I Maccabees 11

¹And the king of Egypt gathered together an army, like the sand that is along the shore of the sea, and many ships. And he sought to obtain the kingdom of Alexander by deceit, and to add it to his own kingdom.

²And he departed into Syria with words of peace, and they opened the cities to him, and they were meeting with him. For king Alexander had commanded them to go out to meet him, because he was his father-in-law.

³But when Ptolemy entered a city, he placed garrisons of soldiers in each of the cities.

⁴And when he drew near to Azotus, they revealed to him that the temple of Dagon had been burned with fire, and Azotus and its suburbs had been demolished, and bodies had been abandoned, and that, for those who had been cut to pieces in the war, they had made a tomb along the way.

⁵And they told the king that Jonathan had done these things, so as to make him hated. But the king remained silent.

⁶And Jonathan went to meet the king at Joppa with glory, and they greeted one another, and they stayed there.

⁷And Jonathan went with the king as far as the river, which is called Eleutherus. And he returned to Jerusalem.

⁸But king Ptolemy obtained the dominion of the coastal cities, as far as Seleucia, and he devised evil plans against Alexander.

⁹And he sent ambassadors to Demetrius, saying: “Come, let us compose a pact between us, and I will give you my daughter, whom Alexander had, and you will reign in the kingdom of your father.

¹⁰For I regret that I have given him my daughter. For he has sought to kill me.”

¹¹And he slandered him, because he coveted his kingdom.

¹²And he took away his daughter, and he gave her to Demetrius, and he alienated himself from Alexander, and his hostilities were made manifest.

¹³And Ptolemy entered Antioch, and he placed two diadems upon his head, that of Egypt, and that of Asia.

¹⁴Now king Alexander was in Cilicia at that time, because the people of those places were rebelling.

¹⁵And when Alexander heard of it, he came against him in warfare. And king Ptolemy led forth his army, and he met him with a strong hand, and he put him to flight.

¹⁶And Alexander fled into Arabia, so as to be protected there. And king Ptolemy was exalted.

¹⁷And Zabdiel the Arab took off the head of Alexander, and he sent it to Ptolemy.

¹⁸And king Ptolemy died on the third day, and those who were in the strongholds were destroyed by those who were in the camp.

¹⁹And Demetrius reigned in the one hundred and sixty-seventh year.

²⁰In those days, Jonathan gathered together those who were in Judea, in order to fight against the stronghold that was in Jerusalem. And they made many machines of war against it.

²¹And so, certain men of iniquity, who hated their own people, went forth to king Demetrius, and they reported to him that Jonathan was besieging the stronghold.

²²And when he heard it, he became angry. And immediately he came to Ptolemais, and he wrote to Jonathan that he should not besiege the stronghold, but that he should meet with him promptly, for a discussion.

²³But when Jonathan heard this, he ordered them to besiege it. And he chose some from the elders of Israel and from the priests, and he put himself in danger.

²⁴And he took gold, and silver, and vestments, and many other presents, and he went to the king at Ptolemais, and he found favor in his sight.

²⁵And some of the iniquitous from his nation came forward with objections against him.

²⁶And the king treated him just as those who were before him had treated him. And he exalted him in the sight of all his friends.

²⁷And he confirmed him in the high priesthood and in all the other honors that he held before, and he made him the leader of his friends.

²⁸And Jonathan requested of the king that he would make Judea free from tribute, along with the three districts, and Samaria, and its confines. And he promised him three hundred talents.

²⁹And the king consented. And he wrote letters to Jonathan about all these things, continuing in this way:

³⁰“King Demetrius to his brother Jonathan, and to the nation of the Jews: greetings.

³¹We are sending you a copy of the letter that we wrote to Lasthenes, our parent, about you, so that you will know.

³²‘King Demetrius to Lasthenes, his parent: greetings.

³³We have determined to do good to the people of the Jews, who are our friends and who keep to what is just with us, because of their good will, which they hold toward us.

³⁴Therefore, we have assigned to them all the parts of Judea, and the three cities, Lydda and Ramatha, which were added to Judea from Samaria, and all their confines, to be set apart for all those sacrificing in Jerusalem, in place of that which the king previously received from them each year, and in place of the fruits of the land and of the fruit trees.

³⁵And, as for the rest of that which pertains to us from tithes and tributes, from this time forward, we release them from these, as well as from the drying areas of salt and the crowns that were presented to us.

³⁶All these, we concede to them, and nothing of these shall be revoked, from this time forward and for all time.

³⁷Now, therefore, take care to make a copy of these things, and let it be given to Jonathan and set upon the holy mountain, in an honorable place.’ ”

³⁸And king Demetrius, seeing that the land was quieted in his sight and that nothing resisted him, sent all his forces away, each one to his own place, except the foreign army, which he had drawn together from the islands of the nations. And so all the troops of his fathers were hostile to him.

