1In 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. 2And hee had fiue sonnes, Ioanan called Gaddis, 3Simon called Thassi, 4Iudas which was called Maccabeus, 5Eleazar called Abaron, & Ionathan, whose name was Apphus. 6Nowe he sawe the blasphemies, which were committed in Iuda and Ierusalem: 7And 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, 8And the Sanctuarie is in the hands of strangers: her Temple is as a man that hath no renoume. 9Her 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. 10What people is it, that hath not some possession in her kingdome, or hath not gotten of her spoyles? 11Al her glory is taken away: of a free woman, she is become an handmayde. 12Behold, our Sanctuarie and our beautie, and honour is desolate, & the Gentiles haue defiled it. 13What helpeth it vs then to liue any longer? 14And Mattathias rent his clothes, he, and his sonnes, and put sackcloth vpon them, and mourned very sore. 15Then came men from the King to the citie of Modin to compell them to forsake God, and to sacrifice. 16So many of the Israelites consented vnto them: but Mattathias and his sonnes assembled together. 17Then 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. 18Come 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. 19Then 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, 20Yet will I and my sonnes, and my brethren, walke in the couenant of our fathers. 21God be merciful vnto vs, that we forsake not the Law and the ordinances. 22We wil not hearken vnto the Kings wordes to transgresse our religion, neither on the right side, nor on the left. 23And 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. 24Nowe 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: 25And at the same time he slewe ye Kings commissioner, that compelled him to doe sacrifice, and destroyed the altar. 26Thus bare hee a zeale to the Lawe of God, doing, as Phinees did vnto Zambri the sonne of Salom. 27Then 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. 28So he, & his sonnes fled into the moutaines, and left all that they had in the citie. 29Then many that sought after iustice and iudgement, 30Went downe into the wildernesse to dwell there, both they, and their children, & their wiues, and their cattell: for the afflictions increased sore vpon them. 31Nowe 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, 32Then many pursued after them: and hauing ouertaken them, they camped against them, & set the battel in aray against them on the Sabbath day, 33And sayd vnto them, Let this now be sufficient: come forth and do according to the commandement of the King, and ye shal liue. 34But they answered, We will not goe forth, neither will we doe the Kings commandement, to defile the Sabbath day. 35Then they gaue them the battell. 36But the other answered them nothing, neyther cast any one stone at them, nor stopped the priuie places, 37But sayde, We will die all in our innocencie: the heauen and earth shal testifie for vs, that ye destroy vs wrongfully. 38Thus 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. 39When Mattathias and his friendes vnderstood this, they mourned for them greatly, 40And 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. 41Therefore 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. 42Then 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. 43And all they that were fled for persecution, ioyned them selues vnto them, and were an helpe vnto them. 44So 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. 45Then Mattathias and his friendes went about, and destroyed the altars, 46And circumcised the children by force that were vncircumcised, as many as they found within the coastes of Israel, 47And they pursued after the proude men: and this acte prospered in their hands. 48So 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. 49Nowe 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. 50Nowe therefore, my sonnes, be ye zealous of the Lawe, and giue your liues for the couenant of our fathers. 51Call to remembrance what actes our fathers did in their time: so shall yee receiue great honour and an euerlasting name. 52Was not Abraham found faithful in tentation, & it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse? 53Ioseph in the time of his trouble kept the commandement, and was made the lord of Egypt. 54Phinees our father, because he was zealous and feruent, obtained the couenant of the euerlasting Priesthood. 55Iesus for fulfilling the word, was made the gouernour of Israel. 56Caleb, because he bare witnesse before the Congregation, receiued the heritage of the land. 57Dauid, because of his mercie obtained the throne of the kingdome for euermore. 58Elias, because he was zealous and feruent in the Lawe, was taken vp euen vnto heauen. 59Ananias, Azarias and Misael by their faith were deliuered out of the flame. 60Daniel, because of his innocencie, was deliuered from the mouth of the Lyons. 61And thus ye may consider throughout all ages, that whosoeuer put their trust in him, shall not want strength. 62Feare not ye then the words of a sinful man: for his glory is but dongue and wormes. 63To day is he set vp, and to morowe hee shall not be found: for he is turned into his dust, and his purpose perisheth. 64Wherefore, my sonnes, take good hearts, and shewe your selues men for the Lawes for by it shall you obtaine glory. 65And beholde, I knowe that your brother Simon is a man of counsel: giue care vnto him alway: he shall be a father vnto you. 66And 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. 67Thus shall yee bring vnto you all those that obserue the Lawe, and shall auenge the iniuries of your people. 68Recompence fully the heathe, and giue your selues to the commandement of the Lawe. 69So hee blessed them, and was layed with his fathers, 70And 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.