Liber I Maccabaeorum, 14

1. Anno centesimo septuagesi mo secundo congregavit rex Demetrius exercitum suum et abiit in Mediam ad contrahenda sibi auxilia, ut expugnaret Tryphonem.

1. In the one hundred and seventy-second year Demetrius the king assembled his forces and marched into Media to secure help, so that he could make war against Trypho.

2. Et audivit Arsaces rex Persidis et Mediae, quia intravit Demetrius confines suos, et misit unum de principibus suis, ut comprehenderet eum vivum.

2. When Arsaces the king of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius had invaded his territory, he sent one of his commanders to take him alive.

3. Et abiit et percussit castra Demetrii et comprehendit eum et duxit eum ad Arsacem et posuit eum in custodiam.

3. And he went and defeated the army of Demetrius, and seized him and took him to Arsaces, who put him under guard.

4. Et siluit terra Iudae omnibus diebus Simonis; et quaesivit bona genti suae, et placuit illis potestas eius, et gloria eius omnibus diebus.

4. The land had rest all the days of Simon. He sought the good of his nation; his rule was pleasing to them, as was the honor shown him, all his days.

5. Et cum omni gloria sua accepit Ioppen in portum et fecit introitum insulis maris.

5. To crown all his honors he took Joppa for a harbor, and opened a way to the isles of the sea.

6. Et dilatavit fines gentis suae et obtinuit regionem.

6. He extended the borders of his nation, and gained full control of the country.

7. Et congregavit captivitatem multam et dominatus est Gazarae et Bethsurae et arci; et abstulit immunditias ex ea, et non erat qui resisteret ei.

7. He gathered a host of captives; he ruled over Gazara and Beth-zur and the citadel, and he removed its uncleanness from it; and there was none to oppose him.

8. Et unusquisque colebat terram suam cum pace; et terra dabat fructus suos, et ligna camporum fructum suum. 9 Seniores in plateis sedebant, omnes de bonis communiter tractabant, et iuvenes induebant se gloriam et stolas belli.

8. They tilled their land in peace; the ground gave its increase, and the trees of the plains their fruit.

9.

9. Old men sat in the streets; they all talked together of good things; and the youths donned the glories and garments of war.

10. Et civitatibus tribuebat alimonias et constituebat eas, ut essent vasa munitionis, quoadusque nominatum est nomen gloriae eius usque ad extremum terrae.

10. He supplied the cities with food, and furnished them with the means of defense, till his renown spread to the ends of the earth.

11. Fecit pacem super terram, et laetatus est Israel laetitia magna.

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

12. Et sedit unusquisque sub vite sua et sub ficulnea sua, et non erat qui eos terreret.

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

13. Defecit impugnans eos super terram; reges contriti sunt in diebus illis.

13. No one was left in the land to fight them, and the kings were crushed in those days.

14. Et confirmavit omnes humiles populi sui et legem exquisivit et abstulit omnem iniquum et malum.

14. He strengthened all the humble of his people; he sought out the law, and did away with every lawless and wicked man.

15. Sancta glorificavit et multiplicavit vasa sanctorum.

15. He made the sanctuary glorious, and added to the vessels of the sanctuary.

16. Et auditum est Romae quia defunctus esset Ionathas, et usque in Spartiatas, et contristati sunt valde.

16. It was heard in Rome, and as far away as Sparta, that Jonathan had died, and they were deeply grieved.

17. Ut audierunt autem quod Simon frater eius factus esset summus sacerdos loco eius, et ipse obtineret regionem et civitates in ea,

17. When they heard that Simon his brother had become high priest in his place, and that he was ruling over the country and the cities in it,

18. scripserunt ad eum in tabulis aereis, ut renovarent cum eo amicitias et societatem, quam fecerant cum Iuda et cum Ionatha fratribus eius;

18. they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendship and alliance which they had established with Judas and Jonathan his brothers.

19. et lectae sunt in conspectu ecclesiae in Ierusalem. Et hoc exemplum epistularum, quas Spartiatae miserunt:

19. And these were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.

20. “Spartianorum principes et civitas Simoni sacerdoti magno et senioribus et sacerdotibus et reliquo populo Iudaeorum fratribus salutem.

