity of the godly shall be an ese-sore to the wicked †Heb. Hallelujah PRaise ye the LORD Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD that delighteth greatly in his commandments 2 His feed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house and his righteousness endureth forever 4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness he is gracious and full of compassion and righteous 5 A good man sheweth favour and lendeth he will guide his affairs with †Heb. judgement discretion 6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance 7 He shall not be a fraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the LORD 8 His heart is established he shall not be afraid until he see his desire upon his enemies 9 * 2 Cor. 9.9 He hath dispersed he hath given to the poor his righteousness endureth for ever his horn shall be exalted with honour 10 The wicked shall see it and be grieved he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away the desire of the wicked shall perish PSAL. CXIII 1 An exhortation to praise God for his excellency 6 for his mercy †Heb. Hallelujah PRaise ye the LORD Praise O ye servants of the LORD praise the name of the LORD 2 * Dan. 2.20 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore 3 * Mal. 1.11 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORDS name is to be praised 4 The LORD is high above all nations and his glory above the heavens 5 Who is like unto the LORD our God who †Heb. exalteth himself to dwell dwelleth on high 6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth 7 * 1 Sam. 2.8 Psal 107.41 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghil 8 That he may set him with princes even with the princes of his people 9 He maketh the barren woman †Heb. to dwell in an house to keep house and to be
old 15 But before he died he heard of the destruction of Nineve which was taken by Nabuchodonosor and Assuerus and before his death he rejoyced over Nineve ¶ JUDITH CHAP. I. 2 Arphaxed doth fortify Echatane 5 Nabuchodonosor maketh war against him 7 and craveth aid 12 He threatneth those that would not aid him 15 and killeth Arphaxad 16 and returneth to Nineve IN the twelfth year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor who reigned in Nineve the great city in the days of Arphaxad which reigned over the Medes in Ecbatane 2 And built in Ecbatane walls round about of stones hewn three cubits broad and six cubits long and made the height of the wall seventy cubits and the breadth thereof fifty cubits 3 And set the towers thereof upon the gates of it an hundred cubits â—igh and the breadth thereof in the foundation threescore cubits 4 And he made the gates thereof even gates that were railed to the height of seventy cubits and the breadth of them was fourty cubits for the going forth of his mighty armies and for the setting in aray of his footmen 5 Even in those days king Nabuchodonosor made war with king Arphaxad in the great plain which is the plain in the borders of Ragau. 6 And there came unto him all they that dwelt in the hill-countrey and all that dwelt by Euphrates and Tigris and Hydaspe and the plain of Arioch the king of the Elymeans and very many nations of the sons of Chelod assembled themselves to the battel 7 Then Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians sent unto all that dwelt in Persia and to all that dwelt west-ward and to those that dwelt in Cilicia and Damascus and Libanus and Antilibanus and to all that dwelt upon the sea-coast 8 And to those amongst the nations that were of Carmel and Galaad and the higher Galilee and the great plain of Esdrelom 9 And to all that were in Samaria and the cities thereof and beyond Jordan unto Jerusalem and Betane and Chellus and Kades and the river of Egypt and Taphnes and Ramess all the land of Gesem 10 Until you come beyond Tanis and Memphis and to all the inhabitants of Egypt until you come to the borders of Ethiopia 11 But all the inhabitants of the land made light of the commandment of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians neither went they with him to the battel for they were not afraid of him yea he was before them as one man and they sent away his ambassadours from them without effect and with disgrace 12 Therefore Nabuchodonosor was very angry with all this countrey and sware by his throne and kingdom that he would surely be avenged upon all those coasts of Cilicia and Damascus and Syria and that he would slay with the sword all the inhabitants of the land of Moab and the children of Ammon and all Judea and all that were in Egypt till you come to the borders of the two seas 13 Then he marched in battel-aray with his power against king Arphaxad in the seventeenth year and he prevailed in his battel for he overthrew all the power of Arphaxad and all his hors-men and all his chariots 14 And became lord of his cities and came unto Ecbatane and took the towers and spoiled the streets thereof and turned the beauty thereof into shame 15 He took also Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragau and smote him through with his darts and destroyed him utterly that day 16 So he returned afterward to Nineve both he and all his company of sundry nations being a very great multitude of men of war and there he took his ease and banqueted both he and his army an hundred and twenty days CHAP. II. 4 Holofernes is appointed general 11 and charged to spare none that will not yeeld 15 His army and provision 23 the places which he won and wasted as he went ANd in the eighteenth year the two and twentieth day of the first moneth there was talk in the house of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians that he should as he said avenge himself on all the earth 2 So he called unto him all his officers and all his nobles and communicated with them his secret counsel and * 1 Sam. 20.7 25.17 concluded the afflicting of the whole earth out of his own mouth 3 Then they decreed to destroy all flesh that did not obey the commandment of his mouth 4 And when he had ended his counsel Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians called Holofernes the chief captain of his army which was †Gr. second man next unto him and said unto him 5 Thus saith the great king the lord of the whole earth Behold thou shalt go forth from my presence and take with thee men that trust in their own strength of footmen an hundred and twenty thousand and the number of horses with their riders twelve thousand 6 And thou shalt go against all the west-west-countrey because they disobeyed my commandment 7 And thou shalt declare unto them that they prepare for me ‖ After the manner of the kings of Persiâ— to whom earth and water was wont to be given to acknowledge that they were lords of land and sea Herodotus earth and water for I will go forth in my wrath against them and will cover the whole face of the earth with the feet of mine army and I will give them for a spoil unto them 8 So that their slain shall fill their valleys and brooks and the river shall be filled with their dead till it overflow 9 And I will lead them captives to the utmost parts of all the earth 10 Thou therefore shalt go forth and take before-hand for me all their coasts and if they will yeeld themselves unto thee thou shalt reserve them for me till the day of their punishment 11 But concerning them that rebel let not thine eyes spare them but put them to the slaughter and spoil them wheresoever thou goest 12 For as I live and by the power of my kingdom whatsoever I have spoken that will I do by mine hand 13 And take thou heed that thou transgress none of the commandments of thy lord but accomplish them fully as I have commanded thee and defer not to do them 14 Then Holofernes went forth from the presence of his lord and called all the governours and captains and the officers of the army of Assur 15 And he mustered the chosen men for the battel as his lord had commanded him unto an hundred and twenty thousand and twelve thousand archers on hors-back 16 And he ranged them as a great army is ordered for the war 17 And he took camels and asses for their carriages a very great number and sheep and oxen and goats without number for their provision 18 And plenty of victual for every man of the army and very much gold and silver out of the kings house 19 Then he went forth and all his power to go before king Nabuchodonosor in the voyage and to cover all
them out and stopped up the gates with stones 48 Whereupon Judas sent unto them in peaceable manner saying Let us pass through your land to go into our own countrey and none shall do you any hurt we will onely pass through on foot howbeit they would not open unto him 49 Wherefore Judas commanded a proclamation to be made throughout the host that every man should pitch his tent in the place where he was 50 So the souldiers pitched and assaulted the city all that day and all that night till at the length the city was delivered into his hands 51 Who then slew all the males with the edge of the sword and rased the city and took the spoils thereof and passed through the city over them that were slain 52 After this went they over Jordan into the great plain before Bethsan 53 And Judas gathered together those that ‖ Or went hindmost Num. 10.25 came behinde and ‖ Or comforted or incouraged exhorted the people all the way through till they came into the land of Judea 54 So they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness where they offered ‖ peace-offerings Joseph Antiq. 12.12 burnt-offerings because not one of them were slain until they had returned in peace 55 Now what time as Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad and Simon his brother in Galilee before Ptolemais 56 Joseph the son of Zacharias and Azarias captains of the garisons heard of the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done 57 Wherefore they said Let us also get us a name and go fight against the heathen that are round about us 58 So when they had given charge unto the garison that was with them they went towards Jamnia 59 Then came Gorgias and his men out of the city †Gr. to meet them in battel to fight against them 60 And so it was that Juseph and Azarias were put to flight and pursued unto the borders of Judea and there were slain that day of the people of Israel about two thousand men 61 Thus was there a great overthrow among the children of Israel because they were not obedient unto Judas and his brethren but thought to do some valiant act 62 Moreover these men came not of the seed of those by whose hand deliverance was given unto Israel 63 Howbeit the man Judas and his brethren were greatly renowned in the sight of all Israel and of all the heathen wheresoever their name was heard of 64 Insomuch as the people assembled unto them with joyful acclamations 65 Afterward went Judas forth with his brethren and sought against the children of Esau in the land toward the south where he smote Hebron and the †Gr. daughters towns thereof and pulled down the fortress of it and burnt the towres thereof round about 66 Form thence he removed to go into the land of †Gr. strangers the Philistines and passed through Samaria 67 At that time certain priests desirous to shew their valour were slain in battel for that they went out to fight unadvisedly 68 So Judas turned to Azotus in the land of the Philistines and when he had pulled down their altars and burnt their carved images with fire and spoiled their cities he returned into the land of Judea CHAP. VI. 8 Antiochus dieth 12 and confesseth that he is plagued for the wrong done to Jerusalem 20 Judas besiegeth those in the towre at Jerusalem 28 They procure Antiochus the younger to come into Judea 51 He besiegeth Sion 60 and maketh peace with Israel 61 yet overthroweth the wall of Sion ABout that time king Antiochus travelling through the high countreys heard say that Elymais in the countrey of Persia was a city greatly renowned for riches silver and gold 2 And that there was in it a very rich temple wherein were ‖ Or shields coverings of gold and breast-plates and ‖ Or. armour shields which Alexander son of Philip the Macedonian king who reigned first among the Grecians had left there 3 Wherefore he came and sought to take the city and to spoil it but he was not able because they of the city having had warning thereof 4 Rose up against him in battel so he fled and departed thence with great heaviness and returned to Babylon 5 Moreover there came one who brought him tidings into Persia that the armies which went against the sand of Judea were put to flight 6 And that Lysias who went forth first with a great power was driven away of the Jews and that they were made strong by the armour and power and store of spoils which they had gotten of the armies whom they had destroyed 7 Also that they had pulled down the abomination which he had set up upon the altar in Jerusalem and that they had compassed about the sanctuary with high walls as before and his city Bethsura 8 Now when the king heard these words he was astonished and sore moved whereupon he laid him down upon his bed and fell sick for grief because it had not belfn him as he looked for 9 And there he continued many days for his grief was ever more and more and he made account that he should die 10 Wherefore he called for all his friends and said unto them The sleep is gone from mine eyes and my heart faileth for very care 11 And I thought with my self Into what tribulation am I come and how great a floud of misery is it wherein now I am for I was bountiful and beloved in my power 12 But now I remember the evils that I did at Jerusalem and that I took all the vessels of gold and silver that were therein and sent to destroy the inhabitants of Judea without a cause 13 I perceive therefore that for this cause these troubles are come upon me and behold I perish through great grief in a strange land 14 Then called he for Philip one of his friends whom he made ruler over all his realm 15 And gave him the crown and his robe and his signet to the end ‖ Or he should take his son Antiochus to him he should bring up his son Antiochus and nourish him up for the kingdom 16 So king Antiochus died there in the hundred fourty and ninth year 17 Now when Lysias knew that the king was dead he set up Antiochus his son whom he had brought up being young to reign in his stead and his name he called Eupator 18 About this time they that were in the towre shut up the Israelites round about the sanctuary and sought always their hurt and the strengthning of the heathen 19 Wherefore Judas purposing to destroy them called all the people together to besiege them 20 So they came together and besieged them in the hundred and fiftieth year and he made mounts for shot against them and other engines 21 Howbeit certain of them that were besieged got forth unto whom some ungodly men of Israel joyned themselves 22 And
Now when Nicanors host saw that he was slain they cast away their weapons and fled 45 Then ‖ Or the Jews they pursued after them a days journey from Adasa unto Gazera sounding an alarm after them with their trumpets 46 Whereupon they came forth out of all the towns of Judea round about c closed them in so that they turning back upon them that pursued them were all slain with the sword and not one of them was left 47 Afterwards they took the spoils and the prey and smote off Nicanors head and his right hand which he stretched out so proudly and brought them away and hanged them up towards Jerusalem 48 For this cause the people rejoyced greatly and they kept that day a day of great gladness 49 Moreover they ordained to keep yearly this day being the thirteenth of Adar 50 Thus the land of Juda was in rest a little while CHAP. VIII 1 Judas is informed of the power and policy of the Romans 20 and maketh a league with them 24 The articles of that league NOw Judas had heard of the fame of the Romanes that they were mighty and valiant men and such as would lovingly accept all that joyned themselves unto them and make a league of amity with all that came unto them 2 And that they were men of great valour it was told him also of their wars and noble acts which they had done amongst the ‖ Or Frento men Galathians and how they had conquered them and brought them under tribute 3 And what they had done in the countrey of Spain for the winning of the mines of the silver and gold which is there 4 And that by their policy and patience they had conquered ‖ Or every place all that place though it were very far from them and the kings also that came against them from the uttermost part of the earth till they had discomfited them and given them a great overthrow so that the rest did give them tribute every year 5 Besides this how they had discomfited in battel Philip and Perseus king of the ‖ Or Macedonians Citiâ—s with others that lift up themselves against them and had overcome them 6 How also Antiochus the great king of Asia that came against them in battel having an hundred and twenty elephants with hors-men and chariots and a very great army was discomfited by them 7 And how they took him alive and covenanted that he and such as reigned after him should pay a great tribute and give hostages and that which was agreed upon 8 And the countrey of India and Media and Lydia and of the goodliest countreys which they took of him and gave to king Eumenes 9 Moreover how the Grecians had determined to come and destroy them 10 And that they having knowledge thereof sent against them a certain captain and fighting with them slew many of them and carried away captives their wives and their children and spoiled them and took possession of their lands and pulled down their strong holds and brought them to be their servants unto this day 11 It was told him besides how they destroyed brought under their dominion all other kingdoms and isles that at any time resisted them 12 But with their friends and such as relied upon them they kept amity and that they had conquered kingdoms both far and nigh insomuch as all that heard of their name were afraid of them 13 Also that whom they would help to a kingdom those reign and whom again they would they displace finally that they were greatly exalted 14 Yet for all this none of them wore a crown or was clothed in purple to be magnified thereby 15 Moreover how they had made for themselves a senate-house wherein three hundred and twenty men sat in counsel daily consulting alway for the people to the end they might be well ordered 16 And that they committed their government to one man every year who ruled over all their countrey and that all were obedient to that one and that there was neither envy nor emulation amongst them 17 In consideration of these things Judas chose Eupolemus the son of John the son of Accos and Jason the son of Eleazar and sent them to Rome to make a league of amity and confederacy with them 18 And to entreat them that they would take the yoke from them for they saw that the kingdom of the Grecians did oppress Israel with servitude 19 They went therefore to Rome which was a very great journey and came into the senate where they spake and said 20 Judas Maccabeus with his brethren and the people of the Jews have sent us unto you to make a confedaracy and peace with you and that we might be registred your confederates and friends 21 So that matter pleased the Romanes well 22 And this is the copy of the epistle which the senate wrote back again in tables of brass and sent to Jerusalem that there they might have by them a memorial of peace and confederacy 23 Good success be to the Romanes to the people of the Jews by sea and by land for ever the sword also and enemy be far from them 24 If there come first any war upon the Romanes or any of their confederates throughout all their dominion 25 The people of the Jews shall help them as the time shall be appointed with all their heart 26 Neither shall they give anything unto them that make war upon them or aid them with victuals weapons money or ships as it hath seemed good unto the Romanes but they shall keep their covenant without taking any thing therefore 27 In the same manner also if war come first upon the nation of the Jews the Romanes shall help them with all their heart according as the time shall be appointed them 28 Neither shall victuals be given to them that take part against them or weapons or money or ships as it hath seemed good to the Romanes but they shall keep their covenants and that without deceit 29 According to these articles did the Romanes make a covenant with the people of the Jews 30 Howbeit if hereafter the one party or the other shall think meet to add or diminish any thing they may do it at their pleasures and whatsoever they shall add or take away shall be ratified 31 And as touching the evils that Demetrius doeth to the Jews we have written unto him saying Wherefore hast thou made thy yoke heavy upon our friends and confederates the Jews 32 If therefore they complain any more against thee we will do them justice and fight with thee by sea and by land CHAP. IX 1 Alâ—imus and Bacchides come again with new forces into Judea 7 The army of Judas flee from him 17 and he is slain 30 Jonathan is in his place 40 and revengeth his brother Johns quarrel 55 Alcimus is plagued and dieth 70 Bacchides maketh peace with Jonathan FUrthermore when Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his host were
