Page:KJV 1772 Oxford Edition, vol. 2.djvu/185

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Apocrypha.
II. MACCABEES.
Apocrypha.

day of them of his own nation would be a cu., most unhappy day for him ; but thinking they had been his enemies, and not his countrymen, whom he conquered.

7 Howbeit for all this he obtained not the principality, but at the last received ihame for the reward of his treason, and . fled again into the country of the Ammo nites.

8 In the end therefore he had an unhap py return, being accused before Aretas the king of the Arabians, fleeing from city to city, pursued of all men, hated as a forsaker -of the laws, and being had in abomination as an open | enemy of his country and countrymen, he was cast out into Egypt.

. 9 Thus he that had driven many out of their country perished in a strange land, retiring to the Lacedemonians, and think ing there to find succour by reason of his kindred :

10 And he that had cast out many un- buried had none to mourn for him, nor any solemn funerals at all, nor sepulchre with his fathers.

11 Now. when this that was done came to the king's ear, he thought that Judea had revolted : whereupon " removing out •of Egypt in a furious mind, he took the city by force of arms,

12 And commanded his men of war not to spare such as they met, and to Hay such as went up upon the houses.

13 Thus there was killing of young and old, making away of men, women, -and children, slaying of virgins and infants.

14 And there were destroyed within the space of three whole days fourscore thou sand, whereof forty thousand were slain in the conflict ; and no fewer sold than slain.

it Yet was he not content with this, but presumed to go into the most holy temple of all the world ; Menelaus, that traitor to the laws, and to his own country, being his guide :

16 And taking the holy vessels with pol luted hands, and with profane hands pull- , ing down the things that were dedicated by other kings to the augmentation and glory and honour of the place, he gave them away.

iyAndlbhaughty wasAntiochusinmind, that he considered not that the Lord was angry for a while for the sins of them that dwelt in the city, and therefore his eye was not upon the place.

18 For had they not been formerly wrap ped in manysins, thisman, as soon as he had come, had forthwith been scourged, and put back from his presumption, 0 as Heliodorus was, whom Seleucus the- king sent to view the treasury. cu-. ,70.

19 Nevertheless God did not choose the people for the place's fake, but the place for the people's fake.

20 And therefore the place itself, that was partaker with them of the adversity that happened to the nation, did afterward communicate in the benefits sent from the Lord : and as it was forsaken in the wrath of the Almighty, so again, the great Lord being reconciled, it was set up with all glory.

21 So when Antiochus had carried out of the temple a thousand and eight hun dred talents, he departed in all haste unto Antiochia, weening in his pride to make the land navigable, and the sea passable by foot : such was the haughtiness of his mind.

22Andcheleftgovernorstovexthena-e1Mo tion: at Jerusalem, Philip, for his country *' s'" a Phrygian, and for manners more barbar ous than he tMat set him there ;

23 AndatGarizim, Andronicus; and be sides, Menelaus, who worse than all the rest bare an heavy hand over the citizens, having a malicious mind against his countrymen the Jews.

24 He sent also d that detestable ringlea- cir-der Apollonius with an army of two and ^.'J^.10' twenty thousand, commanding him to flay all those that were in their best age, and to sell the women and the younger sort :

2 c Who coming to Jerusalem, and pre tending peace, did forbear till the holy day of the sabbath, when taking the Jews keeping holy day, he commanded his men to arm themselves.

26 And so he slew all them that were gone to the celebrating of the sabbath, and running through the city with weapons slew great multitudes.

27 But Judas Maccabeus + with nine to others, or thereabout, c withdrew himself ?t*tM?. into the wilderness, and lived in the moun- c > Mac. tains after the manner of beasts, with his Jieor. n. company, who fed on herbs continually, 38. lest they should be partakers of the pol lution.

CHAP. VI.

1 The Jews are required under pain of death to forsake the law, and the temple is polluted. 1 o Cruelties exercised upon those who adhered to the law. 12 An exhortation not to be discouraged for these calamities. 18 The. courage, of Eleazar, who was cruelly tortured to death for the cause of religion.

NOT long after this the king sent an old man of y Athens to compel the Jews II to depart from the laws of their fathers, and not to live after the laws of God : ten.