³⁹But there was a certain one, Trypho, who was previously on Alexander’s side. And he saw that all the army murmured against Demetrius, and so he went to Imalkue the Arab, who raised Antiochus, the son of Alexander.

⁴⁰And he persuaded him to deliver him to him, so that he would reign in his father’s place. And he reported to him what Demetrius had done, and that his army was hostile to him. And he remained there for many days.

⁴¹And Jonathan sent to king Demetrius, so that he would cast out those who were in the stronghold in Jerusalem and those who were with the garrisons, because they fought against Israel.

⁴²And Demetrius sent to Jonathan, saying: “I will not only do this for you and your people, but I will elevate your glory and your nation, when opportunity shall serve.

⁴³Now, therefore, you will do well if you send men as auxiliaries to me. For all my army has withdrawn from me.”

⁴⁴And Jonathan sent three thousand strong men to him at Antioch. And they came to the king, and the king was delighted at their arrival.

⁴⁵And those who were of the city gathered together, one hundred and twenty thousand men, and they wanted to execute the king.

⁴⁶And the king fled into the royal court. And those who were of the city, occupied the passageways of the city, and they began to fight.

⁴⁷And the king called the Jews to his assistance. And they came together before him at the same time, and then they all dispersed themselves throughout the city.

⁴⁸And they killed, in that day, one hundred thousand men, and they set fire to the city, and they seized many spoils in that day, and they freed the king.

⁴⁹And those who were of the city saw that the Jews had taken the city, just as they wanted, and they were weakened in their resolve, and they cried out to the king with supplication, saying,

⁵⁰“Grant us a pledge, and let the Jews cease from assailing us and the city.”

⁵¹And they threw down their arms, and they made peace. And the Jews were glorified in the sight of the king and in the sight of all who were in his realm. And they became renowned in the kingdom, and they returned to Jerusalem, holding many spoils.

⁵²And so king Demetrius sat on the throne of his kingdom. And the land was quieted in his sight.

⁵³And he falsified everything whatsoever that he had said. And he alienated himself from Jonathan, and he did not repay him according to the benefits that he had received in tribute from him. And he vexed him greatly.

⁵⁴But after this, Trypho returned, and with him was Antiochus, the adolescent boy, and he reigned, and he put a diadem on himself.

⁵⁵And there assembled before him all the troops, which Demetrius had dispersed, and they fought against him. And he turned his back and fled.

⁵⁶And Trypho took the elephants, and he obtained Antioch.

⁵⁷And young Antiochus wrote to Jonathan, saying: “I confirm you in the priesthood, and I appoint you over the four cities, so as to be among the king’s friends.”

⁵⁸And he sent him vessels of gold for his ministry, and he gave him the authority to drink from gold, and to be clothed in purple, and to have a golden clasp.

⁵⁹And he appointed his brother Simon as governor, from the borders of Tyre, all the way to the borders of Egypt.

⁶⁰Then Jonathan went out, and he passed through the cities across the river. And all the armies of Syria were gathered together in assistance to him, and he came to Askalon, and those from the city met him honorably.

⁶¹And he went from there to Gaza. And those who were in Gaza closed themselves in. And so he besieged it, and he burned all that was around the city, and he plundered it.

⁶²And those of Gaza petitioned Jonathan, and he pledged to them with his right hand, and he accepted their sons as hostages and sent them to Jerusalem. And he traveled through the country, as far as Damascus.

⁶³And Jonathan heard that the leaders of Demetrius were acting treacherously at Kadesh, which is in Galilee, with a great army, intending to remove him from the affairs of the kingdom.

⁶⁴And he went to meet them. But he left his brother Simon behind in the countryside.

⁶⁵And Simon took a position against Bethzur, and he assailed it for many days, and he closed them in.

⁶⁶And they asked him to accept a pledge, and he granted this to them. And he cast them out of there, and he seized the city, and he placed a garrison in it.

⁶⁷And Jonathan and his camp took a position by the water of Gennesaret, and, before first light, they were standing watch in the plains of Hazor.

⁶⁸And behold, an army of foreigners met him in the plains. And they set up an ambush against him in the mountains. But he met them from the opposite direction.

⁶⁹Yet those lying in ambush then rose up from their places and joined them in combat.

⁷⁰And all those who were from Jonathan’s side fled, and not one of them was left, except Mattathias, the son of Absalom, and Judas, the son of Chalphi, the leader of military training.

⁷¹And so Jonathan tore his garments, and he placed dirt on his head, and he prayed.

⁷²And Jonathan turned back toward them in battle, and he put them to flight, and they fought.

⁷³And when those from his side, who had fled, saw this, they returned to him, and with him they all pursued them, even to Kadesh, to their camp, and they even passed beyond there.

⁷⁴And there fell from the foreigners on that day three thousand men. And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem.

