2. Makkabeler 15

¹Nikanor, Yahuda ve adamlarının Samiriye bölgesinde bulunduğunu öğrenince, Şabat gününde tam bir güvenlik içinde onlara saldırmayı tasarladı.

²Ancak onunla gitmeye zorlanmış olan Yahudiler, "Onları bu kadar vahşice ve barbarca yok etme; her şeyi yukarıdan gözetleyen Tanrı'nın kutsallıkla önceden onurlandırdığı o güne saygı göster" dediler.

³Bu üç kat lanetli adam, "Göklerde Şabat gününün tutulmasını buyuran bir egemen mi var?" diye sordu.

⁴Onlar da, "Göklerde Şabat'ın kutlanmasını buyuran, yaşayan Rabbin Kendisi, yani o Egemen vardır" diye yanıtladılar.

⁵Bunun üzerine öbürü, "Yeryüzünde silah kuşanılmasını ve kraliyet işlerinin yerine getirilmesini buyuran egemen de benim" dedi. Yine de bu zalimce tasarısını gerçekleştirmeyi başaramadı.

⁶Nikanor, büyük bir kibirle boynunu yukarı dikerek, Yahuda ve adamlarına karşı kazanacağı zafer için ortak bir anıt dikmeye karar vermişti.

⁷Ancak Makabi, Rabden bir yardım elde edeceğine dair tam bir umutla her an kesintisizce güven duyuyordu.

⁸Adamlarını ulusların saldırısından korkmamaya, geçmişte göklerden kendilerine erişen yardımları akıllarında tutmaya ve şimdi de Her Şeye Gücü Yeten'den gelecek zafer ile yardımı beklemeye çağırdı.

⁹Kutsal Yasa ve peygamberlerin sözleriyle onları yüreklendirerek ve geçmişte başarıyla tamamladıkları mücadeleleri hatırlatarak gayretlerini artırdı.

¹⁰Onların öfkesini alevlendirirken, bir yandan da ulusların dönekliğini ve ettikleri yeminleri nasıl bozduklarını göstererek buyruklarını verdi.

¹¹Her birini kalkan ve mızrakların güvencesiyle değil, iyi sözlerin verdiği cesaretle donattı; ayrıca herkesi son derece sevindiren, inanılmaya değer güvenilir bir rüyayı onlara anlattı.

¹²Gördüğü görüm şöyleydi: Eski başkahin Onias —ki kendisi iyi ve erdemli bir adamdı, saygın bir duruşu, yumuşak bir huyu vardı, güzel konuşurdu ve çocukluğundan beri her türlü erdem yolunda titizlikle eğitilmişti— ellerini açmış, bütün Yahudi topluluğu için dua ediyordu.

¹³Ardından, kır saçlı, görkemli, olağanüstü ve çok yüce bir heybete sahip başka bir adam belirdi.

¹⁴Onias söze başlayıp şöyle dedi: "Bu, kardeşlerini seven, halk ve kutsal kent için çokça dua eden Tanrı'nın peygamberi Yeremya'dır."

¹⁵Yeremya sağ elini uzatarak Yahuda'ya altın bir kılıç verdi ve bunu sunarken şöyle seslendi:

¹⁶"Tanrı'nın bir armağanı olan bu kutsal kılıcı al; bununla düşmanları bozguna uğratacaksın."

¹⁷Yahuda'nın erdemi teşvik eden ve gençlerin yüreklerini pekiştiren bu çok güzel sözleriyle yüreklenen halk, ordugah kurup beklememeye, yiğitçe saldırmaya ve cesaretle vuruşarak meseleyi savaşla çözmeye karar verdi; çünkü kent, kutsal şeyler ve tapınak tehlikedeydi.

¹⁸Karıları, çocukları, kardeşleri ve akrabaları için duydukları kaygı onlar için ikinci plandaydı; en büyük ve birincil korkuları kutsal tapınak içindi.

¹⁹Kentte mahsur kalanlar da dışarıdaki bu açık alan saldırısının endişesiyle büyük bir acı ve huzursuzluk içindeydiler.

²⁰Herkes gelecek sonucu beklerken, düşmanlar çoktan yaklaşmış, ordu savaş düzenine girmiş, savaş filleri uygun noktalara yerleştirilmiş ve süvariler kanatlara dağılmıştı.

