1 Machabees Chapter 10
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
10:40. And I give every year fifteen thousand sickles of silver out of the king’s accounts, of what belongs to me:
10:41. And all that is above, which they that were over the affairs the years before, had not paid, from this time they shall give it to the works of the house.
10:42. Moreover, the five thousand sickles of silver, which they received from the account of the holy places, every year, shall also belong to the priests that execute the ministry.
10:43. And whosoever shall flee into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and in all the borders thereof, being indebted to the king for any matter, let them be set at liberty, and all that they have in my kingdom, let them have it free.
10:44. For the building also, or repairing the works of the holy places, the charges shall be given out of the king’s revenues:
10:45. For the building also of the walls of Jerusalem, and the fortifying thereof round about, the charges shall be given out of the king’s account, as also for the building of the walls in Judea.
10:46. Now when Jonathan and the people heard these words, they gave no credit to them, nor received them because they remembered the great evil that he had done in Israel, for he had afflicted them exceedingly.
10:47. And their inclinations were towards Alexander, because he had been the chief promoter of peace in their regard, and him they always helped.
10:48. And king Alexander gathered together a great army, and moved his camp near to Demetrius.
10:49. And the two kings joined battle, and the army of Demetrius fled away, and Alexander pursued after him, and pressed them close.
10:50. And the battle was hard fought, till the sun went down: and Demetrius was slain that day.
10:51. And Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemee king of Egypt, with words to this effect, saying:
Ptolemee.... Surnamed Philometer.
10:52. Forasmuch as I am returned into my kingdom and am set in the throne of my ancestors, and have gotten the dominion, and have overthrown Demetrius and possessed our country,
10:53. And have joined battle with him, and both he and his army have been destroyed by us, and we are placed in the throne of his kingdom:
10:54. Now, therefore, let us make friendship one with another: and give me now thy daughter to wife, and I will be thy son in law, and I will give both thee and her gifts worthy of thee.
10:55. And king Ptolemee answered, saying: Happy is the day wherein thou didst return to the land of thy fathers, and sattest in the throne of their kingdom.
10:56. And now I will do to thee as thou hast written but meet me at Ptolemais, that we may see one another, and I may give her to thee as thou hast said.
10:57. So Ptolemee went out of Egypt, with Cleopatra his daughter, and he came to Ptolemais, in the hundred and sixty-second year.
10:58. And king Alexander met him, and he gave him his daughter, Cleopatra: and he celebrated her marriage at Ptolemais with great glory, after the manner of kings.
10:59. And king Alexander wrote to Jonathan, that he should come and meet him.
10:60. And he went honourably to Ptolemais, and he met there the two kings, and he gave them much silver, and gold, and presents: and he found favour in their sight.
10:61. And some pestilent men of Israel, men of a wicked life, assembled themselves against him, to accuse him: and the king gave no heed to them.
10:62. And he commanded that Jonathan’s garments should be taken off, and that he should be clothed with purple: and they did so. And the king made him sit by himself.
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 mountains.
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.