1 Maccabees, 15

1. Moreover Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent letters from the isles of the sea unto Simon the priest and prince of the Jews, and to all the people;

1. Antiochus, son of King Demetrius, sent from the islands of the sea to Simon, the High Priest and leader of the Jews, and to the whole nation,

2. The contents whereof were these: King Antiochus to Simon the high priest and prince of his nation, and to the people of the Jews, greeting:

2. the following letter: "King Antiochus to Simon, high priest and leader, and to the Jewish nation: peace!

3. Forasmuch as certain pestilent men have usurped the kingdom of our fathers, and my purpose is to challenge it again, that I may restore it to the old estate, and to that end have gathered a multitude of foreign soldiers together, and prepared ships of war;

3. Since wicked men have seized the kingdom of our fathers, I now intend to recover it and to reestablish it as it was before. I have gathered a very large army and have equipped warships

4. My meaning also being to go through the country, that I may be avenged of them that have destroyed it, and made many cities in the kingdom desolate:

4. to make a landing in the country and take revenge on those who devastated our land and laid waste many cities in my kingdom. Now, therefore,

5. Now therefore I confirm unto thee all the oblations which the kings before me granted thee, and whatsoever gifts besides they granted.

5. I confirm in your regard all the tax exemptions and all other privileges granted you by my royal predecessors.

6. I give thee leave also to coin money for thy country with thine own stamp.

6. I authorize you to mint your own coinage for your nation.

7. And as concerning Jerusalem and the sanctuary, let them be free; and all the armour that thou hast made, and fortresses that thou hast built, and keepest in thine hands, let them remain unto thee.

7. I accept the autonomy of Jerusalem and the Holy Place; all the arms you have manufactured as well as the fortresses you have constructed and those you have occupied are yours.

8. And if anything be, or shall be, owing to the king, let it be forgiven thee from this time forth for evermore.

8. From this day on, I cancel all debts to the king and everything you may owe in the future.

9. Furthermore, when we have obtained our kingdom, we will honour thee, and thy nation, and thy temple, with great honour, so that your honour shall be known throughout the world.

9. And when I have taken possession of my kingdom, I shall bestow great honors on you, your nation and on the Temple, making you famous throughout all the earth."

10. In the hundred threescore and fourteenth year went Antiochus into the land of his fathers: at which time all the forces came together unto him, so that few were left with Tryphon.

10. In the year one hundred and seventy-four, Antiochus marched out to the land of his fathers, and all the troops rallied to him, so that only a few remained with Trypho.

11. Wherefore being pursued by king Antiochus, he fled unto Dora, which lieth by the sea side:

11. Antiochus pursued him and Trypho took refuge in Dor on the coast.

12. For he saw that troubles came upon him all at once, and that his forces had forsaken him.

12. Trypho knew how critical the situation had become for him and that his army had deserted him.

13. Then camped Antiochus against Dora, having with him an hundred and twenty thousand men of war, and eight thousand horsemen.

13. Antiochus encamped before Dor with a hundred and twenty thousand soldiers and eight thousand horsemen.

14. And when he had compassed the city round about, and joined ships close to the town on the sea side, he vexed the city by land and by sea, neither suffered he any to go out or in.

14. And he surrounded the city while the ships attacked from the sea: the city was completely surrounded by land and sea, and no one could go in or come out.

15. In the mean season came Numenius and his company from Rome, having letters to the kings and countries; wherein were written these things:

15. Then Numenius and his companions arrived from Rome, carrying letters addressed to the kings and to the nations in the following terms:

16. Lucius, consul of the Romans unto king Ptolemee, greeting:

16. "Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy: peace!

17. The Jews' ambassadors, our friends and confederates, came unto us to renew the old friendship and league, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews:

17. The Jewish people sent by the High Priest Simon and by the Jewish people have come to us as our friends and allies to renew our friendship and alliance of old.

18. And they brought a shield of gold of a thousand pound.

18. They have brought us a gold shield weighing a thousand minas.

19. We thought it good therefore to write unto the kings and countries, that they should do them no harm, nor fight against them, their cities, or countries, nor yet aid their enemies against them.

19. It is our desire to write to the kings and the peoples that they should not harm the Israelites nor injure them or their cities or their land, nor ally themselves with their aggressors.

20. It seemed also good to us to receive the shield of them.

20. We have accepted with pleasure the shield that the Jews sent us.

21. If therefore there be any pestilent fellows, that have fled from their country unto you, deliver them unto Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their own law.

21. Now, if some wicked Jews who have fled from their land are in your country, hand them over to the High Priest Simon that he may punish them according to their Law."

22. The same things wrote he likewise unto Demetrius the king, and Attalus, to Ariarathes, and Arsaces,

22. The same letter was sent to King Demetrius, to Attalus, Ariarathes and Arsaces,

23. And to all the countries and to Sampsames, and the Lacedemonians, and to Delus, and Myndus, and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samos, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Halicarnassus, and Rhodus, and Aradus, and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Gortyna, and Cnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene.