CHAP. XV. 4 Antiochus desireth leave to pass through Judea and granteth great honours to Simon and the Jews 16 The Romanes write to divers kings and nations to favour the Jews 27 Antiochus quarrelleth with Simon 38 and sendeth some to annoy Judea MOreover Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent setters from the isles of the sea unto Simon the priest and prince of the Jews and to all the people 2 The contents whereof were these King Antiochus to Simon the high priest prince of his nation and to the people of the Jews greeting 3 Forasmuch as certain pestilent men have usurped the kingdom of our fathers and my purpose is to challenge it again that I may restore it to the old estate and to that end have gathered a multitude of forein souldiers together and prepared ships of war 4 My meaning also being to go through the countrey that I may be avenged of them that have destroyed it and made many cities in the kingdom desolate 5 Now therefore I confirm unto thee all the oblations with the kings before me granted thee and whatsoever gifts besides they granted 6 I give thee leave also to coyn money for thy countrey with thine own stamp 7 And as concerning Jerusalem and the sanctuary let them be free and all the armour that thou hast made and fortresses that thou hast built and keepest in thine hands let them remain unto thee 8 And if anything be or shall be owing to the king let it be forgiven thee from this time forth for evermore 9 Furthermore when we have obtained our kingdom we will honour thee and thy nation and thy temple with great honour so that your honour shall be known throughout the world 10 In the hundred threescore and fourteenth year went Antiochus into the land of his fathers at which time all the forces came together unto him so that few were left with Tryphon 11 Wherefore being pursued by king Antiochus he fled unto Dora which lieth by the sea-side 12 For he saw that troubles came upon him all at once and that his forces had forsaken him 13 Then camped Antiochus against Dora having with him an hundred and twenty thousand men of war eight thousand hors-men 14 And when he had compassed the city round about and joyned ships close to the town on the sea side he vexed the city by land and by sea neither suffered he any to go out or in 15 In the mean season came Numenius and his company from Rome having letters to the kings and countreys wherein were written these things 16 Lucius Consul of the Romanes unto king Ptolemee greeting 17 The Jews ambassadours our friends and confederates came unto us to renew the old friendship and league being sent from Simon the high priest and from the people of the Jews 18 And they brought a shield of gold of a thousand pound 19 We thought it good therefore to write unto the kings and countreys that they should do them no harm nor fight against them their cities or countries nor yet aid their enemies against them 20 It seemed also good to us to receive the shield of them 21 If therefore there be any pestilent fellows that have fled from their countrey unto you deliver them unto Simon the high priest that he may punish them according to their own law 22 The same things wrote he likewise unto Demetrius the king and Attalus to ‖ Or Arathes Ariarathes and Arsaces 23 And to all the countreys and to ‖ Or Sampsames Sampsames and the Lacedemonians and to Delus and Myndus and Sicyon and Caria and Samos and Pamphylia and Lycia and Halicarnassus and Rhodus and ‖ Or Basilis Phaselis and Cos and Side and Aradus and Gortyna and Cnidus and Cyprus and Cyrene 24 And the copy hereof they wrote to Simon the high priest 25 So Antiochus the king camped against Dora the second day †Or. bringing his forâ—â—s to it assaulting it continually and making engines by which means he shut up Tryphon that he could neither go out nor in 26 At that time Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to aid him silver also and gold and much armour 27 Nevertheless he would not receive them but brake all the covenants which he had made with him afore became strange unto him 28 Furthermore he sent unto him Athenobius one of his friends to commune with him and say You withhold Joppe and Gazara with the towre that is in Jerusalem which are cities of my realm 29 The borders thereof ye have wasted and done great hurt in the land and got the dominion of many places within my kingdom 30 Now therefore deliver the cities which ye have taken and the tributes of the places whereof ye have gotten dominion ‖ Or. except the borders c. without the borders of Judea 31 Or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver and for the harm that you have done and the tributes of the cities other five hundred talents if not we will come and ‖ Or subdue you in fight fight against you 32 So Athenobius the kings friend came to Jerusalem and when he saw the glory of Simon and the cupboard of gold silver plate his great attendance he was astonished and told him the kings message 33 Then answered Simon and said unto him We have neither taken other mens land nor holden that which appertaineth to others but the inheritance of our fathers which our enemies had wrongfully in possession a certain time 34 Wherefore we having opportunity hold the inheritance of our fathers 35 And whereas thou demandest Joppe and Gazara albeit they did great harm unto the people in our countrey yet will we give an hundred talents for them Hereunto Athenobius answered him not a word 36 But returned in a rage to the king and made report unto him of these speeches and of the glory of Simon and of all that he had seen whereupon the king was exceeding wroth 37 In the mean time fled Tryphon by ship unto Orthosias 38 Then the king made Cendebeus captain of the sea-coast and gave him an host of footmen and hors-men 39 And commanded him to remove his host toward Judea also he commanded him to build up Cedron to fortifie the gates to war against the people but as for the king himself he pursued Tryphon 40 So Cendebeus came to Jamnia began to provoke the people to invade Judea and to take the people prisoners and slay them 41 And when he had built up Cedron he set hors-men there and an host of footmen to the end that issuing out they might make outrodes upon the ways of Judea as the king had commanded him CHAP. XVI 3 Judas and John prevail against the forces sent by Antiochus 11 The captain of Jericho inviteth Simon and two of his sons into his castle and there treacherously murdereth them 19 John is sought for 22 and escapeth and
killeth those that sought for him THen came up John from Gazara and told Simon his father what Cendebeus had done 2 Wherefore Simon called his two eldest sons Judas and John said unto them I my brethren and my fathers house have ever from our youth unto this day fought against the enemies of Israel things have prospered so well in our hands that we have delivered Israel oftentimes 3 But now I am old and ye by Gods mercy are of a sufficient age be ye in stead of me and my brother and go and fight for our nation and the help from heaven be with you 4 So he chose out of the countrey twenty thousand men of war with horsmen who went out against Cendebeus rested that night at Modin 5 And when as they rose in the morning and went into the plain behold a mighty great host both of footmen and hors-men came against them howbeit there was a water-brook betwixt them 6 So he and his people pitched over against them and when he saw that the people were afraid to go over the water-brook he went first over himself and then the men seeing him passed through after him 7 That done he divided his men and set the hors-men in the midst of the footmen for the enemies hors-men were very many 8 Then sounded they with the holy trumpets whereupon Cendebeus and his host were put to flight so that many of them were slain and the remnant gat them to the strong hold 9 At that time was Judas Johns brother wounded but John still followed after them until he came to Cedron which Cendebeus had built 10 ‖ Or Which when be bad set on fire they fled unto the towres in the fields of Azotus and there were slain c. So they fled even unto the towres in the fields of Azotus wherefore he burnt it with fire so that there were slain of them about two thousand men Afterward he returned into the land of Judea in peace 11 Moreover in the plain of Jericho was Ptolemeus the son of Abubus made captain and he had abundance of silver and gold 12 For he was the high priests son in law 13 Wherefore his heart being lifted up he thought to get the countrey to himself and thereupon consulted deceitfully against Simon and his sons to destroy them 14 Now Simon was visiting the cities that were in the countrey and taking care for the good ordering of them at which time he came down himself to Jericho with his sons Mattathias and Judas in the hundred threescore and seventh year in the eleventh moneth called Sabat 15 Where the son of Abubus receiving them deceitfully into a little hold called Ducus which he had built made them a great banquet howbeit he had hid men there 16 So when Simon and his sons had drunk largely Ptolemee and his men rose up and took their weapons and came upon Simon into the banqueting-place and slew him and his two sons and certain of his servants 17 In which doing he committed a great treachery and recompensed evil for good 18 Then Ptolemee wrote these things and sent to the king that he should send him an host to aid him and he would deliver him the countrey and cities 19 He sent others also to Gazara to kill John and unto the †Gr. captains of thousands tribunes he sent letters to come unto him that he might give them silver and gold and rewards 20 And others he sent to take Jerusalem and the mountain of the temple 21 Now one had run afore to Gazara and told John that his father brethren were slain quoth he Ptolemee hath sent to slay thee also 22 Hereof when he heard he was sore astonished So he laid hands on them that were come to destroy him and slew them for he knew that they sought to make him away 23 As concerning the rest of the acts of John and his wars and worthy deeds which he did and the building of the walls which he made and his doings 24 Behold these are written in the Chronicles of his priesthood from the time he was made high priest after his father ¶ The second Book of MACCABEES CHAP. I. 1 A letter of the Jews from Jerusalem to them of Egypt to thank God for the death of Antiochus 19 Of the fire that was bidden in the pit 24 The trayer of Neemias THe brethren the Jews that be at Jerusalem and in the land of Judea wish unto the brethren the Jews that are throughout Egypt health and peace 2 God be gracious unto you and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob his faithful servants 3 And give you all an heart to serve him and to do his will with a good courage and a willing minde 4 And open your hearts in his law and commandments and send you peace 5 And hear your prayers and he at one with you and never forsake you in time of trouble 6 And now we be here praying for you 7 What time as Demetrius reigned in the hundred threescore and ninth year we the Jews wrote unto you in the extremity of trouble that came upon us in those years from the time that Jason and his company revolted from the holy land and kingdom 8 And burnt the porch and shed innocent bloud then we prayed unto the Lord and were heard we offered also sacrifices and fine flour and lighted the lamps and set forth the loaves 9 And now see that ye keep the feast of * Lev. 23. â—â— tabernacles in the moneth Casleu 10 In the hundred fourscore and eighth year the people that were at Jerusalem and in Judea and the council and Judas sent greeting and health unto Aristobulus king Ptolemeus master who was of the stock of the anointed priests and to the Jews that were in Egypt 11 Insomuch as God hath delivered us from great perils we thank him highly as having been in battel against a king 12 For he cast them out that fought within the holy city 13 For when the leader was come into Persia and the army with him that seemed invincible they were slain in the temple of Nanea by the deceit of Naneas priests 14 For Antiochus as though he would marry her came into the place and his friends that were with him to receive money in name of a dowry 15 Which when the priests of Nanea had set forth and he was entred with a small company into the compass of the temple they shut the temple as soon as Antiochus was come in 16 And opening a privie door of the roof they threw stones like thunderbolts and stroke down the captain hewed them in pieces smote off their heads and cast them to those that were without 17 Blessed be our God in all things who hath delivered up the ungodly 18 Therefore whereas we are now purposed to keep the purification of the temple upon the five and twentieth day of the moneth * Lev.
given part of the spoils to the ‖ Or loud with â—utures maimed and the widows and orphans the residue they divided among themselves and their servants 29 When this was done and they had made a common supplication they besought the merciful Lord to be reconciled with his servants for ever 30 Moreover of those that were with Timotheus and Bacchides who fought against them they slew above twenty thousand and very easily got high and strong holds and divided amongst themselves many spoils more and made the ‖ Or 〈◊〉 maimed orphans widows yea and the aged also equal in spoils with themselves 31 And when they had gathered their armour together they laid them up all carefully in convenient places and the remnant of the spoils they brought to Jerusalem 32 They slew also Philarches that wicked person who was with Timotheus and had annoyed the Jews many ways 33 Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the victory in their countrey they burnt Callisthenes that had set fire upon the holy gates who was fled into a little house and so he received a reward meet for his wickedness 34 As for that most ungracious Nicanor who had brought a thousand merchants to buy the Jews 35 He was through the help of the Lord brought down by them of whom he made least account and putting off his glorious apparel and discharging his company he came like a fugitive servant through the mid-land unto Antioch having very great dishonour for that his host was destroyed 36 Thus he that took upon him to make good to the Romanes their tribute by means of the captives in Jerusalem told abroad that the Jews had God to fight for them and therefore they could not be hurt because they followed the laws that he gave them CHAP. IX 1 Antiochus is chased from Persepolis 5 He is stricken with a sore disâ—ase 14 and promiseth to become a Jew 28 He dieth miserably ABout that time came Antiochus ‖ Or â—â—â—derly with dishonour out of the countrey of Persia 2 For he had entred the city called Persepolis and went about to rob the temple and to hold the city whereupon the multitude running to defend themselves with their weapons put them to flight and so it hapned that Antiochus being put to flight of the inhabitants returned with shame 3 Now when he came to Echatana news was brought him what had hapned unto Nicanor and Timotheus 4 Then swelling with anger he thought to avenge upon the Jews the disgrace done unto him by those that made him flee Therefore commanded he his chariot-man to drive without ceasing and to dispatch the journey the judgement of God now following him For he had spoken proudly in this sort That he would come to Jerusalem and make it a common burying-place of the Jews 5 But the Lord almighty the God of Israel smote him with an incurable and invisible plague for assoon as he had spoken these words a pain of the bowels that was remediless came upon him and sore torments of the inner parts 6 And that most justly for he had tormented other mens bowels with many and strange torments 7 Howbeit he nothing at all ceased from his bragging but still was filled with pride breathing out fire in his rage against the Jews and commanding to haste the journey but it came to pass that he fell down from his chariot carried violently so that having a sore fall all the members of his body were much pained 8 And thus he that a little afore thought he might command the waves of the sea so proud was he beyond the condition of man and weigh the high mountains in a balance was now cast on the ground and carried in an hors-litter shewing forth unto all the manifest power of God 9 So that the worms rose up out of the body of this wicked man and whiles he lived in sorrow and pain his flesh fell away and the filthiness of his smell was noisome to all his army 10 And the man that thought a little afore he could reach to the stars of heaven no man could endure to carry for his intolerable stink 11 Here therefore being plagued he began to leave off his great pride and to come to the knowledge of himself by the scourge of God his pain increasing every moment 12 And when he himself could not abide his own smell he said these words It is meet to be subject unto God and that a man that is mortal should not proudly think of himself as if he were God 13 This wicked person vowed also unto the Lord who now no more would have mercy upon him saying thus 14 That the holy city to the which he was going in haste to lay it even with the ground and to make it a common burying-place he would set at liberty 15 And as touching the Jews whom he had judged not worthy to be so much as buried but to be cast out with their children to be devoured of the fowls and wilde beasts he would make them all equals to the citizens of ‖ Or Antioch Athens 16 And the holy temple which before he had spoiled he would garnish with goodly gifts and restore all the holy vessels with many more and out of his own revenue defray the charges belonging to the sacrifices 17 Yea and that also he would become a Jew himself and go through all the world that was inhabited and declare the power of God 18 But for all this his pains would not cease for the just judgement of God was come upon him therefore dispairing of his health he wrote unto the Jews the letters underwritten containing the form of a supplication after this manner 19 Antiochus king and governour to the good Jews his citizens wisheth much joy health and prosperity 20 If ye and your children fare well and your affairs be to your contentment I give very great thanks to God having my hope in heaven 21 As for me I was weak or else I would have remembred kindly your honour and good will Returning out of Persia and being taken with a grievous disease I thought it necessary to care for the common safety of all 22 Not distrusting mine health but having great hope to escape this sickness 23 But considering that even my father at what time he led an army into the high countreys appointed a successour 24 To the end that if any thing fell out contrary to expectation or if any tidings were brought that were grievous they of the land knowing to whom ‖ Or common affairs the state was left might not be troubled 25 Again considering how that the princes that are borderers and neighbours unto my kingdom wait for oppottunities and expect what shall be the event I have appointed my son Antiochus king whom I often committed and commended unto many of you when I went up into the high provinces to whom I have written as followeth 26 Therefore I pray and request you to
river these cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh the coast of Manasseh also was on the north-side of the river and the out-goings of it were at the sea 10 South-ward it was Ephraims and north-ward it was Manassehs and the sea is his border and they met together in Asher on the north and in Issachar on the east 11 And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Beth-shean and her towns and Ibleam and her towns and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns and the inhabitants of En-dor and her towns and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns even three countreys 12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities but the Canaanites would dwell in that land 13 Yet it came to pass when the children of Israel were waxen strong that they put the Canaanites to tribute but did not utterly drive them out 14 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua saying Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit seeing I am a great people forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto 15 And Joshua answered them If thou be a great people then get thee up to the wood countrey and cut down for thy self there in the land of the Perizzites and of the ‖ Or Rephaims giants if mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee 16 And the children of Joseph said The hill is not enough for us and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron both they who are of Beth-shean and her towns and they who are of the valley of Jezreel 17 And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph even to Ephraim and to Manasseh saying Thou art a great people and hast great power thou shalt not have one lot onely 18 But the mountain shall be thine for it is a wood and thou shalt cut it down and the out-goings of it shall be thine for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites though they have iron chariots and though they be strong CHAP. XVIII 1 The tabernacle is set up at Shiloh 2 The remainder of the land is described and divided into seven parts 10 Joshua divideth it by lot 11 The lot and border of Benjamin 21 Their cities ANd the whole congregation of the Children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there and the land was subdued before them 2 And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance 3 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel How long are you slack to go to possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you 4 Give out from among you three men for each tribe and I will send them and they shall rise and go through the land and describe it according to the inheritance of them and they shall come again to me 5 And they shall divide it into seven parts Judah shall abide in their coast on the south and the house of Joseph shall abide in their coasts on the north 6 Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts and bring the description hither to me that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God 7 But the Levites have no part among you for the priest-hood of the LORD is their inheritance and Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond Jordan on the east which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them 8 ¶ And the men arose and went away and Joshua charged them that went to describe the land saying Go and walk through the land and describe it and come again to me that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh 9 And the men went and passed through the land and described it by cities into seven parts in a book and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh 10 ¶ And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions 11 ¶ And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families and the coast of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph 12 And their border on the north-side was from Jordan and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north-side and went up through the mountains west-ward and the goings-out thereof were at the wilderness of Beth-aven 13 And the border went over from thence toward Luz to the side of Luz which is Beth-el south-ward and the border descended to Ataroth-adar near the hill that lieth on the south-side of the nether Beth-horon 14 And the border was drawn thence and compassed the corner of the sea south-ward from the hill that lieth before Beth-horon south-ward and the goings out thereof were at Kirjath-baal which is Kirjath-jearim a city of the children of Judah This was the west-quarter 15 And the south-quarter was from the end of Kirjath-jearim and the border went out on the west and went out to the well of waters of Nephtoah 16 And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the valley of the son of Hinnom and which is in the valley of the giants on the north and descended to the valley of Hinnom to the side of Jebusi on the south and descended to En-rogel 17 And was drawn from the north and went forth to En-shemesh and went forth toward Geliloth which is over against the going up of Adummim and descended to * Chap. 15.6 the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben 18 And passed along toward the side over against †Or the plain Arabah north-ward and went down unto Arabah 19 And the border passed along to the side of Beth-hoglah north-ward and the out goings of the border were at the north †Heb. tongue bay of the salt-sea at the south-end of Jordan This was the south-coast 20 And Jordan was the border of it on the east-side This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin by the coasts thereof round about according to their families 21 Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho and Beth-hoglah and the valley of Keziz 22 And Beth-arabah and Zemaraim and Beth-el 23 And Avim and Parah and Ophrah 24 And Chephar-haamonai and Ophni and Gaba twelve cities with their villages 25 Gibeon and Ramah and Beeroth 26 And Mizpeh and Chephirah and Mozah 27 And Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah 28 And Zelah Eleph and Jebusi which is Jerusalem Gibeath and Kirjath fourteen cities with their villages This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families CHAP. XIX 1 The lot of Simeon 10 of Zebulun 17 of Issachar 24 of Asher 32 of Naphtali 40 of Dan.