²¹Makabi, bu kalabalığı, silahların çeşitliliğini ve fillerin yırtıcılığını görünce, ellerini göğe doğru açarak mucizeler yaratan ve her şeyi gözetleyen Rabbe yakardı; çünkü zaferin silahlarla değil, Kendi takdirine göre buna layık olanlara verildiğini biliyordu.

²²Yakarışında şöyle dedi: "Ey Egemen Rab, Yahuda Kralı Hizkiya'nın zamanında meleğini göndermiştin ve o, Sanherib'in ordusundan yüz seksen beş bin kişiyi yok etmişti.

²³Şimdi de, ey göklerin Egemeni, önümüz sıra düşmana korku ve dehşet salacak iyi bir melek gönder.

²⁴Senin kutsal halkına küfrederek saldıranlar, senin güçlü kolunun azametiyle dehşete düşsünler." Ve duasını böylece bitirdi.

²⁵Nikanor ve yanındakiler borazanlar ve savaş şarkıları eşliğinde ilerlediler.

²⁶Yahuda ve adamları ise yakarışlar ve dualarla düşmanla çarpışmaya girdi.

²⁷Elleriyle savaşırken yürekleriyle Tanrı'ya dua ediyorlardı; Tanrı'nın gücünün bu şekilde açıkça belirmesiyle büyük bir sevinç duyarak otuz beş binden fazla adamı yere serdiler.

²⁸Savaş bittikten sonra sevinçle geri dönerken, Nikanor'un tüm zırhı içinde ölü olarak yattığını gördüler.

²⁹Büyük bir çığlık ve kargaşa koptu; atalarının diliyle Egemen Tanrı'yı övmeye başladılar.

³⁰Bedenen ve ruhen her zaman yurttaşlarının ön safında savaşan ve kendi soyuna olan sevgisini ömrü boyunca koruyan Yahuda, Nikanor'un başının, elinin ve omzunun kesilip Yeruşalim'e götürülmesini buyurdu.

³¹Oraya vardığında, kendi soyundan olanları topladı, kahinleri sunağın önüne dizdi ve kaledekileri çağırttı.

³²O iğrenç Nikanor'un başını ve Her Şeye Gücü Yeten'in kutsal tapınağına karşı kibirle uzatıp küfrettiği o saygısız elini onlara gösterdi.

³³Tanrıtanımaz Nikanor'un dilini kestirip parça parça kuşlara verilmesini, bu akılsızlığın cezasının da tapınağın karşısına asılmasını buyurdu.

³⁴Herkes göğe doğru yönelerek yüce Rabbe övgüler sundu ve "Kendi kutsal mekanını lekesiz koruyan Rabbe övgüler olsun!" dediler.

³⁵Nikanor'un başını, Rabbin yardımının herkesçe açıkça görülebilen bir kanıtı olarak kaleye astı.

³⁶Hep birlikte ortak bir kararla, bu günün hiçbir şekilde kutlanmadan geçilmemesini, on ikinci ay olan —Süryani dilinde Adar denilen— ayın on üçüncü gününün, yani Mordekay Günü'nden bir önceki günün bayram olarak kutlanmasını kararlaştırdılar.

³⁷Nikanor'la ilgili olaylar böyle gelişti ve o zamandan beri kent İbranilerin elinde kaldı. Ben de sözlerime burada son veriyorum.

³⁸Eğer bu yazımı iyi ve amacına uygun bir şekilde kaleme alabildiysem, bu zaten benim de istediğim şeydi; eğer sönük ve sıradan kaldıysa, gücüm ancak buna yetmiştir.

³⁹Nasıl ki tek başına şarap ya da tek başına su içmek zararlıysa, suyla karıştırılmış şarap nasıl tatlı ve hoş bir lezzet sunarsa, güzelce işlenmiş bir anlatım da bu eseri okuyanların kulaklarına öyle hoş gelir. İşte son burasıdır.

¹Ο δὲ Νικάνωρ μεταλαβὼν τοὺς περὶ τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν ὄντας ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Σαμάρειαν τόποις, ἐβουλεύσατο τῇ τῆς καταπαύσεως ἡμέρᾳ μετὰ πάσης ἀσφαλείας αὐτοῖς ἐπιβαλεῖν.

²τῶν δὲ κατ᾿ ἀνάγκην συνεπομένων αὐτῷ ᾿Ιουδαίων λεγόντων· μηδαμῶς οὕτως ἀγρίως καὶ βαρβάρως ἀπολέσῃς, δόξαν δὲ ἀπομέρισον τῇ προτετιμημένῃ ὑπὸ τοῦ πάντα ἐφορῶντος μεθ᾿ ἁγιότητος ἡμέρᾳ.

