I Maccabees 14

¹In the one hundred and seventy-second year, king Demetrius gathered together his army, and he went into Media to obtain auxiliaries to fight against Trypho.

²And Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius entered his confines, and so he sent one of his princes to capture him alive and to bring him to him.

³And he went out and struck the camp of Demetrius. And captured him and brought him to Arsaces, and he placed him under guard.

⁴And the entire land of Judah was quiet during all the days of Simon, and he sought what was good for his people. And his power and his glory pleased them through all his days.

⁵And, with all his glory, he accepted Joppa as a port, and he made it an entrance to the islands of the sea.

⁶And he enlarged the boundaries of his nation, and he controlled the countryside.

⁷And he gathered together many captives, and he was the ruler of Gazara and Bethzur, and the stronghold. And he took uncleanness away from it, and there was no one who could withstand him.

⁸And each one cultivated his land in peace, and the land of Judah produced its fruits, and the trees of the fields their fruit.

⁹All the elders sat in the streets, and they discussed what was good for the country, and the youths clothed themselves in glory and in the robes of war.

¹⁰And he gave tributes of provisions to the cities, and he decreed that they would have equipment for fortification, so that the fame of his glory was renowned, even to the ends of the earth.

¹¹He caused there to be peace over the land, and Israel was rejoicing with great joy.

¹²And each one sat under his vine and under his fig tree. And there was no one who would terrify them.

¹³There was nothing left of those who might fight against them in the land; kings had been crushed in those days.

¹⁴And he confirmed all the humble of his people, and he sought the law, and he took away every iniquity and evil.

¹⁵He glorified the sanctuary, and he multiplied the vessels of the holy places.

¹⁶And it was heard at Rome, and even in Sparta, that Jonathan had passed away. And they were very sorrowful.

¹⁷But when they heard that Simon, his brother, had been made high priest in his place, and that he obtained the entire country and the cities in it,

¹⁸they wrote to him on tablets of brass, so as to renew the friendship and alliance, which they had made with Judas and with Jonathan, his brothers.

¹⁹And they were read in the sight of the assembly at Jerusalem. And this is a copy of the letters that the Spartans sent:

²⁰“The leaders and the cities of the Spartans, to Simon, the great priest, and to the elders, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, their brothers: greetings.

²¹The ambassadors who were sent to our people have reported to us of your glory, and honor, and rejoicing. And we were glad at their arrival.

²²And we wrote down what was said by them in the councils of the people, as follows: ‘Numenius, the son of Antiochus, and Antipater, the son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews, came to us to renew the former friendship with us.

²³And it pleased the people to receive the men gloriously, and to place a copy of their words in a section of the public books, so as to be a memorial for the people of the Spartans. Furthermore, we have written a copy of them to Simon, the great priest.’ ”

²⁴But after this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome, in possession of a great shield of gold, weighing over a thousand pounds, to confirm the association with them.

²⁵But when the people of Rome had heard these words, they said: “With what deeds of thanksgiving shall we repay Simon and his sons?

²⁶For he has vindicated his brothers, and he has fought off the enemies of Israel from them.” And so, they decreed him free, and they registered it on tablets of brass and placed it in an inscription on mount Zion.

²⁷And this is a copy of the writing: “On the eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year, the third year under Simon, the great priest at Asaramel,

²⁸in a great convocation of the priests, and the people, and the leaders of the nation, and the elders of the country, these things were noted: ‘Now there have often been battles in our country.

²⁹And Simon, the son of Mattathias, of the sons of Jarib, and his brothers, have put themselves in danger, and have withstood the enemies of their nation, so as to establish their holy places and the law. And they have glorified their people with great glory.

³⁰And Jonathan gathered together his nation, and he was made their great priest, and he was laid to rest among his people.

³¹And their enemies wanted to trample and lay waste to their country, and to extend their hands against their holy places.

³²Then Simon resisted, and he fought for his nation, and he requested much money, and he armed the valiant men of his nation and gave them wages.

³³And he fortified the cities of Judea and Bethzur, which are along the borders of Judea, where the weaponry of the enemies was before. And he placed a garrison of Jewish men there.