come hither And they compassed him in and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city and were †Heb. silent quiet all the night saying In the morning when it is day we shall kill him 3 And Samson lay till midnight and arose at midnight and took the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts and went away with them †Heb. with the bar bar and all and put them upon his shoulders and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron 4 ¶ And it came to pass afterward that he loved a woman ‖ Or by the bâ—ook in the valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her and said unto her Entice him and see wherein his great strength lieth and by what means we may prevail against him that we may binde him to ‖ Or humble afflict him and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver 6 And Delilah said to Samson Tell me I pray thee wherein thy great strength lieth and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee 7 And Samson said unto her If they binde me with seven ‖ Or new cords †Heb. moist green wit hs that were never dried then shall I be weak and be as †Heb. one another man 8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green wit hs which had not been dried and she bound him with them 9 Now there were men lying in wait abiding with her in the chamber And she said unto him The Philistines be upon thee Samson And he brake the wit hs as a threed of tow is broken when it †Heb. smelleth toucheth the fire so his strength was not known 10 And Delilah said unto Samson Behold thou hast mocked me and told me lies now tell me I pray thee wherewith thou mightest be bound 11 And he said unto her If thou binde me fast with new ropes †Heb. wherewith work hath not been done that never were occupied then shall I be weak and be as another man 12 Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound him therewith and said unto him The Philistines be upon thee Samson And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber And he brake them from off his arms like a threed 13 And Delilah said unto Samson Hitherto thou hast mocked me and told me lies tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound And he said unto her If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web 14 And she fastned it with the pin and said unto him The Philistines be upon thee Samson And he awaked out of his sleep and went away with the pin of the beam and with the web 15 ¶ And she said unto him How canst thou say I love thee when thine heart is not with me Thou hast mocked me these three times and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth 16 And it came to pass when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him so that his soul was †Heb. shortned vexed unto death 17 That he told her all his heart and said unto her There hath not come a rasor upon mine head for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mothers womb if I be shaven then my strength will go from me and I shall become weak and be like any other man 18 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines saying Come up this once for he hath shewed me all his heart Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her and brought money in their hand 19 And she make him sleep upon her knees and she called for a man and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head and she began to afflict him and his strength went from him 20 And she said The Philistines be upon thee Samson And he awoke out of his sleep and said I will go out as at other times before and shake my self And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him 21 ¶ But the Philistines took him and †Heb. bored out put out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of brass and he did grinde in the prison-house 22 Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again ‖ Or as when he was shaves after he was shaven 23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god and to rejoyce for they said Our God hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand 24 And when the people saw him they praised their god for they said Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy and the destroyer of our countrey †Heb. and who multiplyed our slain which slew many of us 25 And it came to pass when their hearts were merry that they said Call for Samson that he may make us sport And they called for Samson out of the prison-house and he made †Heb. before them them sport and they set him between the pillars 26 And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand Suffer me that I may seel the pillars whereupon the house standeth that I may lean upon them 27 Now the house was full of men and women and all the lords of the Philistines were there and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women that beheld while Samson made sport 28 And Samson called unto the LORD and said O Lord GOD remember me I pray thee and strengthen me I pray thee onely this once O God that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood and ‖ Or. he leaned on them on which it was born up of the one with his right hand and of the other with his left 30 And Samson said Let †Heb. my soul me die with the Philistines and he howed himself with all his might and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people that were therein so the dead which he slew at his death were mo then they which he slew in his life 31 Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down and took him and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying-place of Manoah his father and he judged Israel twenty years CHAP. XVII 1 Of the money that Micah first stole then restored his mother maketh images 5 and he ornaments for them 7 He hireth a Levite to be his priest ANd there was a man of mount Ephraim whose name was Micah 2 And he said unto his mother The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee about which thou curledst and spakest of also in mine
for them that be escaped of Benjamin that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel 18 Howbeit we may not give them wives of our daughters for the children of Israel have sworn saying Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin 19 Then they said Behold there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh †Heb. from year to year yearly in a place which is on the north side of Beth-el ‖ Or towards the sun-rising on the east-side ‖ Or Or. on of the high-way that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem and on the south of Lebonah 20 Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin saying Go and lie in wait in the vineyards 21 And see and behold if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances then come ye out of the vineyards and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh and go to the land of Benjamin 22 And it shall be when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain that we will say unto them ‖ Or Gratifie us in thim be favourable unto them for our sakes because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war for ye did not give unto them at this time that you should be guilty 23 And the children of Benjamin did so and took them wives according to their number of them that danced whom they caught and they went and returned unto their inheritance and repaired the cities and dwelt in them 24 And the children of Israel departed thence at that time every man to his tribe and to his family and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance 25 * Chap. 17.6 18.1 19.1 In those days there was no king in Israel every man did that which was right in his own eyes ¶ The book of RUTH CHAP. I. 1 Elimelech driven by famine into Moab dieth there 4 Mahlon and Chilion having married wives of Moab die also 6 Naomi returning homeward 8 dissuadeth her two daughters in law from going with her 14 Orpah leaveth her but Ruth with great constancy accompanieth her 19 They two come to Beth-lehem where they are gladly received NOw it came to pass in the days when the judges †Heb. judged ruled that there was a famine in the land and a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the countrey of Moab he and his wife and his two sons 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah and they came into the countrey of Moab and †Heb. were continued there 3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died and she was left and her two sons 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth and they dwelled there about ten years 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband 6 ¶ Then she arose with her daughters in law that she might return from the countrey of Meab for she had heard in the countrey of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was and her two daughters in law with her and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah 8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law Go return each to her mothers house the LORD deal kindly with you as ye have dealt with the dead and with me 9 The LORD grant you that you may finde rest each of you in the house of her husband Then she kissed them and they lift up their voice and wept 10 And they said unto her Surely we will return with thee unto thy people 11 And Naomi said Turn again my daughters why will ye go with me are there yet any mo sons in my womb that they may be your husbands 12 Turn again my daughters go your way for I am too old to have an husband if I should say I have hope ‖ Or if I were with an bushand if I should have a husband also to night and should also bear sons 13 Would ye †Heb. hope tarry for them till they were grown would ye stay for them from having husbands nay my daughters for †Heb. I have much bitterness it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me 14 And they lift up their voice and wept again and Orpah kissed her mother in law but Ruth clave unto her 15 And she said Behold thy sister in law is gone back unto her people and unto her gods return thou after thy sister in law 16 And Ruth said ‖ Or Be not against me Intreat me not to leave thee or to return from following after thee for whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God my God 17 Where thou diest will I die and there will I be buried the LORD do so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me 18 When she saw that she †Heb. strengthned her self was stedfastly minded to go with her then she left speaking unto her 19 ¶ So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem And it came to pass when they were come to Beth-lehem that all the city was moved about them and they said Is this Naomi 20 And she said unto them Call me not ‖ That is pleasant Naomi call me ‖ That is bitter Mara for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me 21 I went out full and the LORD hath brought me home again empty why then call ye me Naomi seeing the LORD hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me 22 So Naomi returned and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter in law with her which returned out of the countrey of Moab and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley-harvest CHAP. II. 1 Ruth gleaneth in the fields of Boaz. 4 Boaz taking knowledge of her 8 sheweth her great favour 18 That which she got she carrieth to Naomi ANd Naomi had a kinsman of her husbands a mighty man of wealth of the family of Elimelech and his name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi Let me now go to the field and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall finde grace And she said unto her Go my daughter 3 And she went and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers and her †Heb. hap hapned hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto ‖ Called Mat. 1.5 Boaz. Boaz who was of the kindred of Elimelech 4 ¶ And behold Boaz came from Beth-lehem and said unto the reapers The LORD be with you and they answered him the LORD
thou done And Saul said Because I saw that the people were scattered from me and that thou camest not within the days appointed and that the Philistines gathered themselves together to Michmash 12 Therefore said I the Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal and I have not †Heb. intreated the fate made supplication unto the LORD I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt-offering 13 And Samuel said to Saul Thou hast done foolishly thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God which he commanded thee for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee 15 And Samuel arose and gat him up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin and Saul numbred the people that were †Heb. found present with him about six hundred men 16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people that were present with them abode in Gibeah of Benjamin but the Philistines encamped in Michmash 17 ¶ And the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah unto the land of Shual 18 And another company turned the way to Beth-horon and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness 19 ¶ Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel for the Philistines said Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears 20 But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his share and his coulter and his ax and his mattock 21 Yet they had †Heb. a file with mouths a file for the mattocks and for the coulters and for the forks and for the axes and †Heb. to set to sharpen the goads 22 So it came to pass in the day of battel that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found 23 And the ‖ Or standing camp garison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash CHAP. XIV 1 Jonathan unwitting to his father the priest or the people goeth and iniraculously smiteth the Philistines garison 15 A divine terrour maketh them beat themselves 17 Saul not staying the priests answer setteth on them 21 The captivated Hebrews and the bidden Israelites joyn against them 24 Sauls unadvised adjuration hindreth the victory 32 He restraineth the people from eating bloud 35 He buildeth an altar 36 Jonathan taken by lot is saved by the people 47 Sauls strength and family NOw ‖ Or there wâ—â— a day it came to pass upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour Come and let us go over to the Philistines garison that is on the other side but he told not his father 2 And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate-tree which is in Migron and the people that were with him were about six hundred men 3 And Ahiah the son of Ahitub * Chap. 4.21 I-chabods brother the son of Phinehas the son of Eli the LORDS priest in Shiloh wearing an ephod and the people knew not that Jonathan was gone 4 ¶ And between the passages by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines garison there was a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side and the name of the one was Bozez and the name of the other Seneh 5 The †Heb. tooth forefront of the one was situate north-ward over against Michmash and the other south-ward over against Gibeah 6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour Come and let us go over unto the garison of these uncircumcised it may be that the LORD will work for us for there is no restraint to the LORD * 2 Chr. 14.11 to save by many or by few 7 And his armour-bearer said unto him Do all that is in thine heart turn thee behold I am with thee according to thy heart 8 Then said Jonathan Behold we will pass over unto these men and we will discover our selves unto them 9 If they say thus unto us †Heb. â—ie still Tarry until we come to you then we will stand still in our place and will not go up unto them 10 But if they say thus Come up unto us then we will go up for * 1 Mac. 4.30 the LORD hath delivered them into our hand and this shall be a signe unto us 11 And both of them discovered themselves unto the garison of the Philistines and the Philistines said Behold the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves 12 And the men of the garison answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer and said Come up to us and we will shew you a thing And Jonathan said unto his armour-bearer Come up after me for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel 13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet and his armour-bearer after him and they fell before Jonathan and his armour-bearer slew after him 14 And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armour-bearer made was about twenty men within as it were ‖ Or â—aâ—f a furrow of an 〈◊〉 of land an half-acre of land which a yoke of oxen might plow 15 And there was trembling in the host in the field and among all the people the garison and the spoilers they also trembled and the earth quaked so it was †Heb. a trembling of God a very great trembling 16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked and behold the multitude melted away and they went on beating down one another 17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him Number now and see who is gone from us And when they had numbred behold Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not there 18 And Saul said unto Ahiah Bring hither the ark of God for the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel 19 ¶ And it came to pass while Saul talked unto the priest that the ‖ Or tumult noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased and Saul said unto the priest Withdraw thine hand 20 And Saul and all the people that were with him †Heb. were cryed together assembled themselves and they came to the battel and behold * Judges 7.22 2 Chro. 20.23 every mans sword was against his fellow and there was a very great discomfiture 21 Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time which went up with them into the camp from the countrey
behold I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly 22 And David answered and said Behold the kings spear and let one of the young men come over and fetch it 23 The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORDS anointed 24 And behold as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD and let him deliver me out of all tribulation 25 Then Saul said to David Blessed be thou my son David thou shalt both do great things and also shalt still prevail So David went on his way and Saul returned to his place CHAP. XXVII 1 Saul bearing David to be in Gath seeketh no more for him 5 David beggeth Ziklag of Achish 8 He invading other countreys perswadeth Achish he fought against Judah ANd David said in his heart I shall now †Heb. be consumed perish one day by the hand of Saul there is nothing better for me then that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines and Saul shall despair of me to seek me any more in any coast of Israel so shall I escape out of his hand 2 And David arose and he passed over with the six hundred men that were with him unto Achish the son of Maoch king of Gath. 3 And David dwelt with Achish at Gath he and his men every man with his houshold even David with his two wives Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess Nabals wife 4 And it was told Saul that David was fled to Gath and he sought no more again for him 5 ¶ And David said unto Achish If I have now found grace in thine eyes let them give me a place in some town in the countrey that I may dwell there for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee 6 Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day wherefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day 7 And †Heb. the number of days the time that David dwelt in the countrey of the Philistines was †Heb. a year of days a full year and four moneths 8 ¶ And David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites and the ‖ Or Gerzites Gezrites and the Amalekites for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land as thou goest unto Shur even unto the land of Egypt 9 And David smote the land and left neither man nor woman alive and took away the sheep and the oxen and the asses and the camels and the apparel and returned and came to Achish 10 And Achish said ‖ Or Did you not make a rode c. Whither have ye made a rode to day And David said Against the south of Judah and against the south of the Jerahmeelites and against the south of the Kenites 11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring tidings to Gath saying Lest they should tell on us laying So did David and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the countrey of the Philistines 12 And Achish beleeved David saying He hath made his people Israel †Heb. to sâ—â—nk utterly to abhor him therefore he shall be my servant for ever CHAP. XXVIII 1 Achish putteth confidence in David 3 Saul having destroyed the witches 4 and now in his fear forsaken of God 7 seeketh to a witch 9 The witch encouraged by Saul raiseth up Samuel 15 Saul hearing his ruine fainteth 21 The woman with his servants refresh him with meat ANd it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare to fight with Israel and Achish said unto David Know thou assuredly that thou shalt go out with me to battel thou and thy men 2 And David said to Achish Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do And Achish said to David Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever 3 ¶ Now * Chap. 25.1 Samuel was dead and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah even in his own city and Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land 4 ¶ And the Philistines gathered themselves together and came and pitched in Shunem and Saul gathered all Israel together and they pitched in Gilboa 5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines he was afraid and his heart greatly trembled 6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD the LORD answered him not neither by dreams nor by Urim nor by prophets 7 ¶ Then said Saul unto his servants Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit that I may go to her and enquire of her And his servants said to him Behold there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Eâ—dor 8 And Saul disguised himself and put on other raiment and he went and two men with him and they came to the woman by night and he said I pray thee divine unto me by the familiar spirit and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee 9 And the woman said unto him Behold thou knowest what Saul hath done how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life to cause me to die 10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD saying As the LORD liveth there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing 11 Then said the woman Whom shall I bring up unto thee And he said Bring me up Samuel 12 And when the woman saw Samuel she cried with a loud voice and the woman spake to Saul saying Why hast thou deceived me for thou art Saul 13 And the king said unto her Be not afraid for what sawest thou And the woman said unto Saul I saw gods ascending out of the earth 14 And he said unto her †Heb. What is his form What form is he of And she said An old man cometh up and he is covered with a mantle And Saul perceived that it was Samuel and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself 15 ¶ And Samuel said to Saul Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up And Saul answered I am sore distressed for the Philistines make war against me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more neither †Heb. by the hand of prophets by prophets nor by dreams therefore I have called thee that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do 16 Then said Samuel Wherefore then dost thou ask of me seeing the LORD is departed from thee and is become thine enemy 17 And the LORD hath done ‖ Or for himself to him * Ch. 15.28 as he spake by †Heb. mine hand me for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand and given it to thy
