Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/109



VII. About this  time  went  the  foresaid  Antiochus

to the  Persian  people  with  great  strength;

he would  there  overcome  a  wealthy  city;

hut he  was  chased  thence  and  shamefully  escaped,

and with  much  anxiety  out  of  the  country  turned

towards Babylon;    and  it  was  there  told  him

how Judas  overcame  his  enemies  with  weapons,

and how  he  had  cleansed  the  holy  temple  of  God

from all  the  abominations  that  he  formerly  set  up  there.

He was  then  vexed,  and  eke  afflicted  with  sickness,

because God  was  angry  with  him,  and  he  raged  terribly,

saying and  affirming  that  it  had  so  happened  to  him,

because that  he  treated  God's  temple  reproachfully,

and would  destroy  the  faithful  ones  out  of  their  land.

Then worms  rose  out  of  him,  out  of  his  afflicted  body,

and he  stank  so  foully  that  no  one  could  carry  him,

and he  then  evilly  and  miserably  ended  (his  life),

in a  foreign  land,  (going)  to  eternal  torments;

and his  son  Eupator  reigned  after  him.

He was  likewise  inclined  so  that  he  wished  to  slay

the believing  Jews,  who  believed  then  in  God.

They believed  then,  in  the  old  manner,  in  Almighty  God,

though that  some  of  them  [afterwards]  denied  the  Saviour,

and even  so  slew  (Him),  as  He  himself  desired.

Well then,  Eupator,  Antiochus'  son,

gathered his  army  far  and  near,

and sent  a  hundred  thousand  of  marching  men,

and twenty  thousand  of  mounted  men,

and thirty  elephants,  all  tamed,