³ὁ δὲ τρισαλιτήριος ἐπηρώτησεν. εἰ ἔστιν ἐν οὐρανῷ δυνάστης ὁ προστεταχὼς ἄγειν τὴν τῶν σαββάτων ἡμέραν;

⁴τῶν δὲ ἀποφηναμένων· ἔστιν ὁ Κύριος ζῶν αὐτὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ δυνάστης ὁ κελεύσας ἀσκεῖν τὴν ἑβδομάδα·

⁵ὁ δὲ ἕτερος· κἀγώ, φησί, δυνάστης ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὁ προστάσσων αἴρειν τὰ ὅπλα καὶ τὰς βασιλικὰς χρείας ἐπιτελεῖν. ὅμως οὐ κατέσχεν ἐπιτελέσαι τὸ σχέτλιον αὐτοῦ βούλημα.

⁶καὶ ὁ μὲν Νικάνωρ μετὰ πάσης ἀλαζονείας ὑψαυχενῶν, διεγνώκει κοινὸν τῶν περὶ τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν συστήσασθαι τρόπαιον.

⁷ὁ δὲ Μακκαβαῖος ἦν ἀδιαλείπτως πεποιθὼς μετὰ πάσης ἐλπίδος ἀντιλήψεως τεύξασθαι παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου

⁸καὶ παρεκάλει τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ μὴ δειλιᾶν τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἔφοδον, ἔχοντας δὲ κατὰ νοῦν τὰ προγεγονότα αὐτοῖς ἀπ᾿ οὐρανοῦ βοηθήματα καὶ τανῦν προσδοκᾶν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Παντοκράτορος ἐσομένην αὐτοῖς νίκην καὶ βοήθειαν.

⁹καὶ παραμυθούμενος αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, προσυπομνήσας δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας, οὓς ἦσαν ἐκτετελεκότες, προθυμοτέρους αὐτοὺς κατέστησε.

¹⁰καὶ τοῖς θυμοῖς διεγείρας αὐτοὺς παρήγγειλεν ἅμα παρεπιδεικνὺς τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀθεσίαν καὶ τὴν τῶν ὅρκων παράβασιν.

¹¹ἕκαστον δὲ αὐτῶν καθοπλίσας οὐ τὴν ἀσπίδων καὶ λογχῶν ἀσφάλειαν, ὡς τὴν ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς λόγοις παράκλησιν, καὶ προσεξηγησάμενος ὄνειρον ἀξιόπιστον ὕπερ τι πάντας εὔφρανεν.

¹²ἦν δὲ ἡ τούτου θεωρία τοιάδε· ᾿Ονίαν τὸν γενόμενον ἀρχιερέα ἄνδρα καλὸν καὶ ἀγαθόν, αἰδήμονα μὲν τὴν ἀπάντησιν, πρᾷον δὲ τὸν τρόπον καὶ λαλιὰν προϊέμενον πρεπόντως καὶ ἐκ παιδὸς ἐκμεμελητηκότα πάντα τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς οἰκεῖα, τοῦτον τὰς χεῖρας προτείναντα κατεύχεσθαι τῷ παντὶ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων συστήματι.

¹³εἶθ᾿ οὕτως ἐπιφανῆναι ἄνδρα πολιᾷ καὶ δόξῃ διαφέροντα, θαυμαστὴν δέ τινα καὶ μεγαλοπρεπεστάτην εἶναι τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν ὑπεροχήν.

¹⁴ἀποκριθέντα δὲ τὸν ᾿Ονίαν εἰπεῖν· ὁ φιλάδελφος οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πολλὰ προσευχόμενος περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τῆς ἁγίας πόλεως ῾Ιερεμίας ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ προφήτης.

¹⁵προτείναντα δὲ τὸν ῾Ιερεμίαν τὴν δεξιὰν παραδοῦναι τῷ ᾿Ιούδᾳ ῥομφαίαν χρυσῆν, διδόντα δὲ προσφωνῆσαι τάδε·

¹⁶λάβε τὴν ἁγίαν ρομφαίαν δῶρον παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, δι᾿ ἧς θραύσεις τοὺς ὑπεναντίους.