³⁴And he fortified Joppa, which is by the sea, and Gazara, which is on the border of Azotus, where the enemies stayed before, and he placed Jews there. And he positioned with them whatever was fitting for their preparations.

³⁵And the people saw the acts of Simon, and the glory that he intended to bring to his nation, and they made him their commander and first priest, because he had done all these things, and because of the justice and faith that he maintained for his nation, and because he sought to exalt his people by all means.

³⁶And in his days, there was prosperity by his hands, so that the Gentiles were taken away from their country, and also those who were in the city of David, in Jerusalem, in the stronghold, from which they went out and contaminated all the places that were around the sanctuary, and from which they brought a great scourging against chastity.

³⁷And he placed in it Jewish men, as a means of protection for the region and the city, and he raised the walls of Jerusalem.

³⁸And king Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood.

³⁹According to these things, he made him his friend, and he glorified him with great glory.

⁴⁰For he heard that the Romans had called the Jews their friends, and associates, and brothers, and that they received the ambassadors of Simon with glory,

⁴¹and that the Jews and their priests had consented that he should be their governor and high priest unceasingly, until there should arise a faithful prophet,

⁴²and that he should be the commander over them, and that he should take care of the sanctuary, and that he should appoint foremen over their works, and over the country, and over the weapons, and over the strongholds,

⁴³and that he should take care of the holy places, and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all the records in the country should be recorded in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and gold,

⁴⁴and that it should not be lawful for any of the people or the priests to make void any of these things, nor to contradict things that are said by him, nor to call together an assembly in the country without him, nor to be clothed in purple, nor to use a clasp of gold.

⁴⁵And whoever will do otherwise, or who will make void any of these things, shall be guilty.

⁴⁶And it pleased all the people to appoint Simon, and to act according to these words.

⁴⁷And Simon accepted it, and he was pleased to perform the office of the high priesthood, and to be the commander and leader of the people of the Jews, and of the priests, and to be foremost over them all.

⁴⁸And they asked that this writing be placed on tablets of brass, and be placed within the precinct of the sanctuary in a celebrated place,

⁴⁹and that a copy of these be placed in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons may have it.’ “

I Maccabees 14

¹Now in the hundred threescore and twelfth year king Demetrius gathered his forces together, and went into Media to get him help to fight against Tryphone.

²But when Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius was entered within his borders, he sent one of his princes to take him alive:

³Who went and smote the host of Demetrius, and took him, and brought him to Arsaces, by whom he was put in ward.

⁴As for the land of Judea, that was quiet all the days of Simon; for he sought the good of his nation in such wise, as that evermore his authority and honour pleased them well.

⁵And as he was honourable in all his acts, so in this, that he took Joppa for an haven, and made an entrance to the isles of the sea,

⁶And enlarged the bounds of his nation, and recovered the country,

⁷And gathered together a great number of captives, and had the dominion of Gazera, and Bethsura, and the tower, out of the which he took all uncleanness, neither was there any that resisted him.

⁸Then did they till their ground in peace, and the earth gave her increase, and the trees of the field their fruit.

⁹The ancient men sat all in the streets, communing together of good things, and the young men put on glorious and warlike apparel.

¹⁰He provided victuals for the cities, and set in them all manner of munition, so that his honourable name was renowned unto the end of the world.

¹¹He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy:

¹²For every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was none to fray them:

¹³Neither was there any left in the land to fight against them: yea, the kings themselves were overthrown in those days.

¹⁴Moreover he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low: the law he searched out; and every contemner of the law and wicked person he took away.

¹⁵He beautified the sanctuary, and multiplied vessels of the temple.

¹⁶Now when it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan was dead, they were very sorry.

¹⁷But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon was made high priest in his stead, and ruled the country, and the cities therein:

¹⁸They wrote unto him in tables of brass, to renew the friendship and league which they had made with Judas and Jonathan his brethren:

¹⁹Which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.

