1{\cf2 In those dayes stoode vp Mattathias the Priest, the sonne of Ioannes, the sonne of Simeon, of the sonnes of Ioarib of Ierusalem, and dwelt in Modin.} 2{\cf2 And hee had fiue sonnes, Ioanan called Gaddis,} 3{\cf2 Simon called Thassi,} 4{\cf2 Iudas which was called Maccabeus,} 5{\cf2 Eleazar called Abaron, & Ionathan, whose name was Apphus.} 6{\cf2 Nowe he sawe the blasphemies, which were committed in Iuda and Ierusalem:} 7{\cf2 And he sayde, Woe is me: wherefore was I borne, to see this destruction of my people, and the destruction of the holy citie, & thus to sit still? it is deliuered into the handes of the enemies,} 8{\cf2 And the Sanctuarie is in the hands of strangers: her Temple is as a man that hath no renoume.} 9{\cf2 Her glorious vessels are caried away into captiuitie: her infants are slayne in the streetes, and her yong men are fallen by the sworde of the enemies.} 10{\cf2 What people is it, that hath not some possession in her kingdome, or hath not gotten of her spoyles?} 11{\cf2 Al her glory is taken away: of a free woman, she is become an handmayde.} 12{\cf2 Behold, our Sanctuarie and our beautie, and honour is desolate, & the Gentiles haue defiled it.} 13{\cf2 What helpeth it vs then to liue any longer?} 14{\cf2 And Mattathias rent his clothes, he, and his sonnes, and put sackcloth vpon them, and mourned very sore.} 15{\cf2 Then came men from the King to the citie of Modin to compell them to forsake God, and to sacrifice.} 16{\cf2 So many of the Israelites consented vnto them: but Mattathias and his sonnes assembled together.} 17{\cf2 Then spake the Commissioners of the King, and sayd vnto Mattathias, Thou art the chiefe and an honourable man, and great in this citie, & hast many children and brethren.} 18{\cf2 Come thou therfore first, & fulfil the Kings commandement, as all the heathen haue done, and also the men of Iuda, and such as remaine at Ierusalem: so shalt thou & thy familie be in the Kings fauour, and thou & thy children shalbe enriched with siluer and golde, and with many rewardes.} 19{\cf2 Then Mattathias answered and sayde with a loude voyce, Though all nations that are vnder the Kings dominion, obey him, & fall away euery man from the religion of their fathers, and consent to his commandements,} 20{\cf2 Yet will I and my sonnes, and my brethren, walke in the couenant of our fathers.} 21{\cf2 God be merciful vnto vs, that we forsake not the Law and the ordinances.} 22{\cf2 We wil not hearken vnto the Kings wordes to transgresse our religion, neither on the right side, nor on the left.} 23{\cf2 And when hee had left off speaking these words, there came one of the Iewes, in the sight of all to sacrifice vpon the altar which was at Modin, according to the Kings commandement.} 24{\cf2 Nowe when Mattathias sawe it, he was so inflamed with zeale, that his raynes shooke, and his wrath was kindled according to the ordinance of the Lawe: therefore he ranne vnto him, and killed him by the altar:} 25{\cf2 And at the same time he slewe ye Kings commissioner, that compelled him to doe sacrifice, and destroyed the altar.} 26{\cf2 Thus bare hee a zeale to the Lawe of God, doing, as Phinees did vnto Zambri the sonne of Salom.} 27{\cf2 Then cryed Mattathias with a loude voyce in the citie, saying, Whosoeuer is zealous of the Law, and will stand by the couenant, let him come forth after me.} 28{\cf2 So he, & his sonnes fled into the moutaines, and left all that they had in the citie.} 29{\cf2 Then many that sought after iustice and iudgement,} 30{\cf2 Went downe into the wildernesse to dwell there, both they, and their children, & their wiues, and their cattell: for the afflictions increased sore vpon them.} 31{\cf2 Nowe when it was tolde vnto the Kings seruants, and to the garisons, which were in Ierusalem in the citie of Dauid, that men had broken the Kings commandement, and were gone downe into the secret places in the wildernesse,} 32{\cf2 Then many pursued after them: and hauing ouertaken them, they camped against them, & set the battel in aray against them on the Sabbath day,} 33{\cf2 And sayd vnto them, Let this now be sufficient: come forth and do according to the commandement of the King, and ye shal liue.} 34{\cf2 But they answered, We will not goe forth, neither will we doe the Kings commandement, to defile the Sabbath day.