I Maccabees 14

¹In the year one hundred and seventy-two king Demetrius assembled his army, and went into Media to get him succours to fight against Tryphon.

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

³And he went, and defeated the army of Demetrius: and took him, and brought him to Arsaces, and he put him into custody.

⁴And all the land of Juda was at rest all the days of Simon, and he sought the good of his nation: and his power, and his glory pleased them well all his days.

⁵And with all his glory he took Joppe for a haven, and made an entrance to the isles of the sea.

⁶And he enlarged the bounds of his nation, and made himself master of the country.

⁷And he gathered together a great number of captives, and had the dominion of Gazara, and of Bethsura, and of the castle: and took away all uncleanness out of it, and there was none that resisted him.

⁸And every man tilled his land with peace, and the land of Juda yielded her increase, and the trees of the fields their fruit.

⁹The ancient men sat all in the streets, and treated together of the good things of the land, and the young men put on them glory, and the robes of war.

¹⁰And he provided victuals for the cities, and he appointed that they should be furnished with ammunition, so that the fame of his glory was renowned even to the end of the earth.

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

¹²And every man sat under his vine, and under his fig tree: and there was none to make them afraid.

¹³There was none left in the land to fight against them: kings were discomfited in those days.

¹⁴And he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low, and he sought the law, and took away every unjust and wicked man.

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

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

¹⁷But when they heard that Simon, his brother, was made high priest in his place, and was possessed of all the country, and the cities therein:

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

¹⁹And they were read before the assembly in Jerusalem. And this is the copy of the letters that the Spartans sent.

²⁰The princes and the cities of the Spartans, to Simon, the high priest, and to the ancients, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, their brethren, greeting.

²¹The ambassadors that were sent to our people, have told us of your glory, and honour, and joy: and we rejoiced at their coming.

²²And we registered what was said by them in the councils of the people, in this manner: 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 honourably, and to put a copy of their words in the public records, to be a memorial to the people of the Spartans. And we have written a copy of them to Simon, the high priest.

²⁴And after this Simon sent Numenius to Rome, with a great shield of gold, of the weight of a thousand pounds, to confirm the league with them. And when the people of Rome had heard

²⁵These words, they said: What thanks shall we give to Simon, and his sons:

²⁶For he hath restored his brethren, and hath driven away in fight the enemies of Israel from them: and they decreed him liberty, and registered it in tables of brass, and set it upon pillars in mount Sion.

²⁷And this is a copy of the writing. The eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the year one hundred and seventy-two, being the third year under Simon, the high priest, at Asaramel,

²⁸In a great assembly of the priests, and of the people, and the princes of the nation, and the ancients of the country, these things were notified: Forasmuch as there have often been wars in our country,

²⁹And Simon, the son of Mathathias, of the children of Jarib, and his brethren, have put themselves in danger, and resisted the enemies of their nation, for the maintenance of their holy places, and the law: and have raised their nation to great glory.

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

³¹And their enemies desired to tread down and destroy their country, and to stretch forth their hands against their holy places.

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

³³And he fortified the cities of Judea and Bethsura that lieth in the borders of Judea, where the armour of the enemies was before: and he placed there a garrison of Jews.

³⁴And he fortified Joppe, which lieth by the sea: and Gazara, which bordereth upon Azotus, wherein the enemies dwelt before, and he placed Jews here: and furnished them with all things convenient for their reparation.

³⁵And the people seeing the acts of Simon, and to what glory he meant to bring his nation, made him their prince and high 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 advance his people.

³⁶And in his days things prospered in his hands, so that the heathens were taken away out of their country, and they also that were in the city of David, in Jerusalem, in the castle, out of which they issued forth, and profaned all places round about the sanctuary, and did much evil to purity.

³⁷And he placed therein Jews for the defence of the country, and of the city, and he raised up the walls of Jerusalem.

³⁸And king Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood.

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

⁴⁰For he had heard that the Romans had called the Jews their friends, and confederates, and brethren, and that they had received Simon's ambassadors with honour:

⁴¹And that the Jews, and their priests, had consented that he should be their prince and high priest for ever, till there should arise a faithful prophet:

⁴²And that he should be chief over them, and that he should have the charge of the sanctuary, and that he should appoint rulers over their works, and over the country, and over the armour, and over the strong holds;

⁴³And that he should have care of the holy places; and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all the writings in the country should be made in his name; and that he should be clothed with purple and gold:

⁴⁴And that it should not be lawful for any of the people, or of the priests, to disannul any of these things, or to gainsay his words, or to call together an assembly in the country without him: or to be clothed with purple, or to wear a buckle of gold.

⁴⁵And whosoever shall do otherwise, or shall make void any of these things, shall be punished.

⁴⁶And it pleased all the people to establish Simon, and to do according to these words.

⁴⁷And Simon accepted thereof, and was well pleased to execute the office of the high priesthood, and to be captain, and prince of the nation of the Jews, and of the priests, and to be chief over all.

⁴⁸And 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:

⁴⁹And that a copy thereof should be put in the treasury, 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.