| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Machabees
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:
He fought many battles, and took the strong holds of
all, and slew the kings of the earth:
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.
And he gathered a power, and a very strong army: and
his heart was exalted and lifted up.
And he subdued countries of nations, and princes: and
they became tributaries to him.
And after these things, he fell down upon his bed, and
knew that he should die.
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.
And Alexander reigned twelve years, and he died.
And his servants made themselves kings every one in
his place:
And they all put crowns upon themselves after his death,
and their sons after them many years, and evils were
multiplied in the earth.
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.
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.
And the word seemed good in their eyes.
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.
And they built a place of exercise in Jerusalem, according
to the laws of the nations:
And they made themselves prepuces, and departed from
the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the heathens,
and were sold to do evil.
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.
And he entered into Egypt with a great multitude, with
chariots and elephants, and horsemen, and a great number
of ships:
And he made war against Ptolemee king of Egypt, but
Ptolemee was afraid at his presence, and fled, and many
were wounded unto death.
And he took the strong cities in the land of Egypt:
and he took the spoils of the land of Egypt.
And after Antiochus had ravaged Egypt in the hundred
and forty-third year, he returned and went up against
Israel.
And he went up to Jerusalem with a great multitude.
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.
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.
And he made a great slaughter of men, and spoke very
proudly.
And there was great mourning in Israel, and in every
place where they were.
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.
Every bridegroom took up lamentation: and the bride
that set in the marriage bed, mourned:
And the land was moved for the inhabitants thereof,
and all the house of Jacob was covered with confusion.
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.
And he spoke to them peaceable words in deceit: and
they believed him.
And he fell upon the city suddenly, and struck it with
a great slaughter, and destroyed much people in Israel.
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:
And they took the women captive, and the children, and
the cattle they possessed.
And they built the city of David with a great and strong
wall, and with strong towers, and made it a fortress
for them:
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;
And laid them up there: and they became a great snare.
And this was a place to lie in wait against the sanctuary,
and an evil devil in Israel.
And they shed innocent blood round about the sanctuary,
and defiled the holy place.
And the inhabitants of Jerusalem fled away by reason
of them, and the city was made the habitation to strangers,
and she became a stranger to her own seed, and her children
forsook her.
Her sanctuary was desolate like a wilderness, her festival
days were turned into mourning, her sabbaths into reproach,
her honours were brought to nothing.
Her dishonour was increased according to her glory,
and her excellency was turned into mourning.
And king Antiochus wrote to all his kingdom, that all
the people should be one: and every one should leave
his own law.
And all nations consented according to the word of king
Antiochus.
And many of Israel consented to his service, and they
sacrificed to idols, and profaned the sabbath.
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,
And should forbid holocausts and sacrifices, and atonements
to be made in the temple of God.
And should prohibit the sabbath, and the festival days,
to be celebrated.
And he commanded the holy places to be profaned, and
the holy people of Israel.
And he commanded altars to be built, and temples, and
idols, and swine's flesh to be immolated, and unclean
beasts.
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.
And that whosoever would not do according to the word
of king Antiochus should be put to death.
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.
And they commanded the cities of Juda to sacrifice.
Then many of the people were gathered to them that had
forsaken the law of the Lord: and they committed evils
in the land:
And they drove away the people of Israel into lurking
holes, and into the secret places of fugitives.
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:
And they burnt incense, and sacrificed at the doors
of the houses, and in the streets.
And they cut in pieces, and burnt with fire the books
of the law of God:
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.
Thus by their power did they deal with the people of
Israel, that were found in the cities month after month.
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.
Now the women that circumcised their children, were
slain according to the commandment of king Antiochus.
And they hanged the children about their necks in all
their houses: and those that had circumcised them, they
put to death.
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.
And they would not break the holy law of God, and they
were put to death:
And there was very great wrath upon the people.
|
English version
Version française 