what is in his mouth what he saith 6 And when Hushai was come to Absalom Absalom spake unto him saying Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner shall we do after his †Heb. word saying If not speak thou 7 And Hushai said unto Absalom The counsel that Ahithophel hath †Heb. counselled given is not good at this time 8 For said Hushai thou knowest thy father and his men that they be mighty men and they be †Heb. bitter of sâ—ul chafed in their minds as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field and thy father is a man of war and will not lodge with the people 9 Behold he is hid now in some pit or in some other place and it will come to pass when some of them be †Heb. faln overthrown at the first that whosoever heareth it will say There is a slaughter among the people that follow Absalom 10 And he also that is valiant whose heart is as the heart of a lion shall utterly melt for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man and they which be with him are valiant men 11 Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee from Dan even to Beer-sheba as the sand that is by the sea for multitude and †Heb. that thy face or presence go c. that thou go to battel in thine own person 12 So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one 13 Moreover if he be gotten into a city then shall all Israel bring rope to that city and we will draw it into the river until there be not one small stone found there 14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better then the counsel of Ahithophel for the LORD had †Heb. commanded appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom 15 ¶ Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel and thus and thus have I counselled 16 Now therefore send quickly and tell David saying Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness but speedily pass over lest the king be swallowed up and all the people that are with him 17 Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel for they might not be seen to come into the city and a wench went and told them and they went and told king David 18 Nevertheless a lad saw them and told Absalom but they went both of them away quickly and came to a mans house in Bahurim which had a well in his court whither they went down 19 And the woman took and spread a covering over the wells mouth and spread ground corn thereon and the thing was not known 20 And when Absaloms servants came to the woman to the house they said Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan And the woman said unto them They be gone over the brook of water And when they had sought and could not finde them they returned to Jerusalem 21 And it came to pass after they were departed that they came up out of the well and went and told king David and said unto David Arise and pass quickly over the water for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you 22 Then David arose and all the people that were with him and they passed over Jordan by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan 23 ¶ And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not †Heb. done followed he saddled his ass and arose and gat him home to his house to his city and †Heb. gave charge concerning his house put his houshold in order and hanged himself and died and was buried in the sepulchre of his father 24 Then David came to Mahanaim and Absalom passed over Jordan he and all the men of Israel with him 25 ¶ And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab which Amasa was a mans son whose name was Ithra an Israelite that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash sister to Zeruiah Joabs mother 26 So Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead 27 ¶ And it came to pass when David was come to Mahanaim that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim 28 Brought beds and ‖ Or cups basons and earthen vessels and wheat and barley and flour and parched corn and beans and lentiles and parched pulse 29 And honey and butter and sheep and cheese of kine for David and for the people that were with him to eat for they said The people is hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness CHAP. XVIII 1 David viewing the armies in their march giveth them charge of Absalom 6 The Israelites are sore smitten in the wood of Ephaim 9 Absalom hanging in an oak is slain by Joab and cast into a pit 18 Absaloms place 19 Ahimaaz and Cushi bring tiâ—ings to David 33 David mourneth for Absalom ANd David numbred the people that were with him and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them 2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab and a third part under the hand of Aâ—â—shai the son of Zeruiah Joabs brother and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gâ—ttite and the king said unto the people I will surely go forth with you my self also 3 But the people answered Thou shalt not go forth for if we flee away they will not †Heb. set their heart on us care for us neither if half of us die will they care for us but now thou art †Heb. as ten thousand of us worth ten thousand of us therefore now it is better that thou †Heb. be to succour succour us out of the city 4 And the king said unto them What seemeth you best I will do And the king stood by the gate-side and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands 5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai saying Deal gently for my sake with the young man even with Absalom And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom 6 ¶ So the people went out into the field against Israel and the battel was in the wood of Ephraim 7 Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men 8 For the battel was there scattered over the face of all the countrey and the wood †Heb. multiplied to devour devoured more people that day
commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers and to do the law and the commandment 5 Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the †Heb. sun-images images and the kingdom was quiet before him 6 ¶ And he built fenced cities in Judah for the land had rest and he had no war in those years because the LORD had given him rest 7 Therefore he said unto Judah Let us build these cities and make about them walls and towers gates and bars while the land is yet before us because we have sought the LORD our God we have sought him and he hath given us rest on every side so they built and prospered 8 And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears out of Judah three hundred thousand and out of Benjamin that bare shields and drew bowes two hundred and fourscore thousand all these were mighty men of valour 9 ¶ * Chap. 16.8 And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots and came unto Mareshah 10 Then Asa went out against him and they set the battel in aray in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah 11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God and said LORD it is * 1 Sam. 14.6 nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power help us O LORD our God for we rest on thee and in thy name we go against this multitude O LORD thou art our God set not ‖ Or mortal man man prevail against thee 12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah and the Ethiopians fled 13 And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar and the Ethiopians were overthrown that they could not recover themselves for they were †Heb. broken destroyed before the LORD and before his host and they carried away very much spoil 14 And they smote all the cities round about Gerar for the fear of the LORD came upon them and they spoiled all the cities for there was exceeding much spoil in them 15 They smote also the tents of cattel and carried away sheep and camels in abundance and returned to Jerusalem CHAP. XV. 1 Asa with Judah and many of Israel moved by the prophesie of Azariah the son of Oded make a solemn covenant with God 16 He putteth down Maachah his mother for her idolatry 18 He bringeth dedicate things into the house of God and enjoyeth a long peace ANd the spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded 2 And he went out †Heb. before Asa to meet Asa and said unto him Hear ye me Asa and all Judah and Benjamin The LORD is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you 3 Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law 4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel and sought him he was found of them 5 And in those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countreys 6 And nation was †Heb. beaten in pieces destroyed of nation and city of city for God did vex them with all adversity 7 Be ye strong therefore and let not your hands be weak for your work shall be rewarded 8 And when Asa heard these words and the prophesie of Oded the prophet he took courage and put away the †Heb. abominations abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim and renewed the altar of the LORD that was before the porch of the LORD 9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh and out of Simeon for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that the LORD his God was with him 10 So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third moneth in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa 11 And they offered unto the LORD †Heb. in that day the same time of the spoil which they had brought seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep 12 And they entred into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul 13 That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel * Deut. 13.9 should be put to death whether small or great whether man or woman 14 And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with cornets 15 And all Judah rejoyced at the oath for they had sworn with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire and he was found of them and the LORD gave them rest round about 16 ¶ And also concerning * 1 Kin. 15.13 Maachah the mother of Asa the king he removed her from being queer because she had made an †Heb. borrour idol in a grove and Asa cut down her idol and stamped it and burnt it at the brook Kidron 17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days 18 ¶ And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated silver and gold and vessels 19 And there was no more war unto the sive and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa CHAP. XVI 1 Asa by the aid of the Syrians diverteth Baasha from building of Ramah 7 Being reproved thereof by Hanani be putteth him in prison 11 Among his other acts in his disease he seeketh not to God but to the physitians 13 His death and burial IN the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa * 1 Kin. 15.17 Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah 2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the kings house and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria that dwelt at †Heb. Darmesek Damascus saying 3 There is a league between me and thee as there was between my father and thy father behold I have sent thee silver and gold go break thy league with Baasha king of Israel that he may depart from me 4 And Ben-hadad hearkned unto king Asa and sent the captains of †Heb. which were his his armies against the cities of Israel and they smote ljon and Dan and Abel-maim and all the store cities of Naphtali 5 And it came to pass when Baasha heard it that he left off building of Ramah and let
fatling together and a little childe shall lead them 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed their young ones shall lie down together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox 8 And the sucking childe shall play on the hole of the asp and the weaned childe shall put his hand on the ‖ Or adders cockstrice den 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea 10 ¶ And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse which shall stand for an ensigne of the people to it shall the * Ro 1â— 10 Gentiles seek and his rest shall be †Heb. glory glorious 11 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea 12 And he shall set up an ensigne for the nations and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four †Heb. wings corners of the earth 13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off Ephriam shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim 14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west they shall spoil †Heb. the children of the east them of the east together †Heb. Edom and Moah shall be the laying on of their hand they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moah †Heb. the children of Ammon their obedience and the children of Ammon shall obey them 15 And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river and shall simite it in the seven streams and make men go over †Heb. in shâ—es dry-shod 16 And there shall be an high-way for the remnant of his people which shall be left from Assyria * Ex. 14.29 like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt CHAP. XII A joyful thanksgiving of the faithful for the mercies of God ANd in that day thou shalt say O LORD I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortedst me 2 Behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid for the LORD JEHOVAH is my * Ex. 15â— Ps 118.14 strength and my song he also is become my salvation 3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation 4 And in that day shall ye say * 1 Chr. 16.3 Ps 105.1 Praise the LORD ‖ Or proclaim his name call upon his name declare his doings among the people make mention that his name is exalted 5 Sing unto the LORD for he hath done excellent things this is known in all the earth 6 Cry out and shout thou †Heb. inhabitresâ— inhabitant of Zion for great is the holy One of Israel in the midst of thee CHAP. XIII 1 God mustereth the armies of his wrath 6 He threatneth to destroy Babylon by the Medes 19 The desolation of Babylon THe burden of Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see 2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain exalt the voice unto them shake the hand that they may go into the gates of the nobles 3 I have commanded my sanctified ones I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger even them that rejoyce in my highness 4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains †Heb. the likeness of like as of a great people a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battel 5 They come from a far countrey from the end of heaven even the LORD and the weapons of his indignation to destroy the whole land 6 ¶ Howl ye for the day of the LORD is at hand it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty 7 Therefore shall all hands ‖ Or fall down be faint every mans heart shall melt 8 And they shall be afraid pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth they shall †Heb. wonder be amazed †Heb. every man at his neighbour one at another their faces shall be as †Heb. faces of the flames flames 9 Behold the day of the LORD cometh cruel both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light the sun shall be * Ezek. 32.7 Joel 2.31 and 3.15 Mat. 24.29 Mar. 13.24 Lu. 21.25 darkned in his going forth and the moon shall not cause her light to shine 11 And I will punish the world for their evil and the wicked for their iniquity and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible 12 I will make a man more precious thâ—n fine gold even a man then the golden wedge of Ophir 13 Therefore I will shake the heavens and the earth shall remove out of her place in the wrath of the LORD of hosts and in the day of his fierce anger 14 And it shall he as the chased roe and as a sheep that no man taketh up they shall every man turn to his own people and flee every one unto his own land 15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through and every one that is joyned unto them shall fall by the sword 16 Their children also shall be * Ps 137.9 dashed to pieces before their eyes their houses shall be spoiled and their wives ravished 17 Behold I will stir up the Medes against them which shall not regard silver and as for gold they shall not delight in it 18 Their bowes also shall dash the young men to pieces and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb their eyes shall not spare children 19 ¶ And Babylon the glory of kingdoms the beauty of the Caldees excellency shall be †Heb. as the overthrowing as when God overthrew * Ge. 19.24 Jer. 30.40 Sodom and Gomorrah 20 It shall never be inhabited neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there neither shall the shepherds make their fold there 21 But †Heb. Ziim wilde beasts of the desert shall lie there and their houses shall be full of †Heb. Othim doleful creatures and ‖ Or ostriches †Heb. daughters of the owl owls shall dwell there and satyres shall
the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon †Heb. fair of branches with fair branches and with a shadowing shroud and of an high stature and his top was among the thick boughs 4 The waters ‖ Or nourished made him great the deep ‖ Or brought him up set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants and sent out her ‖ Or conduits little rivers unto all the trees of the field 5 Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field and his boughs were multiplied and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters ‖ Or when it sent them forth when he shot forth 6 All the * Dan 4. fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young and under his shadow dwelt all great nations 7 Thus was he fair in his greatness in the longth of his branches for his root was by great waters 8 The cedars in the * Gen. â— garden of God could not hide him the fir-trees were not like his boughs and the cheâ—nut trees were not like his branches not any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty 9 I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches so that all the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied him 10 ¶ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD Because thou hast lifted up thy self in height and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs and his heart is lifted up in his height 11 I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen †Heb. in dâ—ink be shall aâ— unto kinâ— he shall surely deal with him I have driven him out for his wickedness 12 And strangers the terrible of the nations have cut him off and have left him upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are faln and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow and have left him 13 Upon his ruine shall all the fowls of the heaven remain and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches 14 To the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs neither their tree ‖ Or stand upon themselves for their height stand up in their height all that drink water for they are all delivered unto death to the nether parts of the earth in the midst of the children of men with them that go down to the pit 15 Thus saith the Lord GOD In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning I covered the deep for him and I restrained the flouds thereof and the great waters were stayed and I caused Lebanon †Heb. to be black to mourn for him and all the trees of the field fainted for him 16 I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit and all the trees of Eden the choice and best of Lebanon all that drink water shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth 17 They also went down into hell with him unto them that be slain with the sword and they that were his arm that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen 18 ¶ To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden yet shall thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword this is Pharaoh and all his multitude saith the Lord GOD. CHAP. XXXII 1 A lamentation for the fearful fall of Egypt 11 The sword of Babylon shall destroy it 17 It shall be brought down to hell among all the uncircumcised nations ANd it came to pass in the twelfth year in the twelfth moneth in the first day of the moneth that the word of the LORD came unto me saying 2 Son of man take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say unto him Thou art like a young lion of the nation and thou art aâ— a whale in the seas and thou camest forth with thy rivers ‖ Or â—eaâ—on and troubledst the waters with thy feet and fouledst their rivers 3 Thus saith the Lord GOD I will therefore * Chap. 12 13. 17.20 spread out my net over thee with a company of many people and they shall bring thee up in my net 4 Then will I leave thee upon the land I will cast thee forth upon the open field and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee 5 And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains and fill the valleys with thy height 6 I will also water with thy bloud ‖ Or the land of thy swimming the land wherein thou swimmest even to the mountains and the river shall be full of thee 7 And when I shall ‖ Or extinâ—â—st put thee out * Isa 13.12 Joâ—l 2.21 and 3.15 Matth. 24 2â— I will cover the heaven and make the stars thereof dark I will cover the sun with a cloud and the moon shall not give her light 8 All the †Heb. â—â—it of the light in heaven brought lights of heaven will I make †Heb. them dark dark over thee and set darkness upon thy land saith the Lord GOD. 9 I will also †Heb. provâ—ke to anger of grief vex the hearts of many people when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations into the countreys which thou haâ—t not known 10 Yea I will make many people amazed at thee and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee when I shall brandish my sword before them and they shall tremble at every moment every man for his own life in the day of thy fall 11 ¶ For thus saith the Lord GOD The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee 12 By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall the terrible of the nations all of them and they shall spâ—â—l the pomp of Egypt and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed 13 I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from besides the great waters neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them 14 Then will I make their waters deep and cause their rivers to run like oyl saith the Lord GOD. 15 When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate and the countrey shall be †Heb. desolate from 〈◊〉 fulness thereof destitute of that whereof it was full when I shall smite all them that dwell therein
of Israel which is in heaven he gave them over into the power of Nebuchodonosor king of Babylon of the Caldees 16 Who pulled down the house and burnt it and carried away the people captives unto Babylon 17 But in the first year that king Cyrus reigned over the countrey of Babylon Cyrus the king wrote to build up this house 18 And the holy vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchodonosor had carried away out of the house at Jerusalem and had set them in his own temple those Cyrus the king brought forth again out of the temple at Babylon and they were delivered to ‖ Or Zorobabel which is also Sanabassar the ruler so as Zorobabel seemeth to be added to the text Ezra 1.8 Zorobabel and to Sanabassarus the ruler 19 With commandment that he should carry away the same vessels and put them in the temple at Jerusalem and that the temple of the Lord should be built in his place 20 Then the same Sanabassarus being come hither laid the foundations of the house of the Lord at Jerusalem and from that time to this being still a building it is not yet fully ended 21 Now therefore if it seem good unto the king let search be made among the ‖ Or rolls records of king Cyrus 22 And if it be found that the building of the house of the Lord at Jerusalem hath been done with the consent of king Cyrus and if our lord the king be so minded let him signifie unto us thereof 23 Then commanded king Darius to seek among the records at Babylon and so at Echatana the palace which is in the countrey of Media there was found a ‖ Or place roll wherein these things were recorded 24 In the first year of the reign of Cyrus king Cyrus commanded that the house of the Lord at Jerusalem should be built again where they do sacrifice with continual fire 25 Whos 's height shall be sixty cubits and the breadth sixty cubits with three rowes of hewn stones and one row of new wood of that countrey and the expenses thereof to be given out of the house of king Cyrus 26 And that the holy vessels of the house of the Lord both of gold and silver that Nebuchodonosor took out of the house at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon should be restored to the house at Jerusalem and be set in the place where they were before 27 And also he commanded that Sisinnes the governour of Syria and Phenice and Sathrabuzanes and their companions and those which were appointed rulers in Syria and Phenice should be careful not to meddle with the place but suffer Zorobabel the servant of the Lord and governour of Judea and the elders of the Jews to build the house of the Lord in that place 28 I have commanded also to have it built up whole again and that they look diligently to help those that be of the captivity of the Jews till the house of the Lord be finished 29 And out of the tribute of Celosyria and Phenice a portion carefully to be given these men for the sacrifices of the Lord that is to Zorobabel the governour for bullocks and rams and lambs 30 And also corn salt wine and oyl and that continually every year without further question according as the priests that be in Jerusalem shall signifie to be daily spent 31 That ‖ Or drink-offerings offerings may be made to the most high God for the king and for his children and that they may pray for their lives 32 And he commanded that whosoever should transgress yea or make light of any thing afore spoken or written out of his own house should a tree be taken and he thereon be hanged and all his goods seised for the king 33 The Lord therefore whose name is there called upon utterly destroy every king and nation that stretcheth out his hand to hinder or endamage that house of the Lord in Jerusalem 34 I Darius the king have ordained that according unto these things it be done with diligence CHAP. VII 1 Sisinnes and others help forward the building 5 The temple is finished and dedicated 10 The pass-over is kept THen * Ezra 6.13 Sisinnes the governour of Celosyria and Phenice and Sathrabuzanes with their companions following the commandments of king Darius 2 Did very carefully oversee the holy works assisting the ancients of the Jews and governours of the temple 3 And so the holy works prospered when Aggeus and Zacharias the prophets prophesied 4 And they finished these things by the commandment of the Lord God of Israel and with ‖ Or the decrâ—â— the consent of Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes kings of Persia 5 And thus was the holy house finished in †Heb. the third day Ezra 6.15 the three and twentieth day of the moneth Adar in the sixth year of Darius king of the Persians 6 And the children of Israel the priests and the Levites and other that were of the captivity that were added unto them did according to the things written in the book of Moses 7 And to the dedication of the temple of the Lord they offered an hundred bullocks two hundred rams four hundred lambs 8 And twelve goats for the sin of all Israel according to the number of the ‖ Or tribes chief of the tribes of Israel 9 The priests also and the Levites stood arayed in their vestments according to their †Heb. divisions Ezra 6.18 kindreds in the services of the Lord God of Israel according to the book of Moses and the porters at every gate 10 And the children of Israel ‖ Or with those that c. that were of the captivity held the pass-over the fourteenth day of the first moneth after that the priests and the Levites were sanctified 11 They that were of the captivity were not all sanctified together but the Levites were all sanctified together 12 And so they offered the pass-over for all them of the captivity and for their brethren the priests and for themselves 13 And the children of Israel that came out of the captivity did eat even all they that had separated themselves from the abominations of the people of the land and sought the Lord. 14 And they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days making merry before the Lord 15 For that he had turned the ‖ Or minde counsel of the king of Assyria towards them to strengthen their hands in the works of the Lord God of Israel CHAP. VIII 1 Esdras bringeth the kings commistion to build 8 The copy of it 28 He declareth the names and number of those that came with him 61 and his journey 71 He lamenteth the sins of his people 96 and sweareth the priests to put away their strange wives ANd after these things when Artaxerxes the king of the Persians reigned came Esdras the son of Saraias the son of ‖ Aâ—ariat Ezerias the son of Helchiah the son of Salum 2 The son of
