The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 45: 1 Machabees
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Unknown >> The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 45: 1 Machabees
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6 This eBook was produced by David Widger [widger@cecomet.net]
from etext #1581 prepared by Dennis McCarthy, Atlanta, Georgia
and Tad Book, student, Pontifical North American College, Rome.
THE HOLY BIBLE
Translated from the Latin Vulgate
Diligently Compared with the Hebrew, Greek,
and Other Editions in Divers Languages
THE OLD TESTAMENT
First Published by the English College at Douay
A.D. 1609 & 1610
and
THE NEW TESTAMENT
First Published by the English College at Rheims
A.D. 1582
With Annotations
The Whole Revised and Diligently Compared with
the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner
A.D. 1749-1752
THE FIRST BOOK OF MACHABEES
These books are so called, because they contain the history of the
people of God under the command of Judas Machabeus and his brethren: and
he, as some will have it, was surnamed Machabeus, from carrying in his
ensigns, or standards, those words of Exodus 15.11, Who is like to thee
among the strong, O Lord: in which the initial letters, in the Hebrew,
are M. C. B. E. I. It is not known who is the author of these books. But
as to their authority, though they are not received by the Jews, saith
St. Augustine, (lib. 18, De Civ. Dei, c. 36,) they are received by the
church: who, in settling her canon of the scriptures, chose rather to be
directed by the tradition she had received from the apostles of Christ,
than by that of the scribes and Pharisees. And as the church has
declared these two Books canonical, even in two general councils, viz.,
Florence and Trent, there can be no doubt of their authenticity.
1 Machabees Chapter 1
The reign of Alexander and his successors: Antiochus rifles and profanes
the temple of God: and persecutes unto death all that will not forsake
the law of God, and the religion of their fathers.
1:1. Now it came to pass, after that Alexander the son of Philip the
Macedonian, who first reigned in Greece, coming out of the land of
Cethim, had overthrown Darius, king of the Persians and Medes:
1:2. He fought many battles, and took the strong holds of all, and slew
the kings of the earth:
1:3. And he went through even to the ends of the earth: and took the
spoils of many nations: and the earth was quiet before him.
1:4. And he gathered a power, and a very strong army: and his heart was
exalted and lifted up:
1:5. And he subdued countries of nations, and princes; and they became
tributaries to him.
1:6. And after these things, he fell down upon his bed, and knew that he
should die.
1:7. And he called his servants, the nobles that were brought up with
him from his youth: and he divided his kingdom among them, while he was
yet alive.
Divided his kingdom, etc... This is otherwise related by Q. Curtius;
though he acknowledges that divers were of that opinion, and that it had
been delivered by some authors, lib. 10. But here we find from the
sacred text, that he was in error.
1:8. And Alexander reigned twelve years, and he died.
1:9. And his servants made themselves kings, every one in his place:
1:10. And they all put crowns upon themselves after his death, and their
sons after them, many years; and evils were multiplied in the earth.
1:11. And there came out of them a wicked root, Antiochus the
Illustrious, the son of king Antiochus, who had been a hostage at Rome:
and he reigned in the hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of
the Greeks.
Antiochus the Illustrius... Epiphanes, the younger son of Antiochus the
Great, who usurped the kingdom, to the prejudice of his nephew
Demetrius, son of his elder brother Seleucus Philopater.-Ibid. Of the
kingdom of the Greeks... Counting, not from the beginning of the reign
of Alexander, but from the first year of Seleucus Nicator.
1:12. In those days there went out of Israel wicked men, and they
persuaded many, saying: Let us go and make a covenant with the heathens
that are round about us: for since we departed from them, many evils
have befallen us.
1:13. And the word seemed good in their eyes.
1:14. And some of the people determined to do this, and went to the
king: and he gave them license to do after the ordinances of the
heathens.
1:15. And they built a place of excercise in Jerusalem, according to the
laws of the nations:
1:16. And they made themselves prepuces, and departed from the holy
covenant, and joined themselves to the heathens, and were sold to do
evil:
1:17. And the kingdom was established before Antiochus, and he had a
mind to reign over the land of Egypt, that he might reign over two
kingdoms.
1:18. And he entered into Egypt with a great multitude, with chariots,
and elephants, and horsemen, and a great number of ships:
1:19. And he made war against Ptolemee king of Egypt; but Ptolemee was
afraid at his presence and fled, and many were wounded unto death.