²⁰And this is the copy of the letters that the Lacedemonians sent; The rulers of the Lacedemonians, with the city, unto Simon the high priest, and the elders, and priests, and residue of the people of the Jews, our brethren, send greeting:

²¹The ambassadors that were sent unto our people certified us of your glory and honour: wherefore we were glad of their coming,

²²And did register the things that they spake in the council of the people in this manner; Numenius son of Antiochus, and Antipater son of Jason, the Jews’ ambassadors, came unto us to renew the friendship they had with us.

²³And it pleased the people to entertain the men honourably, and to put the copy of their ambassage in publick records, to the end the people of the Lacedemonians might have a memorial thereof: furthermore we have written a copy thereof unto Simon the high priest.

²⁴After this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold of a thousand pound weight to confirm the league with them.

²⁵Whereof when the people heard, they said, What thanks shall we give to Simon and his sons?

²⁶For he and his brethren and the house of his father have established Israel, and chased away in fight their enemies from them, and confirmed their liberty.

²⁷So then they wrote it in tables of brass, which they set upon pillars in mount Sion: and this is the copy of the writing; The eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the hundred threescore and twelfth year, being the third year of Simon the high priest,

²⁸At Saramel in the great congregation of the priests, and people, and rulers of the nation, and elders of the country, were these things notified unto us.

²⁹Forasmuch as oftentimes there have been wars in the country, wherein for the maintenance of their sanctuary, and the law, Simon the son of Mattathias, of the posterity of Jarib, together with his brethren, put themselves in jeopardy, and resisting the enemies of their nation did their nation great honour:

³⁰(For after that Jonathan, having gathered his nation together, and been their high priest, was added to his people,

³¹Their enemies prepared to invade their country, that they might destroy it, and lay hands on the sanctuary:

³²At which time Simon rose up, and fought for his nation, and spent much of his own substance, and armed the valiant men of his nation and gave them wages,

³³And fortified the cities of Judea, together with Bethsura, that lieth upon the borders of Judea, where the armour of the enemies had been before; but he set a garrison of Jews there:

³⁴Moreover he fortified Joppa, which lieth upon the sea, and Gazera, that bordereth upon Azotus, where the enemies had dwelt before: but he placed Jews there, and furnished them with all things convenient for the reparation thereof.)

³⁵The people therefore sang the acts of Simon, and unto what glory he thought to bring his nation, made him their governor and chief priest, because he had done all these things, and for the justice and faith which he kept to his nation, and for that he sought by all means to exalt his people.

³⁶For in his time things prospered in his hands, so that the heathen were taken out of their country, and they also that were in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had made themselves a tower, out of which they issued, and polluted all about the sanctuary, and did much hurt in the holy place:

³⁷But he placed Jews therein. and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and raised up the walls of Jerusalem.

³⁸King Demetrius also confirmed him in the high priesthood according to those things,

³⁹And made him one of his friends, and honoured him with great honour.

⁴⁰For he had heard say, that the Romans had called the Jews their friends and confederates and brethren; and that they had entertained the ambassadors of Simon honourably;

⁴¹Also that the Jews and priests were well pleased that Simon should be their governor and high priest for ever, until there should arise a faithful prophet;

⁴²Moreover that he should be their captain, and should take charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over the country, and over the armour, and over the fortresses, that, I say, he should take charge of the sanctuary;

⁴³Beside this, that he should be obeyed of every man, and that all the writings in the country should be made in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold:

⁴⁴Also that it should be lawful for none of the people or priests to break any of these things, or to gainsay his words, or to gather an assembly in the country without him, or to be clothed in purple, or wear a buckle of gold;

⁴⁵And whosoever should do otherwise, or break any of these things, he should be punished.

⁴⁶Thus it liked all the people to deal with Simon, and to do as hath been said.

⁴⁷Then Simon accepted hereof, and was well pleased to be high priest, and captain and governor of the Jews and priests, and to defend them all.

⁴⁸So they commanded that this writing should be put in tables of brass, and that they should be set up within the compass of the sanctuary in a conspicuous place;

⁴⁹Also that the copies thereof should be laid up in the treasury, to the end that Simon and his sons might have them.