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Apocrypha, chrIIt them to be ready t whensoever he mould cir. 166. need them.

29 Nevertheless, when he saw that the tGr.'/sJ money of his treasures failed, and + that the tte ioUca- tributes in the country were small, because "tuifin'ibe °s the dissension and plague, which he had fountry brought upon the land II in taking away tne laws which had been of old time tbt ttiktng

30 He feared t that he mould not be able tbrb-ws. to °ear t^ie charges any longer, nor to have t Gr. that such gifts to give so liberally as he did be- ttfiouid fore. for }{a(j abounded above the kings not bam. (hat were before him.

31 Wherefore, being greatly perplexed in his mind, he determined to go into Persia, there to take the tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.

32 So he left Lyfias, a nobleman, and one of the blood royal, to oversee the affairs of the king from the river Eu phrates unto the borders of Egypt :

33 And to bring up his son Antic until he came again.

34 Moreover he delivered unto him the half of his forces, and the elephants, and gave him charge of all things that hewould have done, as also concerning them that dwelt in Juda and Jerusalem :

35 To wit, that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Je rusalem, and to take away their memorial from that place ;

36 And that he should place strangers in all their quarters, and divide their land by lot.

37 So the king took the half of the forces that remained, and departed from Antioch, Gst-h"it + his royal city, the hundred forty and iZgdom. seventh year ; and having parsed the river Euphrates, he went through the high countries.

38 Then Lysias chose Ptolemee theson of Dorymenes, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king's friends :

39 And with them he sent forty thousand footmen, and seven thousand horsemen, to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it, as the king commanded. • ■

40 So they went forth with all their power, and came and pitched by Emmaus in the plain country. : 1

41 And the merchants of the country, hearing the fame of them, took silver and I Or, gold very much, with || servants, and jetters. Game jnt0 tne carn*p ro buy the children-of Israel for staves : a power also of Syria and I or, of 0f tne }an(] j] 0f the Philistines joined them^ grangers. {gjves untO th^m-. • ^ .11. -J..- ' - j

42 Now when Judas and his brethren saw that miseries were multiplied, and that c^e^l,>rser the forces did encamp themselves in their cir. i66t borders j for they knew how the king had given commandment to destroy the peo ple, and utterly abolish them ;

43 They said one to another, Let us restore the decayed estate of our people* and let us fight for our people and the sanctuary.

44 Then was the congregation gathered together, that they might be ready for battle, and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion.

45 Now Jerusalem lay void b as a wilder- r. j?> ness, there was none of her children that 39' went in or out : the sanctuary also was trodden down, and aliens kept the strong hold ; the heathen had their Habitation in that place j and joy was taken from Jacob, and the pipe with the harp ceased.

46 Wherefore the Israelites assembled themselves together, and came to II Mas- txta- pha, over against Jerusalem ; for c in Mas- 'judgflo. pha was the place where they prayed afore- time in Israel.

47 Then they fasted that day, and put on sackcloth, and cast ashes upon their heads, and rent their clothes,

48 And laid open the book of the law, II wherein the heathen had sought to- paint J^^jSl the likeness of their images. btTiatbiw

49 They brought also the priests' gar- badmad$ ments, and the firstfruits, and the tithes: and the d Nazarites they stirred up, who tbattbey had accomplished their days.

50 Then cried they with a loud voice therein toward heaven, faying. What shall we do tfftlb*TMlfi' with these, and whither shall we carry {doit. them away ?

c 1 For thy sanctuary is trodden down ' *' and profaned, and thy priests are in heavi ness, and brought low.

52 And, lo, the heathen are assembled together against us to destroy us : what things they imagine against us, thou knowest.

53 How shall we be able to stand against them, except thou, O God, be our help ?

54 Then sounded they with trumpets,, and cried with a loud voice.

55 And after this Judas ordained caps tains over the people, even captains over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.

56 But as for such as c were building eDeut:io, houses, or had betrothed wives, or were s' &c' planting vineyards, or f were fearful, those fJudg.7.ji he commanded; that they should return, every man -to his own -house,-, according to the law..