The first booke of the Maccabees. Chapter 2

(Original 1611 KJV Book of 1 Maccabees)

Viewing the 1611 King James Version of 1. Maccabees (1 Maccabees) Chapter 2, also known as: The first booke of the Maccabees. I Maccabees , 1 Maccabees, 1 Macc, 1 Mac, 1M, I Ma, 1Ma, I Mac, 1Mac, I Macc, 1Macc, I Maccabees, 1Maccabees, 1st Maccabees, First Maccabees, First Book of the Maccabees,.

View smaller size scan of original 1 Maccabees Chapter 2, view text-only version of 1 Maccabees Chapter 2, or click to switch to the standard King James Version of 1 Maccabees Chapter 2

Why does it have strange spelling?

1 Maccabees Chapter 2 Original 1611 Bible Scan

CHAP. II.

6 Mattathias lamenteth the case of Ierusalem. 24 He slayeth a Iewe that did sacrifice to Idoles in his presence, and the Kings messenger also. 34 He and his are assailed vpon the Sabbath, and make no resistance. 50 Hee dieth, and instructeth his sons: 66 and maketh their brother Iudas Maccabeus generall.

¹In those daies arose Mattathias the son of Iohn, the sonne of Simeon, a Priest of the sonnes of Ioarib, from Ierusalem, and dwelt in Modin.¹

²And he had fiue sonnes, Ioannan called Caddis:²

³Simon, called Thassi:

⁴Iudas, who was called Maccabeus:

⁵Eleazar, called Auaran, and Ionathan, whose surname was Apphus.⁵

⁶And when hee saw the blasphemies that were committed in Iuda and Ierusalem,

⁷He said, Woe is me, wherfore was I borne to see this misery of my people, and of the holy citie, and to dwell there, when it was deliuered into the hand of the enemie, and the Sanctuary into the hand of strangers?

⁸Her Temple is become as a man without glory.

⁹Her glorious vessels are caried away into captiuitie, her infants are slaine in the streets, her yong men with the sword of the enemie.

¹⁰What nation hath not had a part in her kingdome, and gotten of her spoiles?

¹¹All her ornaments are taken away, of a free-woman shee is become a bondslaue.

¹²And behold, our Sanctuarie, euen our beautie, aud our glory is laid waste, & the Gentiles haue profaned it.¹²

¹³To what ende therefore shall we liue any longer?

¹⁴Then Mattathias and his sons rent their clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourned very sore.

¹⁵In the meane while the kings officers, such as compelled the people to reuolt, came into the city Modin to make them sacrifice.

¹⁶And when many of Israel came vnto them, Mattathias also and his sonnes came together.

¹⁷Then answered the kings officers, and said to Mattathias on this wise; Thou art a ruler, and an honourable and great man in this citie, and strengthened with sons and brethren:

¹⁸Now therefore come thou first and fulfill the kings commandement, like as all the heathen haue done; yea and the men of Iuda also, and such as remaine at Ierusalem: so shalt thou and thine house be in the number of the kings friends, and thou and thy children shall be honoured with siluer, and golde, and many rewards.

¹⁹Then Mattathias answered, and spake with a loude voice, Though all the nations that are vnder the kings dominion obey him, and fall away euery one from the religion of their fathers, and giue consent to his commandements:

²⁰Yet will I, and my sonnes, and my brethren walke in the couenant of our fathers.

²¹God forbid that we should forsake the Law, and the ordinances:

²²We will not hearken to the kings words, to goe from our religion, either on the right hand, or the left.

²³Now when he had left speaking these words, there came one of the Iewes in the sight of all, to sacrifice on the altar, which was at Modin, according to the kings commandement.

²⁴Which thing when Mattathias saw, he was inflamed with zeale, and his reines trembled, neither could hee forbeare to shew his anger according to iudgement: wherefore he ranne, and slew him vpon the altar.

²⁵Also the kings commissioner who compelled men to sacrifice, he killed at that time, & the altar he pulled downe.

²⁶Thus dealt he zealously for the Law of God, like as Phineas did vnto Zambri the sonne of Salom.²⁶

²⁷And Mattathias cried throughout the citie with a loud voyce, saying, Whosoeuer is zealous of the law, and maintaineth the couenant, let him follow me.

²⁸So he and his sonnes fled into the mountaines, and left all that euer they had in the citie.

²⁹Then many that sought after iustice and iudgement, went downe into the wildernesse to dwell there.²⁹

³⁰Both they and their children, and their wiues, and their cattell, because afflictions increased sore vpon them.³⁰

³¹Now when it was told the kings seruants, and the hoste that was at Ierusalem, in the citie of Dauid, that certaine men, who had broken the kings commandement, were gone downe into the secret places in the wildernesse.

³²They pursued after them, a great number, and hauing ouertaken them, they camped against them, and made war against them on the Sabbath day.

³³And they said vnto them, Let that which you haue done hitherto, suffice: Come foorth, and doe according to the commandement of the king, and you shall liue.

³⁴But they said, We will not come forth, neither will we do the kings commandement to profane the Sabbath day.

³⁵So then they gaue them the battell with all speed.³⁵

³⁶Howbeit, they answered them not, neither cast they a stone at them, nor stopped the places where they lay hid,

³⁷But said, Let vs die all in our innocencie: heauen and earth shall testifie for vs, that you put vs to death wrongfully.³⁷

³⁸So they rose vp against them in battell on the Sabbath, and they slew them with their wiues & children, and their cattell, to the number of a thousand people.³⁸

³⁹Now when Mattathias and his friends vnderstood hereof, they mourned for them right sore.

