1ST MACCABEES
CHAPTER 1
1 And it was done, after that Alexander of Philip, king of Macedonia, which reigned first in Greece, and went out of the land of Kittim, smote Darius, king of Persians and of Medes,
2 he ordained many battles, and got strengths of all; and he slew the kings of earth,
3 and passed forth till to the ends of earth, and took spoils of multitude of folks; and the earth was still in the sight of him.
4 And he gathered virtue, and host full strong [or full strong host], and the heart of him was enhanced and lifted up. And he got the countries of folks, and tyrants, either strong men; and they were made to him into tribute.
5 And after these things he fell into the bed, and knew that he should die.
6 And he called his noble children, that is, familiar fellows, that were nourished with him from their youth, and parted to them his kingdom, when he lived yet [or when yet he lived].
7 And Alexander reigned twelve years, and was dead.
8 And his children or servants wielded the realm, each in his place,
9 and all putted to them diadems after his death, and the sons of them after them, many years; and evils were multiplied in earth.
10 And there went out of them a root of sin, Antiochus the noble or Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus the king, that was at Rome in hostage, and reigned in the hundred and seven and thirtieth year of the realm of Greeks.
11 In those days wicked sons of Israel went out, and counselled many, and said, Go we, and ordain we [a] testament with heathen men, that be about us; for since we parted from them, many evils found us.
12 And the word was seen good before the eyes of them.
13 And some of the people sent, and went to the king; and he gave power to them for to do rightfulness of heathen men.
14 And they builded a school in Jerusalem, by [or after] laws of nations;
15 and made to them prepuces, and went away from the holy testament, and were joined to nations, and were sold for to do evil.
16 And the realm had prosperity in the sight of Antiochus, and he began to reign in the land of Egypt, that he should reign on two realms.
17 And he entered into Egypt with a grievous multitude, in chariots, and elephants, and horsemen, either knights, and [a] plenteous multitude of ships,
18 and he ordained battle against Ptolemy, king of Egypt, and Ptolemy dreaded of his face, and flew; and many were wounded, and fell down.
19 And he took the strong cities in the land of Egypt, and [he] took the preys of the land of Egypt.
20 And Antiochus returned, after that he smote Egypt, in the hundred and three and fortieth year, and went up to Israel. And he went up to Jerusalem with a grievous multitude,
21 and entered into the hallowing with pride; and he took the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof,
22 and the board of proposition, and vessels of flowing sacrifices, and cruets, and golden mortars, and veil, and crowns, and golden ornament that was in the face of the temple; and he brake all.
23 And he took silver and gold, and all desirable vessels, and he took the privy treasures, which he found;
24 and when he had taken up all things, he went into his land. And he made slaughter of men, and spake in great pride.
25 And great wailing was made in Israel, and in each place of them;
26 and princes sorrowed inwardly, and elder men, and maidens, and young men were made sick, and fairness of women was changed.
27 Each husband took wailing, and they that sat in [the] husband’s bed, mourned.
28 And the land was moved altogether on men dwelling therein, and all the house of Jacob was clothed with confusion.
29 And after two years of days, the king sent a prince of tributes into the cities of Judea, and he came to Jerusalem with great company.
30 And he spake to them peaceable words in guile, and they believed to him. And suddenly he fell in on the city, and smote it with a great wound, and lost much people of Israel.
31 And he took preys of the city, and burnt it with fire, and destroyed houses thereof, and walls thereof in compass.
32 And they led women captive, and children, and wielded beasts.
33 And they builded the city of David with [a] great wall and firm, and firm towers; and it was made to them into an high tower, either strength.
34 And they putted there a folk of sinners, wicked men, and they were strong in it;
35 and they putted arms, and meats, and gathered preys of Jerusalem; and putted up there, and were made into a great snare.
36 And this thing was made into espyings in evil, either treasons, to hallowing, and into an evil devil in Israel evermore.
37 And they shed out innocent blood, by compass of the hallowing, and defouled the hallowing.
38 And dwellers of Jerusalem fled for them, and it was made habitation of strangers, and it was made strange, either alien, to his seed, and [the] sons thereof forsook it.
39 The hallowing thereof was desolate as wilderness; feast days thereof were turned into mourning, sabbaths thereof into shame, honours thereof into nought.
40 By [or After] the glory thereof, the evil fame thereof was multiplied, and highness thereof was turned into mourning.
41 And king Antiochus wrote to all his realm, that all the people should be one.
42 And they forsook each man his law; and all folks consented by [or after] the word of king Antiochus,
43 and many of Israel consented to him, and sacrificed to idols, and defouled sabbath.
44 And king Antiochus sent books by the hands of messengers into Jerusalem, and into all cities of Judea, that they should pursue laws of folks of earth,
45 and should forbid burnt sacrifices, and sacrifices, and pleasings for to be done in the temple of God, and that they should forbid the sabbath for to be hallowed, and solemn days,
46 and holy things for to be defouled, and the holy people of Israel.
47 And he commanded altars for to be builded, and temples, and idols; and swine’s flesh for to be sacrificed, and unclean beasts;
48 and for to leave their sons uncircumcised, and the souls of them for to be defouled in all unclean-nesses and abominations,
49 so that they should forget the law, and should change all the justifyings of God.
50 And whoever did not by the word of king Antiochus, should die.
51 By all these words he wrote to all his realm, and above-set [or before-set] princes to the people, which should constrain these things for to be done. And they commanded to cities of Judea for to make sacrifice.
52 And many of the people were gathered to them, which forsook the law of the Lord, and did evils on earth.
53 And they drived [or drove] out the people of Israel from privy places, and in hid places of fugitives, either fleeing men.
54 In the fifteenth day of the month Kislev, that answereth to our November, in the hundred and five and fortieth year, king Antiochus builded [the] abominable idol of desolation, either discomfort, on the altar of God; and by all cities of Judea in compass they builded altars.
55 And before the gates of the houses and in streets, they burnt incenses, and sacrificed;
56 and burnt by fire the books of the law of God, and carved them.
57 And with whomever the books of [the] testament of the Lord were found, and whoever kept the law of the Lord, by [or after] the commandment of the king, they slew him.
58 In their virtue, either power, they did these things to the people of Israel, that was found in each month in the cities.
59 And in the five and twentieth day of the month, they sacrificed on the altar, that was against the altar of God.
60 And women, that circumcised their sons, were strangled, by commandment of king Antiochus;
61 and they hanged children by the necks, by all houses of them, and strangled them that circumcised them.
62 And many of the people of Israel determined, either fully deemed, with them, that they should not eat unclean things,
63 and choosed more for to die, than for to be defouled with unclean meats. And they would not break the holy law of God, and they were slain;
64 and full great wrath was made on the people.