¹⁷παρακληθέντες δὲ τοῖς ᾿Ιούδα λόγοις πάνυ καλοῖς καὶ δυναμένοις ἐπ᾿ ἀρετὴν παρορμῆσαι καὶ ψυχὰς νέων ἐπανορθῶσαι, διέγνωσαν μὴ στρατοπεδεύεσθαι, γενναίως δὲ ἐμφέρεσθαι καὶ μετὰ πάσης εὐανδρίας ἐμπλακέντες κρῖναι τὰ πράγματα, διὰ τὸ καὶ τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὰ ἅγια καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν κινδυνεύειν.

¹⁸ἦν γὰρ ὁ περὶ γυναικῶν καὶ τέκνων, ἔτι δὲ ἀδελφῶν καὶ συγγενῶν ἐν ἥττονι μέρει κείμενος αὐτοῖς ἀγών, μέγιστος δὲ καὶ πρῶτος ὁ περὶ τοῦ καθηγιασμένου ναοῦ φόβος.

¹⁹ἦν δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῇ πόλει κατειλημμένοις οὐ πάρεργος ἀγωνία ταρασσομένοις τῆς ἐν ὑπαίθρῳ προσβολῆς.

²⁰καὶ πάντων ἤδη προσδοκώντων τὴν ἐσομένην κρίσιν καὶ ἤδη συμμειξάντων τῶν πολεμίων καὶ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐκταγείσης καὶ τῶν θηρίων ἐπὶ μέρος εὔκαιρον ἀποκατασταθέντων τῆς τε ἵππου κατὰ κέρας τεταγμένης,

²¹συνιδὼν ὁ Μακκαβαῖος τὴν τῶν πληθῶν παρουσίαν καὶ τῶν ὅπλων τὴν ποικίλην παρασκευὴν τήν τε τῶν θηρίων ἀγριότητα, προτείνας τὰς χεῖρας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐπεκαλέσατο τὸν τερατοποιὸν Κύριον, τὸν κατόπτην, γινώσκων ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι δι᾿ ὅπλων ἡ νίκη, καθὼς δὲ ἂν αὐτῷ κριθείη, τοῖς ἀξίοις περιποιεῖται τὴν νίκην.

²²ἔλεγε δὲ ἐπικαλούμενος τόνδε τὸν τρόπον· σὺ Δέσποτα, ἀπέστειλας τὸν ἄγγελόν σου ἐπὶ ᾿Εζεκίου τοῦ βασιλέως τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας καὶ ἀνεῖλεν ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς Σενναχηρεὶμ εἰς ἑκατὸν ὀγδοηκονταπέντε χιλιάδας·

²³καὶ νῦν, δυνάστα τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀπόστειλον ἄγγελον ἀγαθὸν ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῶν εἰς δέος καὶ τρόμον·

²⁴μεγέθει βραχίονός σου καταπλαγείησαν οἱ μετὰ βλασφημίας παραγενόμενοι ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιόν σου λαόν. καὶ οὗτος μὲν ἐν τούτοις ἔληξεν.

²⁵οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν Νικάνορα μετὰ σαλπίγγων καὶ παιάνων προσῆγον.

²⁶οἱ δὲ περὶ τὸν ᾿Ιούδαν μετ᾿ ἐπικλήσεως καὶ εὐχῶν συνέμειξαν τοῖς πολεμίοις

²⁷καὶ ταῖς μὲν χερσὶν ἀγωνιζόμενοι, ταῖς δὲ καρδίαις πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὐχόμενοι κατέστρωσαν οὐδὲν ἧττον μυριάδων τριῶν καὶ πεντακισχιλίων, τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ μεγάλως εὐφρανθέντες ἐπιφανείᾳ.

²⁸γενόμενοι δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς χρείας καὶ μετὰ χαρᾶς ἀναλύοντες, ἐπέγνωσαν προπεπτωκότα Νικάνορα σὺν τῇ πανοπλίᾳ.

²⁹γενομένης δὲ κραυγῆς καὶ ταραχῆς, εὐλόγουν τὸν Δυνάστην τῇ πατρίῳ φωνῇ.

