Page:KJV 1772 Oxford Edition, vol. 2.djvu/189

Apocrypha. Before night for such privy attempts, insomuch that the bruit of his manliness was spread every where..

8 So when Philip saw that this man in creased by little and little, and that things Krofpered with him still more and more, e wrote unto Ptolemeus, the governor of Celosyria and Phenice, to yield more aid to the king's affairs.

9 Then forthwith choosing Nicanor the son of Patroclus, one of his special friends, he sent him with no fewer than twenty thousand of all nations under him, to root out the whole generation of the Jews and with him he joined also Gorgias a captain, who in matters of war had great experience. .

10 SoNicanor undertook to make so much money of the captive Jews, as should de fray the tribute of two thousand talents, which the king was to pay to the Romans.

1 1 Wherefore immediately he sent to the cities upon the sea coast, proclaiming a sale of the captive Jews, and promising that they fhoiild have fourscore and ten bodies for one talent, not expecting the vengeance that was to follow upon him from the Al mighty God.

12 Now when word was brought unto Judas of Nicanor's coming, and he had imparted unto those that were with him that the army was at hand,

13 b They that were fearful, and dis trusted the justice of God, fled, and con veyed themselves away.

14 Others sold all that they had left, and withal besought the Lord to deliver them, being sold by the wicked Nicanor before they met together :

15 And it not for their own fakes, yet for the covenants he had made with their fathers, and for his holy and glorious name's fake, by which they were called.

16 So Maccabeus called his men toge ther unto the number of six thousand, and exhorted them c not to be stricken with terror of the enemy, nor to fear the great multitudeof the heathen, whocame wrong fully against them ; but to fight manfully,

17 And to sot before their eyes the injury that they had unjustly done to the holy place, and the cruel handling of the city, whereof they made a mockery, and also the taking away of the government of their forefathers :

18 For they, said he, trust in their wea- nd boldness ; but our confidence is P°jn the Almighty God, who at a beck can cast down both them that come against us, and also all the world.

19 Moreover he recounted unto them c^^v what helps their forefathers had found, and cr. 166. d how they were delivered, when under * 1 Mac- Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five ch*j5.»*. thousand perished.

20 And he told them of the battle that they had in Babylon wjth the Galatians, how they came but eight thousand in all to the business, with four thousand Mace donians, and that the Macedonians being perplexed, the eight thousand destroyed an hundred and twenty thousand because of the help that they had from heaven, and so received a great booty.

21 Thus when he had made them bold with these words, and ready to die for the laws and the country, he divided his army into four parts ;

22 And joined with himself his own bre thren, leaders of each band, to wit, Simon, and Joseph, and Jonathan, giving each one fifteen hundred men.

23 Also he appointed Eleazar to read the holy book : and when he had given them this watchword, The help of God ; him self leading the first band, he joined battle with Nicanor.

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

25 And took e their money that came to e ver. buy them, and pursued them far: but , lacking time they returned :

26 For it was the day before the sab bath, and therefore they would no longer pursue them.

27 So when they had gathered II their II That is, armour together, and spoiled their ene- " ■ ' armour.

mies, they occupied themselves about the sabbath, yielding exceeding praise and thanks to the Lord, who had preserved them unto that day, which was the begin-- ning of mercy distilling upon them.

28 And after the sabbath, when they had given part of the spoils to the || maim- | or, ed, and the widows, and orphans, the re- sidue they divided among themselves and "r ur"' their servants.

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

30 Moreover of those that were with Timotheus and Bacchides, who fought against them, they flew above twenty thousand, and very easily got high and strong holds, and divided among themselves .. many spoils more, and made the il maimed,