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.
14:2 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:
14:3 Who went and smote the host of Demetrius, and took him, and brought him
to Arsaces, by whom he was put in ward.
14:4 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.
14:5 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,
14:6 And enlarged the bounds of his nation, and recovered the country,
14:7 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.
14:8 Then did they till their ground in peace, and the earth gave her
increase, and the trees of the field their fruit.
14:9 The ancient men sat all in the streets, communing together of good
things, and the young men put on glorious and warlike apparel.
14:10 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.
14:11 He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy:
14:12 For every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was none to
fray them:
14:13 Neither was there any left in the land to fight against them: yea, the
kings themselves were overthrown in those days.
14:14 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.
14:15 He beautified the sanctuary, and multiplied vessels of the temple.
14:16 Now when it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan was
dead, they were very sorry.
14:17 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:
14:18 They wrote unto him in tables of brass, to renew the friendship and
league which they had made with Judas and Jonathan his brethren:
14:19 Which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.
14:20 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:
14:21 The ambassadors that were sent unto our people certified us of your
glory and honour: wherefore we were glad of their coming,
14:22 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.
14:23 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.
14:24 After this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold of a
thousand pound weight to confirm the league with them.
14:25 Whereof when the people heard, they said, What thanks shall we give to
Simon and his sons?
14:26 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.
14:27 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,
14:28 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.
14:29 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:
14:30 (For after that Jonathan, having gathered his nation together, and been
their high priest, was added to his people,
14:31 Their enemies prepared to invade their country, that they might destroy
it, and lay hands on the sanctuary:
14:32 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,
14:33 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:
14:34 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.)
14:35 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.
14:36 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:
14:37 But he placed Jews therein. and fortified it for the safety of the
country and the city, and raised up the walls of Jerusalem.
14:38 King Demetrius also confirmed him in the high priesthood according to
those things,
14:39 And made him one of his friends, and honoured him with great honour.
14:40 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;
14:41 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;
14:42 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;
14:43 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:
14:44 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;
14:45 And whosoever should do otherwise, or break any of these things, he
should be punished.
14:46 Thus it liked all the people to deal with Simon, and to do as hath been
said.
14:47 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.
14:48 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;
14:49 Also that the copies thereof should be laid up in the treasury, to the
end that Simon and his sons might have them.