the face of the earta west-ward with their chariots and hors-men and their chosen footmen 20 A great multitude also of sundry countreys came with them like locusts and like the sand of the earth for the multitude was without number 21 And they went forth of Nineve three days journey toward the plain of Bectileth and pitched from Bectileth near the mountain which is at the left hand of the upper Cilicia 22 Then he took all his army his foot men and hors-men and chariots and went from thence into the hill-countrey 23 And destroyed Phud and Lud and spoiled all the children of Rassis and the children of Ismael which were toward the wilderness at the south of the land of the Chellians 24 Then he went over Euphrates and went through Mesopotamia and destroyed all the high cities that were upon the river Arbonai till you come to the sea 25 And he took the borders of Cilicia and killed all that resisted him and came to the borders of Japheth which were toward the south over against Arabia 26 He compassed also all the children of Madian and burnt up their tabernacles and spoiled their sheep-cotes 27 Then he went down into the plain of Damascus in the time of wheat-harvest and burnt up all their fields and destroyed their flocks and herds also he spoiled their cities and utterly wasted their countreys and smote all their young men with the edge of the sword 28 Therefore the fear and dread of him fell upon all the inhabitants of the sea-coasts which were in Sidon and Tyrus and them that dwelt in Sur and Ocina and all that dwelt in Jemnaan and they that dwelt in Azotus and Ascalon feared him greatly CHAP. III. 1 They of the sea-coasts intreat for peace 7 Holofernes is received there 8 Yet he destroyeth their gods that they might worship onely Nabuchodonosor 9 He cometh near to Judea SO they sent ambassadours unto him to treat of peace saying 2 Behold we the servants of Nabuchodonosor the great king lie before thee use us as shall be good in thy sight 3 Behold our houses and all our places and all our fields of wheat and flocks and herds and all the lodges of our tents lie before thy face use them as it pleaseth thee 4 Behold even our cities and the inhabitants thereof are thy servants come and deal with them as seemeth good unto thee 5 So the men came to Holofernes and declared unto him after this manner 6 Then came he down toward the sea-coast both he and his army and set garisons in the high cities and took out of them chosen men for aid 7 So they and all the countrey round about received them with garlands with dances and with timbrels 8 Yet he did cast down their frontiers and cut down their groves for he had decreed to destroy all the gods of the land that all Nations should worship Nabuchodonosor onely and that all tongues and tribes should call upon him as god 9 Also he came over against ‖ Or Esâ—â—elom Esdraelon near unto ‖ Or Doâ—u Dothan Junius Gen. 37.17 Judea over against the †Gr. great sea great strait of Judea 10 And he pitched between Geba and Scythopolis and there he tarried a whole moneth that he might gather together all the carriages of his army CHAP. IV. 4 The Jews are afraid of Holofernes 5 and fortifie the hills 6 They of Bethulia take charge of the passages 9 All Israel fall to fasting and prayer NOw the children of Israel that dwelt in Judea heard all that Holofernes the chief captain of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians had done to the nations and after what manner he had spoiled all their temples and brought them to nought 2 Therefore they were exceedingly afraid of him and were troubled for Jerusalem and for the temple of the Lord their God 3 For they were newly returned from the captivity and all the people ‖ Or out of Judea of Judea were lately gathered together and the vessels and the altar and the house were sanctified after the profanation 4 Therefore they sent into all the coasts of Samaria and the villages and to Bethoron and Belmen and Jericho and to Choba and Esora and to the valley of Salem 5 And possessed themselves before-hand of all the tops of the high mountains and fortified the villages that were in them and laid up victuals for the provision of war for their fields were of late reaped 6 Also Joacim the higâ—-priest which was in those days in Jerusalem wrote to them that â—â—elt in Bethulia and Betomestham which is over against ‖ Or Esdredom Esdraelon toward the ‖ Or plain open countrey near to Dothaim 7 Charging them to keep the passages of the hill-countrey for by them there was an entrance into Judea and it was easie to stop them that would come up because the passage was strait ‖ Or two against all for two men at the most 8 And the children of Israel did as Joacim the high priest had commanded them with the ‖ Or â—oâ—â—â—nours ancients of all the people of Israel which dwelt at Jerusalem 9 Then every man of Israel cried to God with great servency and with great vehemency did they humble their souls 10 Both they and their wives and their children and their cattel and every stranger and hireling and their servants bought with money put sackcloth upon their loyns 11 Thus every man and woman and the little children and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the temple and cast ashes upon their heads and spread out their sackcloth before the face of the Lord also they put sackcloth about the altar 12 And cried to the God of Israel all with one consent earnestly that he would not give their children for a prey and their wives for a spoil and the cities of their inheritance to destruction and the sanctuary to profanation and reproach and for the nations to rejoyce at 13 So God heard their prayers and looked upon their afflictions for the people fasted many days in all Judea and Jerusalem before the sanctuary of the Lord Almighty 14 And Joacim the high priest and all the priests that stood before the Lord and they which ministred unto the Lord had their loyns girf with sackcloth and offered the daily burnt-offerings with the vows and free-gifts of the people 15 And had ashes on their mitres and cried unto the Lord with all their power that he would look upon all the house of Israel graciously CHAP. V. â— Achior telleth Holofernes what the Jews are 8 and what their God had done for them 2â— and adviseth not to meddle with them 22 All that heard him were offended at him THen was it declared to Holofernes the chief captain of the army of Assur that the children of Israel had prepared for war and had shut up the passages of the hill-countrey and had fortified †Gr. all the top all the tops of the high
another nation without both by speaking and writing my grandfather Jesus when he had much given himself to the reading of the law and the prophets and other books of our fathers and had gotten therein good judgement was drawn on also himself to write something pertaining to learning and wisdom to the intent that those which are desirous to learn and are addâ—cted to these things might profit much more in living according to the law Wherefore let me intreat you to read it with favour and attention and to pardon us wherein we may seem to come short of some words which we have laboured to interpret For the same things uttered in Hebrew and translated into another tongue have not the same force in them and not onely these things but the law it self and the †Gr. prophesies prophets and the rest of the books have no small ‖ Or excellency difference when they are spoken in their own language For in the eight and thirtieth year coming into Egypt when Euergetes was king and continuing there some time I found a ‖ Or help of learning book of no small learning therefore I thought it most necessary for me to bestow some diligence and travel to interpret it using great watchfulness and skill in that space to bring the book to an end and set it forth for them also which in a strange countrey are willing to learn being prepared before in manners to live after the law CHAP. I. 1 All wisdom is from God 10 He giveth it to them that love him 12 The sear of God is full of many blessings 28 To fear God without hypocrisy ALl * 1 King 3.9 wisdom cometh from the Lord and is with him for ever 2 Who can number the sand of the sea and the drops of rain and the days of eternity 3 Who can finde out the height of heaven and the breadth of the earth and the deep and wisdom 4 Wisdom hath been created before all things and the understanding of prudence from everlasting 5 The word of God most High is the fountain of wisdom and her ways are everlasting commandments 6 * Rom. 11.34 To whom hath the root of wisdom been revealed or who hath known her wise counsels 7 Unto whom hath the knowledge of wisdom been made manifest and who hath understood her great experience 8 There is one wise and greatly to be feared the Lord sitting upon his throne 9 He created her and saw her and numbred her and poured her out upon all his works 10 She is with all flesh according to his gist and he hath given her to them that love him 11 The fear of the Lord is honour and glory and gladness and a crown of rejoycing 12 The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart and giveth joy and gladness and a long life 13 Whoso feareth the Lord it shall go well with him at the last and he ‖ Or shall blessed shall finde favour in the day of his death 14 * Prov. 1.7 Ps 111.10 To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and it was created with the faithful in the womb 15 She hath built an everlasting foundation with men and she shall continue * 2 Chr. 20.21 with their seed 16 To fear the Lord is fulness of wisdom and filleth men with her fruits 17 She filleth all their house with things desirable and the garners with her increase 18 The fear of the Lord is a crown of wisdom making peace and perfect health to flourish both which are the gifts of God and it enlargeth their rejoycing that love him 19 Wisdom raineth down skill and knowledge of understanding and exalteth them to honour that hold her fast 20 The root of wisdom is to fear the Lord and the branches thereof are long life 21 The fear of the Lord driveth away sins and where it is present it turneth away wrath 22 A furious man cannot ‖ Or escape punishment be justified for the sway of his fury shall be his destruction 23 A patient man will bear for a time and afterward joy shall spring up unto him 24 He will hide his words for a time and the lips of many shall declare his wisdom 25 The parables of knowledge are in the treasures of wisdom but godliness is an abomination to a sinner 26 If thou desire wisdom keep the commandments and the Lord shall give her unto thee 27 For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and instruction and faith and meekness are his delight 28 ‖ Or be not disobedient to Distrust not the fear of the Lord when thou art poor and come not unto him with a double heart 29 Be nor an hypocrite in the sight of men and take good heed what thou speakest 30 Exalt not thy fell lest thou fall and bring dishonour upon thy soul and so God discover thy secrets and cast thee down in the midst of the congregation because thou camest not in truth to the sear of the Lord but thy heart is full of deceit CHAP. II. 1 Gods servants must look for trouble 7 and be patient and trust in him 12 For wo to them that do not so 15 But they that fear the Lord will do so MY son if * Matt. 4.1 2 Tim. 3.12 1 Pet. 4.12 thou come to serve the Lord prepare thy soul for temptation 2 Set thy heart aright and constantly endure and ‖ Or haste not make not haste in time of trouble 3 Cleave unto him and depart not away that thou mayest be increased at thy last end 4 Whatsoever is brought upon thee take cheerfully and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate 5 * Wild. 26. Prov. 17.3 For gold is tried in the fire and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity 6 Beleeve in him and he will help thee order thy way aright and trust in him 7 Ye that fear the Lord wait for his mercy and go not aside lest ye fall 8 Ye that fear the Lord beleeve him and your reward shall not fail 9 Ye that fear the Lord hope for good and for everlasting joy and mercy 10 Look at the generations of old and see * Psal 37.25 did ever any trust in the Lord and was confounded or did any abide in his fear and was forsaken or whom did he ever despise that called upon him 11 For the Lord is full of compassion and mercy long-suffering and very pitiful and forgiveth sins and saveth in time of affliction 12 Wo be to fearful hearts and faint hands and the sinner that goeth two ways 13 Wo unto him that is faint-hearted for he beleeveth not therefore shall he not be defended 14 Wo unto you that have lost patience and what will ye do when the Lord shall visit you 15 They that fear the Lord will not disobey his word and * John 14.23 they that love him will keep his ways 16 They that fear the Lord will seek that which
in the ways 5 He shut them up therefore in the towres and encamped against them and destroyed them utterly and burnt the towres of that place with fire and all that were therein 6 Afterward he passed over to the children of Ammon where he found a mighty power much people with Timotheus their captain 7 So he fought many battels with them till at length they were discomfited before him and he smote them 8 And when he had taken Jazar with the towns belonging thereto he returned into Judea 9 Then the heathen that were at Galaad assembled themselves together against the Israelites that were in their quarters to destroy them but they fled to the fortress of Dathema 10 And sent letters unto Judas and his brethren The heathen that are round about us are assembled together against us to destroy us 11 And they are preparing to come and take the fortress whereunto we are fled Timotheus being captain of their host 12 Come now therefore and deliver us from their hands for many of us are slain 13 Yea all our brethren that were in the places of Tobie are put to death their wives and their children also they have carried away captives and born away their stuff and they have destroyed there about a thousand men 14 While these letters were yet reading behold there came other messengers from Galilee with their clothes rent who reported on this wise 15 And said They of Ptolemais and of Tyrus and Sidon and all Galilee of the Gentiles are assembled together against us to consume us 16 Now when Judas and the people heard these words there assembled a great congregation together to consult what they should do for their brethren that were in trouble and assaulted of them 17 Then said Judas unto Simon his brother Choose thee out men and go and deliver thy brethren that are in Galilee for I and Jonathan my brother will go into the countrey of Galaad 18 So he left Joseph the son of Zacharias and Azarias captains of the people with the remnant of the host in Judea to keep it 19 Unto whom he gave commandment saying Take ye the charge of this people and see that you make not war against the heathen untill the time that we come again 20 Now unto Simon were given three thousand men to go into Galilee and unto Judas eight thousand men for the countrey of Galaad 21 Then went Simon into Galilee where he fought many battels with the heathen so that the heathen were discomfited by him 22 And he pursued them unto the gate of Ptolemais and there were slain of the heathen about three thousand men whose spoils he took 23 And ‖ Or captive Jews those that were in Galilee and in Arbattis with their wives and their children and all that they had took he away with him and brought them into Judea with great joy 24 Judas Maccabeus also and his brother Jonathan went over Jordan and travelled three days journey in the wilderness 25 Where they met with the Nabathites who came unto them in peaceable manner and told them every thing that had hapned to their brethren in the land of Galaad 26 And how that many of them were shut up in ‖ Or Hasorra Bosora and Bosor and Alenâ—◠‖ Or Chascor Casphor Maked and Carnaim all these cities are strong and great 27 And that they were shut up in the rest of the cities of the countrey of Galaad and that against to morrow ‖ Or the heathen they had appointed to bring their host against the sorts and to take them and to destroy them all in one day 28 Hereupon Judas and his host turned suddenly by the way of the wilderness unto ‖ Or Bosor Bosora and when he had won the city he slew all the males with the edge of the sword and took all their spoils and burnt the city with fire 29 From whence he removed by night and went till he came to the fortress 30 And betimes in the morning they †Gr. lift up their 〈◊〉 looked up and behold there was an innumerable people bearing ladders and other engines of war to take the fortress for ‖ Or the heathen assaulted the Jews they assaulted them 31 When Judas therefore saw that the battel was begun and that the cry of the city went up to heaven with trumpets and a great sound 32 He said unto his host Fight this day for your brethren 33 So he went forth behinde them in three companies who sounded their trumpets and cried with prayer 34 Then the host of Timotheus knowing that it was Maccabeus fled from him wherefore he smote them with a great slaughter so that there were killed of them that day about eight thousand men 35 This done Judas turned aside to Maspha and after he had assaulted it he took it and slew all the males therein and received the spoils thereof and burnt it with fire 36 From thence went he and took Casphon Maged Bosor and the other cities of the countrey of Galaad 37 After these things gathered Timotheus another host and encamped against Raphon beyond the brook 38 So Judas sent men to espy the host who brought him word saying All the heathen that be round about us are assembled unto them even a very great host 39 He hath also hired the Arabians to help them and they have pitched their tents beyond the brook ready to come and fight against thee upon this Judas went to meet them 40 Then Timotheus said unto the captains of his host When Judas and his host come near the brook if he pass over first unto us we shall not be able to withstand him for he will mightily prevail against us 41 But if he be afraid and camp beyond the river we shall go over unto him and prevail against him 42 Now when Judas came near the brook he caused the scribes of the people to remain by the brook unto whom he gave commandment saying Suffer no man to remain in the camp but let all come to the battel 43 So he went first over unto them and all the people after him then all the heathen being discomfited before him cast away their weapons and fled unto the temple that was at Carnaim 44 But ‖ Judas and his company they took the city and burnt the temple with all that were therein Thus was Carnaim subdued neither could they stand any longer before Judas 45 Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites that were in the countrey of Galaad from the least unto the greatest even their wives and their children and their stuff a very great host to the end they might come into the land of Judea 46 Now when they came unto Ephron this was a great city in the way as they should go very well fortified they could not turn from it either on the right hand or the left but must needs pass through the midst of it 47 Then they of the city shut
and the kings forces are defeated by Judas 49 The day of this victory is kept holy every year IN the hundred and one and fiftieth year Demetrius the son of Seleucus departed from Rome and came up with a few men unto ‖ Triposts Joseph Antiq lib. 12. â— 16 a city of the sea-coast and reigned there 2 And as he entred into the †Gr. house of the kingdom of his 〈◊〉 palace of his ancestours so it was that his forces had taken Antiochus and Lysias to bring them unto him 3 Wherefore when he knew it he said Let me not see their faces 4 So his host slew them Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom 5 There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel having Alcimus who was desirous to be high priest for their captain 6 And they accused the people to the king saying Judas and his brethren have slain all thy friends and driven us out of our own land 7 Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest and let him go and see what havock he hath made amongst us and in the kings land and let him punish them with all them that aid them 8 Then the king chose Bacchides a friend of the king who ruled beyond the floud and was a great man in the kingdom and faithful to the king 9 And him he sent with the wicked Alcimus whom he made high priest commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel 10 So they departed and came with a great power into the land of Judea where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully 11 But they gave no heed to their words for they saw that they were come with a great power 12 Then did there assemble unto Alcimus and Bacchides a company of ‖ Or officers governours chiefmen or men in authority scribes to require justice 13 Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel that sought peace of them 14 For said they One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come with this army and he will do us no wrong 15 So he spake unto them peaceably and sware unto them saying We will procure the harm neither of you nor your friends 16 Whereupon they beleeved him howbeit he took of them threescore men and slew them in one day according to the words which he wrote 17 * Ps 79.2 3. The flesh of thy saints have they cast out their bloud have they shed round about Jerusalem and there was none to bury them 18 Wherefore the fear and dread of them fell upon all the people who said There is neither truth nor †Gr. judgement righteousness in them for they have broken the covenant and oath that they made 19 After this removed Bacchides from Jerusalem and pitched his tents in Bezeth where he sent and took many of the men that had forsaken him and certain of the people also and when he had slain them he cast them into the great pit 20 Then committed he the countrey to Alcimus and left with him a power to aid him so Bacchides went to the king 21 But Alcimus ‖ Or laboured to defend his high priesthood contended for the high priesthood 22 And unto him resorted all such as troubled the people who after they had gotten the land of Juda into their power did much hurt in Israel 23 Now when Judas saw all the mischief that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites even above the heathen 24 He went out into all the coasts of Judea round about and took vengeance of them that had ‖ Or fled from him to the enemy revolted from him so that they durst no more ‖ Or invade the countrey go forth into the countrey 25 On the other side when Alcimus saw that Judas and his company ‖ Or was groan â—ny strong had gotten the upper hand and knew that he was not able †Gr. to abide them to abide their force he went again to the king and said all the worst of them that he could 26 Then the king sent Nicanor one of his honourable princes a man that bare deadly hate unto Israel with commandment to destroy the people 27 So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a great force and sent unto Judas and his brethren deceitfully with †Gr. peaceable friendly words saying 28 Let there be no battel between me and you I will come with a few men that I may †Gr. see your faces see you in peace 29 He came therefore to Judas they saluted one another peaceably Howbeit the enemies were prepared to take away Judas by violence 30 Which thing after it was known to Judas to wit that he came unto him with deceit he was sore afraid of him would see his face no more 31 Nicanor also when he saw that his counsel was discovered went out to †Gr. meet Judas in battel fight against Judas besides ‖ Or Carphasalama Capharsalama 32 Where there were slain of Nicanors side about five thousand men and the rest fled into the city of David 33 After this went Nicanor up to mount Sion and there came out of the sanctuary certain of the priests and certain of the elders of the people to salute him peaceably and to shew him the burnt-sacrifice that was offered for the king 34 But he mocked them and laughed at them and †Gr. defiled them abused them shamefully and spake proudly 35 And swore in his wrath saying Unless Judas and his host be now delivered into my hands if ever I come again †Gr. in peace in safety I will burn up this house and with that he went out in a great rage 36 Then the priests entred in and stood before the altar and the temple weeping and saying 37 Thou O Lord didst choose this house to be called by thy name and to be a house of prayer and petition for thy people 38 Be avenged of this man his host and let them fall by the sword remember their blasphemies and suffer them not to continue any longer 39 So Nicanor went out of Jerusalem and pitched his tents in Bethoron where an host out of Syria met him 40 But Judas pitched in Adasa with three thousand men and there he prayed saying 41 * 2 Kin. 19.35 O Lord when they that were sent from the king of the Assyrians blasphemed thine angel went out and smote an hundred fourscore and five thousand of them 〈◊〉 37.26 Ecclus 4â— 21 2 Mac. 8.19 42 Even so destroy thou this host before us this day that the rest may know that he hath spoken blasphemously against thy sanctuary and judge thou him according to his wickedness 43 So the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar the hosts joyned battel but Nicanors host was discomfitted and he himself was first slain in the battel 44
