2 Maccabees 15 - Revised Version with Apocrypha 1885, 1895(RV1895)

1 honoured and hallowed above other days;

3Then who now command to take up arms and execute the king's business. Nevertheless he prevailed not to execute his cruel purpose.

6And Nicanor, bearing himself haughtily in all vaingloriousness, had determined to set up a monument of complete victory over Judas and all them that were with him:

7But Maccabæus still trusted unceasingly, with all hope that he should obtain help from the Lord.

8And inroad of the heathen, but, keeping in mind spirit, he gave them his commands, at the same time pointing out the perfidiousness of the heathen and their breach of their oaths.

11And arming each one of them, not so much with the sure defence of shields and spears as with the encouragement that lieth in good words, and moreover relating to them a dream worthy to be believed, he made them all exceeding glad.

12And the vision of that dream was this: He saw not to carry on a campaign, but nobly to bear down upon the enemy, and fighting hand to hand with all courage bring the matter to an issue, because the city and the sanctuary and the temple were in danger.

18For their fear for wives and children, and furthermore for brethren and kinsfolk, was in less account with them; elephants brought back to a convenient post, and the horsemen drawn up on the flank,

21Maccabæus, perceiving the presence of the troops, and the various arms with which they were equipped, and the savageness of the elephants, holding up his hands unto heaven called upon the Lord host of Sennacherib as many as a hundred fourscore and five thousand;

23So now also, tumult, and then they blessed the it by pieces rewards of his madness over against the sanctuary.

34And they all looking up unto heaven blessed the Lord distasteful to drink wine alone and in like manner again to drink water alone, while the mingling of wine with water at once giveth full pleasantness to the flavour; so also the fashioning of the language delighteth the ears of them that read the story.

And here shall be the end.

THE END OF APOCRYPHA.