1:20. And he took the strong cities in the land of Egypt: and he took
the spoils of the land of Egypt.
1:21. And after Antiochus had ravaged Egypt, in the hundred and forty-
third year, he returned and went up against Israel.
1:22. And he went up to Jerusalem, with a great multitude.
1:23. And he proudly entered into the sanctuary, and took away the
golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof,
and the table of proposition, and the pouring vessels, and the vials,
and the little mortars of gold, and the veil, and the crowns, and the
golden ornament that was before the temple: and he broke them all in
pieces.
1:24. And he took the silver and gold, and the precious vessels: and he
took the hidden treasures, which he found: and when he had taken all
away, he departed into his own country.
1:25. And he made a great slaughter of men, and spoke very proudly.
1:26. And there was great mourning in Israel, and in every place where
they were:
1:27. And the princes, and the ancients mourned, and the virgins and the
young men were made feeble, and the beauty of the women was changed.
1:28. Every bridegroom took up lamentation: and the bride that sat in
the marriage bed, mourned:
1:29. And the land was moved for the inhabitants thereof, and all the
house of Jacob was covered with confusion.
1:30. And after two full years, the king sent the chief collector of his
tributes to the cities of Juda, and he came to Jerusalem with a great
multitude.
The chief collector, etc... Apollonius.
1:31. And he spoke to them peaceable words in deceit; and they believed
him.
1:32. And he fell upon the city suddenly, and struck it with a great
slaughter, and destroyed much people in Israel.
1:33. And he took the spoils of the city, and burnt it with fire, and
threw down the houses thereof, and the walls thereof round about:
1:34. And they took the women captive, and the children, and the
cattle they possessed.
1:35. And they built the city of David with a great and strong wall, and
with strong towers, and made it a fortress for them:
The city of David... That is, the castle of Sion.
1:36. And they placed there a sinful nation, wicked men, and they
fortified themselves therein: and they stored up armour and victuals,
and gathered together the spoils of Jerusalem;
1:37. And laid them up there: and they became a great snare.
1:38. And this was a place to lie in wait against the sanctuary, and an
evil devil in Israel.
An evil devil... That is, an adversary watching constantly to do harm,
as the evil spirit is always watching and seeking whom he may devour.
1:39. And they shed innocent blood round about the sanctuary, and
defiled the holy place.
1:40. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled away by reason of them and
the city was made the habitation of strangers, and she became a stranger
to her own seed, and her children forsook her.
1:41. Her sanctuary was desolate like a wilderness, her festival days
were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach, her honours were
brought to nothing.
1:42. Her dishonour was increased according to her glory, and her
excellency was turned into mourning.
1:43. And king Antiochus wrote to all his kingdom, that all the people
should be one: and every one should leave his own law.
1:44. And all nations consented, according to the word of king
Antiochus.
1:45 And many of Israel consented to his service, and they sacrificed to
idols, and profaned the sabbath.
1:46. And the king sent letters by the hands of messengers to Jerusalem,
and to all the cities of Juda; that they should follow the law of the
nations of the earth.
1:47. And should forbid holocausts and sacrifices, and atonements to be
made in the temple of God.
1:48. And should prohibit the sabbath, and the festival days to be
celebrated.
1:49. And he commanded the holy places to be profaned, and the holy
people of Israel.
1:50. And he commanded altars to be built, and temples, and idols, and
swine's flesh to be immolated, and unclean beasts,
1:51. And that they should leave their children uncircumcised, and let
their souls be defiled with all uncleannesses, and abominations, to the
end that they should forget the law, and should change all the
justifications of God.
1:52. And that whosoever would not do according to the word of king
Antiochus, should be put to death.
1:53. According to all these words he wrote to his whole kingdom: and he
appointed rulers over the people that should force them to do these
things.
1:54. And they commanded the cities of Juda to sacrifice.
1:55. Then many of the people were gathered to them that had forsaken
the law of the Lord: and they committed evils in the land:
1:56. And they drove away the people of Israel into lurking holes, and
into the secret places of fugitives.
1:57. On the fifteenth day of the month, Casleu, in the hundred and
forty-fifth year, king Antiochus set up the abominable idol of
desolation upon the altar of God, and they built altars throughout all
the cities of Juda round about:
The abominable idol, etc... Viz., the statue of Jupiter Olympius.
