Simon Takes Command

13 Simon heard that Trypho had assembled a large army to invade the land of Judah and destroy it,^{(A) 2} and he saw that the people were trembling with fear. So he went up to Jerusalem, and gathering the people together ³ he encouraged them, saying to them, “You yourselves know what great things my brothers and I and the house of my father have done for the laws and the sanctuary; you know also the wars and the difficulties that my brothers and I have seen. ⁴ By reason of this all my brothers have perished for the sake of Israel, and I alone am left.^{(B) 5} And now, far be it from me to spare my life in any time of distress, for I am not better than my brothers.^{(C) 6} But I will avenge my nation and the sanctuary and your wives and children, for all the nations have gathered together out of hatred to destroy us.”^(D)

⁷ The spirit of the people was rekindled when they heard these words, ⁸ and they answered in a loud voice, “You are our leader in place of Judas and your brother Jonathan.^{(E) 9} Fight our battles, and all that you say to us we will do.” ¹⁰ So he assembled all the warriors and hurried to complete the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it on every side.^{(F) 11} He sent Jonathan son of Absalom to Joppa and with him a considerable army; he drove out its occupants and remained there.^(G)

Deceit and Treachery of Trypho

¹² Then Trypho left Ptolemais with a large army to invade the land of Judah, and Jonathan was with him under guard.^{(H) 13} Simon encamped in Adida, facing the plain.^{(I) 14} Trypho learned that Simon had risen up in place of his brother Jonathan and that he was about to join battle with him, so he sent envoys to him and said,^{(J) 15} “It is for the money that your brother Jonathan owed the royal treasury, in connection with the offices he held, that we are detaining him. ¹⁶ Send now one hundred talents of silver and two of his sons as hostages, so that when released he will not revolt against us, and we will release him.”

¹⁷ Simon knew that they were speaking deceitfully to him, but he sent to get the money and the sons, so that he would not arouse great hostility among the people, who might say, ¹⁸ “It was because Simon^[a] did not send him the money and the sons that Jonathan^[b] perished.” ¹⁹ So he sent the sons and the hundred talents, but Trypho^[c] broke his word and did not release Jonathan.

²⁰ After this Trypho came to invade the country and destroy it, and he circled around by the way to Adora. But Simon and his army kept marching along opposite him to every place he went. ²¹ Now the men in the citadel kept sending envoys to Trypho urging him to come to them by way of the wilderness and to send them food.^{(K) 22} So Trypho got all his cavalry ready to go, but that night a very heavy snow fell, and he did not go because of the snow. He marched off and went into the land of Gilead.^{(L) 23} When he approached Baskama, he killed Jonathan, and he was buried there.^{(M) 24} Then Trypho turned and went back to his own land.

Jonathan’s Tomb

²⁵ Simon sent and took the bones of his brother Jonathan and buried him in Modein, the city of his ancestors.^{(N) 26} All Israel bewailed him with great lamentation and mourned for him many days.^{(O) 27} And Simon built a monument over the tomb of his father and his brothers; he made it high so that it might be seen, with polished stone at the front and back. ²⁸ He also erected seven pyramids, opposite one another, for his father and mother and four brothers. ²⁹ For the pyramids^[d] he devised an elaborate setting, erecting about them great columns, and on the columns he put suits of armor for a permanent memorial, and beside the suits of armor he carved ships, so that they could be seen by all who sail the sea. ³⁰ This is the tomb that he built in Modein; it remains to this day.^(P)

⁴¹ In the one hundred seventieth year the yoke of the nations was removed from Israel, ⁴² and the people began to write in their documents and contracts, “In the first year of Simon the great high priest and commander and leader of the Jews.”^(A)