slain in battel †Or be adâ—ed or proceeded to send he sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judea the second time and with them ‖ Or the â—â—â—ht wing the chief strength of his host 2 Who went forth by the way that leadeth to ‖ Or Galilea Galgala and pitched their tents before Maseloth which is in Arbela and after they had won it they slew much people 3 Also the first moneth of the hundred fifty and second year they encamped before Jerusalem 4 From whence they removed and went to ‖ Or Berrethâ— Joseph Berea with twenty thousand footmen and two thousand hors-men 5 Now Judas had pitched his tents at Eleasa and three thousand chosen men with him 6 Who seeing the multitude of the other army to be so great were sore afraid whereupon many conveyed themselves out of the host insomuch as there abode of them no more but eight hundred men 7 When Judas therefore saw that his host slipt away and that the battel pressed upon him he was sore troubled in minde and much distressed for that he had no time to gather them together 8 Nevertheless unto them that remained he said Let us arise and go up against our enemies iâ— peradventure we may be able to fight with them 9 But they dehorted him saying We shall never be able ‖ We follow here the Romane copy let us now rather save our lives and hereafter we will return with our brethren and fight against them for we are but few 10 Then Judas said God forbid that I should do this thing and flee away from them if our time be come let us die manfully for our brethren and †Gr. let us not leave any just cause behind us why our glory should be spoken against let us not slain our honour 11 With that the host of Bacchides removed out of their tents and stood over against ‖ Or the Jews them their hors men being divided into two troops and their slingers and archers going before the host and they that marched in the fore-ward were all mighty men 12 As for Bacchides he was in the right wing so the host drew near on the two parts and sounded their trumpets 13 They also of Judas side even they sounded their trumpets also so that the earth shook at the noise of the armies and the battel continued from morning till night 14 Now when Judas perceived that Bacchides and the strength of his army were on the right side he took with him all the hardy men 15 Who discomfited the right wing and pursued them unto the mount Azotus 16 But when they of the left wing saw that they of the right wing were discomfited they followed upon Judas and those that were with him hard at the heels from behinde 17 Whereupon there was a sore battel insomuch as many were slain on both parts 18 Judas also was killed and the remnant fled 19 Then Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother and buried him in the sepulchre of his fathers in Modin 20 Moreover they bewailed him and all Israel made great lamentation for him and mourned many days saying 21 How is the valiant man faln that delivered Israel 22 As for the other things concerning Judas and his wars and the noble acts which he did and his greatness they are not written for they were very many 23 ¶ Now after the death of Judas the wicked began to put forth their heads in all the coasts of Israel and there rose up all such as wrought iniquity 24 In those days also was there a very great famine by reason whereof the countrey revolted and went with ‖ Bacchides and his company them 25 Then Bacchides chose the wicked men and made them lords of the countrey 26 And they made enquiry and search for Judas friends and brought them unto Bacchides who took vengeance of them and †Gr. mocked them used them despitefully 27 So was there a great affliction in Israel the like whereof was not since the time that a prophet was not seen amongst them 28 For this cause all Judas friends came together and said unto Jonathan 29 Since thy brother Judas died we have no man like him to go forth against our enemies and Bacchides and against them of our nation that are adversaries to us 30 Now therefore we have chosen thee this day to be our prince and captain in his stead that thou mayest fight our battels 31 Upon this Jonathan took the governance upon him at that time and rose up in stead of his brother Judas 32 But when Bacchides gat knowledge thereof he sought for to slay him 33 Then Jonathan and Simon his brother and all that were with him peceiving that fled into the wilderness of Thecoe and pitched their tents by the water of the pool Asphar 34 ‖ Or Which when Bacchides understood on the sabbath-day be came near Which when Bacchides understood he came near to Jordan with all his host upon the sabbath-day 35 Now Jonathan had sent his brother ‖ Josephus Antiqu. l. 13. c. â— John a captain of the people to pray his friends the Nabathites †Gr. that he might leave with them their carriage or stuff that they might leave with them their carriage which was much 36 But the children of †Gr. Ambri Jambri came out of Medaba and took John and all that he had and went their way with it 37 After this came word to Jonathan and Simon his brother that the children of Jambri made a great marriage and were bringing the bride from ‖ Or Medaha Nadabatha with a great train as being the daughter of one of the great princes of Chanaan 38 Therefore they remembred John their brother and went up and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain 39 Where they lift up their eyes and looked and behold there was much ado and great carriage and the bridegroom came forth and his friends and brethren to meet them with ‖ Or timbrels drums and ‖ Or musicians instruments of musick and many weapons 40 Then Jonathan and they that were with him rose up against them from the place where they say in ambush and made a slaughter of them in such sort as many fell down dead and the remnant fled into the mountain and they took all their spoils 41 Thus was the marriage turned into mourning and the noise of their melody into lamentation 42 So when they had avenged fully the bloud of their brother they turned again to the marish of Jordan 43 Now when Bacchides heard thereof he came on the sabbath-day unto the banks of Jordan with a great power 44 Then Jonathan said to his company Let us go up now and fight for our lives for it standeth not with us to day as in time past 45 For behold the battel is before us and behinde us and the water of Jordan on this side and that side the
marish likewise and wood neither is there place for us to turn aside 46 Wherefore cry ye now unto heaven that ye may be delivered from the hand of your enemies 47 With that they joyned battel and Jonathan stretched forth his hand to smite Bacchides but he turned back from him 48 Then Jonathan and they that were with him leapt into Jordan and swam over unto the farther bank howbeit the other passed not over Jordan unto them 49 So there were slain of Bacchides side that day about †two thousand men Joseph Antiq l 13. c. 1. a thousand men 50 Afterward returned Bacchides to Jerusalem and ‖ Or built repaired the strong cities in Judea the fort in Jericho and Emmaus and Bethoron and Bethel and Thamnatha Pharathoni and ‖ Joseph Tâ—â—â—a Taphon these did he strengthen with high walls with gates and with bars 51 And in them he set a garison that they might work malice upon Israel 52 He fortified also †Gr. the city in Bethsura the city Bethsura and Gazara and the towre and put forces in them and provision of victuals 53 Besides he took the chief mens sons in the countrey for hostages and put them into the towre at Jerusalem to be kept 54 Moreover in the hundred fifty third year in the second moneth Alcimus commanded that the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary should be pulled down he pulled down also the works of the prophets 55 And as he began to pull down even at that time was Alcimus plagued and his enterprises hindred for his mouth was stopped and he was taken with a palsie so that he could no more speak any thing nor give order concerning his house 56 So Alcimus died at that time with great torment 57 Now when Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead he returned to the king whereupon the land of Judea was in rest two years 58 Then all the ungodly men held a counsel saying Behold Jonathan and his company are at ease dwell without care now therefore we will bring Bacchides hither who shall take them all in one night 59 So they went and consulted with him 60 Then removed he and came with a great host and sent letters privily to his adherents in Judea that they should take Jonathan and those that were with him howbeit they could not because their counsel was known unto them 61 Wherefore they took of the men of the countrey that were authours of that mischief about fifty persons and slew them 62 Afterward Jonathan and Simon and they that were with him got them away to Bethbasi which is in the wilderness and they repaired the decays thereof and made it strong 63 Which thing when Bacchides knew he gathered together all his host and sent word ‖ Or to such of the countrey as here his friends to take his part to them that were of Judea 64 Then went he and said siege against Bethbasi and they fought against it a long season and made engines of war 65 But Jonathan left his brother Simon in the city and went forth himself into the countrey and with a certain number went he forth 66 And he smote ‖ Or Odomarra Odonarkes and his brethren and the children of Phasiron in their tent 67 And when he began to smite them and came up with his forces Simon and his company went out of the city and burnt up the engines of war 68 And fought against Bacchides who was discomfited by them and they afflicted him sore For his counsel and travel was in vain 69 Wherefore he was very wroth at the wicked men that gave him counsel to come into the countrey insomuch as he slew many of them and purposed to return into his own countrey 70 Whereof when Jonathan had knowledge he sent ambassadours unto him to the end he should make Peace with him and deliver them the prisoners 71 Which thing he accepted and did according to his demands and sware unto him that he would never do him harm all the days of his life 72 When therefore he had restored unto him the prisoners that he had taken aforetime out of the land of Judea he returned and went his way into his own land neither †Gr. added 〈◊〉 to come any more came he any more into their borders 73 Thus the sword ceased from Israel but Jonathan dwelt at Machmas and began to †Gr. judge govern the people and he destroyed the ungodly men out of Israel CHAP. X. 1 Donetrius maketh large offers to have peace with Jonathan 25 His letters to the Jews 4. Jonathan maketh peace with Alexander 50 Who killeth Demetrius 58 and marrieth the daughter of Ptolemeus 62 Jonathan is sent for by him and much bonoured 75 and prevaileth against the forces of Demetrius the younger 84 and burneth the temple of Dagon IN the hundred and sixtieth year Alexander ‖ Joseph the son of Antiothus Epiphanes the son of Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes went up and took Ptolemais for the people had received him by means whereof he reigned there 2 Now when king Demetrius heard thereof he gathered together an exceeding great host and went forth against him to fight 3 Moreover Demetrius sent letters unto Jonathan with loving words so as he magnified him 4 For said he Let us first make peace with him before he joyn with Alexander against us 5 Else he will remember all the evils that we have done against him and against his brethren and his people 6 Wherefore he gave him authority to gather together an host and to provide weapons that he might aid him in battel he commanded also that the hostages that were in the towre should be delivered him 7 Then came Jonathan to Jerusalem and read the letters in the audience of all the people and of them that were in the towre 8 Who were sore afraid when they heard that the king had given them authority to gather together an host 9 Whereupon they of the towre delivered their hostages unto Jonathan and he delivered them unto their parents 10 This done Jonathan settled himself in Jerusalem and began to build and repair the city 11 And he commanded the workmen to build the walls and the mount Sion round about with square stones for fortification and they did so 12 Then the strangers that were in the fortresses which Bacchides had built fled away 13 Insomuch as every man left his place and went into his own countrey 14 Onely at Bethsura certain of those that had forsaken the law and the commandments remained still for it was their place of refuge 15 Now when king Alexander had heard what promises Demetrius had sent unto Jonathan when also it was told him of the hattels noble acts w e he and nis brethren had done of the pains that they had endured 16 He said Shall we finde such another man now therefore we will make him our friend and confederate 17 Upon this he wrote
called the ladder of Tyrus unto the borders of Egypt 60 Then Jonathan ‖ Or want beyond the river passed through the cities Or went passed beyond the river and through the cities Gr. went forth and passed through the cities beyond the water and all the forces of Syria gathered themselves unto him for to help him and when he came to Ascalon they of the city met him honourably 61 From whence he went to Gaza but they of Gaza shut him out wherefore he said siege unto it and burned ‖ Or the places thereabout the suburbs thereof with fire and spoiled them 62 Afterward when they of Gaza made supplication unto Jonathan †Gr. be gave them the right hand he made peace with them and took the sons of their chief men for hostages and sent them to Jerusalem and passed through the countrey unto Damascus 63 Now when Jonathan heard that Demetrius princes were come to Cades which is in Galilee with a great power purposing ‖ Or to remove him from the affairs of the kingdom to remove him out of the countrey 64 He went to meet them and left Simon his brother in the countrey 65 Then Simon encamped against Bethsura and sought against it a long season and shut it up 66 But they desired to have peace with him w e he granted them and then put them out from thence and took the city set a garison in it 67 As for Jonathan and his host they pitched at the water of Genesar from whence betimes in the morning they gat them to the plain of Nasor 68 And behold the host of strangers met them in the plain who having laid men in ambush for him in the mountains came themselves over against him 69 So when they that say in ambush rose out of their places and joyned battel all that were of Jonathans side sled 70 Insomuch as there was not one of them lest except Mattathias the son of Absalom and Judas the son of Calphi the captains of the host 71 Then Jonathan rent his clothes and cast earth upon his head and prayed 72 Afterwards turning again to battel he put them to flight and so they ran away 73 Now when his own men that were fled saw this they turned again unto him and with him pursued them to Cades even unto their own tents and there they camped 74 So there were slain of the heathen that day about three thousand men but Jonathan returned to Jerusalem CHAP. XII 1 Jonathan reneweth his league with the Romanes and Lacedemonians 28 The sorees of Demetrius thinking to surprise Jonathan flee away for fear 35 Jonathan fortifieth the castles in Judea 48 and is shut up by the â—raâ—â— of Tryphon in Ptolemais NOw when Jonathan saw that the time served him he chose certain men and sent them to Rome for to confirm and renew the friendship that they had with them 2 He sent letters also to the Lacedemonians and to other places for the same purpose 3 So they went unto Rome and entred into the Senate and said Jonathan the high priest and the people of the Jews sent us unto you to the end you should renew the friendship which you had with them and league as in former time 4 Upon this the Romanes gave them letters unto the governours of every place that they should bring them into the land of Judea peaceably 5 And this is the copy of the letters which Jonathan wrote unto the Lacedemonians 6 Jonathan the high priest and the elders of the nation and the priests and the other people of the Jews unto the Lacedemonians their brethren send greeting 7 There were letters sent in times past unto Onias the high priest from ‖ Areus Look Joseph Antiq l. 13. c. 8 Darius who reigned then among you to signifie that you are our brethren as the copy here under-written doth specifie 8 At which time Onias entreated the embassadour that was sent honorably and received the letters wherein declaration was made of the ‖ Or kindred Joâ— Antiâ— league and friendship 9 Therefore we also albeit we need none of these things for that we have the holy books of scripture in our hands to comfort us 10 Have nevertheless attempted to send unto you for the renewing of brotherhood friendship lest we should become strangers unto you altogether for there is a long time passed since you sent unto us 11 We therefore at all times without ceasing both in our feasts and other convenient days do remember you in the sacrifices which we offer and in our prayers as reason is and as it becometh us to think upon our brethren 12 And we are right glad of your honour 13 As for our selves we have had great troubles and wars on every side forsomuch as the kings that are round about us have sought against us 14 Howbeit we would not be troublesom unto you nor to others of our confederates and friends in these wars 15 For we have help from heaven that succoureth us so as we are delivered from our enemies and our enemies are brought under foot 16 For this cause we chose Numenius the son of Antiochus and Antipater the son of Jason and sent them unto the Romanes to renew the amity that we had with them and the former league 17 We commanded them also to go unto you and to salute you to deliver you our letters concerning the renewing of our brotherhood 18 Wherefore now ye shall do well to give us an answer thereto 19 And this is the copy of the letters ‖ Read out of Joseph which Areâ—â— sent to Oâ—â—as which Oniares sent 20 Areus king of the Lacedemonians to Onias the high priest greeting 21 It is found in writing that the Lacedemonians and Jews are brethren and that they are of the stock of Abraham 22 Now therefore since this is come to our knowledge you shall do well to write unto us of your †Gr. pean prosperity 23 We do write back again to you that your cattel and goods are ours and ours are yours We do command therefore our ambassadours to make report unto you on this wife 24 Now when Jonathan heard that Demetrius princes were come to fight against him with a greater host then afore 25 He removed from Jerusalem and met them in the land of Amathis for he gave them no respite ‖ Or tâ— set foot in his countrey or to invade his countrey to enter his countrey 26 He sent spies also unto their tents who came again and told him that they were appointed to come upon them in the night-season 27 Wherefore so soon as the sun was down Jonathan commanded his men to watch and to be in arms that all the night long they might be ready to fight also he sent forth sentiness round about the host 28 But when the adversaries heard that Jonathan and his men were ready for battel they feared and trembled in their hearts and
neither would he let Jonathan go 20 And after this came Tryphon to invade the land and destroy it going round about by the way that leadeth unto Adora but Simon his host marched against him in every place wheresoever he went 21 Now they that were in the towre sent messengers unto Tryphon to the end that he should hasten his coming unto them by the wilderness and send them victuals 22 Wherefore Tryphon made ready all his hors-men to come that night but there self a very great snow by reason whereof he came not So he departed and came into the countrey of Galaad 23 And when he came near to Bascama he slew Jonathan who was buried there 24 Afterward Tryphon returned and went into his own land 25 Then sent Simon and took the hones of Jonathan his brother and buried them in Modin the city of his fathers 26 And all Israel made great lamentation for him and bewailed him many days 27 Simon also built a monument upon the sepulchre of his father and his brethren and raised it aloft to the sight with hewn stone behinde and before 28 Moreover he let up seven pyramides one against another for his father and his mother and his four brethren 29 And in these he made cunning devices about the which he set great pillars and upon the pillars he made all their armour for a perpetual memory and by the armour ships carved that they might be seen of all that sail on the sea 30 This is the sepulchre which he made at Modin and it standeth yet unto this day 31 Now Tryphon dealt deceitfully with the young king Antiochus and slew him 32 And he reigned in his stead and crowned himself king of Asia and brought a great calamity upon the land 33 Then Simon built up the strong holds in Judea and fenced them about with high towres and great walls and gates and bars and laid up victuals †Gr. in the strong holds therein 34 Moreover Simon chose men sent to king Demetrius to the end he should give the land an immunity because †Gr. all Tryphons doings were robberies all that Tryphon did was to spoil 35 Unto whom king Demetrius answered wrote after this manner 36 King Demetrius unto Simon the high priest and friend of kings as also unto the elders and nation of the Jews sendeth greeting 37 The golden crown and the scarlet robe with ye sent unto us we have received and we are ready to make a stedfast peace with you yea to write unto our officers to confirm the immunities with we have granted 38 And whatsoever covenants we have made with you shall stand and the strong holds which ye have builded shall be your own 39 As for any oversight or fault committed unto this day we forgive it and the crown-tax also which ye ow us and if there were any other tribute paid in Jerusalem it shall no more be paid 40 And look who are meet among you to be in our court let them be enrolled and let there be peace betwixt us 41 Thus the yoke of the heathen was taken away from Israel in the hundred and seventieth year 42 Then the people of Israel began to write in their instruments and contracts in the first year of Simon the high priest the governour and leader of the Jews 43 In those days Simon camped against Gaza and besieged it round about he made also an engine of war and set it by the city and battered a certain towre and took it 44 And they that were in the engine leapt into the city whereupon there was a great uprore in the city 45 Insomuch as the people of the city rent their clothes and climbed upon the walls with their wives and children and cried with a loud voice beseeching Simon †Gr. to give them his right hand to grant them peace 46 And they said Deal not with us according to our wickedness but according to thy mercy 47 So Simon was appeased towards them fought no more against them but put them out of the city and cleansed the houses wherein the idols were and so entred into it with songs and thanksgiving 48 Yea he put all uncleanness out of it and placed such men there as would keep the law and made it stronger then it was before and built therein a dwelling-place for himself 49 They also of the towre in Jerusalem were kept so strait that they could neither come forth nor go into the countrey nor buy nor sell wherefore they were in great distress for want of vâ—ctuals and a great number of them perished through samine 50 Then cried they to Simon beseeching him ‖ Or to make peace with them to be at one with them which thing he granted them and when he had put them out from thence he cleansed the towre from pollutions 51 And entred into it the three and twentieth day of the second moneth in the hundred seventy and one year with thanksgiving and branches of pasm-trees with harps and cymbals and with viols hymns songs because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel 52 He ordained also that that day should be kept every year with gladness Moreover the hill of the temple that was by the towre he made stronger then it was there he dwelt himself with his company 53 And when Simon saw that John his son was a valiant man he made him captain of all the hosts and dwelt in Gazara CHAP. XIV 3 Demetrius is taken by the king of Persia 4 The good deeds of Simon to his countrey 18 The Lacedemonians and Romanes renew their league with him 26 A memorial of his acts is set up in Sion NOw in the hundred threescore and twelfth year king Demetrius gathered his forces together and went into Media to get him help to fight against Tryphon 2 But when Arsaces the king of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius was entred within his borders he sent one of his princes to take him alive 3 Who went and smote the host of Demetrius and took him and brought him to Arsaces by whom he was put in ward 4 As for the land of Judea that was quiet all the days of Simon for he sought the good of his nation in such wise as that evermore his authority and honour pleased them well 5 And as he was honourable in all his acts so in this that he took Joppe for an haven and made an entrance to the isles of the sea 6 And enlarged the bounds of his nation and recovered the countrey 7 And gathered together a great number of captives and had the dominion of Gazara and Bethsura and the towre out of the which he took all uncleanness neither was there any that resisted him 8 Then did they till their ground in peace and the earth gave her increase and the trees of the field their fruit 9 The ancient men sat all in the streets communing together of