} 35{\cf2 Then they gaue them the battell.} 36{\cf2 But the other answered them nothing, neyther cast any one stone at them, nor stopped the priuie places,} 37{\cf2 But sayde, We will die all in our innocencie: the heauen and earth shal testifie for vs, that ye destroy vs wrongfully.} 38{\cf2 Thus they gaue them the battel vpon ye Sabbath, and slewe both men & cattell, their wiues and their children to the number of a thousand people.} 39{\cf2 When Mattathias and his friendes vnderstood this, they mourned for them greatly,} 40{\cf2 And said one to another, If we all doe as our brethren haue done, and fight not against the heathen for our liues, and for our Lawes, then shal they incontinently destroy vs out of the earth.} 41{\cf2 Therefore they concluded at the same time, saying, Whosoeuer shall come to make battel with vs vpon the Sabboth day, we wil fight against him, that wee die not all, as our brethren that were murthered in the secret places.} 42{\cf2 Then came vnto them the assembly of the Asideans, which were of the strongest men of Israel, al such as were wel minded toward the Lawe.} 43{\cf2 And all they that were fled for persecution, ioyned them selues vnto them, and were an helpe vnto them.} 44{\cf2 So they gathered a power, and smote the wicked men in their wrath, and ye vngodly in their anger: but the rest fledde vnto the heathen, and escaped.} 45{\cf2 Then Mattathias and his friendes went about, and destroyed the altars,} 46{\cf2 And circumcised the children by force that were vncircumcised, as many as they found within the coastes of Israel,} 47{\cf2 And they pursued after the proude men: and this acte prospered in their hands.} 48{\cf2 So they recouered the Lawe out of the hand of the Gentiles, and out of the hande of Kings, and gaue not place to the wicked.} 49{\cf2 Nowe when the time drewe neere, that Mattathias should die, he saide vnto his sonnes, Nowe is pride and persecution increased, and the time of destruction, and the wrath of indignation.} 50{\cf2 Nowe therefore, my sonnes, be ye zealous of the Lawe, and giue your liues for the couenant of our fathers.} 51{\cf2 Call to remembrance what actes our fathers did in their time: so shall yee receiue great honour and an euerlasting name.} 52{\cf2 Was not Abraham found faithful in tentation, & it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse?} 53{\cf2 Ioseph in the time of his trouble kept the commandement, and was made the lord of Egypt.} 54{\cf2 Phinees our father, because he was zealous and feruent, obtained the couenant of the euerlasting Priesthood.} 55{\cf2 Iesus for fulfilling the word, was made the gouernour of Israel.} 56{\cf2 Caleb, because he bare witnesse before the Congregation, receiued the heritage of the land.} 57{\cf2 Dauid, because of his mercie obtained the throne of the kingdome for euermore.} 58{\cf2 Elias, because he was zealous and feruent in the Lawe, was taken vp euen vnto heauen.} 59{\cf2 Ananias, Azarias and Misael by their faith were deliuered out of the flame.} 60{\cf2 Daniel, because of his innocencie, was deliuered from the mouth of the Lyons.} 61{\cf2 And thus ye may consider throughout all ages, that whosoeuer put their trust in him, shall not want strength.} 62{\cf2 Feare not ye then the words of a sinful man: for his glory is but dongue and wormes.} 63{\cf2 To day is he set vp, and to morowe hee shall not be found: for he is turned into his dust, and his purpose perisheth.} 64{\cf2 Wherefore, my sonnes, take good hearts, and shewe your selues men for the Lawes for by it shall you obtaine glory.} 65{\cf2 And beholde, I knowe that your brother Simon is a man of counsel: giue care vnto him alway: he shall be a father vnto you.} 66{\cf2 And Iudas Maccabeus hath bin mightie and strong, euen from his youth vp: let him bee your captaine, and fight you the battell for the people.} 67{\cf2 Thus shall yee bring vnto you all those that obserue the Lawe, and shall auenge the iniuries of your people.} 68{\cf2 Recompence fully the heathe, and giue your selues to the commandement of the Lawe.} 69{\cf2 So hee blessed them, and was layed with his fathers,} 70{\cf2 And died in the hundreth, fourtie and sixe yeere, and his sonnes buried him in his fathers sepulchre at Modin, and all Israel made great lamentation for him.}