1 But a litil tyme after, Lisias, the procuratour of the kyng, and kynesman, and souereyn of offices, bar greuousli of these thingis that bifellen,
2 and gederide foure score thousyndis, and al the multitude of horse men, and cam ayens Jewis, and demyde hym silf to make the citee takun a dwellyng to hethene men,
3 forsothe to haue the temple in to wynnyng of monei, as othere templis of hethene men, and presthod `set to sale bi ech yeer;
4 and bithouyte not on the power of God, but in mynde he was maad with out bridil, and tristide in multitude of foot men, and in thousyndis of horse men, and in foure score olifauntis.
5 Sothely he yede in to Judee, and cam niy to Bethsura, that was in streit place, fro Jerusalem in space of fyue furlongis, and fauyt ayens that strengthe.
6 Sotheli whanne Machabeus, and thei that weren with hym, knewen that strengthis weren impugned, with wepyng and teeris thei preieden the Lord, and al the cumpenye togidere, for to sende a good aungel to the helthe of Israel.
7 And Machabeus hym silf took firste armeris, and monestide othere for to take togidere perel with hym, and bere help to her britheren.
8 And whanne thei wenten forth togidere with redi wille fro Jerusalem, an hors man apperide goynge bifore hem in whijt cloth, in goldun armeris, and florischynge a schaft.
9 Thanne alle togidere blessiden the merciful Lord, and woxen strong in soulis; and weren redi for to perse not oneli men, but and moost feerse beestis, and irun wallis.
10 Therfor thei wenten redi, hauynge an helpere of heuene, and the Lord hauynge merci on hem.
11 Sotheli bi custom of liouns, in feersnesse thei hurliden in to enemyes, and castiden doun of hem enleuene thousyndis of foot men, and a thousynde and sixe hundrid of horse men.
12 Sotheli thei turneden alle in to fliyt; forsothe many of hem woundid, ascapiden nakid, but and Lisias hym silf fouli fleynge ascapide.
13 And for he was not witles, he arettide with hym silf the makyng lesse don ayens hym, and vndurstood that Ebrews ben vnouercomun, and tristen to help of almyyti God;
14 and he sente to hem, and bihiyte hym to consente to alle thingis that ben iust, and to compelle the kyng for to be maad frend.
15 Forsothe Machabeus grauntide to preieris of Lisias, and counselide to profit in alle thingis; and what euere thingis Machabeus wroot of Jewis to Lisias, the kyng grauntide tho thingis.
16 For whi epistlis weren writun to Jewis fro Lisias, conteynynge this maner. Lisias to the puple of Jewis, heelthe.
17 Joon and Abesalon, that ben sent fro you, bitoken writtis, and axiden, that Y schulde fille tho thingis that weren signefied bi hem.
18 Therfor what euere thingis miyten be brouyt forth to the kyng, Y expownede, and whiche the thing suffride, he grauntide.
19 Therfor if in nedis ye kepen feith, also fro hennys forth Y schal enforse for to be cause of goode thingis to you.
20 Of othere thingis sotheli Y comaundide bi alle wordis, both to these and to hem that ben sent of me, for to speke togidere with you.
21 Fare ye wel. In the hundrid yeer and eiyte and fourtithe, in the foure and twentith dai of the monethe Dioscorus.
22 Forsothe `the pistle of the kyng conteynede thes thingis. Kyng Antiok to Lisias, brother, heelthe.
23 For oure fadir is translatid among goddis, we wolen that thei that ben in oure rewme do with out noise, and yyue diligence to her thingis;
24 we han herd that Jewis assentiden not to the fadir, for to be translatid to the custom of Grekis, bot wolen holde her ordynaunce, and that therfor thei axen of vs, that her lawful thingis be grauntid to hem.
25 Therfor we wolen that also this folc be quyet, and han ordeyned and demed, that the temple be restorid to hem, that thei schulden do bi the custom of her grettere men.
26 Therfor thou schalt do wel, if thou schalt sende to hem, and schalt yyue riythond; that, whanne oure wille is knowun, thei be in good coumfort, and serue to her owne profitis.
27 Sotheli to the Jewis the kyngis pistle was sich. Kyng Antiok to the `eldre men of Jewis, and to othere Jewis, heelthe.
28 If ye faren wel, so it is as we wolen, but and we silf faren wel.
29 Menelaus cam to vs, and seide, that ye wolen go doun to youre, that ben anentis vs.
30 Therfor to these that gon togidere, we yyuen riythondis of sikirnesse til to the thrittith dai of the monethe Xandici,
31 that Jewis vse her metis, and lawis, as and bifore; and no man of hem in ony maner suffre disese of these thingis, that ben don bi ignoraunce.
32 Sotheli we senten also Menelaus, that schal speke to you.
33 Fare ye wel. In the hundrid yeer and eiyte and fourtithe, the fifteenthe dai of the monethe Xandici,
34 also Romayns senten `a pistle, hauynge it thus. Quintus Menneus and Titus Manylius, legatis of Romayns, to the puple of Jewis, heelthe.
35 Of these thingis that Lisias, cosyn of the kyng, hath grauntid to you, and also we grauntiden.
36 Forsothe of whiche thingis he demyde to be teld ayen to the kyng, anoon sende ye summan; and speke ye among you diligentiliere, that we deme as it acordith to you.
37 For we gon to Antiochie, and therfor haste ye for to ayen write, that and we wite of what wille ye ben.
38 Fare ye wel.