I Maccabees 11

¹And the king of Egypt gathered together a great host, like the sand that lieth upon the sea shore, and many ships, and went about through deceit to get Alexander’s kingdom, and join it to his own.

²Whereupon he took his journey into Spain in peaceable manner, so as they of the cities opened unto him, and met him: for king Alexander had commanded them so to do, because he was his brother in law.

³Now as Ptolemee entered into the cities, he set in every one of them a garrison of soldiers to keep it.

⁴And when he came near to Azotus, they shewed him the temple of Dagon that was burnt, and Azotus and the suburbs thereof that were destroyed, and the bodies that were cast abroad and them that he had burnt in the battle; for they had made heaps of them by the way where he should pass.

⁵Also they told the king whatsoever Jonathan had done, to the intent he might blame him: but the king held his peace.

⁶Then Jonathan met the king with great pomp at Joppa, where they saluted one another, and lodged.

⁷Afterward Jonathan, when he had gone with the king to the river called Eleutherus, returned again to Jerusalem.

⁸King Ptolemee therefore, having gotten the dominion of the cities by the sea unto Seleucia upon the sea coast, imagined wicked counsels against Alexander.

⁹Whereupon he sent ambassadors unto king Demetrius, saying, Come, let us make a league betwixt us, and I will give thee my daughter whom Alexander hath, and thou shalt reign in thy father’s kingdom:

¹⁰For I repent that I gave my daughter unto him, for he sought to slay me.

¹¹Thus did he slander him, because he was desirous of his kingdom.

¹²Wherefore he took his daughter from him, and gave her to Demetrius, and forsook Alexander, so that their hatred was openly known.

¹³Then Ptolemee entered into Antioch, where he set two crowns upon his head, the crown of Asia, and of Egypt.

¹⁴In the mean season was king Alexander in Cilicia, because those that dwelt in those parts had revolted from him.

¹⁵But when Alexander heard of this, he came to war against him: whereupon king Ptolemee brought forth his host, and met him with a mighty power, and put him to flight.

¹⁶So Alexander fled into Arabia there to be defended; but king Ptolemee was exalted:

¹⁷For Zabdiel the Arabian took off Alexander’s head, and sent it unto Ptolemee.

¹⁸King Ptolemee also died the third day after, and they that were in the strong holds were slain one of another.

¹⁹By this means Demetrius reigned in the hundred threescore and seventh year.

²⁰At the same time Jonathan gathered together them that were in Judea to take the tower that was in Jerusalem: and he made many engines of war against it.

²¹Then came ungodly persons, who hated their own people, went unto the king, and told him that Jonathan besieged the tower,

²²Whereof when he heard, he was angry, and immediately removing, he came to Ptolemais, and wrote unto Jonathan, that he should not lay siege to the tower, but come and speak with him at Ptolemais in great haste.

²³Nevertheless Jonathan, when he heard this, commanded to besiege it still: and he chose certain of the elders of Israel and the priests, and put himself in peril;

²⁴And took silver and gold, and raiment, and divers presents besides, and went to Ptolemais unto the king, where he found favour in his sight.

²⁵And though certain ungodly men of the people had made complaints against him,

²⁶Yet the king entreated him as his predecessors had done before, and promoted him in the sight of all his friends,

²⁷And confirmed him in the high priesthood, and in all the honours that he had before, and gave him preeminence among his chief friends.

²⁸Then Jonathan desired the king, that he would make Judea free from tribute, as also the three governments, with the country of Samaria; and he promised him three hundred talents.

²⁹So the king consented, and wrote letters unto Jonathan of all these things after this manner:

³⁰King Demetrius unto his brother Jonathan, and unto the nation of the Jews, sendeth greeting:

³¹We send you here a copy of the letter which we did write unto our cousin Lasthenes concerning you, that ye might see it.

³²King Demetrius unto his father Lasthenes sendeth greeting:

³³We are determined to do good to the people of the Jews, who are our friends, and keep covenants with us, because of their good will toward us.

³⁴Wherefore we have ratified unto them the borders of Judea, with the three governments of Apherema and Lydda and Ramathem, that are added unto Judea from the country of Samaria, and all things appertaining unto them, for all such as do sacrifice in Jerusalem, instead of the payments which the king received of them yearly aforetime out of the fruits of the earth and of trees.

³⁵And as for other things that belong unto us, of the tithes and customs pertaining unto us, as also the saltpits, and the crown taxes, which are due unto us, we discharge them of them all for their relief.

³⁶And nothing hereof shall be revoked from this time forth for ever.

³⁷Now therefore see that thou make a copy of these things, and let it be delivered unto Jonathan, and set upon the holy mount in a conspicuous place.

³⁸After this, when king Demetrius saw that the land was quiet before him, and that no resistance was made against him, he sent away all his forces, every one to his own place, except certain bands of strangers, whom he had gathered from the isles of the heathen: wherefore all the forces of his fathers hated him.