1:58. And they burnt incense, and sacrificed at the doors of the houses
and in the streets. 1:59. And they cut in pieces, and burnt with fire
the books of the law of God:
1:60. And every one with whom the books of the testament of the Lord
were found, and whosoever observed the law of the Lord, they put to
death, according to the edict of the king.
1:61. Thus by their power did they deal with the people of Israel, that
were found in the cities month after month.
1:62. And on the five and twentieth day of the month they sacrificed
upon the altar of the idol that was over against the altar of God.
1:63. Now the women that circumcised their children were slain according
to the commandment of king Antiochus,
1:64. And they hanged the children about their neck in all their houses:
and those that had circumcised them, they put to death.
1:65. And many of the people of Israel determined with themselves, that
they would not eat unclean things: and they chose rather to die, than to
be defiled with unclean meats:
1:66. And they would not break the holy law of God and they were put to
death:
1:67. And there was very great wrath upon the people.
1 Machabees Chapter 2.
The zeal and success of Mathathias. His exhortation to his sons at his
death.
2:1. In those days arose Mathathias, the son of John, the son of Simeon,
a priest of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem, and he abode in the
mountain of Modin:
2:2. And he had five sons: John, who was surnamed Gaddis:
2:3. And Simon, who was surnamed Thasi;
2:4. And Judas, who was called Machabeus;
2:5. And Eleazar, who was surnamed Abaron; and Jonathan, who was
surnamed Apphus.
2:6. These saw the evils that were done in the people of Juda, and in
Jerusalem.
2:7. And Mathathias said: Woe is me, wherefore was I born to see the
ruin of my people, and the ruin of the holy city, and to dwell there,
when it is given into the hands of the enemies?
2:8. The holy places are come into the hands of strangers her temple is
become as a man without honour.
2:9. The vessels of her glory are carried away captive; her old men are
murdered in the streets, and her young men are fallen by the sword of
the enemies.
2:10. What nation hath not inherited her kingdom, and gotten of her
spoils?
2:11. All her ornaments are taken away. She that was free is made a
slave.
2:12. And behold our sanctuary, and our beauty, and our glory is laid
waste, and the Gentiles have defiled them.
2:13. To what end then should we live any longer?
2:14. And Mathathias and his sons rent their garments, and they covered
themselves with haircloth, and made great lamentation.
2:15. And they that were sent from king Antiochus, came thither, to
compel them that were fled into the city of Modin, to sacrifice, and to
burn incense, and to depart from the law of God.
2:16. And many of the people of Israel consented and came to them: but
Mathathias and his sons stood firm.
2:17. And they that were sent from Antiochus, answering, said to
Mathathias: Thou art a ruler, and an honourable, and great man in this
city, and adorned with sons, and brethren.
2:18. Therefore, come thou first, and obey the king's commandment, as
all nations have done, and the men of Juda, and they that remain in
Jerusalem: and thou, and thy sons shall be in the number of the king's
friends, and enriched with gold, and silver, and many presents. 2:19.
Then Mathathias answered, and said with a loud voice: Although all
nations obey king Antiochus, so as to depart every man from the service
of the law of his fathers, and consent to his commandments:
2:20. I and my sons, and my brethren will obey the law of our fathers.
2:21. God be merciful unto us: it is not profitable for us to forsake
the law, and the justices of God:
2:22. We will not hearken to the words of king Antiochus, neither will
we sacrifice and transgress the commandments of our law, to go another
way.
2:23. Now as he left off speaking these words, there came a certain Jew
in the sight of all to sacrifice to the idols upon the altar in the city
of Modin, according to the king's commandment.
2:24. And Mathathias saw, and was grieved, and his reins trembled, and
his wrath was kindled according to the judgment of the law, and running
upon him he slew him upon the altar:
2:25. Moreover the man whom king Antiochus had sent, who compelled them
to sacrifice, he slew at the same time, and pulled down the altar,
2:26. And shewed zeal for the law, as Phinees did by Zamri, the son of
Salomi.
2:27. And Mathathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying:
Every one that hath zeal for the law, and maintaineth the testament, let
him follow me.
2:28. So he and his sons fled into the mountains, and left all that they
had in the city.
2:29. Then many that sought after judgment, and justice, went down into
the desert,
2:30. And they abode there, they and their children, and their wives,
and their cattle: because afflictions increased upon them.
