1 Maccabees 14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Capture of Demetrius
14 In the one hundred seventy-second year King Demetrius assembled his forces and marched into Media to obtain help, so that he could make war against Trypho.(A) 2 When King Arsaces of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius had invaded his territory, he sent one of his generals to take him alive.(B) 3 The general[a] went and defeated the army of Demetrius and seized him and took him to Arsaces, who put him under guard.(C)
Eulogy of Simon
4 The land[b] had rest all the days of Simon.
He sought the good of his nation;
his rule was pleasing to them,
as was the honor shown him all his days.(D)
5 To crown all his honors he took Joppa for a harbor
and opened a way to the isles of the sea.(E)
6 He extended the borders of his nation
and gained full control of the country.
7 He gathered a host of captives;
he ruled over Gazara and Beth-zur and the citadel,
and he removed its uncleanness from it,
and there was none to oppose him.(F)
8 They tilled their land in peace;
the ground gave its increase
and the trees of the plains their fruit.(G)
9 Old men sat in the streets;
they all talked together of good things,
and the youths put on splendid military attire.
10 He supplied the towns with food
and furnished them with the means of defense,
until his renown spread to the ends of the earth.(H)
11 He established peace in the land,
and Israel rejoiced with great joy.
12 All the people sat under their own vines and fig trees,
and there was none to make them afraid.(I)
13 No one was left in the land to fight them,
and the kings were crushed in those days.
14 He gave help to all the humble among his people;
he sought out the law
and did away with all the renegades and outlaws.
15 He made the sanctuary glorious
and added to the vessels of the sanctuary.
Diplomacy with Rome and Sparta
16 It was heard in Rome and as far away as Sparta that Jonathan had died, and they were deeply grieved.(J) 17 When they heard that his brother Simon had become high priest in his stead and that he was ruling over the country and the towns in it,(K) 18 they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendship and alliance that they had established with his brothers Judas and Jonathan.(L) 19 And these were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.
20 This is a copy of the letter that the Spartans sent:
“The rulers and the city of the Spartans to the high priest Simon and to the elders and the priests and the rest of the Jewish people, our brothers, greetings.(M) 21 The envoys who were sent to our people have told us about your glory and honor, and we rejoiced at their coming. 22 We have recorded what they said in our public decrees, as follows, ‘Numenius son of Antiochus and Antipater son of Jason, envoys of the Jews, have come to us to renew their friendship with us.(N) 23 It has pleased our people to receive these men with honor and to put a copy of their words in the public archives, so that the people of the Spartans may have a record of them. And they have sent a copy of this to the high priest Simon.’ ”(O)
24 After this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a large gold shield weighing one thousand minas to confirm the alliance with the Romans.[c](P)
Official Honors for Simon
25 When the people heard these things they said, “How shall we thank Simon and his sons?(Q) 26 For he and his brothers and the house of his father have stood firm; they have fought and repulsed Israel’s enemies and established its freedom.”(R) 27 So they made a record on bronze tablets and put it on pillars on Mount Zion.
This is a copy of what they wrote: “On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred seventy-second year, which is the third year of the great high priest Simon,(S) 28 in Asaramel, in the great assembly of the priests and the people and the rulers of the nation and the elders of the country, the following was proclaimed to us:
29 “Since wars often occurred in the country, Simon son of Mattathias, of the clan of Joarib, and his brothers, exposed themselves to danger and resisted the enemies of their nation, in order that their sanctuary and the law might be preserved, and they brought great glory to their nation.(T) 30 Jonathan rallied the[d] nation, became their high priest, and was gathered to his people.(U) 31 When their enemies decided to invade their country and lay hands on their sanctuary,(V) 32 then Simon rose up and fought for his nation. He spent great sums of his own money; he armed the soldiers of his nation and paid them wages.(W) 33 He fortified the towns of Judea, and Beth-zur on the borders of Judea, where formerly the arms of the enemy had been stored, and he placed there a garrison of Jews.(X) 34 He also fortified Joppa, which is by the sea, and Gazara, which is on the borders of Azotus, where the enemy formerly lived. He settled Jews there and provided in those towns[e] whatever was necessary for their restoration.(Y)
35 “The people saw Simon’s faithfulness[f] and the glory that he had resolved to win for his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest because he had done all these things and because of the justice and loyalty that he had maintained toward his nation. He sought in every way to exalt his people.(Z) 36 In his days things prospered in his hands, so that the nations were put out of the[g] country, as were also those in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had built themselves a citadel from which they used to sally forth and defile the environs of the sanctuary, doing great damage to its purity.(AA) 37 He settled Jews in it and fortified it for the safety of the country and of the city and built the walls of Jerusalem higher.(AB)
38 “In view of these things King Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood,(AC) 39 made him one of his Friends, and paid him high honors.(AD) 40 For he had heard that the Jews were addressed by the Romans as friends and allies and brothers and that the Romans[h] had received the envoys of Simon with honor.(AE)
41 “The Jews and their priests have resolved that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until a trustworthy prophet should arise,(AF) 42 and that he should be governor over them and[i] appoint officials over its tasks and over the country and the weapons and the strongholds, 43 and that he should take charge of the sanctuary, and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and wear gold.(AG)
44 “None of the people or priests shall be permitted to nullify any of these decisions or to oppose what he says or to convene an assembly in the country without his permission or to be clothed in purple or put on a gold buckle.(AH) 45 Whoever acts contrary to these decisions or rejects any of them shall be liable to punishment.”