³⁹Moreover there was one Tryphon, that had been of Alexander’s part afore, who, seeing that all the host murmured against Demetrius, went to Simalcue the Arabian that brought up Antiochus the young son of Alexander,

⁴⁰And lay sore upon him to deliver him this young Antiochus, that he might reign in his father’s stead: he told him therefore all that Demetrius had done, and how his men of war were at enmity with him, and there he remained a long season.

⁴¹In the mean time Jonathan sent unto king Demetrius, that he would cast those of the tower out of Jerusalem, and those also in the fortresses: for they fought against Israel.

⁴²So Demetrius sent unto Jonathan, saying, I will not only do this for thee and thy people, but I will greatly honour thee and thy nation, if opportunity serve.

⁴³Now therefore thou shalt do well, if thou send me men to help me; for all my forces are gone from me.

⁴⁴Upon this Jonathan sent him three thousand strong men unto Antioch: and when they came to the king, the king was very glad of their coming.

⁴⁵Howbeit they that were of the city gathered themselves together into the midst of the city, to the number of an hundred and twenty thousand men, and would have slain the king.

⁴⁶Wherefore the king fled into the court, but they of the city kept the passages of the city, and began to fight.

⁴⁷Then the king called to the Jews for help, who came unto him all at once, and dispersing themselves through the city slew that day in the city to the number of an hundred thousand.

⁴⁸Also they set fire on the city, and gat many spoils that day, and delivered the king.

⁴⁹So when they of the city saw that the Jews had got the city as they would, their courage was abated: wherefore they made supplication to the king, and cried, saying,

⁵⁰Grant us peace, and let the Jews cease from assaulting us and the city.

⁵¹With that they cast away their weapons, and made peace; and the Jews were honoured in the sight of the king, and in the sight of all that were in his realm; and they returned to Jerusalem, having great spoils.

⁵²So king Demetrius sat on the throne of his kingdom, and the land was quiet before him.

⁵³Nevertheless he dissembled in all that ever he spake, and estranged himself from Jonathan, neither rewarded he him according to the benefits which he had received of him, but troubled him very sore.

⁵⁴After this returned Tryphon, and with him the young child Antiochus, who reigned, and was crowned.

⁵⁵Then there gathered unto him all the men of war, whom Demetrius had put away, and they fought against Demetrius, who turned his back and fled.

⁵⁶Moreover Tryphon took the elephants, and won Antioch.

⁵⁷At that time young Antiochus wrote unto Jonathan, saying, I confirm thee in the high priesthood, and appoint thee ruler over the four governments, and to be one of the king’s friends.

⁵⁸Upon this he sent him golden vessels to be served in, and gave him leave to drink in gold, and to be clothed in purple, and to wear a golden buckle.

⁵⁹His brother Simon also he made captain from the place called The ladder of Tyrus unto the borders of Egypt.

⁶⁰Then Jonathan went forth, and passed through the cities beyond the water, and all the forces of Syria gathered themselves unto him for to help him: and when he came to Ascalon, they of the city met him honourably.

⁶¹From whence he went to Gaza, but they of Gaza shut him out; wherefore he laid siege unto it, and burned the suburbs thereof with fire, and spoiled them.

⁶²Afterward, when they of Gaza made supplication unto Jonathan, he made peace with them, and took the sons of their chief men for hostages, and sent them to Jerusalem, and passed through the country unto Damascus.

⁶³Now when Jonathan heard that Demetrius’ princes were come to Cades, which is in Galilee, with a great power, purposing to remove him out of the country,

⁶⁴He went to meet them, and left Simon his brother in the country.

⁶⁵Then Simon encamped against Bethsura and fought against it a long season, and shut it up:

⁶⁶But they desired to have peace with him, which he granted them, and then put them out from thence, and took the city, and set a garrison in it.

⁶⁷As for Jonathan and his host, they pitched at the water of Gennesar, from whence betimes in the morning they gat them to the plain of Nasor.

⁶⁸And, behold, the host of strangers met them in the plain, who, having laid men in ambush for him in the mountains, came themselves over against him.

⁶⁹So when they that lay in ambush rose out of their places and joined battle, all that were of Jonathan’s side fled;

⁷⁰Insomuch as there was not one of them left, except Mattathias the son of Absalom, and Judas the son of Calphi, the captains of the host.

⁷¹Then Jonathan rent his clothes, and cast earth upon his head, and prayed.

⁷²Afterwards turning again to battle, he put them to flight, and so they ran away.

⁷³Now when his own men that were fled saw this, they turned again unto him, and with him pursued them to Cades, even unto their own tents, and there they camped.

⁷⁴So there were slain of the heathen that day about three thousand men: but Jonathan returned to Jerusalem.