2:31. And it was told to the king's men, and to the army that was in
Jerusalem, in the city of David, that certain men, who had broken the
king's commandment, were gone away into the secret places in the
wilderness, and that many were gone after them.
2:32. And forthwith they went out towards them, and made war against
them on the sabbath day.
2:33. And they said to them: Do you still resist? come forth, and do
according to the edict of king Antiochus, and you shall live.
2:34. And they said: We will not come forth, neither will we obey the
king's edict, to profane the sabbath day.
2:35. And they made haste to give them battle.
2:36. But they answered them not, neither did they cast a stone at them,
nor stopped up the secret places,
2:37. Saying: Let us all die in our innocency: and heaven and earth
shall be witnesses for us, that you put us to death wrongfully.
2:38. So they gave them battle on the sabbath: and they were slain, with
their wives, and their children, and their cattle, to the number of a
thousand persons.
2:39. And Mathathias and his friends heard of it, and they mourned for
them exceedingly.
2:40. And every man said to his neighbour: If we shall all do as our
brethren have done, and not fight against the heathens for our lives,
and our justifications, they will now quickly root us out of the earth.
2:41. And they determined in that day, saying: Whosoever shall come up
against us to fight on the sabbath day, we will fight against him: and
we will not all die, as our brethren that were slain in the secret
places.
2:42. Then was assembled to them the congregation of the Assideans, the
stoutest of Israel, every one that had a good will for the law.
The Assideans... A set of men that led a religious life; and were
zealous for the law and worship of God.
2:43. And all they that fled from the evils, joined themselves to them,
and were a support to them.
2:44. And they gathered an army, and slew the sinners in their wrath,
and the wicked men in their indignation: and the rest fled to the
nations for safety.
2:45. And Mathathias and his friends went round about, and they threw
down the altars:
2:46. And they circumcised all the children whom they found in the
confines of Israel that were uncircumcised: and they did valiantly.
2:47. And they pursued after the children of pride, and the work
prospered in their hands:
2:48. And they recovered the law out of the hands of the nations, and
out of the hands of the kings: and they yielded not the horn to the
sinner.
They yielded not the horn, etc... That is, they suffered not the power
of Antiochus, that man of sin, to abolish the law and religion of God.
2:49. Now the days drew near that Mathathias should die, and he said to
his sons: Now hath pride and chastisement gotten strength, and the time
of destruction, and the wrath of indignation:
2:50. Now, therefore, O my sons, be ye zealous for the law, and give
your lives for the covenant of your fathers.
2:51. And call to remembrance the works of the fathers, which they have
done in their generations: and you shall receive great glory, and an
everlasting name.
2:52. Was not Abraham found faithful in temptation, and it was reputed
to him unto justice?
2:53. Joseph, in the time of his distress, kept the commandment, and he
was made lord of Egypt.
2:54. Phinees, our father, by being fervent in the zeal of God, received
the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.
2:55. Jesus, whilst he fulfilled the word, was made ruler in Israel.
Jesus... That is, Josue.
2:56. Caleb, for bearing witness before the congregation, received an
inheritance.
2:57. David, by his mercy, obtained the throne of an everlasting
kingdom.
2:58. Elias, while he is full of zeal for the law, was taken up into
heaven.
2:59. Ananias and Azarias and Misael, by believing, were delivered out
of the flame.
2:60. Daniel, in his innocency, was delivered out of the mouth of the
lions.
2:61. And thus consider, through all generations: that none that trust
in him, fail in strength.
2:62. And fear not the words of a sinful man, for his glory is dung and
worms:
2:63. Today he is lifted up, and tomorrow he shall not be found, because
he is returned into his earth and his thought is come to nothing.
2:64. You, therefore, my sons, take courage, and behave manfully in the
law: for by it you shall be glorious.
2:65. And behold, I know that your brother Simon is a man of counsel:
give ear to him always, and he shall be a father to you.
2:66. And Judas Machabeus, who is valiant and strong from his youth up,
let him be the leader of your army, and he shall manage the war of the
people.
2:67. And you shall take to you all that observe the law: and revenge ye
the wrong of your people.
2:68. Render to the Gentiles their reward, and take heed to the precepts
of the law.
2:69. And he blessed them, and was joined to his fathers.
