1st Maccabees 8

CHAPTER 8

¹And Judas heard the name or fame of Romans, that they be mighty in strengths, and accord to all things that be asked of them; and whoever went to them, they ordained with them friendships;

²and that they be mighty in strengths. And they heard battles of them, and good virtues, that they did in Galatia, for they wielded them, and led them under tribute;

³and how many things they did in the country of Spain, and that they brought into power metals of silver and gold that be there;

⁴and they wielded each place with their counsel, and patience, or wisdom , places that were full far from them; and they all-brake kings that came on them from the utmost places of earth, and they smited them with great wound; forsooth others give to them tribute by all years.

⁵And they all-brake in battle Philip, and Perseus, kings [or king] of Kittim, and others that bare arms against them, and wielded them.

⁶And they wielded Antiochus, the great king of Asia, that gave battle to them, and had an hundred and twenty elephants, and multitude of horsemen, and chariots, and full great host all-broken of them;

⁷and that they took him quick, and ordained to him, that he should give great tribute, and they that reigned after him; and that he should give pledges and ordinance,

⁸in the country of India; and they putted out men of Media, and of Lydia, from the best countries of them, and they gave those countries taken of them to king Eumenes;

⁹and that they that were with Greeks, would go, and take away them;

¹⁰and the word was known to these Romans , and they sent to them one duke, and they fought against them; and many of them fell, and they led their wives captives, and sons, and robbed them; and wielded the land of them, and destroyed the walls of them, and brought them into servage, till into this day.

¹¹And they destroyed other realms and isles, that sometime against-stood them, and brought [them] into power.

¹²Forsooth with their friends, and that had rest in them, they kept friendship, and they wielded realms that were next, and that were far; for whoever heard the name of them, dreaded them.

¹³For they reigned, to whom they would be in help for to reign; forsooth which [or whom] they would, they disturbed from realm; and they were greatly enhanced.

¹⁴In all these Romans , no man bare diadem, neither was clothed in purple, for to be magnified therein.

¹⁵And [for] they made to them a court, and each day they counselled three hundred and twenty, doing counsel evermore of multitude, that they do what things be worthy.

¹⁶And they betake to one man their mastery, either chief governance , by each year, for to be lord of all their land; and all obey to one, and envy is not, neither wrath among them.

¹⁷And Judas chose Eupolemus, the son of John, son of Accos, and Jason, the son of Eleazar, and sent them to Rome, for to ordain with them friendship and fellowship;

¹⁸and that they should take away from them the yoke of Greeks, for they saw that they oppressed the realm of Israel into servage.

¹⁹And they went to Rome, a full great way, and they entered into the court, and said,

²⁰Judas Maccabeus, and his brethren, and the people of Jews, sent us to you, for to ordain with you fellowship and peace, and for to write together us your fellows and friends.

²¹And the word pleased in the sight of them.

²²And this is the again-writing, which they again-writed in brazen tables, and sent into Jerusalem, that it were there a memorial, either a thing of mind , of peace and fellowship.

²³Be it well to Romans, and to the folk of Jews, in the sea and land, without end; and sword and enemy be far from them.

²⁴That if battle befall to Romans before [or former] , either to all fellows of them in all the lordship of them,

²⁵the folk of Jews shall bear help, as time asketh [or as time shall ask] , with full heart;

²⁶and the Romans shall not give, neither privily minister to the Jews fighting [or nor they shall give, neither privily minister to the fighting] , wheat, arms, money, ships, as it pleased to Romans; and they shall keep the commandments of them, and take nothing of them.

²⁷Forsooth in like manner, and if battle falleth before to the folk of Jews, Romans shall help of [good] heart, as time suffereth them [or as time shall suffer them] ;

²⁸and to Romans helping wheat shall not be given, neither arms, money, neither ships, as it pleased to Romans; and they shall keep the commandments of them without guile.

²⁹By [or After] these words the Romans ordained to the people of Jews,

³⁰That if after these words, these either they will put anything to, either do away, they shall do of their common assent; and whatever things they shall put to, either do away, they shall be steadfast.

³¹But also of evils which king Demetrius hath done against them, we have written to him, and we said Why hast thou grieved thy yoke on our friends and fellows, the Jews?

³²Therefore if again they shall come to us against thee, we shall do doom to them, and shall fight with thee by land and sea.