1 Maccabees, 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 Tryphone.

1. In the year one hundred and seventytwo, King Demetrius assembled his army and marched into Media to look for help in order to fight Trypho.

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:

2. Arsaces, king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had entered his territory, so he sent one of his generals to capture 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.

3. The general went and defeated the army of Demetrius, seized him and brought him to Arsaces, who put him in prison.

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.

4. Judea had peace as long as Simon lived. He worked for the well-being of his country; his rule pleased the people, and he enjoyed much renown as long as he lived.

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,

5. To add to his glory, he took Joppa and made it a harbor, opening a way to communicate with the islands of the sea.

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

6. He extended the frontiers of his land and was lord of his nation.

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 uncleaness, neither was there any that resisted him.

7. He brought back many captives, conquered Gazard, Beth-zur and the Citadel and cast out everything pagan that was in it. No one was able to resist him.

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

8. The inhabitants tilled their fields in peace; the land gave its grain and the trees 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.

9. The elders sat at ease in the squares and talked of their welfare, while the young men wore finery and armor.

10. He 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.

10. He supplied the cities with food and made them into strongholds, until his fame spread out to the ends of the earth.

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

11. He established peace in the land and Israel knew great joy.

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

12. Each one sat under the shade of his vine and his fig tree, with no one to disturb him.

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

13. There was no one in the land to fight them, for the kings had been defeated.

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.

14. He raised up the humble among his people, he observed the Law and cleared out the renegades and the wicked.

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

15. He restored the splendor of the Temple and increased the number of its sacred vessels.

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

16. When the news of Jonathan's death reached Rome and Sparta, these people, too, were deeply grieved.

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:

17. But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon had succeeded him as High Priest and was in command of the country and the cities in it,

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

18. they wrote to him on bronze sheets to renew the alliance and friendship they had made with his brothers Judas and Jonathan.

19. Which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.

19. The letter was read in Jerusalem before the whole assembly.

20. And 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:

20. This is a copy of the letter sent by the Spartans, "The leaders and the people of Sparta to Simon, High Priest, and to the elders, to the priests and to all the Jewish people, their brothers: greetings.

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

21. The envoys you sent to our people informed us of the successes and prosperity of your nation. We rejoiced at their coming.

22. And 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.

22. We have recorded their declaration in our public acts as follows: 'Numenius, son of Antiochus, and Antipater, son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews - have come to renew their relationship 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 unto Simon the high priest.

23. It has been a pleasure for the people to receive them with honor and deposit a copy of their statement in the public archives as a remembrance for the people of Sparta.' And they made a copy of all this for the High Priest Simon."

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.

24. After this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a large gold shield weighing a thousand minas to confirm their alliance with the Romans.

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

25. When the people came to know these events, they said, "What favor can we do for 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.

26. It was he and his brothers and the family of their fathers who strengthened the resistance; they have fought the enemies of Israel and restored its freedom."

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,

27. So they engraved an inscription on bronze sheets and set it up on pillars on Mount Zion. This is a copy of the text: "On the eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the year one hundred and seventy-two, 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 unto us.

28. in the grand assembly of the priests of Israel, the leaders of the nation and the elders of the people, the following was proclaimed:

29. Forasmuch 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:

29. "During the frequent wars for freedom in our land, Simon, the son of Mattathias, a priest from the family of Joarib, and his brothers risked their lives and stood up against the enemies of their nation to preserve the Holy Place and the Law, and brought eternal glory to their nation.

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

30. Jonathan rallied the nation, and became the High Priest, and then rested with his fathers.

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

31. The enemies of the Jews then planned to invade their land in order to destroy their Holy Place.

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,

32. So Simon arose to fight for his nation. He spent much of his own wealth to procure arms and to pay the salary of the soldiers of his nation.

33. And 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:

33. He fortified the cities of Judah and Beth-zur on the frontiers of Judea, where the enemy arsenal had been and he stationed a Jewish garrison there.

34. Moreover 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.)

34. He also fortified Joppa by the sea, and Gazara on the borders of Azotus, which was formerly inhabited by enemies, and established Jewish colonies there, providing them with all they needed.

35. The 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.

35. The people saw Simon's faith and the glory he had resolved to win for his nation. They made him their commander and High Priest because of the services he rendered, the justice and faithfulness he showed to his nation, and because he sought in every way to increase the honor of 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:

36. In his days, the Jews managed to root out the pagans from their land, especially from the city of David, Jerusalem, where they had built a Citadel from which they went out to profane the surroundings of the temple and to violate its holiness.

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.

37. He settled Jewish soldiers in it and fortified it for the security of the region and the city, and built the walls of Jerusalem higher.

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

38. And for this, King Demetrius confirmed him in his office as High Priest,

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

39. made him one of his Friends and bestowed high honors on him,

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;

40. for he had heard that the Romans had considered the Jews their friends, allies and brothers, and had received Simon's envoy with honor.

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;

41. The king also took into account that the Jews and the priests had agreed that Simon be their leader and High Priest until a prophet worthy of trust appeared.

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;

42. They wanted him to be their general and take charge of the Holy Place, and to appoint men to supervise the works, to administer the country, the army and the fortresses.

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:

43. They also wanted everyone to obey him, that all documents of the nation bear his name and that he be clothed in purple and wear golden ornaments.

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;

44. None of the people or the priests shall be allowed to act contrary to these provisions or contradict his orders, or convene a public assembly without his consent, or be clothed in purple, or wear the golden brooch.

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

45. Whoever opposes these decisions or violates any of these shall be liable to punishment.

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

46. All the people agreed to grant Simon the right to act in accordance with these provisions.

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.

47. And Simon accepted and agreed to assume the office of High Priest and to be the general and leader of the Jews and of the priests, and to preside over 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;

48. They decided that this decree be engraved on bronze sheets and set up in a conspicuous place in the sacred enclosure,

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

49. and that copies be deposited in the Temple treasury and made available to Simon and his sons."