1 Maccabees, 12

1. When Jonathan saw that circumstances were working in his favour, he sent a select mission to Rome to confirm and renew his treaty of friendship with the Romans.

1. Now when Jonathan saw that the time was favorable for him, he chose men and sent them to Rome to confirm and renew the friendship with them.

2. He also sent letters to the same effect to the Spartans and to other places.

2. He also sent letters to the same effect to the Spartans and to other places.

3. The envoys made their way to Rome, entered the Senate and said, 'Jonathan the high priest and the Jewish nation have sent us to renew your treaty of friendship and alliance with them as before.'

3. So they went to Rome and entered the senate chamber and said, "Jonathan the high priest and the Jewish nation have sent us to renew the former friendship and alliance with them."

4. The Senate gave them letters to the authorities of each place, to procure their safe conduct to Judaea.

4. And the Romans gave them letters to the people in every place, asking them to provide for the envoys safe conduct to the land of Judah.

5. The following is the copy of the letter Jonathan wrote to the Spartans:

5. This is a copy of the letter which Jonathan wrote to the Spartans:

6. 'Jonathan the high priest, the senate of the nation, the priests and the rest of the Jewish people to the Spartans their brothers, greetings.

6. "Jonathan the high priest, the senate of the nation, the priests, and the rest of the Jewish people to their brethren the Spartans, greeting.

7. 'In the past, a letter was sent to Onias, the high priest, from Areios, one of your kings, stating that you are indeed our brothers, as the copy subjoined attests.

7. Already in time past a letter was sent to Onias the high priest from Arius, who was king among you, stating that you are our brethren, as the appended copy shows.

8. Onias received the envoy with honour, and accepted the letter, in which a clear declaration was made of friendship and alliance.

8. Onias welcomed the envoy with honor, and received the letter, which contained a clear declaration of alliance and friendship.

9. For our part, though we have no need of these, having the consolation of the holy books in our possession,

9. Therefore, though we have no need of these things, since we have as encouragement the holy books which are in our hands,

10. we venture to send to renew our fraternal friendship with you, so that we may not become strangers to you, a long time having elapsed since you last wrote to us.

10. we have undertaken to send to renew our brotherhood and friendship with you, so that we may not become estranged from you, for considerable time has passed since you sent your letter to us.

11. We, for our part, on every occasion, at our festivals and on other appointed days, unfailingly remember you in the sacrifices we offer and in our prayers, as it is right and fitting to remember brothers.

11. We therefore remember you constantly on every occasion, both in our feasts and on other appropriate days, at the sacrifices which we offer and in our prayers, as it is right and proper to remember brethren.

12. We rejoice in your renown.

12. And we rejoice in your glory.

13. 'We ourselves, however, have had many trials and many wars, the neighbouring kings making war on us.

13. But as for ourselves, many afflictions and many wars have encircled us; the kings round about us have waged war against us.

14. We were unwilling to trouble you or our other allies and friends during these wars,

14. We were unwilling to annoy you and our other allies and friends with these wars,

15. since we have the support of Heaven to help us, thanks to which we have been delivered from our enemies, and they are the ones who have been brought low.

15. for we have the help which comes from Heaven for our aid; and we were delivered from our enemies and our enemies were humbled.

16. We have therefore chosen Numenius son of Antiochus, and Antipater son of Jason, and sent them to the Romans to renew our former treaty of friendship and alliance,

16. We therefore have chosen Numenius the son of Antiochus and Antipater the son of Jason, and have sent them to Rome to renew our former friendship and alliance with them.

17. and we have ordered them also to visit you, to greet you and deliver you this letter of ours concerning the renewal of our brotherhood;

17. We have commanded them to go also to you and greet you and deliver to you this letter from us concerning the renewal of our brotherhood.

18. we shall be grateful for an answer to it.'

18. And now please send us a reply to this."

19. The following is the copy of the letter sent to Onias:

19. This is a copy of the letter which they sent to Onias:

20. 'Areios king of the Spartans, to Onias the high priest, greetings.

