1 Maccabees 11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Ptolemy Invades Syria
11 Then the king of Egypt gathered great forces like the sand by the seashore and many ships, and he tried to get possession of Alexander’s kingdom by trickery and add it to his own kingdom.(A) 2 He set out for Syria with peaceable words, and the people of the towns opened their gates to him and went to meet him, for King Alexander had commanded them to meet him, since he was Alexander’s[a] father-in-law. 3 But when Ptolemy entered the towns he stationed forces as a garrison in each town.
4 When he[b] approached Azotus, they showed him the burnt-out temple of Dagon, and Azotus and its suburbs destroyed, and the corpses lying about, and the charred bodies of those whom Jonathan[c] had burned in the war, for they had piled them in heaps along his route.(B) 5 They also told the king what Jonathan had done, to throw blame on him, but the king kept silent. 6 Jonathan met the king at Joppa with pomp, and they greeted one another and spent the night there.(C) 7 And Jonathan went with the king as far as the river called Eleutherus; then he returned to Jerusalem.(D)
8 So King Ptolemy gained control of the coastal cities as far as Seleucia by the sea, and he kept devising wicked designs against Alexander.(E) 9 He sent envoys to King Demetrius, saying, “Come, let us make a covenant with each other, and I will give you in marriage my daughter who was Alexander’s wife, and you shall reign over your father’s kingdom.(F) 10 I now regret that I gave him my daughter, for he has tried to kill me.” 11 He threw blame on Alexander[d] because he coveted his kingdom. 12 So he took his daughter away from him and gave her to Demetrius. He was estranged from Alexander, and their hostility became apparent.
13 Then Ptolemy entered Antioch and put on the crown of Asia. Thus he put two crowns on his head, the crown of Egypt and that of Asia.(G) 14 Now King Alexander was in Cilicia at that time because the people of that region were in revolt. 15 When Alexander heard of it, he came against him in battle. Ptolemy marched out and met him with a strong force and put him to flight. 16 So Alexander fled into Arabia to find protection there, and King Ptolemy was triumphant. 17 Zabdiel the Arab cut off the head of Alexander and sent it to Ptolemy. 18 But King Ptolemy died three days later, and his troops in the strongholds were killed by the inhabitants of the strongholds. 19 So Demetrius became king in the one hundred sixty-seventh year.(H)
Jonathan’s Diplomacy
20 In those days Jonathan assembled the Judeans to attack the citadel in Jerusalem, and he built many engines of war to use against it.(I) 21 But certain renegades who hated their nation went to the king and reported to him that Jonathan was besieging the citadel.(J) 22 When he heard this he was angry, and as soon as he heard it he set out and came to Ptolemais, and he wrote Jonathan not to continue the siege but to meet him for a conference at Ptolemais as quickly as possible.(K)
23 When Jonathan heard this, he gave orders to continue the siege. He chose some of the elders of Israel and some of the priests and put himself in danger, 24 for he went to the king at Ptolemais, taking silver and gold and clothing and numerous other gifts. And he won his favor.(L) 25 Although certain renegades of his nation kept making complaints against him,(M) 26 the king treated him as his predecessors had treated him; he exalted him in the presence of all his Friends.(N) 27 He confirmed him in the high priesthood and in as many other honors as he had formerly had and caused him to be reckoned among his First Friends.(O) 28 Then Jonathan asked the king to free Judea and the three districts and Samaria from tribute and promised him three hundred talents.(P) 29 The king consented and wrote a letter to Jonathan about all these things; its contents were as follows:
30 “King Demetrius to his brother Jonathan and to the nation of the Jews, greetings.(Q) 31 This copy of the letter that we wrote concerning you to our kinsman Lasthenes we have written to you also, so that you may know what it says. 32 ‘King Demetrius to his father Lasthenes, greetings. 33 We have determined to do good to the nation of the Jews, who are our friends and fulfill their obligations to us, because of the goodwill they show toward us. 34 We have confirmed as their possession both the territory of Judea and the three districts of Aphairema and Lydda and Ramathaim;[e] the latter, with all the region bordering them, were added to Judea from Samaria. To all those who offer sacrifice in Jerusalem we have granted release from[f] the royal taxes that the king formerly received from them each year, from the crops of the land and the fruit of the trees.(R) 35 And the other payments henceforth due to us of the tithes, and the taxes due to us, and the salt pits and the crown taxes due to us—from all these we shall grant them release.(S) 36 And not one of these grants shall be canceled from this time on forever.(T) 37 Now, therefore, take care to make a copy of this, and let it be given to Jonathan and put up in a conspicuous place on the holy mountain.’ ”
The Intrigue of Trypho