20. This is a copy of the letter which the Spartans sent: "The rulers and the city of the Spartans to Simon the high priest and to the elders and the priests and the rest of the Jewish people, our brethren, greeting.

21. Legati, qui missi sunt ad populum nostrum, nuntiaverunt nobis de vestra gloria et honore, et gavisi sumus in introitu eorum

21. The envoys who were sent to our people have told us about your glory and honor, and we rejoiced at their coming.

22. et scripsimus, quae ab eis erant dicta in conciliis populi sic: “Numenius Antiochi et Antipater Iasonis filius, legati Iudaeorum, venerunt ad nos renovantes nobiscum amicitiam”.

22. And what they said we have recorded in our public decrees, as follows, `Numenius the son of Antiochus and Antipater the son of Jason, envoys of the Jews, have come to us to renew their friendship with us.

23. Et placuit populo excipere viros gloriose et ponere exemplum sermonum eorum in segregatis populi libris, ut sit ad memoriam populo Spartiatarum. Exemplum autem horum scripsimus Simoni magno sacerdoti”.

23. It has pleased our people to receive these men with honor and to put a copy of their words in the public archives, so that the people of the Spartans may have a record of them. And they have sent a copy of this to Simon the high priest.'"

24. Post haec autem misit Simon Numenium Romam habentem clipeum aureum magnum pondo minarum mille ad statuendam cum eis societatem.

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

25. Cum autem audisset populus sermones istos, dixerunt: “Quam gratiarum actionem reddemus Simoni et filiis eius?

25. When the people heard these things they said, "How shall we thank Simon and his sons?

26. Invaluit enim ipse et fratres eius et domus patris eius et expugnavit inimicos Israel ab eis; et statuerunt ei libertatem”. Et descripserunt in tabulis aereis et posuerunt in titulis in monte Sion.

26. For he and his brothers and the house of his father have stood firm; they have fought and repulsed Israel's enemies and established its freedom."

27. Et hoc est exemplum scripturae: “Octava decima die Elul, anno centesimo septuagesimo secundo, anno tertio sub Simone sacerdote magno, in Asaramel,

27. So they made a record on bronze tablets and put it upon pillars on Mount Zion. This is a copy of what they wrote: "On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year, which is the third year of Simon the great high priest,

28. in conventu magno sacerdotum et populi et principum gentis et seniorum regionis nota facta sunt nobis haec:

28. in Asaramel, in the great assembly of the priests and the people and the rulers of the nation and the elders of the country, the following was proclaimed to us:

29. Quoniam frequenter facta sunt proelia in regione, Simon autem filius Matthathiae, filius ex filiis Ioarib, et fratres eius dederunt se periculo et restiterunt adversariis gentis suae, ut starent sancta ipsorum et lex; et gloria magna glorificaverunt gentem suam.

29. "Since wars often occurred in the country, Simon the son of Mattathias, a priest of the sons of Joarib, and his brothers, exposed themselves to danger and resisted the enemies of their nation, in order that their sanctuary and the law might be perserved; and they brought great glory to their nation.

30. Et congregavit Ionathas gentem suam et factus est illis sacerdos magnus et appositus est ad populum suum.

30. Jonathan rallied the nation, and became their high priest, and was gathered to his people.

31. Et voluerunt inimici eorum calcare et atterere regionem ipsorum et extendere manus in sancta eorum.

31. And when their enemies decided to invade their country and lay hands on their sanctuary,

32. Tunc restitit Simon et pugnavit pro gente sua et erogavit pecunias multas et armavit viros virtutis gentis suae et dedit illis stipendia.

32. then Simon rose up and fought for his nation. He spent great sums of his own money; he armed the men of his nation's forces and paid them wages.

33. Et munivit civitates Iudaeae et Bethsuram, quae erat in finibus Iudaeae, ubi erant arma hostium antea, et posuit illic praesidium viros Iudaeos;

33. He fortified the cities of Judea, and Beth-zur on the borders of Judea, where formerly the arms of the enemy had been stored, and he placed there a garrison of Jews.

34. et Ioppen munivit, quae erat ad mare, et Gazaram, quae est in finibus Azoti, in qua hostes antea habitabant, et collocavit illic Iudaeos et, quaecumque apta erant ad correptionem eorum, posuit in eis.