20. "Arius, king of the Spartans, to Onias the high priest, greeting.

21. 'It has been discovered in records regarding the Spartans and Jews that they are brothers, and of the race of Abraham.

21. It has been found in writing concerning the Spartans and the Jews that they are brethren and are of the family of Abraham.

22. Now that this has come to our knowledge, we shall be obliged if you will send us news of your welfare.

22. And now that we have learned this, please write us concerning your welfare;

23. Our own message to you is this: your flocks and your possessions are ours, and ours are yours, and we are instructing our envoys to give you a message to this effect.'

23. we on our part write to you that your cattle and your property belong to us, and ours belong to you. We therefore command that our envoys report to you accordingly."

24. Jonathan learned that Demetrius' generals had returned with a larger army than before to make war on him.

24. Now Jonathan heard that the commanders of Demetrius had returned, with a larger force than before, to wage war against him.

25. He therefore left Jerusalem and went to engage them in the area of Hamath, not giving them the time to invade his own territory.

25. So he marched away from Jerusalem and met them in the region of Hamath, for he gave them no opportunity to invade his own country.

26. He sent spies into their camp, who told him on their return that the enemy were taking up positions for a night attack on the Jews.

26. He sent spies to their camp, and they returned and reported to him that the enemy were being drawn up in formation to fall upon the Jews by night.

27. At sunset, Jonathan ordered his men to keep watch with their weapons at hand, in readiness to fight at any time during the night, and posted advance guards all round the camp.

27. So when the sun set, Jonathan commanded his men to be alert and to keep their arms at hand so as to be ready all night for battle, and he stationed outposts around the camp.

28. On learning that Jonathan and his men were ready to fight, the enemy took fright and, with quaking hearts, lit fires in their bivouac and decamped.

28. When the enemy heard that Jonathan and his men were prepared for battle, they were afraid and were terrified at heart; so they kindled fires in their camp and withdrew.

29. Jonathan and his men, watching the glow of the fires, were unaware of their withdrawal until morning,

29. But Jonathan and his men did not know it until morning, for they saw the fires burning.

30. and although Jonathan pursued them, he failed to overtake them, for they had already crossed the river Eleutherus.

30. Then Jonathan pursued them, but he did not overtake them, for they had crossed the Eleutherus river.

31. So Jonathan wheeled round on the Arabs called Zabadaeans, beat them and plundered them;

31. So Jonathan turned aside against the Arabs who are called Zabadeans, and he crushed them and plundered them.

32. then, breaking camp, he went to Damascus, thus crossing the whole province.

32. Then he broke camp and went to Damascus, and marched through all that region.

33. Simon, meanwhile, had also set out and had penetrated as far as Ascalon and the neighbouring towns. He then turned on Joppa and moved quickly to occupy it,

33. Simon also went forth and marched through the country as far as Askalon and the neighboring strongholds. He turned aside to Joppa and took it by surprise,

34. for he had heard of their intention to hand over this strong point to the supporters of Demetrius; he stationed a garrison there to hold it.

34. for he had heard that they were ready to hand over the stronghold to the men whom Demetrius had sent. And he stationed a garrison there to guard it.

35. Jonathan, on his return, called a meeting of the elders of the people and decided with them to build fortresses in Judaea

35. When Jonathan returned he convened the elders of the people and planned with them to build strongholds in Judea,

36. and to heighten the walls of Jerusalem and erect a high barrier between the Citadel and the city, to cut the former off from the city and isolate it, to prevent the occupants from buying or selling.

36. to build the walls of Jerusalem still higher, and to erect a high barrier between the citadel and the city to separate it from the city, in order to isolate it so that its garrison could neither buy nor sell.

37. Rebuilding the city was a co-operative effort: part of the wall over the eastern ravine had fallen down; he restored the quarter called Chaphenatha.

