2 Mac 8:22 And joined with himself his own brethren, leaders of each band, to wit Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving each one fifteen hundred men.

2 Mac 8:23 Also he appointed Eleazar to read the holy book: and when he had given them this watchword, The help of G.o.d; himself leading the first band,

2 Mac 8:24 And by the help of the Almighty they slew above nine thousand of their enemies, and wounded and maimed the most part of Nicanor's host, and so put all to flight;

2 Mac 8:25 And took their money that came to buy them, and pursued them far: but lacking time they returned:

2 Mac 8:26 For it was the day before the sabbath, and therefore they would no longer pursue them.

2 Mac 8:27 So when they had gathered their armour together, and spoiled their enemies, they occupied themselves about the sabbath, yielding exceeding praise and thanks to the Lord, who had preserved them unto that day, which was the beginning of mercy distilling upon them.

2 Mac 8:28 And after the sabbath, when they had given part of the spoils to the maimed, and the widows, and orphans, the residue they divided among themselves and their servants.

2 Mac 8:29 When this was done, and they had made a common supplication, they besought the merciful Lord to be reconciled with his servants for ever.

2 Mac 8:30 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 among themselves many spoils more, and made the maimed, orphans, widows, yea, and the aged also, equal in spoils with themselves.

2 Mac 8:31 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.

2 Mac 8:32 They slew also Philarches, that wicked person, who was with Timotheus, and had annoyed the Jews many ways.

2 Mac 8:33 Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the victory in their country they burnt Callisthenes, that had set fire upon the holy gates, who had fled into a little house; and so he received a reward meet for his wickedness.

2 Mac 8:34 As for that most ungracious Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to buy the Jews,

2 Mac 8:35 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 midland unto Antioch having very great dishonour, for that his host was destroyed.

2 Mac 8:36 Thus he, that took upon him to make good to the Romans their tribute by means of captives in Jerusalem, told abroad, that the Jews had G.o.d to fight for them, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws that he gave them.

2 Mac 9:1 About that time came Antiochus with dishonour out of the country of Persia

2 Mac 9:2 For he had entered the city called Persepolis, and went about to rob the temple, and to hold the city; whereupon the mult.i.tude running to defend themselves with their weapons put them to flight; and so it happened, that Antiochus being put to flight of the inhabitants returned with shame.

2 Mac 9:3 Now when he came to Ecbatane, news was brought him what had happened unto Nicanor and Timotheus.

2 Mac 9:4 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 chariotman to drive without ceasing, and to dispatch the journey, the judgment of G.o.d 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.

2 Mac 9:5 But the Lord Almighty, the G.o.d of Isreal, smote him with an incurable and invisible plague: or as soon as he had spoken these words, a pain of the bowels that was remediless came upon him, and sore torments of the inner parts;

2 Mac 9:6 And that most justly: for he had tormented other men's bowels with many and strange torments.

2 Mac 9:7 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 pa.s.s that he fell down from his chariot, carried violently; so that having a sore fall, all the members of his body were much pained.

2 Mac 9:8 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 horselitter, shewing forth unto all the manifest power of G.o.d.

2 Mac 9:9 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.

2 Mac 9:10 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.

2 Mac 9:11 Here therefore, being plagued, he began to leave off his great pride, and to come to the knowledge of himself by the scourge of G.o.d, his pain increasing every moment.

2 Mac 9:12 And when he himself could not abide his own smell, he said these words, It is meet to be subject unto G.o.d, and that a man that is mortal should not proudly think of himself if he were G.o.d.

2 Mac 9:13 This wicked person vowed also unto the Lord, who now no more would have mercy upon him, saying thus,

2 Mac 9:14 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 buryingplace,) he would set at liberty:

2 Mac 9:15 And as touching the Jews, whom he had judged not worthy so much as to be buried, but to be cast out with their children to be devoured of the fowls and wild beasts, he would make them all equals to the citizens of Athens:

2 Mac 9:16 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:

2 Mac 9:17 Yea, and that also he would become a Jew himself, and go through all the world that was inhabited, and declare the power of G.o.d.

2 Mac 9:18 But for all this his pains would not cease: for the just judgment of G.o.d was come upon him: therefore despairing of his health, he wrote unto the Jews the letter underwritten, containing the form of a supplication, after this manner:

2 Mac 9:19 Antiochus, king and governor, to the good Jews his citizens wisheth much joy, health, and prosperity:

2 Mac 9:20 If ye and your children fare well, and your affairs be to your contentment, I give very great thanks to G.o.d, having my hope in heaven.

2 Mac 9:21 As for me, I was weak, or else I would have remembered 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:

2 Mac 9:22 Not distrusting mine health, but having great hope to escape this sickness.

2 Mac 9:23 But considering that even my father, at what time he led an army into the high countries, appointed a successor,

2 Mac 9:24 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 the state was left, might not be troubled:

2 Mac 9:25 Again, considering how that the princes that are borderers and neighbours unto my kingdom wait for opportunities, 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:

2 Mac 9:26 Therefore I pray and request you to remember the benefits that I have done unto you generally, and in special, and that every man will be still faithful to me and my son.

2 Mac 9:27 For I am persuaded that he understanding my mind will favourably and graciously yield to your desires.

2 Mac 9:28 Thus the murderer and blasphemer having suffered most grievously, as he entreated other men, so died he a miserable death in a strange country in the mountains.

2 Mac 9:29 And Philip, that was brought up with him, carried away his body, who also fearing the son of Antiochus went into Egypt to Ptolemeus Philometor.

2 Mac 10:1 Now Maccabeus and his company, the Lord guiding them, recovered the temple and the city:

2 Mac 10:2 But the altars which the heathen had built in the open street, and also the chapels, they pulled down.

2 Mac 10:3 And having cleansed the temple they made another altar, and striking stones they took fire out of them, and offered a sacrifice after two years, and set forth incense, and lights, and shewbread.

2 Mac 10:4 When that was done, they fell flat down, and besought the Lord that they might come no more into such troubles; but if they sinned any more against him, that he himself would chasten them with mercy, and that they might not be delivered unto the blasphemous and barbarous nations.

2 Mac 10:5 Now upon the same day that the strangers profaned the temple, on the very same day it was cleansed again, even the five and twentieth day of the same month, which is Casleu.

2 Mac 10:6 And they kept the eight days with gladness, as in the feast of the tabernacles, remembering that not long afore they had held the feast of the tabernacles, when as they wandered in the mountains and dens like beasts.