2 Maccabees 15

Wycliffe Bible

15 Forsooth as Nicanor found that Judas was in the place of Samaria, he thought for to join battle in (or on) the day of sabbath with all fierceness.

² Forsooth when (the) Jews, that (pur)sued (or followed) him by need, said, Do thou not so fiercely and heathenly, but give thou honour to the day of hallowing, and worship thou him, that beholdeth all things.

³ And he (who was) unblessed, asked, If there is a Mighty (One) in heaven, that commanded the day of sabbaths for to be done?

⁴ And when they answered, There is a quick (or a living) Lord [or There is one Lord], and he is mighty in heaven, that commanded the seventh day for to be done.

⁵ And he said, And I am mighty on (the) earth, which command armours, (or arms, or weapons) for to be taken, and needs of the king for to be fulfilled. Nevertheless he got not, for to perform counsel.

⁶ And soothly Nicanor was enhanced (or was exalted) with sovereign or masterful pride, and thought for to ordain a common victory of (or over) Judas.

⁷ Forsooth Maccabeus trusted (for)evermore with all hope, that help should come to him of (or from) the Lord,

⁸ and he admonished his (people), that they should not inwardly dread at the coming to (them) of (the) nations, but should have in mind the helps done to (or for) them of (or from) heaven, and now should hope that the victory should come to them of (or from) the Almighty.

⁹ And he spake to them of the law, and (the) prophets, and admonished (them) of (the) battles which they did before, and (so he) ordained them readier. [And speaking to them of law, and prophets, and admonishing what things they did before, he ordained, or confirmed, them readier.]

¹⁰ And so when the souls of them were raised (up), he showed (al)together the falseness of (the) heathen men, and (the) breaking of oaths.

¹¹ Forsooth he armed each of them, not by (the) strengthening of shield and shaft, but with (the) best words and admonishings, and expounded a sweven worthy of believe (or a dream worthy of belief), by which he gladded all.

¹² Soothly the vision was such. Judas saw Onias, that was (the) highest priest, a good man and benign, shamefast in sight, and mild (or meek) in manners, and fair in speech, and which was exercised in virtues from a child, holding forth the hands for to pray for all the people of (the) Jews.

¹³ After this thing that also another man appeared, wonderful in age and glory, and in having of great fairness about him.

¹⁴ Forsooth he saw Onias answering for to have said, This is the lover of (the) brethren, and of the people of Israel; this is he, that much prayeth for the people, and [for] all the holy city, Jeremy (or Jeremiah), the prophet of God.

¹⁵ Forsooth he saw that Jeremy hath straight(ened) (or stretched) forth the right hand, and hath given a golden sword to Judas, and said,

¹⁶ Take thou the holy sword, a gift of (or from) God, in (or with) which thou shalt cast down the adversaries of my people Israel.

¹⁷ Therefore they were admonished with (the) full great words of Judas [or And so they admonished with words of Judas full good], of (or by) which (their) fierceness might be enhanced, (or lifted up) and (the) souls of (the) young men be comforted (or strengthened), and they ordained for to fight, and torment (al)together strongly, that virtue should deem of needs, or causes, for that the holy city, and (the) temple were in peril.

¹⁸ For why [or Soothly] for (their) wives, and (their) sons, and also for (their) brethren, and cousins, was less busyness (or less care), but the most and first dread was [for] (the) holiness of the temple (or but their first and foremost fear was for the holy Temple).

¹⁹ But not (the) least busyness (or care) had them that were in the city, for these that should assail, or fight together.

²⁰ And when now all men hoped doom to be, and (the) enemies come [or and (the) enemies came], and the host was ordained, (and the) beasts and horsemen put together in covenable (or in suitable) place(s),

²¹ Maccabeus beheld the coming of (the) multitude [or Maccabeus beholding the coming of multitude], and diverse apparel of armours, and (the) fierceness of (the) beasts, and he stretched out the hands to heaven, and called to help the Lord doing great wonders, which not by [or after] (the) power of armours, (or of arms, or weapons), but as it pleaseth to him, giveth victory to worthy men.

²² Forsooth he said, calling to help in this manner, Thou Lord, that sentest thine angel under Hezekiah, king of Judea, and hast slain of (or in) the tents, either hosts, of Sennacherib, an hundred thousand fourscore and five thousand [or an hundred (and) fourscore and five thousand];

²³ and now, lordshipper of heavens, send thou thy good angel before us, in dread and trembling of (the) greatness of thine arm,

²⁴ (so) that they dread, that come with blasphemy against thine holy people. And soothly thus he perfectly prayed. [that they dread, that come against thine holy people. And by these things thus he perfectly prayed.]

²⁵ Forsooth Nicanor, and they that were with him, moved to(wards) (them) with trumps and songs.

²⁶ Judas forsooth, and they that were with him, called God to help by (or with) prayers [of acknowledging], and went together.

²⁷ Soothly they fighting with (their) hand(s), but praying (to) God in (or with) (their) hearts, casted down five and thirty thousand, not less, and (were) delighted greatly by (the) presence of God [or by (or in) the presence of God greatly delighting].

²⁸ And when they had ceased, and with joy (re)turned again, they knew that Nicanor had fallen, with his armours.

²⁹ Therefore when (a) cry was made, and (a) perturbation was stirred, by (their) country(‘s) voice (or in their own language) they blessed the Lord Almighty.

³⁰ Forsooth Judas, that by all things in body and soul was ready for to die for (the) citizens, bade [or commanded], that the head of Nicanor, and (his) hand with the shoulder gird(ed) off, should be brought forth to Jerusalem.

³¹ Whither when he fully came, when men of his lineage were called together, and (the) priests to the altar, he called also them that were in the high tower.

³² And when the head of Nicanor was showed, and the cursed hand, which he holding forth against the holy house of Almighty God greatly gloried,

³³ also he commanded (that) the tongue of (the) unpious Nicanor (be) cut off, for to be given to (the) birds gobbet-meal (or piecemeal); forsooth he commanded the hand of the mad man for to be hanged up against (or opposite) the temple.

³⁴ Therefore all blessed the Lord of heaven, and said, [or saying], Blessed be the Lord, that kept his place undefouled.

³⁵ Forsooth he hanged up Nicanor’s head in the highest tower, (so) that it were (an) evident, or known, and open sign of the help of God.

³⁶ Therefore all men, by common counsel, deemed in no manner for to pass this day without solemnity, but for to have solemnity [or worshipping] in (or on) the thirteenth day of the month Adar, that is said, by voice of Syria, (or in the Syrian language), the first day of Mordecai.

³⁷ Therefore when these things were done against Nicanor, and of those times when the city was wielded of (or by) (the) Hebrews, also I in these things shall make an end of (my) word(s).

³⁸ And soothly if well, and as it accordeth to the story, this thing and I will (or I desire); if (or) else less worthily, it is to forgive, [or to be granted], (or to be forgiven) to me.

³⁹ Soothly as for to drink (for)evermore wine, either [or] (for)evermore water, it is contrary, but for to use changeable, either [or] now one, now another, is delightable; so to men reading, if the word be (for)evermore sought to (or for) each part, it shall not be covenable, (or suitable), or pleasing; therefore here it shall be ended.

Here endeth the second book of Maccabees, which is (the) end of the Old Testament; see now the New Testament. [Here endeth the story of Maccabees, the which is the last book of the Old Testament. And now beginneth the New Testament; first is the prologue of Matthew, apostle and evangelist.]