³⁰καὶ προσέταξεν ὁ καθ᾿ ἅπαν σώματι καὶ ψυχῇ πρωταγωνιστὴς ὑπὲρ τῶν πολιτῶν, ὁ τὴν τῆς ἡλικίας εὔνοιαν εἰς ὁμοεθνεῖς διαφυλάξας, τὴν τοῦ Νικάνορος κεφαλὴν ἀποτεμόντας καὶ τὴν χεῖρα σὺν τῷ ὤμῳ φέρειν εἰς ῾Ιεροσόλυμα.

³¹παραγενόμενος δὲ ἐκεῖ καὶ συγκαλέσας τοὺς ὁμοεθνεῖς καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς πρὸ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου στήσας, μετεπέμψατο τοὺς ἐκ τῆς ἄκρας.

³²καὶ ἐπιδειξάμενος τὴν τοῦ μιαροῦ Νικάνορος κεφαλὴν καὶ τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ δυσφήμου, ἣν ἐκτείνας ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ Παντοκράτορος οἶκον ἐμεγαλαύχησε,

³³καὶ τὴν γλῶσσαν τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς Νικάνορος ἐκτεμὼν ἔφη κατὰ μέρος δώσειν τοῖς ὀρνέοις, τὰ δὲ ἐπίχειρα τῆς ἀνοίας κατέναντι τοῦ ναοῦ κρεμάσαι.

³⁴οἱ δὲ πάντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εὐλόγησαν τὸν ἐπιφανῆ Κύριον λέγοντες· εὐλογητὸς ὁ διατηρήσας τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τόπον ἀμίαντον.

³⁵ἐξέδησε δὲ τὴν τοῦ Νικάνορος κεφαλὴν ἐκ τῆς ἄκρας ἐπίδηλον πᾶσι καὶ φανερὸν τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου βοηθείας σημεῖον.

³⁶καὶ ἐδογμάτισαν πάντες μετὰ κοινοῦ ψηφίσματος μηδαμῶς ἐᾶσαι ἀπαρασήμαντον τήνδε τὴν ἡμέραν, ἔχειν δὲ ἐπίσημον τὴν τρισκαιδεκάτην τοῦ δωδεκάτου μηνὸς —῎Αδαρ λέγεται τῇ Συριακῇ φωνῇ— πρὸ μιᾶς ἡμέρας τῆς Μαρδοχαϊκῆς ἡμέρας.

³⁷Τῶν οὖν κατὰ Νικάνορα χωρησάντων οὕτω καὶ ἀπ᾿ ἐκείνων τῶν καιρῶν κρατηθείσης τῆς πόλεως ὑπὸ τῶν ῾Εβραίων, καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτόθι καταπαύσω τὸν λόγον.

³⁸καὶ εἰ μὲν καλῶς καὶ εὐθίκτως τῇ συντάξει, τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἤθελον· εἰ δὲ εὐτελῶς καὶ μετρίως, τοῦτο ἐφικτὸν ἦν μοι.

³⁹καθάπερ γὰρ οἶνον καταμόνας πίνειν, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ὕδωρ πάλιν πολέμιον· ὃν δὲ τρόπον οἶνος ὕδατι συγκερασθεὶς ἡδὺς καὶ ἐπιτερπῆ τὴν χάριν ἀποτελεῖ, οὕτω καὶ τὸ τῆς κατασκευῆς τοῦ λόγου τέρπει τὰς ἀκοὰς τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων τῇ συντάξει. ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἔσται ἡ τελευτή.

¹But Nicanor, hearing that Judas and his company were in the strong places about Samaria, resolved without any danger to set upon them on the sabbath day.

²Nevertheless the Jews that were compelled to go with him said, O destroy not so cruelly and barbarously, but give honour to that day, which he, that seeth all things, hath honoured with holiness above all other days.

³Then the most ungracious wretch demanded, if there were a Mighty one in heaven, that had commanded the sabbath day to be kept.

⁴And when they said, There is in heaven a living Lord, and mighty, who commanded the seventh day to be kept:

⁵Then said the other, And I also am mighty upon earth, and I command to take arms, and to do the king’s business. Yet he obtained not to have his wicked will done.

⁶So Nicanor in exceeding pride and haughtiness determined to set up a publick monument of his victory over Judas and them that were with him.

⁷But Maccabeus had ever sure confidence that the Lord would help him:

⁸Wherefore he exhorted his people not to fear the coming of the heathen against them, but to remember the help which in former times they had received from heaven, and now to expect the victory and aid, which should come unto them from the Almighty.