23. and to all the nations, to Sampsames, the Spartans, Delos, Myndos, Sicyon, Caria, Samos, Pamphylia, Lycia, Halicarnassus, Rhodes, Phaselis, Cos, Side, Aradus, Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus and Cyrene.

24. And the copy hereof they wrote to Simon the high priest.

24. They also sent copies of these letters to the High Priest Simon.

25. So Antiochus the king camped against Dora the second day, assaulting it continually, and making engines, by which means he shut up Tryphon, that he could neither go out nor in.

25. King Antiochus encamped before Dor, in the new district, continually sending his battalions against it and constructing siege engines. He kept Trypho shut in and prevented him from going out or in.

26. At that time Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to aid him; silver also, and gold, and much armour.

26. Simon sent him two thousand picked men to help him in the fight, with silver, gold and plenty of equipment.

27. Nevertheless he would not receive them, but brake all the covenants which he had made with him afore, and became strange unto him.

27. But Antiochus did not accept them; instead, he annulled the concessions he had granted to Simon and declared him his enemy.

28. Furthermore he sent unto him Athenobius, one of his friends, to commune with him, and say, Ye withhold Joppa and Gazera; with the tower that is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my realm.

28. He sent Athenobius, one of his Friends, to him in order to meet him and say to him: "You have occupied Joppa, Gazara and the Citadel of Judea which are cities of my kingdom.

29. The borders thereof ye have wasted, and done great hurt in the land, and got the dominion of many places within my kingdom.

29. You have laid waste their territory and done great damage in the land, and have seized many towns in my kingdom.

30. Now therefore deliver the cities which ye have taken, and the tributes of the places, whereof ye have gotten dominion without the borders of Judea:

30. Restore, then, the cities you have seized and the taxes of the places you now occupy beyond the borders of Judea.

31. Or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver; and for the harm that ye have done, and the tributes of the cities, other five hundred talents: if not, we will come and fight against you

31. Or pay me five hundred talents of silver as compensation for the damage you have caused and another five hundred talents for the taxes of the cities. If not, then I shall declare war against you."

32. So Athenobius the king's friend came to Jerusalem: and when he saw the glory of Simon, and the cupboard of gold and silver plate, and his great attendance, he was astonished, and told him the king's message.

32. Athenobius, the Friend of the king, arrived in Jerusalem and when he saw the magnificence of Simon, his plates of gold and silver and the pomp that surrounded him, he was amazed. But he delivered the king's message.

33. Then answered Simon, and said unto him, We have neither taken other men's land, nor holden that which appertaineth to others, but the inheritance of our fathers, which our enemies had wrongfully in possession a certain time.

33. Simon answered him, "We have not occupied any foreign land nor seized any foreign property: this is the inheritance of our fathers. It was our enemies who seized this for some time,

34. Wherefore we, having opportunity, hold the inheritance of our fathers.

34. but now that we have a favorable opportunity, we are only recovering the inheritance of our fathers.

35. And whereas thou demandest Joppa and Gazera, albeit they did great harm unto the people in our country, yet will we give thee an hundred talents for them. Hereunto Athenobius answered him not a word;

35. Joppa and Gazara, which you claim, did great harm to our people and laid waste our land; but we are prepared to give you a hundred talents for them." Athenobius did not say anything,

36. But returned in a rage to the king, and made report unto him of these speeches, and of the glory of Simon, and of all that he had seen: whereupon the king was exceeding wroth.

36. but went back to the king very angry and reported to him Simon's reply. He also told him of Simon's magnificence and everything he had seen. So the king became furious.

37. In the mean time fled Tryphon by ship unto Orthosias.

37. Meanwhile, Trypho fled to Orthosia on a ship.

38. Then the king made Cendebeus captain of the sea coast, and gave him an host of footmen and horsemen,

38. The king appointed Cendebeus as general and gave him part of the troops and the horsemen.

39. And commanded him to remove his host toward Judea; also he commanded him to build up Cedron, and to fortify the gates, and to war against the people; but as for the king himself, he pursued Tryphon.

39. He ordered him to encamp against Judea, rebuild Kedron and fortify its gates and make war on the people. The king then went on pursuing Trypho.

40. So Cendebeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people and to invade Judea, and to take the people prisoners, and slay them.

40. Cendebeus arrived at Jamnia and began to disturb the people. He invaded Judea, imprisoned some people and put them to death.

41. And when he had built up Cedrou, he set horsemen there, and an host of footmen, to the end that issuing out they might make outroads upon the ways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.

41. He fortified Kedron, stationed horsemen and troops there to make sorties and to patrol the roads to Judea, as the king had commanded him.