‖ Or the wealth of the land good things and the young men put on glorious warlike apparel 10 He provided victuals for the cities set in them all manner of munition so that his honourable name was renowned unto the end of the world 11 He made peace in the land and Israel rejoyced with great joy 12 For * 1 Kin. 4.25 every man lat under his vine and his fig-tree and there was none to fray them 13 Neither was there any left in the land to fight against them yea the kings themselves were overthrown in those days 14 Moreover he strengthned all those of his people that were brought low the law he searched out and every contemner of the law and wicked person he took away 15 He beautified the sanctuary and multiplied the vessels of the temple 16 Now when it was heard at Rome and as far as Sparta that Jonathan was dead they were very sorry 17 But assoon as they heard that his brother Simon was made high priest in his stead and ruled the countrey and the cities therein 18 They wrote unto him in tables of brass to renew the friendship and league which they had made with Judas Jonathan his brethren 19 Which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem 20 And this is the copy of the letters that the Lacedemonians sent The rulers of the Lacedemonians with the city unto Simon the high priest and the elders and priests and residue of the people of the Jews our brethren send greeting 21 The ambassadours that were sent unto our people certified us of your glory and honour wherefore we were glad of their coming 22 And did register the things that they spake in the council of the people in this manner Numenius son of Antiochus and Antipater son of Jason the Jews ambassadours came unto us to renew the friendship they had with us 23 And it pleased the people to entertain the men honourably and to put the copy of their ambassage in publick records to the end the people of the Lacedemonians might have a memorial thereof furthermore we have written a copy thereof unto Simon the high priest 24 After this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold of a thousand pound weight to confirm the league with them 25 Whereof when the people heard they said What thanks shall we give to Simon and his sons 26 For he and his brethren and the house of his father have established Israel and chased away in fight their enemies from them and confirmed their liberty 27 So then they wrote it in the tables of brass which they set upon pillars in mount Sion and this is the copy of the writing The eighteenth day of the moneth Elul in the hundred threescore and twelfth year being the third year of Simon the high priest 28 At ‖ Or Jerusalem peradventure by corruption and transposition of letters or as somethink the common hall where they met to consult of matters of estate Saramel in the great congregation of the priests and people and rulers of the nation and elders of the countrey were these things notified unto us 29 Forsomuch as oftentimes there have been wars in the countrey wherein for the mintenance of their sanctuary and the law Simon the son of Mattathias of the posterity of Jarib together with his brethren put themselves in jeopardy and resilting the enemies of their nation did their nation great honour 30 For after that Jonathan having gathered his nation together and been their high priest was added to his people 31 Their enemies purposed to invade their countrey that they might destroy it and lay hands on the sanctuary 32 At which time Simon rose up and sought for his nation and spent much of his own substance and armed ‖ Or the men of war the valiant men of his nation and gave them wages 33 And fortified the cities of Judea together with Bethsura that lieth upon the borders of Judea where the ‖ Or weâ—pons armour of the enemies had been before but he set a garison of Jews there 34 Moreover he fortified Joppe which lieth upon the sea and ‖ Or Gaâ—a Gazaâ—â— that bordereth upon Azotus where the enemies had dwelt before but he placed Jews there and furnished them with all things convenient for the reparation thereof 35 The people therefore seeing the acts of Simon and unto what glory he thought to bring his nation made him their governour and chief priest because he had done all these things and for the justice and saith which he kept to his nation and for that he sought by all means to exalt his people 36 For in his time things prospered in his hands so that the heathen were taken out of their countrey and they also that were in the city of David in Jerusalem who had made themselves a towre out of with they issued of luted all about the sanctuary did much hurt ‖ Or unto religion in the holy places 37 But he placed Jews therein and fortified it for the safety of the countrey and the city and raised up the walls of Jerusalem 38 King Demetrius also confirmed him in the high priesthood according to those things 39 And made him one of his friends honored him with great honor 40 For he had heard say that the Romanes had called the Jews their friends and confederates and brethren and that they had entertained the ambassadours of Simon honourably 41 Also that the Jews and priests were well pleased that Simon should be their governour and high priest for ever until there should arise a faithful prophet 42 Moreover that he should be their captain and should take charge of the sanctuary to set them over their works and over the countrey and over the armour and over the fortresses that I say he should take charge of the sanctuary 43 Besides this that he should be obeyed of every man and that all the writings in the countrey should be made in his name and that he should be clothed in purple and wear gold 44 Also that it should be lawful for none of the people or priests to break any of these things or to gainsay his words or to gather an assembly in the countrey without him or to be clothed in purple or wear a buckle of gold 45 And whosoever should do otherwise or break any of these things he should be punished 46 Thus it liked all the people to deal with Simon and to do as hath been said 47 Then Simon accepted hereof was well pleased to be high priest and captain governour of the Jews priests to defend them all 48 So they commanded that this writing should be put in tables of brass and that they should be set up within the compass of the sanctuary in a conspicuous place 49 Also that the copies thereof should be laid up in the treasury to the end that Simon and his sons might have them
23. Num. 29. Casleu we though it necessary to certifie you thereof that ye also might keep it as the feast of the tabernacles and of the fire which was given us when Neemias offered sacrifice after that he had builded the temple the altar 19 For when our fathers were led into Persia the priests that were then devout took the fire of the altar privily and hid it in a hollow place of a pit without water where they kept it sure so that the place was unknown to all men 20 Now after many years when it pleased God Neemias being sent from the king of Persia did send of the posterity of those priests that had hid it to the fire But when they told us they found no fire but thick water 21 Then commanded he them to draw it up and to bring it and when the sacrifices were laid on Neemias commanded the priests to sprinkle the wood and the things laid thereupon with the water 22 When this was done and the time came that the sun shone which afore was hid in the cloud there was a great fire kindled so that every man marvelled 23 And the priests made a prayer whilest the sacrifice was consuming I say both the priests and all the rest Jonathan beginning and the rest answering thereunto as Neemias did 24 And the prayer was after this manner O Lord Lord God Creatour of all things who art fearful and strong and righteous and merciful and the onely and gracious King 25 The onely giver of all things the onely just almighty and everlasting thou that deliverest Israel from all trouble and didst choose the fathers and sanctifie them 26 Receive the sacrifice for thy whole people Israel and preserve thine own portion and sanctifie it 27 Gather those together that are scattered from us deliver them that serve among the heathen look upon them that are despised and abhorred and let the heathen know that thou art our God 28 Punish them that oppress us and with pride do us wrong 29 Plant thy people again in thy holy place as Moses hath spoken 30 And the Priests sung psalms of thanksgiving 31 Now when the sacrifice was consumed Neemias commanded the water that was left to be poured on the great stones 32 When this was done there was kindled a flame but it was consumed by the light that shined from the altar 33 So when this matter was known it was told the king of Persia that in the place where the priests that were led away had hid the fire there appeared water and that ‖ Or Neemias his company Neemias had purified the sacrifices therewith 34 Then tâ—â— king inclosing the place made it holy after he had tried the matter 35 And the king took many gifts and bestowed thereof on those whom he would gratifie 36 And Neemias called this thing Naphthat which is as much as to say a cleansing but many men call it Nephi CHAP. II. 1 What Jeremy the prophet did 5 How be bid the tabernacle the ark and the altar 13 What Neemias and Judas wrote 20 What fason wrote in five books 25 And how those were abridged by the authour of this book IT is also found in the records that Jeremy the prophet commanded them that were carried away to take of the fire as it hath been signified 2 And how that the prophet having given them the law charged them not to forget the commandments of the Lord and that they should not err in their minds when they see images of silver and gold with their ornaments 3 And with other such speeches exhorted he them that the law should not depart from their hearts 4 It was also contained in the same writing that the prophet being warned of God commanded the tabernacle and the ark to go with him as he went forth into the mountain where Moses climbed up and saw the heritage of God 5 And when Jeremy came thither he found an hollow cave wherein he laid the tabernacle and the ark and the altar of incense and so stopped the door 6 And some of those that followed him came to mark the way but they could not finde it 7 Which when Jeremy perceived he blamed them saying As for that place it shall be unknown until the time that God gather his people again together and receive them unto mercy 8 Then shall the Lord shew them these things and the glory of the Lord shall appear and the cloud also as it was shewed under Moses and as when Solomon delired that the place might be honourably sanctified 9 It was also declared that he being wise offered the sacrifice of dedication and of the finishing of the temple 10 And as when Moses prayed unto the Lord the fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifices even so prayed Solomon also and the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt-offerings 11 And Moses said Because the sin-offering was not to be eaten it was consumed 12 So Solomon kept those eight days 13 The same things also were reported in the writings and commentaries of Neemias and how he founding a library gathered together the acts of the kings and the prophets and of David and the epistles of the kings concerning the holy gifts 14 In like manner also Judas gathered together all those things that were lost by reason of the war we had and they remain with us 15 Wherefore if ye have need thereof send some to fetch them unto you 16 Whereas we then are about to celebrate the purification we have written unto you and ye shall do well if ye keep the same days 17 †Gr. Now God it is that saved all his people and rendred the heritage and the kingdom and the priesthood and the sanctuary as he promised in the law for we hope in God that he will shortly c. We hope also that the God that delivered all his people gave them all an heritage the kingdom and the priesthood the sanctuary 18 As he promised in the law will shortly have mercy upon us and gather us together out of every land under heaven into the holy place for he hath delivered us out of great troubles hath purified the place 19 Now as concerning Judas Maccabeus and his brethren and the purification of the great temple and the dedication of the altar 20 And the wars against Antiochus Epiphanes and Eupator his son 21 And the manifest signs that came from heaven unto those that behaved themselves manfully to their honour for Judaism so that being but a sew they overcame the whole countrey and chased barbarous multitudes 22 And recovered again the temple renowned all the world over and freed the city and upheld the laws which were going down the Lord being gracious unto them with all favour 23 All these things I say being declared by Jason of Cyrene in five books we will assay to abridge in one volume 24 For considering the infinite number and the
commaâ—dment but I will obey the commandment of the law that was given unto our fathers by Moses 31 And thou that hast been the authour of all mischief against the Hebrews shalt not escape the hands of God 32 For we suffer because of our sins 33 And though the living Lord be angry with us a little while for our chastning and correction yet shall he beat one again with his servants 34 But thou O godless man and of all other most wicked be not lifted up without a cause nor puffed up with uncertain hopes lifting up thy hand against the servants of God 35 For thou hast not yet escaped the judgement of almighty God who seeth all things 36 For our brethren who now have suffered a short pain are dead under Gods covenant of everlasting life but thou through the judgement of God shalt receive just punishment for thy pride 37 But I as my brethren offer up my body and life for the laws of our fathers beseeching God that he would speedily be merciful unto our nation and that thou by torments and plagues mayest confess that he alone is God 38 And that in me and my brethren the wrath of the Almighty which is justly brought upon all our nation may cease 39 Then the king being in a rage handled him worse then all the rest and took it grievously that he was mocked 40 So this man died undefiled and put his whole trust in the Lord. 41 Last of all after the sons the mother died 42 Let this be enough now to have spoken concerning the idolatrous feasts and the extreme tortures CHAP. VIII 1 Judas gathereth an host 9 Nicanor is sent against him who Presumeth to make much money of his prisoners 16 Judas encourageth his men and putteth Nicanor to flight 18 and divideth the spoils 30 Other enemies are also defeated 35 and Nicanor fleeth with grief to Antioch THen Judas Maccabeus and they that were with him went privily into the towns and called their kins folks together and took unto them all such as continued in the Jews religion and assembled about six thousand men 2 And they called upon the Lord that he would look upon the people that was troden down of all and also pity the temple profaned of ungodly men 3 And that he would have compassion upon the city sore defaced and ready to be made even with the ground and hear the bloud that cried unto him 4 And remember the wicked slaughter of harmless infants and the blasphemies committed against his name and that he would shew his hatred against the wicked 5 Now when Maccabeus had his company about him he could not be withstood by the heathen for the wrath of the Lord was turned into mercy 6 Therefore he came at unawares and burnt up towns and cities and got into his hands the most commodious places and overcame and put to flight no small number of his enemies 7 But specially took he advantage of the night for such privy attempts insomuch that the bruit of his manliness was spread every where 8 So when Philip saw that this man increased by little and little and that things prospered with him still more and more he wrote unto Ptolemeus the governour of Celosyria and Phenice to yeeld more aid to the kings affairs 9 Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus one of his special friends he sent him with no fewer then twenty thousand of all nations under him to root out the whole generation of the Jews and with him he joyned also Gorgias a captain who in matters of war had great experience 10 So Nicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive Jews as should defray the tribute of two thousand talents which the king was to pay to the Romanes 11 Wherefore immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea-coast proclaiming a sale of the captive Jews and promising that they should have fourscore and ten bodies for one talent not expecting the vengeance that was to follow upon him from the almighty God 12 Now when word was brought unto Judas of Nicanors coming and he had imparted unto those that were with him that the army was at hand 13 They that were fearful and distrusted the justice of God fled and conveyed themselves away 14 Others sold all that they had left and withal besought the Lord to deliver them being sold by the wicked Nicanor before they met together 15 And if not for their own sakes yet for the covenants he had made with their fathers and for his holy and glorious name sake by which they were called 16 So Maccabeus called his men together unto the number of six thousand and exhorted them not to be stricken with terrour of the enemy nor to fear the great multitude of the heathen who came wrongfully against them but to fight manfully 17 And to set before their eyes the injury that they had unjustly done to the holy place and the cruel handling of the city whereof they made a mockery and also the taking away of the government of their forefathers 18 For they said he trust in their weapons and holdness but our confidence is in the almighty God who at a beck can cast down both them that come against us and also all the world 19 Moreover he recounted unto them what helps their forefathers had found and how they were delivered when under Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand perished 20 And he told them of the battel that they had in Babylon with the Galatians how they came but eight thousand in all to the business with four thousand Macedonians and that the Macedonians being perplexed the eight thousand destroyed an hundred and twenty thousand because of the help that they had from heaven and so received a great booty 21 Thus when he had made them bold with these words and ready to die for the laws and the countrey he divided his army into four parts 22 And joyned with himself his own brethren leaders of each band to wit Simon and Josepâ— and Jonathan giving each one fifteen hundred men 23 Also be appointed Eleazar to read the holy book and when he had given them this watch-word The help of God himself leading the first band he joyned battel with Nicanor 24 And by the help of the Almighty they slew above nine thousand of their enemies and wounded and maimed the most part of Nicanors host and so put all to flight 25 And took their money that came to buy them and pursued them far but lacking time they returned 26 For it was the day before the sabbath and therefore they would no longer pursue them 27 So when they had gathered ‖ That is the enemies armour their armour together and spoiled their enemies they occupied themselves about the sabbath yeelding exceeding praise and thanks to the Lord who had preserved them unto that day which was the beginning of mercy distilling upon them 28 And after the sabbath when they had
fathers graves 40 Now under the coats of every one that was slain they found things consecrated to the idols of the Jamnites which is forbidden the Jews by * Deut. â—7 7 the law Then every man saw that this was the cause wherefore they were slain 41 All men therefore praising the Lord the righteous Judge who had opened the things that were hid 42 Betook themselves unto prayer and besought him that the sin committed might wholly be put out of remembrance Besides that noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin forsomuch as they saw before their eyes the things that came to pass for the sins of those that were slain 43 And when he had made a gathering throughout the company to the sum of two thousand drachnies of silver he sent it to Jerusalem to offer a sin offering doing therein very well and honestly in that he was mindful of the resurrection 44 For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead 45 And also in that he perceived that there was great favour said up for those that died godly It was an holy and good thought Whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead that they might be delivered from sin CHAP. XIII 1 Eupator invadeth Judea 15 Judas by night slayeth many 18 Eupators purpose is defeated 23 He maketh peace with Judas IN the hundred fourty and ninth year it was told Judas that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a great power into Judea 2 And with him Lysias his protectour and ruler of his affairs having either of them a Grecian power of footmen an hundred ten thousand and hors-men five thousand and three hundred and elephants two and twenty and three hundred chariots armed with hooks 3 Menelaus also joyned himself with them and with great dissimulation encouraged Antiochus not for the safeguard of the countrey but because he thought to have been made governour 4 But the King of kings moved Antiochus minde against this wicked wretch and Lysias informed the king that this man was the cause of all mischief so that the king commanded to bring him unto Berea and to put him to death as the manner is in that place 5 Now there was in that place a towre of fifty cubits high full of ashes and it had a round instrument which on every side hanged down into the ashes 6 And whosoever was condemned of sacriledge or had committed any other grievous crime there did all men thrust him unto death 7 Such a death it hapned that wicked man to die not having so much as burial in the earth and that most justly 8 For insomuch as he had committed many sins about the altar whose fire and ashes were holy he received his death in ashes 9 Now the king came with a barbarous and haughty minde to do far worse to the Jews then had been done in his fathers time 10 Which things when Judas perceived he commanded the multitude to call upon the Lord night and day that if ever at any other time he would now also help them being at the point to be put from their law from their countrey and from the holy temple 11 And that he would not suffer the people that ‖ Or bad bad a little respite had even now been but a little refreshed to be in subjection to the blasphemous nations 12 So when they had all done this together and besought the merciful Lord with weeping and fasting and lying flat upon the groud three days long Judas having exhorted them commanded they should be in a readiness 13 And Judas being apart with the elders determined before the kings host should enter into Judea and get the city to go forth and try the matter in fight by the help of the Lord. 14 So when he had committed all to the ‖ Or Lord. Creatour of the world and exhorted his souldiers to fight manfully even unto death for the laws the temple the city the countrey the common-wealth he camped by Modin 15 And having given the watch-word to them that were about him Victory is of God with the most valiant choice young men he went in into the kings tent by night slew in the camp about four thousand men and the chiefest of the elephants with all that were upon him 16 And at last they filled the camp with sear and tumult and departed with good success 17 This was done in the break of the day because the protection of the Lord did help him 18 Now when the king had taken a taste of the manliness of the Jews he went about to take the holds by policy 19 And marched towards Bethsura which was a strong hold of the Jews but he was put to flight failed and lost of his men 20 For Judas had conveyed unto them that were in it such things as were necessary 21 But Rhodochus who was in the Jews host disclosed the secrets to the enemies therefore he was sought out and when they had gotten him they put him in prison 22 The king treated with them in Bethsura the second time gave his hand took theirs departed sought with Judas was over come 23 Heard that Philip who was leâ—t over the affairs in Antioch ‖ Or rebelled was desperately bent confounded intreated the Jews submitted himself and sware to all equal conditions agreed with them and offered sacrifice honoured the temple and dealt kindly with the place 24 And accepted well of Maccabeus made him principal governour from Ptolemais unto the Gerrhenians 25 Came to Ptolemais the people there were grieved for the covenants for they stormed because they would make their covenants void 26 Lysias went up to the judgment-seat said as much as could be in defence of the cause perswaded pacified made them well affected returned to Antioch Thus it went touching the kings coming departing CHAP. XIV 6 Aleimus accuseth Judas 18 Nicanor maketh peace with Judas 39 He seeketh to take Bazis 46 who to escape his bands killeth himself AFter three years was Judas informed that Demetrius the son of Seleucus having entred by the haven of Tripolis with a great power and navy 2 Had taken the countrey and killed Antiochus and Lysias his protectour 3 Now one Alcimus who had been high priest and had defiled himself wilfully in the times of their mingling with the Gentiles seeing that by no means he could save himself nor have any more access to the holy altar 4 Came to king Demetrius in the hundred and one and fiftieth year presenting unto him a crown of gold and a palm and also of the boughs which were ‖ Or thought to be of the temple used solemnly in the temple so that day he held his peace 5 Howbeit having gotten opportunity to further his foolish enterprise and being called into counsel by Demetrius and asked how the Jews stood affected and what they intended he answered thereunto