38 When King Demetrius saw that the land was quiet before him and that there was no opposition to him, he dismissed all his troops, all of them to their own homes, except the foreign troops whom he had recruited from the islands of the nations. So all the troops who had served under his predecessors hated him.(U) 39 A certain Trypho had formerly been one of Alexander’s supporters; he saw that all the troops were grumbling against Demetrius. So he went to Imalkue the Arab, who was bringing up Antiochus, the young son of Alexander,(V) 40 and insistently urged him to hand Antiochus[g] over to him, to become king in place of his father. He also reported to Imalkue[h] what Demetrius had done and told of the hatred that the troops of Demetrius[i] had for him, and he stayed there many days.(W)
41 Now Jonathan sent to King Demetrius the request that he remove the troops of the citadel from Jerusalem and the troops in the strongholds, for they kept fighting against Israel.(X) 42 And Demetrius sent this message back to Jonathan: “Not only will I do these things for you and your nation, but I will confer great honor on you and your nation, if I find an opportunity. 43 Now, then, you will do well to send me men who will help me, for all my troops have revolted.”(Y) 44 So Jonathan sent three thousand stalwart men to him at Antioch, and when they came to the king, the king rejoiced at their arrival.(Z)
45 Then the people of the city assembled within the city, to the number of a hundred and twenty thousand, and they wanted to kill the king. 46 But the king fled into the palace. Then the people of the city seized the main streets of the city and began to fight. 47 So the king called the Jews to his aid, and they all rallied around him and then spread out through the city, and they killed on that day about one hundred thousand. 48 They set fire to the city and seized a large amount of spoil on that day and saved the king. 49 When the people of the city saw that the Jews had gained control of the city as they pleased, their courage failed, and they cried out to the king with this entreaty: 50 “Grant us peace, and make the Jews stop fighting against us and our city.”(AA) 51 And they threw down their arms and made peace. So the Jews gained glory in the sight of the king and of all the people in his kingdom, and they returned to Jerusalem with a large amount of spoil.
52 So King Demetrius sat on the throne of his kingdom, and the land was quiet before him.(AB) 53 But he broke his word about all that he had promised; he became estranged from Jonathan and did not repay the favors that Jonathan[j] had done him but treated him very harshly.
Trypho Seizes Power
54 After this Trypho returned, and with him the young boy Antiochus, who began to reign and put on the crown.(AC) 55 All the troops whom Demetrius had discharged gathered around him; they fought against Demetrius,[k] and he fled and was routed. 56 Trypho captured the elephants[l] and gained control of Antioch.(AD) 57 Then the young Antiochus wrote to Jonathan, saying, “I confirm you in the high priesthood and set you over the four districts and make you one of the king’s Friends.”(AE) 58 He also sent him gold plates and a table service and granted him the right to drink from gold cups and dress in purple and wear a gold buckle.(AF) 59 He appointed Jonathan’s[m] brother Simon governor from the Ladder of Tyre to the borders of Egypt.(AG)
Campaigns of Jonathan and Simon
60 Then Jonathan set out and traveled beyond the river and among the towns, and all the army of Syria gathered to him as allies. When he came to Askalon, the people of the city met him and paid him honor.(AH) 61 From there he went to Gaza, but the people of Gaza shut him out. So he besieged it and burned its suburbs with fire and plundered them.(AI) 62 Then the people of Gaza pleaded with Jonathan, and he made peace with them and took the sons of their rulers as hostages and sent them to Jerusalem. And he passed through the country as far as Damascus.(AJ)
63 Then Jonathan heard that the officers of Demetrius had come to Kadesh in Galilee with a large army, intending to remove him from office.(AK) 64 He went to meet them but left his brother Simon in the country. 65 Simon encamped before Beth-zur and fought against it for many days and hemmed it in.(AL) 66 Then they asked him to grant them terms of peace, and he did so. He removed them from there, took possession of the town, and set a garrison over it.(AM)
67 Jonathan and his army encamped by the waters of Gennesaret. Early in the morning they marched to the plain of Hazor,(AN) 68 and there in the plain the army of the foreigners met him; they had set an ambush against him in the mountains, but they themselves met him face to face.(AO) 69 Then the men in ambush emerged from their places and joined battle. 70 All the men with Jonathan fled; not one of them was left except Mattathias son of Absalom and Judas son of Chalphi, commanders of the forces of the army.(AP) 71 Jonathan tore his clothes, put dust on his head, and prayed.(AQ) 72 Then he turned back to the battle against the enemy[n] and routed them, and they fled. 73 When his men who were fleeing saw this, they returned to him and joined him in the pursuit as far as Kadesh, to their camp, and there they encamped.(AR) 74 As many as three thousand of the foreigners fell that day. And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem.(AS)
1 Maccabees 11
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
11 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.
