Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 2.djvu/97

 that there  is  no  other  God  that  may  deliver  Israel.'

Machabeus then  drew  near  with  his  little  army

that was  three  thousand,  that  would  then  follow  him.

They blew  then  their  trumpets,  and  boldly  fought,

till that  the  heathen  fled  to  distant  lands

and Judas  drove  them  away,  like  beasts  to  the  wood.

There were  slain  some  three  thousand;

and Judas  then  found,  when  he  returned  from  the  expedition,

gold and  silver,  fine  cloth  and  purple,

and many  other  spoils,  within  the  camps;

and they  then  thanked  God  for  all  his  goodness.

Again in  the  second  year  Lysias  gathered  together

five and  sixty  thousand  of  marching  thanes,

and desired  to  overcome  the  Jewish  folk.

Then Judas  Machabeus  trusted  greatly  in  God,

and marched  against  him  with  the  folk  that  he  had,

that were  twelve  thousand  of  fighting  men.

And Judas  awaited  him  there,  and  blessed  his  Creator —

'Blessed art  Thou,  Almighty  Saviour  of  Israel;

Thou that  didst  quell  formerly  the  violent  host

by the  hands  of  David,  now  disperse  the  heathen

by the  hands  of  thy  people,  and  terrify  them  with  fright;

overthrow them  by  the  swords  of  them  that  love  Thee,

that all  may  praise  Thee,  that  hear  Thy  name.'

They joined  battle  then  together,  un-slow  with  weapons,

and there  fell  then  of  the  heathen  five  thousand  slain,

and Lysias  fled  with  the  remnant  of  the  army.

Then quoth  Judas  to  his  comrades,  that  he  would  do  away  the  filth

out of  the  temple  of  God,  which  the  wrathful  Antiochus