⁹And so comforting them out of the law and the prophets, and withal putting them in mind of the battles that they won afore, he made them more cheerful.

¹⁰And when he had stirred up their minds, he gave them their charge, shewing them therewithal the falsehood of the heathen, and the breach of oaths.

¹¹Thus he armed every one of them, not so much with defence of shields and spears, as with comfortable and good words: and beside that, he told them a dream worthy to be believed, as if it had been so indeed, which did not a little rejoice them.

¹²And this was his vision: That Onias, who had been high priest, a virtuous and a good man, reverend in conversation, gentle in condition, well spoken also, and exercised from a child in all points of virtue, holding up his hands prayed for the whole body of the Jews.

¹³This done, in like manner there appeared a man with gray hairs, and exceeding glorious, who was of a wonderful and excellent majesty.

¹⁴Then Onias answered, saying, This is a lover of the brethren, who prayeth much for the people, and for the holy city, to wit, Jeremias the prophet of God.

¹⁵Whereupon Jeremias holding forth his right hand gave to Judas a sword of gold, and in giving it spake thus,

¹⁶Take this holy sword, a gift from God, with the which thou shalt wound the adversaries.

¹⁷Thus being well comforted by the words of Judas, which were very good, and able to stir them up to valour, and to encourage the hearts of the young men, they determined not to pitch camp, but courageously to set upon them, and manfully to try the matter by conflict, because the city and the sanctuary and the temple were in danger.

¹⁸For the care that they took for their wives, and their children, their brethren, and folks, was in least account with them: but the greatest and principal fear was for the holy temple.

¹⁹Also they that were in the city took not the least care, being troubled for the conflict abroad.

²⁰And now, when as all looked what should be the trial, and the enemies were already come near, and the army was set in array, and the beasts conveniently placed, and the horsemen set in wings,

²¹Maccabeus seeing the coming of the multitude, and the divers preparations of armour, and the fierceness of the beasts, stretched out his hands toward heaven, and called upon the Lord that worketh wonders, knowing that victory cometh not by arms, but even as it seemeth good to him, he giveth it to such as are worthy:

²²Therefore in his prayer he said after this manner; O Lord, thou didst send thine angel in the time of Ezekias king of Judea, and didst slay in the host of Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand:

²³Wherefore now also, O Lord of heaven, send a good angel before us for a fear and dread unto them;

²⁴And through the might of thine arm let those be stricken with terror, that come against thy holy people to blaspheme. And he ended thus.

²⁵Then Nicanor and they that were with him came forward with trumpets and songs.

²⁶But Judas and his company encountered the enemies with invocation and prayer.

²⁷So that fighting with their hands, and praying unto God with their hearts, they slew no less than thirty and five thousand men: for through the appearance of God they were greatly cheered.

²⁸Now when the battle was done, returning again with joy, they knew that Nicanor lay dead in his harness.

²⁹Then they made a great shout and a noise, praising the Almighty in their own language.

³⁰And Judas, who was ever the chief defender of the citizens both in body and mind, and who continued his love toward his countrymen all his life, commanded to strike off Nicanor’s head, and his hand with his shoulder, and bring them to Jerusalem.

³¹So when he was there, and called them of his nation together, and set the priests before the altar, he sent for them that were of the tower,

³²And shewed them vile Nicanor’s head, and the hand of that blasphemer, which with proud brags he had stretched out against the holy temple of the Almighty.

³³And when he had cut out the tongue of that ungodly Nicanor, he commanded that they should give it by pieces unto the fowls, and hang up the reward of his madness before the temple.

³⁴So every man praised toward the heaven the glorious Lord, saying, Blessed be he that hath kept his own place undefiled.

³⁵He hanged also Nicanor’s head upon the tower, an evident and manifest sign unto all of the help of the Lord.

³⁶And they ordained all with a common decree in no case to let that day pass without solemnity, but to celebrate the thirtieth day of the twelfth month, which in the Syrian tongue is called Adar, the day before Mardocheus’ day.

³⁷Thus went it with Nicanor: and from that time forth the Hebrews had the city in their power. And here will I make an end.

³⁸And if I have done well, and as is fitting the story, it is that which I desired: but if slenderly and meanly, it is that which I could attain unto.

³⁹For as it is hurtful to drink wine or water alone; and as wine mingled with water is pleasant, and delighteth the taste: even so speech finely framed delighteth the ears of them that read the story. And here shall be an end.