⁴⁰And one of them said to another: If we all do as our brethren haue done, and fight not for our liues, and lawes against the heathen, they wil now quickly root vs out of the earth.

⁴¹At that time therfore they decreed, saying, Whosoeuer shall come to make battell with vs on the Sabbath day, we will fight against him, neither will wee die all, as our brethren that were murdered in the secret places.

⁴²Then came there vnto him a company of Assideans, who were mightie men of Israel, euen all such as were voluntarily deuoted vnto the Lawe.

⁴³Also all they that fled for persecution ioyned themselues vnto them, and were a stay vnto them.

⁴⁴So they ioyned their forces, and smote sinfull men in their anger, and wicked men in their wrath: but the rest fled to the heathen for succour.

⁴⁵Then Mattathias & his friends went round about, and pulled downe the altars.

⁴⁶And what children soeuer they found within the coast of Israel vncircumcised, those they circumcised valiantly.⁴⁶

⁴⁷They pursued also after þ^e proud men, & the work prospered in their hand.

⁴⁸So they recouered the Law out of the hand of the Gentiles, and out of the hande of Kings, neither suffered they the sinner to triumph.⁴⁸

⁴⁹Now when the time drew neere, that Mattathias should die, he said vnto his sonnes, Now hath pride & rebuke gotten strength, and the time of destruction, and the wrath of indignation:

⁵⁰Now therefore, my sonnes, be ye zealous for the Law, & giue your liues for the couenant of your fathers.

⁵¹Call to remembrance what actes our fathers did in their time, so shall ye receiue great honour, & an euerlasting name.⁵¹

⁵²Was not Abraham found faithfull in tentation, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse?⁵²

⁵³Ioseph in the time of his distresse kept the commaundement, and was made Lord of Egypt.⁵³

⁵⁴Phineas our father in being zealous and feruent, obtained the couenant of an euerlasting priesthood.⁵⁴

⁵⁵Iesus for fulfilling the word, was made a iudge in Israel.⁵⁵

⁵⁶Caleb for bearing witnesse, before the congregation, receiued the heritage of the land.⁵⁶

⁵⁷Dauid for being mercifull, possessed the throne of an euerlasting kingdome.⁵⁷

⁵⁸Elias for being zealous and feruent for the law, was taken vp into heauen.⁵⁸

⁵⁹Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, by beleeuing were saued out of the flame ⁵⁹

⁶⁰Daniel for his innocencie was deliuered from the mouth of Lyons.⁶⁰

⁶¹And thus consider ye throughout all ages, that none that put their trust in him shall be ouercome.

⁶²Feare not then the words of a sinfull man: for his glory shall bee dung and wormes.

⁶³To day he shall be lifted vp, and to morrow hee shall not be found, because he is returned into his dust, and his thought is come to nothing.⁶³

⁶⁴Wherefore you my sonnes be valiant, and shew your selues men in the behalfe of the law, for by it shall you obtaine glory.

⁶⁵And behold, I know that your brother Simon is a man of counsell, giue eare vnto him alway: he shall be a father vnto you.

⁶⁶As for Iudas Maccabeus hee hath bin mighty and strong, euen from his youth vp, let him be your captaine, and fight the battaile of the people.⁶⁶

⁶⁷Take also vnto you, all those that obserue the law, and auenge ye the wrong of your people.

⁶⁸Recompence fully the heathen, and take heed to the commandements of the law.

⁶⁹So he blessed them, and was gathered to his fathers.

⁷⁰And he died in the hundreth fortie, and sixth yeere, and his sonnes buried him in the Sepulchre of his fathers, at Modin, and all Israel made great lamentation for him.

Original 1611 KJV Sidenote References for 1 Maccabees Chapter 2

¹ Or Mattathias the son of Iohn, [illeg.] arose from Ierusalem, or out of Ierusalem
² Or, who was called: and so afterward in the rest. , Gaddis.
⁵ Or, Auaron, or Abaron.
¹² Or, holy thing.
²⁶ Num.25. 9.
²⁹ Gr. sit, abide.
³⁰ Gr. euils were multiplied vpon them.
³⁵ Gr. the Iewes.
³⁷ Gr. simplicitie.
³⁸ Gr. soules of men.
⁴⁶ Or, by force
⁴⁸ Gr. gaue they the horse to the sinner.
⁵¹ Gr. generations.
⁵² Gene.22 9, 10. rom. 43.
⁵³ Gene.41. 40.
⁵⁴ Num.25.18. ecclus. 45.23.24.
⁵⁵ Iosh.1.2
⁵⁶ Num.14. 6.7. Iosh. 14.13.
⁵⁷ 2.Sam. 2. 4.
⁵⁸ 2 Kin. 2. 11.
⁵⁹ Dan 3.16. 17. 18, and 16.
⁶⁰ Dan.6.22.
⁶³ Psal.146. 4.
⁶⁶ To fight yee the battaile of the people.

* Some content courtesy of Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania

< 1. Maccabees Chapter 1

1. Maccabees Chapter 3 >

King James Bible Online

1 Maccabees

1611 King James Version (KJV)

The first booke of the Maccabees. Chapter 2

(Original 1611 KJV Book of 1 Maccabees)