34. He also fortified Joppa, which is by the sea, and Gazara, which is on the borders of Azotus, where the enemy formerly dwelt. He settled Jews there, and provided in those cities whatever was necessary for their restoration.

35. Et vidit populus fidem Simonis et gloriam, quam cogitabat facere genti suae; et posuerunt eum ducem suum et principem sacerdotum, eo quod ipse fecerat haec omnia et iustitiam et fidem, quam conservavit genti suae, et exquisivit omni modo exaltare populum suum.

35. "The people saw Simon's faithfulness and the glory which he had resolved to win for his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things and because of the justice and loyalty which he had maintained toward his nation. He sought in every way to exalt his people.

36. Et in diebus eius prosperatum est in manibus eius, ut tollerentur gentes de regione ipsorum et, qui in civitate David erant in Ierusalem, qui fecerant sibi arcem, de qua procedebant et contaminabant omnia, quae in circuitu sanctorum sunt, et inferebant plagam magnam castitati;

36. And in his days things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were put out of the country, as were also the men in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had built themselves a citadel from which they used to sally forth and defile the environs of the sanctuary and do great damage to its purity.

37. et collocavit in ea viros Iudaeos et munivit eam ad tutamentum regionis et civitatis et exaltavit muros Ierusalem.

37. He settled Jews in it, and fortified it for the safety of the country and of the city, and built the walls of Jerusalem higher.

38. Et rex Demetrius statuit illi summum sacerdotium secundum haec

38. "In view of these things King Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood,

39. et fecit eum amicum suum et glorificavit eum gloria magna.

39. and he made him one of the king's friends and paid him high honors.

40. Audivit enim quod appellati sunt Iudaei a Romanis amici et socii et fratres, et quia susceperunt legatos Simonis gloriose;

40. For he had heard that the Jews were addressed by the Romans as friends and allies and brethren, and that the Romans had received the envoys of Simon with honor.

41. et quia Iudaei et sacerdotes consenserunt eum esse ducem suum et summum sacerdotem in aeternum, donec surgat propheta fidelis,

41. "And the Jews and their priests decided that Simon should be their leader and high priest for ever, until a trustworthy prophet should arise,

42. et ut sit super eos dux, et ut cura esset illi pro sanctis, ut constitueret per eum super opera eorum et super regionem et super arma et super praesidia;

42. and that he should be governor over them and that he should take charge of the sanctuary and appoint men over its tasks and over the country and the weapons and the strongholds, and that he should take charge of the sanctuary,

43. et cura sit illi de sanctis, et ut audiatur ab omnibus; et scribantur in nomine eius omnes conscriptiones in regione, et ut operiatur purpura et aurum portet;

43. and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and wear gold.

44. et ne liceat ulli ex populo et ex sacerdotibus irritum facere aliquid horum et contradicere his, quae ab eo dicuntur, aut convocare conventum in regione sine ipso et vestiri purpura et uti fibula aurea;

44. "And none of the people or priests shall be permitted to nullify any of these decisions or to oppose what he says, or to convene an assembly in the country without his permission, or to be clothed in purple or put on a gold buckle.

45. qui autem fecerit extra haec aut irritum fecerit aliquid horum, reus erit.

45. Whoever acts contrary to these decisions or nullifies any of them shall be liable to punishment."

46. Et complacuit omni populo statuere Simoni facere secundum verba ista.

46. And all the people agreed to grant Simon the right to act in accord with these decisions.

47. Et suscepit Simon et placuit ei, ut summo sacerdotio fungeretur et esset dux et princeps gentis Iudaeorum et sacerdotum et praeesset omnibus”.

47. So Simon accepted and agreed to be high priest, to be commander and ethnarch of the Jews and priests, and to be protector of them all.

48. Et scripturam istam dixerunt ponere in tabulis aereis et ponere eas in peribolo sanctorum in loco celebri;

48. And they gave orders to inscribe this decree upon bronze tablets, to put them up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the sanctuary,

49. exemplum autem eorum ponere in aerario, ut habeat Simon et filii eius.

49. and to deposit copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.