that there is no other God that may deliver Israel.'
Machabeus then drew near with his little army
that was three thousand, that would then follow him.
They blew then their trumpets, and boldly fought,
till that the heathen fled to distant lands
and Judas drove them away, like beasts to the wood.
There were slain some three thousand;
and Judas then found, when he returned from the expedition,
gold and silver, fine cloth and purple,
and many other spoils, within the camps;
and they then thanked God for all his goodness.
Again in the second year Lysias gathered together
five and sixty thousand of marching thanes,
and desired to overcome the Jewish folk.
Then Judas Machabeus trusted greatly in God,
and marched against him with the folk that he had,
that were twelve thousand of fighting men.
And Judas awaited him there, and blessed his Creator —
'Blessed art Thou, Almighty Saviour of Israel;
Thou that didst quell formerly the violent host
by the hands of David, now disperse the heathen
by the hands of thy people, and terrify them with fright;
overthrow them by the swords of them that love Thee,
that all may praise Thee, that hear Thy name.'
They joined battle then together, un-slow with weapons,
and there fell then of the heathen five thousand slain,
and Lysias fled with the remnant of the army.
Then quoth Judas to his comrades, that he would do away the filth
out of the temple of God, which the wrathful Antiochus
