FIRST MACCABEES

13.34–14.24

well. 34 And Simon chose select men and sent them to Demetrius, that he might grant relief to the land, for all the works of Trypho were acts of plunder. 35 And King Demetrius answered him according to these words and wrote a decree after this pattern: 36 "King Demetrius to Simon, the high priest and friend of kings, and to the entire council of the nation of the Jews, greetings. 37 The golden crown and the gifts that you sent we have received, and we are ready to make a great peace, and to write to the officials of the tax collectors, that they may release to you the debts. 38 And whatever we established for you shall stand firm, and the strongholds that you build shall be your own. 39 And let there be forgiveness among you for errors both intentional and unintentional until this day. And the crown that you owe, and whatever other tax comes out of Jerusalem, let it be no more. 40 And if any of you are fit and worthy to be enrolled in our records, let them enter boldly. And let there be peace between us and you." 41 In the one hundred and seventieth year, the yoke of the gentiles non-Jewish nations was removed from the Israelite people. 42 And the people began to write in their own ledgers and in the contracts of their trade, "In the first year of Simon, the great high priest and leader and commander of the Jewish nation." 43 In those days, he surrounded the city of Gaza and besieged it with troops; he made engines there and brought them to the wall and knocked down one tower. 44 And those inside the engine likely a mobile siege tower leaped into the city, and there was a great commotion in the city. 45 The citizens with their wives and children rushed to the open square, having taken and torn their garments, and raising a shout, they took their places before Simon. 46 And they begged him to give them his hand a gesture of truce and covenant so that he would not judge them according to their wickedness, but would have mercy upon them according to his kindness. 47 And Simon, being moved, ceased the battle and ordered them to be removed from the city. And they purified the houses from all the pollution of their defilement, and then he entered with joy and singing. 48 And he purified from it all impurity and settled in it men who kept the laws; he also strengthened it and built in it a fortress for his own use. 49 Now those who were in the Akra citadel/inner fortress in Jerusalem were confined and remained under siege, for they had no way to go out or come in, and there was no grain or merchandise, and they were oppressed by starvation; and many of them died. 50 They cried out to Simon and begged to stand before him. He gave them his hand, and they came out from there; and he purified the citadel from all their impurities. 51 And he entered into it on the twentieth day of the second month, in the one hundred and seventieth year, with singing and thanksgiving, with palm branches, with the joy of trumpets and flutes, for a great enemy had been crushed from the house of Israel. 52 And he gave orders to keep that feast every year on those days with joy and gladness. 53 He strengthened the mountain of the temple by the citadel, and he himself dwelt inside it with his own chosen guard. 54 And Simon saw that his son, John, was a perfect man and had reached maturity; he took him and appointed him as leader, commander, and chief over all his troops, and placed him in the regions of Gezer.

Demetrius entered the borders of his land, he sent one of his princes to go and capture him. 3 He went, struck and destroyed the troops of Demetrius, and captured him as booty; he came and brought and held Demetrius before Arsaces Mithridates I of Parthia. And he ordered him to be kept in the custody of guards and placed him in a fortress. 4 And the land was at peace throughout all the days of Simon, and he added good upon good for his nation; he ruled over the provinces. 5 And he gathered many captives; he ruled over the regions of Gadora and Beth-zur and the Akra citadel. 6 And they worked their land in peace, and the land gave its fruit, and every tree and plantation gave its produce in abundance. 7 The elders sat in the squares, discussing among themselves with wisdom and goodness. The young men wore glory, adorned in the attire of battle. 8 They fortified the cities with supplies and prepared themselves with the readiness of armor for defense, until the name of his glory went forth to the ends of the earth. 9 And he made peace. And Israel rejoiced in great joy. 10 And they sat, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one made them afraid. 11 And all those who fought against them vanished from the land, and kings were broken in their days. 12 And he established and strengthened the humble of the people; he sought the laws of the Torah Law and wiped away all the wicked and lawless from the land. 13 He glorified the holy places and multiplied the vessels of the sanctuary.

14 And it went out from the city of the Romans, and even to the regions of the Spartans, that Jonathan was dead; and they were greatly grieved. 17 But when they heard that Simon, his brother, stood at the head of the priesthood in his place, and had taken and held the provinces and cities that were in them. 18 They sent messengers and wrote decrees on tablets of brass to renew the ancient friendship which they pledged and established with Judah and with Jonathan, his brother. 19 And when they were brought, they were read before the people in Jerusalem. And this is a copy of the decrees which the Spartans sent: 20 "The rulers and leaders of the Spartans, together with the great city, to Simon, the high priest, and to the council of the Israelites, and to the priests, and to all the band of the Jews, our brothers, greetings. 21 The messengers who were sent from you to us told us of your glory and honor; and we were glad at their arrival. 22 And we have written the message of the Lord in the ledgers of the counsels of our band, a copy of this: Numenius, son of Antiochus, and Antipater, son of Jason, messengers of the Jews, came to us to renew the friendship with our nation. 23 And it seemed pleasing to all the Spartans to receive their arrival with great glory and to place the writings of their words in a visible place in the ledgers of the counsels of the band of the Spartans." And they gave an answer to the decrees to Simon, the great priest. 24 The-