1 Maccabees, 16

1. John then went up from Gezer and reported to his father Simon what Cendebaeus was busy doing.

1. John went up from Gazara and reported to Simon his father what Cendebeus had done.

2. At this, Simon summoned his two elder sons, Judas and John, and said to them, 'My brothers and I, and my father's House, have fought the enemies of Israel from our youth until today, and many a time we have been successful in rescuing Israel.

2. And Simon called in his two older sons Judas and John, and said to them: "I and my brothers and the house of my father have fought the wars of Israel from our youth until this day, and things have prospered in our hands so that we have delivered Israel many times.

3. But now I am an old man, while you, by the mercy of Heaven, are the right age; take the place of my brother and myself, go out and fight for our nation, and may Heaven's aid be with you.'

3. But now I have grown old, and you by His mercy are mature in years. Take my place and my brother's, and go out and fight for our nation, and may the help which comes from Heaven be with you."

4. He then selected twenty thousand of the country's fighting men and cavalry, and these marched against Cendebaeus, spending the night at Modein.

4. So John chose out of the country twenty thousand warriors and horsemen, and they marched against Cendebeus and camped for the night in Modein.

5. Making an early start, they marched into the plain, to find a large army opposing them, both infantry and cavalry; there was, however, a stream-bed in between.

5. Early in the morning they arose and marched into the plain, and behold, a large force of infantry and horsemen was coming to meet them; and a stream lay between them.

6. John drew up facing them, he and his army and, seeing that the men were afraid to cross the stream-bed, crossed over first himself. When his men saw this, they too crossed after him.

6. Then he and his army lined up against them. And he saw that the soldiers were afraid to cross the stream, so he crossed over first; and when his men saw him, they crossed over after him.

7. He divided his army into two, with the cavalry in the centre and the infantry on either flank, as the opposing cavalry was very numerous.

7. Then he divided the army and placed the horsemen in the midst of the infantry, for the cavalry of the enemy were very numerous.

8. The trumpets rang out; Cendebaeus and his army were put to flight, many of them falling mortally wounded and the rest of them fleeing to the fortress.

8. And they sounded the trumpets, and Cendebeus and his army were put to flight, and many of them were wounded and fell; the rest fled into the stronghold.

9. Then it was that Judas, John's brother, was wounded, but John pursued them until Cendebaeus reached Kedron, which he had rebuilt.

9. At that time Judas the brother of John was wounded, but John pursued them until Cendebeus reached Kedron, which he had built.

10. Their flight took them as far as the towers in the countryside of Azotus, and John burnt these down. The enemy losses amounted to ten thousand men; John returned safely to Judaea.

10. They also fled into the towers that were in the fields of Azotus, and John burned it with fire, and about two thousand of them fell. And he returned to Judea safely.

11. Ptolemy son of Abubos had been appointed general in command of the Plain of Jericho; he owned a great deal of silver and gold,

11. Now Ptolemy the son of Abubus had been appointed governor over the plain of Jericho, and he had much silver and gold,

12. and was the high priest's son-in-law.

12. for he was son-in-law of the high priest.

13. His ambition was fired; he hoped to make himself master of the whole country and therefore treacherously began to plot the destruction of Simon and his sons.

13. His heart was lifted up; he determined to get control of the country, and made treacherous plans against Simon and his sons, to do away with them.

14. Simon, who was inspecting the towns up and down the country and attending to their administration, had come down to Jericho with his sons Mattathias and Judas, in the year 172, in the eleventh month, the month of Shebat.

14. Now Simon was visiting the cities of the country and attending to their needs, and he went down to Jericho with Mattathias and Judas his sons, in the one hundred and seventy-seventh year, in the eleventh month, which is the month of Shebat.

15. The son of Abubos lured them into a small fortress called Dok, which he had built, where he offered them a great banquet, having previously hidden men in the place.

15. The son of Abubus received them treacherously in the little stronghold called Dok, which he had built; he gave them a great banquet, and hid men there.

16. When Simon and his sons were drunk, Ptolemy and his men reached for their weapons, rushed on Simon in the banqueting hall and killed him with his two sons and some of his servants.

16. When Simon and his sons were drunk, Ptolemy and his men rose up, took their weapons, and rushed in against Simon in the banquet hall, and they killed him and his two sons and some of his servants.

17. He thus committed a great act of treachery and rendered evil for good.

17. So he committed an act of great treachery and returned evil for good.

18. Ptolemy wrote a report of the affair and sent it to the king, in the expectation of being sent reinforcements and of having the cities and the province made over to him.

18. Then Ptolemy wrote a report about these things and sent it to the king, asking him to send troops to aid him and to turn over to him the cities and the country.

19. He also sent people to Gezer to murder John, and sent written orders to the military commanders to come to him so that he could give them silver, gold and presents;

19. He sent other men to Gazara to do away with John; he sent letters to the captains asking them to come to him so that he might give them silver and gold and gifts;

20. and he also sent others to seize control of Jerusalem and the Temple mount.

20. and he sent other men to take possession of Jerusalem and the temple hill.

21. But someone had been too quick for him and had already informed John in Gezer that his father and brothers had perished, adding, 'He is sending someone to kill you too!'

21. But some one ran ahead and reported to John at Gazara that his father and brothers had perished, and that "he has sent men to kill you also."

22. Overcome as John was by the news, he arrested the men who had come to kill him and put them to death, being forewarned of their murderous design.

22. When he heard this, he was greatly shocked; and he seized the men who came to destroy him and killed them, for he had found out that they were seeking to destroy him.

23. The rest of John's acts, the battles he fought and the exploits he performed, the city walls he built, and all his other achievements,

23. The rest of the acts of John and his wars and the brave deeds which he did, and the building of the walls which he built, and his achievements,

24. from the day he succeeded his father as high priest, are recorded in the annals of his pontificate.

24. behold, they are written in the chronicles of his high priesthood, from the time that he became high priest after his father.