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.
3 Now when Ptolemee entered into the cities, he put garrisons of soldiers in every city.
4 And when he came near to Azotus, 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.
5 And they told the king that Jonathan had done these things, to make him odious: but the king held his peace.
6 And Jonathan came to meet the king at Joppe with glory, and they saluted one another, and they lodged there.
7 And Jonathan went with the king as far as the river, called Eleutherus: and he returned into Jerusalem.
8 And king Ptolemee got the dominion of the cities by the sea side, even to Seleucia, and he devised evil designs against Alexander.
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.
10 For I repent that I have given him my daughter: for he hath sought to kill me.
11 And he slandered him, because he coveted his kingdom.
12 And he took away his daughter, and gave her to Demetrius, and alienated himself from Alexander, and his enmities were made manifest.
13 And Ptolemee entered into Antioch, and set two crowns upon his head, that of Egypt, and that of Asia.
14 Now king Alexander was in Cilicia at that time: because they that were in those places had rebelled.
15 And when Alexander heard of it, he came to give him battle, and king Ptolemee brought forth his army, and met him with a strong power, and put him to flight.
16 And Alexander fled into Arabia, there to be protected: and king Ptolemee was exalted.
17 And Zabdiel the Arabian took off Alexander's head, and sent it to Ptolemee.
18 And king Ptolemee died the third day after: and they that were in the strong holds were destroyed by them that were within the camp.
19 And Demetrius reigned in the hundred and sixty-seventh year.
20 In those days Jonathan gathered together them that were in Judea, to take the castle that was in Jerusalem: and they made many engines of war against it.
21 Then some wicked men that hated their own nation, went away to king Demetrius, and told him that Jonathan was besieging the castle.
22 And when he heard it, he was angry: and forthwith he came to Ptolemais, and wrote to Jonathan, that he should not besiege the castle, but should come to him in haste, and speak to him.
23 But when Jonathan heard this, he bade them besiege it still: and he chose some of the ancients of Israel, and of the priests, and put himself in danger.
24 And he took gold, and silver, and raiment, and many other presents, and went to the king to Ptolemais, and he found favour in his sight.
25 And certain wicked men of his nation made complaints against him.
26 And the king treated him as his predecessor had done before: and he exalted him in the sight of all his friends.
27 And he confirmed him in the high priesthood, and all the honours he had before, and he made him the chief of his friends.
28 And Jonathan requested of the king that he would make Judea free from tribute, and the three governments, and Samaria, and the confines thereof: and he promised him three hundred talents.
29 And the king consented: and he wrote letters to Jonathan of all these things to this effect.
30 King Demetrius to his brother Jonathan, and to the nation of the Jews, greeting.
31 We send you here a copy of the letter, which we have written to Lasthenes our parent concerning you, that you might know it.
32 King Demetrius to Lasthenes his parent, greeting.
33 We have determined to do good to the nation of the Jews who are our friends, and keep the things that are just with us, for their good will which they bear towards us.
34 We have ratified therefore unto them all the borders of Judea, and the three cities, Apherema, Lydda, and Ramatha, which are added to Judea, out of Samaria, and all their confines, to be set apart to all them that sacrifice in Jerusalem, instead of the payments which the king received of them every year, and for the fruits of the land, and of the trees.
35 And as for other things that belonged to us of the tithes, and of the tributes, from this time we discharge them of them: the saltpans also, and the crowns that were presented to us.
36 We give all to them, and nothing hereof shall be revoked from this time forth and for ever.
37 Now therefore see that thou make a copy of these things, and let it be given to Jonathan, and set upon the holy mountain, in a conspicuous place.
