1Macc 14
1
Now in the hundred threescore and twelfth year king Demetrius gathered his forces
together, and went into Media to get him help to fight against Tryphon.
2
But 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:
3
Who went and smote the host of Demetrius, and took him, and brought him to Arsaces,
by whom he was put in ward.
4
As 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.
5
And 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,
6
And enlarged the bounds of his nation, and recovered the country,
7
And 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.
8
Then did they till their ground in peace, and the earth gave her increase, and the
trees of the field their fruit.
9
The ancient men sat all in the streets, communing together of good things, and the
young men put on glorious and warlike apparel.
10
He provided victuals for the cities, and set in them all manner of munition, so that
his honourable name was renowned to the end of the world.
11
He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy:
12
For every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was none to fray them:
13
Neither was there any left in the land to fight against them: yea, the kings themselves
were overthrown in those days.
14
Moreover 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.
15
He beautified the sanctuary, and multiplied vessels of the temple.
16
Now when it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan was dead, they
were very sorry.
17
But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon was made high priest in his stead,
and ruled the country, and the cities therein:
18
They wrote to him in tables of brass, to renew the friendship and league which they
had made with Judas and Jonathan his brethren:
19
Which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.
20
And this is the copy of the letters that the Lacedemonians sent; The rulers of the
Lacedemonians, with the city, to Simon the high priest, and the elders, and priests,
and residue of the people of the Jews, our brethren, send greeting:
21
The ambassadors that were sent to our people certified us of your glory and honour:
wherefore we were glad of their coming,
22
And did register the things that they spoke in the council of the people in this manner;
Numenius son of Antiochus, and Antipater son of Jason, the Jews’ ambassadors, came
to us to renew the friendship they had with us.
23
And 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 to Simon the high
priest.
24
After this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold of a thousand pound
weight to confirm the league with them.
25
Whereof when the people heard, they said, What thanks shall we give to Simon and his
sons?
26
For 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.
27
So 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,
28
At Saramel in the great congregation of the priests, and people, and rulers of the
nation, and elders of the country, were these things notified to us.
29
Seeing that 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,
31
Their enemies prepared to invade their country, that they might destroy it, and lay
hands on the sanctuary:
32
At 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,
33
And fortified the cities of Judea, together with Bethsura, that lies upon the borders
of Judea, where the armour of the enemies had been before; but he set a garrison of
Jews there:
34
Moreover he fortified Joppa, which lies upon the sea, and Gazera, that borders upon
Azotus, where the enemies had dwelt before: but he placed Jews there, and furnished
them with all things convenient for its reparation.)
35
The people therefore sang the acts of Simon, and to 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.
36
For 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:
37
But he placed Jews therein. and fortified it for the safety of the country and the
city, and raised up the walls of Jerusalem.
38
King Demetrius also confirmed him in the high priesthood according to those things,
39
And made him one of his friends, and honoured him with great honour.
40
For 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;
41
Also 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;
42
Moreover 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;
43
Beside 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:
44
Also 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;
45
And whoever should do otherwise, or break any of these things, he should be punished.
46
Thus it liked all the people to deal with Simon, and to do as has been said.
47
Then 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.
48
So 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;
49
Also that its copies should be laid up in the treasury, to the end that Simon
and his sons might have them.