Before Book 46 2 Machabees
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
14:22. And we registered what was said by them in the councils of the people, in this manner: Numenius, the son of Antiochus, and Antipater, the son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews, came to us to renew the former friendship with us.
14:23. And it pleased the people to receive the men honourably, and to put a copy of their words in the public records, to be a memorial to the people of the Spartans. And we have written a copy of them to Simon, the high priest.
14:24. And after this Simon sent Numenius to Rome, with a great shield of gold, of the weight of a thousand pounds, to confirm the league with them. And when the people of Rome had heard
14:25. These words, they said: What thanks shall we give to Simon, and his sons:
14:26. For he hath restored his brethren, and hath driven away in fight the enemies of Israel from them: and they decreed him liberty, and registered it in tables of brass, and set it upon pillars in mount Sion.
14:27. And this is a copy of the writing. The eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the year one hundred and seventy-two, being the third year under Simon, the high priest, at Asaramel,
14:28. In a great assembly of the priests, and of the people, and the princes of the nation, and the ancients of the country, these things were notified: Forasmuch as there have often been wars in our country,
14:29. And Simon, the son of Mathathias, of the children of Jarib, and his brethren, have put themselves in danger, and resisted the enemies of their nation, for the maintenance of their holy places, and the law: and have raised their nation to great glory.
14:30. And Jonathan gathered together his nation, and was made their high priest, and he was laid to his people.
14:31. And their enemies desired to tread down and destroy their country, and to stretch forth their hands against their holy places.
14:32. Then Simon resisted and fought for his nation, and laid out much of his money, and armed the valiant men of his nation, and gave them wages.
14:33. And he fortified the cities of Judea and Bethsura that lieth in the borders of Judea, where the armour of the enemies was before: and he placed there a garrison of Jews.
14:34. And he fortified Joppe, which lieth by the sea: and Gazara, which bordereth upon Azotus, wherein the enemies dwelt before, and he placed Jews here: and furnished them with all things convenient for their reparation.
14:35. And the people seeing the acts of Simon, and to what glory he meant to bring his nation, made him their prince and high 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 advance his people.
14:36. And in his days things prospered in his hands, so that the heathens were taken away out of their country, and they also that were in the city of David, in Jerusalem, in the castle, out of which they issued forth, and profaned all places round about the sanctuary, and did much evil to purity.
14:37. And he placed therein Jews for the defence of the country, and of the city, and he raised up the walls of Jerusalem.
14:38. And king Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood.
14:39. According to these things he made him his friend, and glorified him with great glory.
14:40. For he had heard that the Romans had called the Jews their friends, and confederates, and brethren, and that they had received Simon's ambassadors with honour:
14:41. And that the Jews, and their priests, had consented that he should be their prince and high priest for ever, till there should arise a faithful prophet:
14:42. And that he should be chief over them, and that he should have the charge of the sanctuary, and that he should appoint rulers over their works, and over the country, and over the armour, and over the strong holds;
14:43. And that he should have care of the holy places; and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all the writings in the country should be made in his name; and that he should be clothed with purple and gold:
14:44. And that it should not be lawful for any of the people, or of the priests, to disannul any of these things, or to gainsay his words, or to call together an assembly in the country without him: or to be clothed with purple, or to wear a buckle of gold.
14:45. And whosoever shall do otherwise, or shall make void any of these things, shall be punished.
14:46. And it pleased all the people to establish Simon, and to do according to these words.
14:47. And Simon accepted thereof, and was well pleased to execute the office of the high priesthood, and to be captain, and prince of the nation of the Jews, and of the priests, and to be chief over all.
14:48. And 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. And that a copy thereof should be put in the treasury, that Simon, and his sons, may have it.
1 Machabees Chapter 15
Antiochus son of Demetrius honours Simon. The Romans write to divers nations in favour of the Jews. Antiochus quarrels with Simon, and sends troops to annoy him.
15:1. And king Antiochus, the son of Demetrius, sent letters from the isles of the sea to Simon, the priest, and prince of the nation of the Jews, and to all the people:
15:2. And the contents were these: King Antiochus to Simon, the high priest, and to the nation of the Jews, greeting.
15:3. Forasmuch as certain pestilent men have usurped the kingdom of our fathers, and my purpose is to challenge the kingdom, and to restore it to its former estate; and I have chosen a great army, and have built ships of war.
15:4. And I design to go through the country, that I may take revenge of them that have destroyed our country, and that have made many cities desolate in my realm.
15:5. Now, therefore, I confirm unto thee all the oblations which all the kings before me remitted to thee, and what other gifts soever they remitted to thee:
15:6. And I give thee leave to coin thy own money in thy country:
15:7. And let Jerusalem be holy and free, and all the armour that hath been made, and the fortresses which thou hast built, and which thou keepest in thy hands, let them remain to thee.
15:8. And all that is due to the king, and what should be the king's hereafter, from this present and for ever, is forgiven thee.
15:9. And when we shall have recovered our kingdom, we will glorify thee, and thy nation, and the temple, with great glory, so that your glory shall be made manifest in all the earth.
15:10. In the year one hundred and seventy-four, Antiochus entered into the land of his fathers, and all the forces assembled to him, so that few were left with Tryphon.