38 And king Demetrius seeing that the land was quiet before him, and nothing resisted him, sent away all his forces, every man to his own place, except the foreign army, which he had drawn together from the islands of the nations: so all the troops of his fathers hated him.
39 Now there was one Tryphon who had been of Alexander's party before: who seeing that all the army murmured against Demetrius, went to Emalchuel the Arabian, who brought up Antiochus the son of Alexander.
40 And he pressed him much to deliver him to him, that he might be king in his father's place: and he told him all that Demetrius had done, and how his soldiers hated him. And he remained there many days.
41 And Jonathan sent to king Demetrius, desiring that he would cast out them that were in the castle in Jerusalem, and those that were in the strong holds: because they fought against Israel.
42 And Demetrius sent to Jonathan, saying: I will not only do this for thee, and for thy people, but I will greatly honour thee, and thy nation, when opportunity shall serve.
43 Now therefore thou shalt do well if thou send me men to help me: for all my army is gone from me.
44 And Jonathan sent him three thousand valiant men to Antioch: and they came to the king, and the king was very glad of their coming.
45 And they that were of the city assembled themselves together, to the number of a hundred and twenty thousand men, and would have killed the king.
46 And the king fled into the palace, and they of the city kept the passages of the city, and began to fight.
47 And the king called the Jews to his assistance: and they came to him all at once, and they all dispersed themselves through the city.
48 And they slew in that day a hundred thousand men, and they set fire to the city, and got many spoils that day, and delivered the king.
49 And they that were of the city saw that the Jews had got the city as they would: and they were discouraged in their minds, and cried to the king, making supplication, and saying:
50 Grant us peace, and let the Jews cease from assaulting us, and the city.
51 And they threw down their arms, and made peace, and the Jews were glorified in the sight of the king, and in the sight of all that were in his realm, and were renowned throughout the kingdom, and returned to Jerusalem with many spoils.
52 So king Demetrius sat in the throne of his kingdom: and the land was quiet before him.
53 And he falsified all whatsoever he had said, and alienated himself from Jonathan, and did not reward him according to the benefits he had received from him, but gave him great trouble.
54 And after this Tryphon returned, and with him Antiochus the young boy, who was made king, and put on the diadem.
55 And there assembled unto him all the hands which Demetrius had sent away, and they fought against Demetrius, who turned his back and fled.
56 And Tryphon took the elephants, and made himself master of Antioch.
57 And young Antiochus wrote to Jonathan, saying: I confirm thee in the high priesthood, and I appoint thee ruler over the four cities, and to be one of the king's friends.
58 And he sent him vessels of gold for his service, and he gave him leave to drink in gold, and to be clothed in purple, and to wear a golden buckle:
59 And he made his brother Simon governor from the borders of Tyre even to the confines of Egypt.
60 Then Jonathan went forth and passed through the cities beyond the river: and all the forces of Syria gathered themselves to him to help him, and he came to Ascalon, and they met him honourably out of the city.
61 And he went from thence to Gaza: and they that were in Gaza shut him out: and he besieged it, and burnt all the suburbs round about, and took the spoils.
62 And the men of Gaza made supplication to Jonathan, and he gave them the right hand: and he took their sons for hostages, and sent them to Jerusalem: and he went through the country as far as Damascus.
63 And Jonathan heard that the generals of Demetrius were come treacherously to Cades, which is in Galilee, with a great army, purposing to remove him from the affairs of the kingdom:
64 And he went against them: but left his brother Simon in the country.
65 And Simon encamped against Bethsura, and assaulted it many days, and shut them up.
66 And they desired him to make peace, and he granted it them: and he cast them out from thence, and took the city, and placed a garrison in it.
67 And Jonathan, and his army encamped by the water of Genesar, and before it was light they were ready in the plain of Asor.
68 And behold the army of the strangers met him in the plain, and they laid an ambush for him in the mountains: but he went out against them.
69 And they that lay in ambush arose out of their places, and joined battle.
70 And all that were on Jonathan's side fled, and none was left of them, but Mathathias the son of Absalom, and Judas the son of Calphi, chief captain of the army.
71 And Jonathan rent his garments, and cast earth upon his head, and prayed.
72 And Jonathan turned again to them to battle, and he put them to flight, and they fought.
73 And they of his part that fled saw this, and they turned again to him, and they all with him pursued the enemies even to Cades to their own camp, and they came even thither.
74 And there fell of the aliens in that day three thousand men: and Jonathan returned to Jerusalem.
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