37. So they gathered together to build up the city; part of the wall on the valley to the east had fallen, and he repaired the section called Chaphenatha.

38. Simon, meanwhile, rebuilt Adida in the lowlands, fortifying it, and erecting gates with bolts.

38. And Simon built Adida in the Shephelah; he fortified it and installed gates with bolts.

39. Trypho's ambition was to become king of Asia, assume the crown, and overpower King Antiochus.

39. Then Trypho attempted to become king in Asia and put on the crown, and to raise his hand against Antiochus the king.

40. He was apprehensive that Jonathan might not allow him to do this, and might even make war on him, so he set out and came to Beth-Shean, in the hopes of finding some pretext for having him arrested and put to death.

40. He feared that Jonathan might not permit him to do so, but might make war on him, so he kept seeking to seize and kill him, and he marched forth and came to Beth-shan.

41. Jonathan went out to intercept him, with forty thousand picked men in battle order, and arrived at Beth-Shean.

41. Jonathan went out to meet him with forty thousand picked fighting men, and he came to Beth-shan.

42. When Trypho saw him there with a large force, he hesitated to make any move against him.

42. When Trypho saw that he had come with a large army, he was afraid to raise his hand against him.

43. He even received him with honour, commended him to all his friends, gave him presents and ordered his friends and his troops to obey him as they would himself.

43. So he received him with honor and commended him to all his friends, and he gave him gifts and commanded his friends and his troops to obey him as they would himself.

44. He said to Jonathan, 'Why have you given all these people so much trouble, when there is no threat of war between us?

44. Then he said to Jonathan, "Why have you wearied all these people when we are not at war?

45. Send them back home; pick yourself a few men as your bodyguard, and come with me to Ptolemais, which I am going to hand over to you, with the other fortresses and the remaining troops and all the officials; after which, I shall take the road for home. This was my purpose in coming here.'

45. Dismiss them now to their homes and choose for yourself a few men to stay with you, and come with me to Ptolemais. I will hand it over to you as well as the other strongholds and the remaining troops and all the officials, and will turn round and go home. For that is why I am here."

46. Jonathan trusted him and did as he said; he dismissed his forces, who went back to Judaea.

46. Jonathan trusted him and did as he said; he sent away the troops, and they returned to the land of Judah.

47. With him he retained three thousand men, of whom he left two thousand in Galilee, while a thousand accompanied him.

47. He kept with himself three thousand men, two thousand of whom he left in Galilee, while a thousand accompanied him.

48. But as soon as Jonathan had entered Ptolemais, the people of Ptolemais closed the gates, seized him, and put all those who had entered with him to the sword.

48. But when Jonathan entered Ptolemais, the men of Ptolemais closed the gates and seized him, and all who had entered with him they killed with the sword.

49. Trypho sent troops and cavalry into Galilee and the Great Plain to destroy all Jonathan's supporters.

49. Then Trypho sent troops and cavalry into Galilee and the Great Plain to destroy all Jonathan's soldiers.

50. These, concluding that he had been taken and had perished with his companions, encouraged one another, marching with closed ranks and ready to give battle,

50. But they realized that Jonathan had been seized and had perished along with his men, and they encouraged one another and kept marching in close formation, ready for battle.

51. and when their pursuers saw that they would fight for their lives, they turned back.

51. When their pursuers saw that they would fight for their lives, they turned back.

52. All reached Judaea safe and sound, and there they lamented Jonathan and his companions, being very frightened indeed; all Israel was plunged into mourning.

52. So they all reached the land of Judah safely, and they mourned for Jonathan and his companions and were in great fear; and all Israel mourned deeply.

53. The surrounding nations were all now looking for ways of destroying them: 'They have no leader,' they said, 'no ally; we have only to attack them now, and we shall blot out their very memory from all peoples.'

53. And all the nations round about them tried to destroy them, for they said, "They have no leader or helper. Now therefore let us make war on them and blot out the memory of them from among men."