2:70. And he died in the hundred and forty-sixth year: and he was buried
by his sons in the sepulchres of his fathers, in Modin, and all Israel
mourned for him with great mourning.
1 Machabees Chapter 3
Judas Machabeus succeeds his father, and overthrows Apollonius and
Seron. A great army is sent against him out of Syria. He prepares his
people for battle by fasting and prayer.
3:1. Then his son Judas, called Machabeus, rose up in his stead.
3:2. And all his brethren helped him, and all they that had joined
themselves to his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the battle
of Israel.
3:3. And he got his people great honour, and put on a breastplate as a
giant, and girt his warlike armour about him in battles, and protected
the camp with his sword.
3:4. In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp roaring for
his prey.
3:5. And he pursued the wicked and sought them out, and them that
troubled his people he burnt with fire:
3:6. And his enemies were driven away for fear of him, and all the
workers of iniquity were troubled: and salvation prospered in his hand.
3:7. And he grieved many kings, and made Jacob glad with his works, and
his memory is blessed for ever.
3:8. And he went through the cities of Juda, and destroyed the wicked
out of them, and turned away wrath from Israel.
3:9. And he was renowned even to the utmost part of the earth, and he
gathered them that were perishing.
3:10. And Apollonius gathered together the Gentiles, and a numerous and
great army from Samaria, to make war against Israel.
3:11. And Judas understood it, and went forth to meet him: and he
overthrew him, and killed him: and many fell down slain, and the rest
fled away.
3:12. And he took their spoils, and Judas took the sword of Apollonius,
and fought with it all his lifetime.
3:13. And Seron, captain of the army of Syria, heard that Judas had
assembled a company of the faithful, and a congregation with him,
3:14. And he said I will get me a name, and will be glorified in the
kingdom, and will overthrow Judas, and those that are with him, that
have despised the edict of the king.
3:15. And he made himself ready; and the host of the wicked went up with
him, strong succours, to be revenged of the children of Israel.
3:16. And they approached even as far as Bethoron: and Judas went forth
to meet him, with a small company.
3:17. But when they saw the army coming to meet them, they said to
Judas: How shall we, being few, be able to fight against so great a
multitude, and so strong, and we are ready to faint with fasting today?
3:18. And Judas said: It is an easy matter for many to be shut up in the
hands of a few: and there is no difference in the sight of the God of
heaven to deliver with a great multitude, or with a small company:
3:19. For the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but
strength cometh from heaven.
3:20. They come against us with an insolent multitude, and with pride,
to destroy us, and our wives, and our children, and to take our spoils.
3:21. But we will fight for our lives, and our laws:
3:22. And the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face, but as
for you, fear them not.
3:23. And as soon as he had made an end of speaking, he rushed suddenly
upon them: and Seron, and his host were overthrown before him:
3:24. And he pursued him by the descent of Bethoron, even to the plain,
and there fell of them eight hundred men, and the rest fled into the
land of the Philistines.
3:25. And the fear of Judas, and of his brethren, and the dread of them,
fell upon all the nations round about them.
3:26. And his fame came to the king, and all nations told of the battles
of Judas.
3:27. Now when king Antiochus heard these words, he was angry in his
mind: and he sent, and gathered the forces of all his kingdom, an
exceeding strong army.
3:28. And he opened his treasury, and gave out pay to the army for a
year: and he commanded them, that they should be ready for all things.
3:29. And he perceived that the money of his treasures failed, and that
the tributes of the country were small, because of the dissension, and
the evil that he had brought upon the land, that he might take away the
laws of old times:
3:30. And he feared that he should not have as formerly enough for
charges and gifts, which he had given before with a liberal hand: for he
had abounded more than the kings that had been before him.
3:31. And he was greatly perplexed in mind, and purposed to go into
Persia, and to take tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.
3:32. And he left Lysias, a nobleman of the blood royal to oversee the
affairs of the kingdom from the river Euphrates even to the river of
Egypt:
3:33. And to bring up his son, Antiochus, till he came again.
3:34. And he delivered to him half the army, and the elephants: and he
gave him charge concerning all that he would have done, and concerning
the inhabitants of Judea, and Jerusalem.
3:35. And that he should send an army against them to destroy and root
out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take
away the memory of them from that place.
3:36. And that he should settle strangers, to dwell in all their coasts,
and divide their land by lot.
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