there was a great calm 27 But the men marvelled saying What manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him 28 ¶ * Mar. 5.1 Luk. 8.26 And when he was come to the other side into the countrey of the Gergesenes there met him two possessed with devils coming out of the tombs exceeding fierce so that no man might pass by that way 29 And behold they cryed out saying What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God art thou come hither to torment us before the time 30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding 31 So the devils besought him saying If thou cast us out suffer us to go away into the herd of swine 32 And he said unto them Go. And when they were come out they went into the herd of swine and behold the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea and perished in the waters 33 And they that kept them fled and went their ways into the city told everything and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils 34 And behold the whole city came out to meet Jesus and when they saw him they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts CHAP. IX 2 Christ curinâ— one sick of the palsie 9 calleth Matthew from the receipt of custom 10 eateth with publicans and sinners 14 defendeth his disciples for not fasting 20 cureth the bloudy issue 23 raiseth from death Jairus daughter 2â— giveth sight to two blinde mâ—n 32 healeth a dumb man possessed of a devil 36 and hath compassion of the multitude ANd he entred into a ship and passed over and came into his own city 2 * Mar. 2. â— Luk. 5 1â— And behold they brought to him a man sick of the palsie lying on a bed and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsie Son be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee 3 And behold certain of the scribes said within themselves This man blasphemeth 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts 5 For whether is easier to say Thy sins be forgiven thee or to say Arise and walk 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins then saith he to the sick of the palsie Arise take up thy bed and go unto thine house 7 And he arose and departed to his house 8 But when the multitude saw it they marvelled and glorified God which had given such power unto men 9 ¶ * Mar. 2.14 Luk. 5.27 And as Jesus passed forth from thence he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom and he faith unto him Follow me And he arose and followed him 10 ¶ And it came to pass as Jesus sat at meat in the house behold many publicans sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples 11 And when the Pharisees saw it they said unto his disciples Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners 12 But when Jesus heard that he said unto them They that be whole need not a physician but they that are sick 13 But go ye learn what that meaneth * Hos 6.6 Chap. 12.7 I will have mercy not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous * 1 Tim. 1.15 but sinners to repentance 14 ¶ Then came to him the disciples of John saying * Mar. 2.18 Luk. 5.33 Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft but thy disciples fast not 15 And Jesus said unto them Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them but the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them then shall they fast 16 No man putteth a piece of ‖ Or raw or unwrought cloth new cloth unto an old garment for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment and the rent is made worse 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles else the bottles break and the wine runneth out and the bottles perish but they put new wine into new bottles and both are preserved 18 ¶ * Mar 5.22 Lâ—k 8.41 While he spake these things unto them behold there came a certain ruler and worshipped him saying My daughter is even now dead but come and lay thy hand upon her and she shall live 19 And Jesus arose and followed him and so did his disciâ—les 20 ¶ And behold a woman which was diseased with an issâ—â— of bloud twelve years came behinde him and touched the hem of his garment 21 For she said within her self If I may but touch his garment I shall be whole 22 But Jesus turned him about and when he saw her he said Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole And the woman was made whole from that hour 23 And when Jesus came into the rulers house and saw the minstreâ—s and the people making a noise 24 He said unto them Give place for the maid is not dead but sleepeth And they laughed him to scorn 25 But when the people were put forth he went in and took her by the hand and the maid arose 26 And ‖ Or this 〈◊〉 the same hereof went abroad into all that land 27 ¶ And when Jesus departed thence two blinde men followed him crying and saying Thou son of David have mercy on us 28 And when he was come into the house the blinde men came to him and Jesus saith unto them Beleeve ye that I am able to do this They said unto him Yea Lord. 29 Then touched he their eyes saying According to your faith be it unto you 30 And their eyes were opened and Jesus straitly charged them saying See that no man know it 31 But they when they were departed spread abroad his same in all that countrey 32 ¶ * Luke 11.14 As they went out behold they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil 33 And when the devil was cast out the dumb spake and the multitudes marvelled saying It was never so seen in Israel 34 But the Pharisees said * Chap. 12.24 Mar. 3.22 Luk. 11.15 He casteth out the devils through the prince of the devils 35 * Mar. 6.6 Luk. 13.22 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every sickness and every disease among the people 36 ¶ * Mar. 6.34 But when he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion on them because they ‖ Or were tired and laâ—d â—wn fainted and were scattered abroad * Numb 27.17 as sheep having no shepherd 37 Then saith he unto his disciples * Luk. 10.2 The harvest truly is plenteous but the labourers are few 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth labourers into his harvest CHAP. X. 1 Christ
land were at enmity with them and oppressed them and they offered sacrifices according to the time and burnt-offerings to the Lord both morning and evening 51 Also they held the feast of tabernacles as it is commanded in the law and offered sacrifices daily as was meet 52 And after that the ‖ Or daily sacrifices continual oblations and the sacrifice of the sabbaths and of the new-moons and of all holy feasts 53 And all they that had †Gr. hallowed made any vow to God began to offer sacrifices to God from the first day of the seventh moneth although the temple of the Lord was not yet built 54 And they gave unto the masons and carpenters money meat and drink with cheerfulness 55 Unto them of Sidon also and Tyre they gave cars that they should bring cedar-trees from Libanus which should be brought by flotes to the haven of Joppe according as it was commanded them by Cyrus king of the Persians 56 And in the second year and second moneth after his coming to the temple of God at Jerusalem began Zorobabel the son of Salathiel and Jesus the son of Josedec and their brethren and the priests and the Levites and all they that were come unto Jerusalem out of the captivity 57 And they laid the foundation of the house of God in the first day of the second moneth in the second year after they were come to Jewry and Jerusalem 58 ‖ See Ezra 3.9 And they appointed the Levites from twenty years old over the works of the Lord. Then stood up Jesus and his sons and brethren and Cadmiel his brother and the sons of Madiabun with the sons of Joda the son of Eliadun with their sons and brethren all Levites with one accord ‖ Or overseers or encouragers of them that wrought in the house of the Lord. setters forward of the business labouring to advance the works in the house of God So the workmen built the temple of the Lord. 59 And the priests stood arayed in their vestments with musical instruments and trumpets and the Levites the sons of Asaph had cymbals 60 Singing songs of thanksgiving and praising the Lord ‖ Or after the manner of David king of Israel according as David the king of Israel had ordained 61 And they sung with loud voices songs to the praise of the Lord because his mercy and glory is for ever in all Israel 62 And all the people sounded trumpets and shouted with a loud voice singing songs of thanksgiving unto the Lord for the rearing up of the house of the Lord. 63 * Ezra 3.12 13. Also of the priests and Levites and of the chief of their families the ancients who had seen the former house came to the building of this with weeping and great crying 64 But many with trumpets and joy shouted with loud voice 65 Insomuch that the trumpets might not be ‖ Or discerned heard for the weeping of the people yet the multitude sounded marvellously so that it was heard afar off 66 Wherefore when the enemies of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin heard it they came to know what that noise of trumpets should mean 67 And they perceived that they that were of the captivity did build the temple unto the Lord God of Israel 68 So they went to Zorobabel and Jesus and to the chief of the families and said unto them We will build together with you 69 For we likewise as you do obey your Lord and do sacrifice unto him from the days of ‖ Or Asarhaddon Chap. 4.3 Azbazareth the king of the Assyrians who brought us hither 70 Then Zorobabel and Jesus and the chief of the families of Israel said unto them It is not for us and you to build together an house unto the Lord our God 71 We our selves alone will build unto the Lord of Israel according as Cyrus the king of the Persians hath commanded us 72 But the heathen of the land lying heavy upon the inhabitants of Judea and holding them strait hindred their building 73 And by their secret plots and popular perswasions and commotions they hindred the finishing of the building all the time that king Cyrus lived so they were hindred from building for the space of two years ‖ Or Vntil the second year of Darius Ezr. 4.5 6 7. until the reign of Darius CHAP. VI. 1 The prophets stir up the people to build the temple 8 Darius is solicited to hinder it 27 But he doth further it by all meant 32 and threatneth those that shall hinder it NOw in the second year of the reign of Darius Aggeus and Zacharias the son of ‖ Or Iddo Addo the prophets prophesied unto the Jews in Jewry and Jerusalem in the name of the Lord God of Israel ‖ Or which was called on them which was upon them 2 Then stood up Zorobabel the son of Salathiel and Jesus the son of Josedec and began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem the prophets of the Lord being with them and helping them 3 * Ezr. 5.3 At the same time came unto them ‖ Or Taâ—nai Sisinnes the governour of Syria and Phenice with ‖ Or Shâ—tharhoznai Sathrabuzanes and his companions and said unto them 4 By whose appointment do you build this house and this roof and perform all the other things and who are the workmen that perform these things 5 Nevertheless the elders of the Jews obtained favour because the Lord had visited the captivity 6 And they were not hindred from building until such time as signification was given unto Darius concerning them and an answer received 7 The copy of the letters which Sisinnes governour of Syria and Phenice and Sathrabuzanes with their companions rulers in Syria and Phenice wrote and sent unto Darius To king Darius greeting 8 Let all things be known unto our lord the king that being come into the countrey of Judea and entred into the city of Jerusalem we found in the city of Jerusalem the ancients of the Jews that were of the captivity 9 Building an house unto the Lord great and new of hewn and costly stones and the timber already laid upon the walls 10 And those works are done with great speed and the work goeth on prosperously in their hands and with all glory and diligence is it made 11 Then asked we these elders saying By whose commandment build ye this house and say the foundations of these works 12 Therefore to the intent that we might give knowledge unto thee by writing we demanded of them who were the chief doers and we required of them the names in writing of their principal men 13 So they gave us this answer We are the servants of the Lord which made heaven and earth 14 And as for this house it was builded many years ago by a king of Israel great and strong and was finished 15 But when our fathers provoked God unto wrath and sinned against the Lord
Four manner of things appear good and evil life and death but the tongue ruleth over them continually 19 There is one that is wise and teacheth many and yet is unprofitable to himself 20 There is one that sheweth wisdom in words and is hated he shall be destitute of all ‖ Or wisdom food 21 For grace is not given him from the Lord because he is deprived of all wisdom 22 Another is wise to himself and the fruits of understanding are commendable in his mouth 23 A wise man instructeth his people and the fruits of his understanding fail not 24 A wise man shall be filled with blessing and all they that see him shall count him happy 25 The days of the life of man may be numbred but the days of Israel are innumerable 26 A wise man shall inherit ‖ Or are 〈…〉 glory among his people and his name shall be perpetual 27 My son prove thy soul in thy life and see what is evil for it and give not that unto it 28 For all things are not profitable for all men neither hath every soul pleasure in every thing 29 Be not unsatiable in any dainty thing nor too greedy upon meats 30 For ‖ Or variety of meats excess of meats bringeth sickness and surfeting will turn into choler 31 By surfeting have many perished but he that taketh heed prolongeth his life CHAP. XXXVIII 1 Honour due to the physician and why 16 How to weep and mourn for the deal 24 The wisdom of the learned man and of the labourer and artificer with the use of them both HOnour a physician with the honour due unto him for the uses which you may have of him for the Lord hath created him 2 For of the most High cometh healing and he shall receive ‖ Or a giâ—t honour of the king 3 The skill of the physician shall lift up his head and in the sight of great men he shall be in admiration 4 The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth and he that is wise will not abhor them 5 * Exod. â—5 25 Was not the water made sweet with wood that the vertue thereof might be known 6 And he hath given men skill that he might be honoured in his marvellous works 7 With such doth he heal men and taketh away their pains 8 Of such doth the apothecary make a confection and of his works there is no end and from him is peace over all the earth 9 My son in thy sickness be not negligent but * Isa 38.2 pray unto the Lord and he will make thee whole 10 Leave off from sin and order thy hands aright and cleanse thy heart from all wickedness 11 Give a sweet savour and a memorial of fine flour and make a fat offering ‖ Or as a deed man as not being 12 Then give place to the physician for the Lord hath created him let him not go from thee for thou hast need of him 13 There is a time when in their hands there is good success 14 For they shall also pray unto the Lord that he would prosper that which they give for ease and ‖ Or â—â—ring remedy to prolong life 15 He that sinneth before his maker let him fall into the hand of the physician 16 My son let tears fall down over the dead and begin to lament as it thou hadst suffered great harm thy self and then cover his body according to the custom and neglect not his burial 17 Weep bitterly and make great moan and use lamentation as he is worthy and that a day or two lest thou be evil-spoken of and then comfort thy self for thy heaviness 18 Foâ— of heaviness cometh death and the heaviness of the * Pro. 15.13 17.22 heart breaketh strength 19 In affliction also sorrow remaineth and the life of the poor is the curse of the heart 20 Take no heaviness to heart drive it away and remember the last end 21 Forget it not for there is no turning again thou shalt not do him good but hurt thy self 22 Remember ‖ Or the sentence upon him my judgement for thine also shall be so yesterday for me and to day for thee 23 * 2 Sam. 33.20 When the dead is at rest let his remembrance rest and be comforted for him when his spirit is departed from him 24 The wisdom of a learned man cometh by opportunity of leisure and he that hath little business shall become wise 25 How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough and that glorieth in the goad that driveth oxen and is occupied in their labours and whose talk is †Gr. of the breed of bullocks of bullocks 26 He giveth his minde to make furrows and is diligent to give the kine â—odder 27 So every carpenter and work-master that laboureth night and day and they that cut and grave seals and are diligent to make great variety and give themselves to counterfeit imagery and watch to finish a work 28 The smith also sitting by the anvil and considering the iron work the vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace the noise of the hammer and the anvil is ever in his ears and his eyes look still upon the pattern of the thing that he maketh he setteth his minde to finish his work and watcheth to polish it perfectly 29 So doth the potter sitting at his work and turning the wheel about with his feet who is alway carefully set at his work and maketh all his work by number 30 He fashioneth the clay with his arm and ‖ Or tempereth it with his feet boweth down his strength before his feet he applieth himself to lead it over and he is diligent to make clean the furnace 31 All these trust to their hands and every one is wise in his work 32 Without these cannot a city be inhabited and they shall not dwell where they will nor go up and down 33 They shall not be sought for in publick counsel nor sit high in the congregation they shall not sit on the judges seat nor understand the sentence of judgement they cannot declare justice and judgement and they shall not be found where parables are spoken 34 But they will maintain the state of the world and all their desire is in the work of their craft CHAP. XXXIX 1 A description of him that is truth wise 12 An exhortation to praise God for his works which are good to the good and evil to them that are evil BUt he that giveth his minde to the law of the most High and is occupied in the meditation thereof will seek out the wisdom of all the ancient and be occupied in prophecies 2 He will keep the sayings of the renowned men and where subtil parables are he will be there also 3 He will seek out the secrets of grave sentences and be conversant in dark parables 4 He shall serve among great men and appear before
princes he will travel through strange countreys for he hath tried the good and the evil among men 5 He will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him and will pray before the most High and will open his mouth in prayer and make supplication for his sins 6 When the great Lord will he shall be filled with the spirit of understanding he shall pour out wise sentences and give thanks unto the Lord in his prayer 7 He shall direct his counsel and knowledge and in his secrets shall he meditate 8 He shall shew forth that which he hath learned and shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord. 9 Many shall commend his understanding and so long as the world endureth it shall not be blotted out his memorial shall not depart away and his name shall live from generation to generation 10 * Chap. 44.15 Nations shall shew forth his wisdom and the congregation shall declare his praise 11 If he die he shall leave a greater name then a thousand and if he live he shall ‖ Or gain unto it increase it 12 Yet have I more to say which I have thought upon for I am filled as the moon at the full 13 Hearken unto me ye holy children and bud forth as a rose growing by the ‖ Or rivers of water brook of the field 14 And give ye a sweet savour as frankincense and flourish as a lilie send forth a smell and sing a song of praise bless the Lord in all his works 15 Magnifie his name and shew forth his praise with the songs of your lips and with harps and in praising him you shall say after this manner 16 * Gen. 1.21 Mark 7 3â— All the works of the Lord are exceeding good and whatsoever he commandeth shall be accomplished in due season 17 And none may say What is this wherefore is that for at time convenient they shall all be sought out at his commandment the waters stood as an heap at the words of his mouth the receptacles of waters 18 At his commandment is done whatsoever pleaseth him and none can hinder when he will save 19 The works of all flesh are before him and nothing can be hid from his eyes 20 He seeth from everlasting to everlasting and there is nothing wonderful before him 21 A man need not to say What is this wherefore is that for he hath made all things for their uses 22 His blessing covered the dry land as a river and watered it as a floud 23 As he hath turned the waters into saltness so shall the heathen inherit his wrath 24 * Hos 14.5 As his ways are plain unto the holy so are they stumbling-blocks unto the wicked 25 For the good are good things created from the beginning so evil things for sinners 26 The principal things for the whole use of mans life are water fire iron and salt flour of wheat honey milk and the bloud of the grape and oyl and clothing 27 All these things are for good to the godly so to the sinners they are turned into evil 28 There be spirits that are created for vengeance which in their fury lay on sore strokes in the time of destruction they pour out their force and appease the wrath of him that made them 29 Fire and hail and famine and death all these were created for vengeance 30 Teeth of wilde beasts and scorpions ‖ Or vipert serpents and the sword punishing the wicked to destruction 31 They shall rejoyce in his commandment and they shall be ready upon earth when need is and when their time is come they shall not transgress his word 32 Therefore from the beginning I was resolved and thought upon these things and have left them in writing 33 All the works of the Lord are good and he will give every needful thing in due season 34 So that a man cannot say This is worse then that for in time they shall all be well approved 35 And therefore praise ye the Lord with the whole heart and mouth and bless the name of the Lord. CHAP. XL. 1 Many miseries in a mans life 12 The reward of unrighteousness and the fruit of true dealing 17 A vertuous wife and an honest friend rejoyce the heart but the fear of the Lord is above all 28 A beggars life is hateful GReat * Eccleâ— 1.3 travel is created for every man and an heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam from the day that they go out of their mothers womb till the day that they return to the mother of all things 2 Their imagination of things to come and the day of death trouble their thoughts and cause fear of heart 3 From him that sitteth on a throne of glory unto him that is humbled in earth and ashes 4 From him that weareth purple and a crown ‖ Or to the 〈…〉 unto him that is clothed with a linen frock 5 Wrath and envie trouble and unquietness fear of death and anger and strife and in the time of rest upon his bed his night sleep do change his knowledge 6 A little or nothing is his rest and afterward he is in his sleep as in a day of keeping watch troubled in the vision of his heart as if he were escaped out of a battel 7 When all is safe he awaketh maâ—velleth that the fear was nothing 8 Such things happen unto all flesh both man and beast and that is seven-fold more upon sinners 9 * Chap. 39.29.30 Death and bloud-shed strife and sword calamities famine tribulation and the scourge 10 These things are created for the wicked and for their sakes came the * Gen. 7.11 floud 11 * Gen. 3.19 Ch. 41.10 All things that are of the earth shall turn to the earth again and that which is of the * Eccles 1. â— waters doth return into the sea 12 All †Gr. bribes bribery and injustice shall be blotted out but true dealing shall endure for ever 13 The goods of the unjust shall be dried up like a river and shall vanish with a noise like a great thunder in rain 14 While he openeth his hand he shall rejoyce so shall transgressours come to nought 15 The children of the ungodly shall not bring forth many branches but are as unclean roots upon a hard rock 16 * Job 8.11 16.12 The weed growing upon every water and * Gen. 41.3 bank of a river shall be pulled up before all grass 17 Bountifulness is as ‖ Or. a garden that is blessed a most fruitful garden and mercifulness endureth for ever 18 To labour and * Phil. 4.11 1 Tim. 6.6 to be content with that a man hath is a sweet life but he that findeth a treasure is above them both 19 Children and the building of a city continue a mans name but a blameless wife is counted above them both 20 Wine and musick rejoyce the heart but