Before Book 46 2 Machabees
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
10:63. And he said to his princes: Go out with him into the midst of the city, and make proclamation, that no man complain against him of any matter, and that no man trouble him for any manner of cause.
10:64. So when his accusers saw his glory proclaimed, and him clothed with purple, they all fled away.
10:65. And the king magnified him, and enrolled him amongst his chief friends, and made him governor, and partaker of his dominion.
10:66. And Jonathan returned into Jerusalem with peace and joy.
10:67. In the year one hundred and sixty-five, Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, came from Crete into the land of his fathers.
10:68. And king Alexander heard of it, and was much troubled, and returned to Antioch.
10:69. And king Demetrius made Apollonius his general, who was governor of Celesyria: and he gathered together a great army, and came to Jamnia: and he sent to Jonathan, the high priest,
10:70. Saying: Thou alone standest against us, and I am laughed at and reproached, because thou shewest thy power against us in the mountuins.
10:71. Now, therefore, if thou trustest in thy forces, come down to us into the plain, and there let us try one another: for with me is the strength of war.
10:72. Ask, and learn who I am, and the rest that help me, who also say that your foot cannot stand before our face, for thy fathers have twice been put to flight in their own land:
10:73. And now how wilt thou be able to abide the horsemen, and so great an army in the plain, where there is no stone, nor rock, nor place to flee to?
10:74. Now when Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, he was moved in his mind: and he chose ten thousand men, and went out of Jerusalem, and Simon, his brother, met him to help him.
10:75. And they pitched their tents near Joppe, but they shut him out of the city: because a garrison of Apollonius was in Joppe, and he laid siege to it.
10:76. And they that were in the city being affrighted, opened the gates to him: so Jonathan took Joppe.
10:77. And Apollonius heard of it, and he took three thousand horsemen, and a great army.
10:78. And he went to Azotus, as one that was making a journey, and immediately he went forth into the plain: because he had a great number of horsemen, and he trusted in them. And Jonathan followed after him to Azotus, and they joined battle.
10:79. And Apollonius left privately in the camp a thousand horsemen behind them.
10:80. And Jonathan knew that there was an ambush behind him, and they surrounded his army, and cast darts at the people from morning till evening.
10:81. But the people stood still, as Jonathan had commanded them: and so their horses were fatigued.
10:82. Then Simon drew forth his army, and attacked the legion: for the horsemen were wearied: and they were discomfited by him, and fled.
10:83. And they that were scattered about the plain fled into Azotus, and went into Bethdagon, their idol's temple, there to save themselves.
10:84. But Jonathan set fire to Azotus, and the cities that were round about it, and took the spoils of them and the temple of Dagon: and all them that were fled into it, he burnt with fire.
10:85. So they that were slain by the sword, with them that were burnt, were almost eight thousand men.
10:86. And Jonathan, removed his army from thence and camped against Ascalon: and they went out of the city to meet him with great honour.
10:87. And Jonathan returned into Jerusalem with his people, having many spoils.
10:88. And it came to pass, when Alexander, the king heard these words, that he honoured Jonathan yet more.
10:89. And he sent him a buckle of gold, as the custom is, to be given to such as are of the royal blood. And he gave him Accaron, and all the borders thereof, in possession.
1 Machabees Chapter 11
Ptolemee invades the kingdom of Alexander: the latter is slain: and the former dies soon after. Demetrius honours Jonathan, and is rescued by the Jews from his own subjects in Antioch. Antiochus the younger favours Jonathan. His exploits in divers places.
11:1. And the king of Egypt gathered together an army, like the sand that lieth upon the sea shore, and many ships: and he sought to get the kingdom of Alexander by deceit, and join it to his own kingdom.
11:2. And he went out into Syria with peaceable words and they opened to him the cities, and met him: for king Alexander had ordered them to go forth to meet him, because he was his father in law.
11:3. Now when Ptolemee entered into the cities, he put garrisons of soldiers in every city.
11:4. And when he came near to Azotns, they shewed him the temple of Dagon that was burnt with fire, and Azotus, and the suburbs thereof, that were destroyed, and the bodies that were cast abroad, and the graves of them that were slain in the battle, which they had made near the way.
11:5. And they told the king that Jonathan had done these things, to make him odious: but the king held his peace.
11:6. And Jonathan came to meet the king at Joppe with glory, and they saluted one another, and they lodged there.
11:7. And Jonathan went with the king as far as the river, called Eleutherus: and he returned into Jerusalem.
11:8. And king Ptolemee got the dominion of the cities by the sea side, even to Seleucia, and he devised evil designs against Alexander.
11:9. And he sent ambassadors to Demetrius, saying: Come, let us make a league between us, and I will give thee my daughter whom Alexander hath, and thou shalt reign in the kingdom of thy father.
11:10. For I repent that I have given him my daughter: for he hath sought to kill me.
11:11. And he slandered him, because he coveted his kingdom,