46 All the people agreed to grant Simon the right to act in accordance with these decisions. 47 So Simon accepted and agreed to be high priest, to be commander and ethnarch of the Jews and priests, and to be protector of them all.[j](AI) 48 And they gave orders to inscribe this decree on bronze tablets, to put them up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the sanctuary,(AJ) 49 and to deposit copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.(AK)
1 Maccabees 14
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
14 In the year one hundred and seventy-two, king Demetrius assembled his army, and went into Media to get him succours to fight against Tryphon.
2 And Arsaces the king of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius was entered within his borders, and he sent one of his princes to take him alive, and bring him to him.
3 And he went and defeated the army of Demetrius: and took him, and brought him to Arsaces, and he put him into custody.
4 And all the land of Juda was at rest all the days of Simon, and he sought the good of his nation: and his power, and his glory pleased them well all his days.
5 And with all his glory he took Joppe for a haven, and made an entrance to the isles of the sea.
6 And he enlarged the bounds of his nation, and made himself master of the country.
7 And he gathered together a great number of captives, and had the dominion of Gazara, and of Bethsura, and of the castle: and took away all uncleanness out of it and there was none that resisted him.
8 And every man tilled his land with peace: and the land of Juda yielded her increase, and the trees of the fields their fruit.
9 The ancient men sat all in the streets, and treated together of the good things of the land, and the young men put on them glory, and the robes of war.
10 And he provided victuals for the cities, and he appointed that they should be furnished with ammunition, so that the fame of his glory was renowned even to the end of the earth.
11 He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy.
12 And every man sat under his vine, and under his fig tree: and there was none to make them afraid.
13 There was none left in the land to fight against them: kings were discomfited in those days.
14 And he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low, and he sought the law, and took away every unjust and wicked man.
15 He glorified the sanctuary, and multiplied the vessels of the holy places.
16 And it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan was dead: and they were very sorry.
17 But when they heard that Simon his brother was made high priest in his place, and was possessed of all the country, and the cities therein:
18 They wrote to him in tables of brass, to renew the friendship and alliance which they had made with Judas, and with Jonathan his brethren.
19 And they were read before the assembly in Jerusalem. And this is the copy of the letters that the Spartans sent.
20 The princes and the cities of the Spartans to Simon the high priest, and to the ancients, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews their brethren, greeting.
21 The ambassadors that were sent to our people, have told us of your glory, and honour, and joy: and we rejoice at their coming.
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.
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.
24 And after this Simon sent Numenius to Rome, with a great shield of gold the weight of a thousand pounds, to confirm the league with them. And when the people of Rome had heard
25 These words, they said: What thanks shall we give to Simon, and his sons?
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.
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,
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,
29 And Simon the son of Mathathias of the children of Jarib, and his brethren have put themselves in danger, and have resisted the enemies of their nation, for the maintenance of their holy places, and the law: and have raised their nation to great glory.
30 And Jonathan gathered together his nation, and was made their high priest, and he was laid to his people.
31 And their enemies desired to tread down and destroy their country, and to stretch forth their hands against their holy places.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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 its purity.
37 And he placed therein Jews for the defence of the country, and of the city, and he raised up the walls of Jerusalem.
38 And king Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood.
39 According to these things he made him his friend, and glorified him with great glory.
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:
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:
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.
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:
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:
45 And whosoever shall do otherwise, or shall make void any of these things shall be punished.
46 And it pleased all the people to establish Simon, and to do according to these words.
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.
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:
49 And that a copy thereof should be put in the treasury, that Simon and his sons may have it.
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