The First Book of Maccabees

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

- Chapter 14 -

Demetrius is taken by the king of Persia. Judea flourishes under the government of Simon.

In the one hundred seventy-second year,(a) King Demetrius gathered his forces together, and went into Media to get help, that he might fight against Tryphon.

When Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had come into his borders, he sent one of his princes to take him alive.

He went and struck the army of Demetrius, and seized him and brought him to Arsaces, who put him under guard.

The land had rest all the days of Simon. He sought the good of his nation. His authority and his honor was pleasing to them all his days.

Amid all his honors, he took Joppa for a harbor, and made it an entrance for the islands of the sea.

He enlarged the borders of his nation and took possession of the country.

He gathered together a great number of captives, and took control of Gazara, Bethsura, and the citadel, and he removed its uncleannesses from it. There was no one who resisted him.

They tilled their land in peace, and the land gave her increase, and the trees of the plains gave their fruit.

The old men sat in the streets; they all conversed together about good things. The young men put on glorious and warlike apparel.

He provided food for the cities and furnished them with means of defense, until the glory of his name was known to the end of the earth.

He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy.

Each man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was no one to make them afraid.

No one was left in the land who fought against them. The kings were defeated in those days.

He strengthened all those of his people who were humble. He searched out the law, and every lawless and wicked person he took away.

He glorified the sanctuary, and added to the vessels of the temple.

It was heard at Rome that Jonathan was dead, and even in Sparta, and they were exceedingly grieved.

But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon was made high priest in his place, and ruled the country and the cities in it,

they wrote to him on brass tablets to renew with him the friendship and the alliance which they had confirmed with his brothers Judas and Jonathan.

These were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.

This is the copy of the letters which the Spartans sent: “The rulers and the city of the Spartans, to Simon the high priest, to the elders, the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, our kindred, greetings.

The ambassadors who were sent to our people reported to us about your glory and honor. We were glad for their coming,

and we registered the things that were spoken by them in the public records(b) as follows: ‘Numenius son of Antiochus, and Antipater son of Jason, the Jews’ ambassadors, came to us to renew the friendship they had with us.

It pleased the people to entertain the men honorably, and to put the copy of their words in the public records,(c) to the end that the people of the Spartans might have a record of them. Moreover they wrote a copy of these things to Simon the high priest.’”

After this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold of weighing one thousand minas,(d) in order to confirm the alliance with them.

But when the people heard these things, they said, “What thanks shall we give to Simon and his sons?

For he and his brothers and the house of his father have made themselves strong, and have fought and chased away Israel’s enemies, and confirmed liberty to Israel.(e)”

So they wrote on tablets of brass, and set them on pillars on mount Zion. This is the copy of the writing: “On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred seventy-second year,(f) which is the third year of Simon the high priest,

in Asaramel, in a great congregation of priests and people and princes of the nation, and of the elders of the country, it was proclaimed to us:(g)

‘Since wars often occurred in the country, Simon the son of Mattathias, the son of the sons of Joarib, and his brothers, put themselves in jeopardy and withstood the enemies of their nation, that their sanctuary and the law might be established, and glorified their nation with great glory.

Jonathan rallied the nation, became their high priest, and was gathered to his people.

Their enemies planned to invade their country, that they might destroy their country utterly, and stretch out their hands against their sanctuary.

Then Simon rose up and fought for his nation. He spent much of his own money to arm the valiant men of his nation and give them wages.

He fortified the cities of Judea and Bethsura that lies on the borders of Judea, where the weapons of the enemies were had been stored, and there he placed a garrison of Jews.

He fortified Joppa which is upon the sea, and Gazara which is upon the borders of Azotus, where the enemies used to live, and placed Jews there, and set in there all things necessary for their restoration.

The people saw Simon’s faith,(h) and the glory which he resolved to bring to his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things, and for the justice and the faith which he kept to his nation, and because he sought by all means to exalt his people.

In his days, things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were taken away out of their country, and they also who were in the city of David, those who were in Jerusalem, who had made themselves a citadel, out of which they used to go, and polluted everything around the sanctuary, and did great damage to its purity.

He placed Jews in it and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and made high the walls of Jerusalem.

King Demetrius confirmed to him the high priesthood according to these things,

and made him one of his friends,(i) and honored him with great honor;

for he had heard that the Jews had been called by the Romans friends, allies, and kindred, and that they had met the ambassadors of Simon honorably;

and that the Jews and the priests were well pleased that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until there should arise a faithful prophet;

and that he should be governor over them, and should take charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over the country, and over the weapons, and over the strongholds; 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;

and that it should not be lawful for any of the people or of the priests to nullify any of these things, or to oppose the words that he should speak, or to gather an assembly in the country without him, or to be clothed in purple, or wear a buckle of gold;

but whoever should do otherwise, or nullify any of these things, he will be liable to punishment.’”

All the people consented to ordain for Simon that he should do according to these words.

So Simon accepted this, and consented to be high priest, and to be captain and governor(j) of the Jews and of the priests, and to be protector of all.

They commanded to put this writing on tablets of brass, and to set them up within the precinct of the sanctuary in a conspicuous place,

and moreover to put copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.

Footnotes

(a)14:1 circa B.C. 141.

(b)14:22 Gr. counsels of the people.

(d)14:24 1,000 minas is about 499 kg or 1,098 pounds.

(e)14:26 Gr. him.

(f)14:27 circa B.C. 141.

(g)14:28 Gr. he made known.

(h)14:35 Some authorities read acts.

(i)14:39 See 1 Maccabees 2:18 .

(j)14:47 Gr. ethnarch.

Demetrius is taken by the king of Persia. Judea flourishes under the government of Simon.

Now in the hundred threescore and twelfth year king Demetrius gathered his forces together, and went into Media to get him help to fight against Tryphone.

But when Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius was entered within his borders, he sent one of his princes to take him alive:

Who went and smote the host of Demetrius, and took him, and brought him to Arsaces, by whom he was put in ward.

As for the land of Judea, that was quiet all the days of Simon; for he sought the good of his nation in such wise, as that evermore his authority and honour pleased them well.

And as he was honourable in all his acts, so in this, that he took Joppa for an haven, and made an entrance to the isles of the sea,

And enlarged the bounds of his nation, and recovered the country,

And gathered together a great number of captives, and had the dominion of Gazera, and Bethsura, and the tower, out of the which he took all uncleanness, neither was there any that resisted him.

Then did they till their ground in peace, and the earth gave her increase, and the trees of the field their fruit.

The ancient men sat all in the streets, communing together of good things, and the young men put on glorious and warlike apparel.

He provided victuals for the cities, and set in them all manner of munition, so that his honourable name was renowned unto the end of the world.

He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy:

For every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was none to fray them:

Neither was there any left in the land to fight against them: yea, the kings themselves were overthrown in those days.

Moreover he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low: the law he searched out; and every contemner of the law and wicked person he took away.

He beautified the sanctuary, and multiplied vessels of the temple.

Now when it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan was dead, they were very sorry.

But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon was made high priest in his stead, and ruled the country, and the cities therein:

They wrote unto him in tables of brass, to renew the friendship and league which they had made with Judas and Jonathan his brethren:

Which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.

And this is the copy of the letters that the Lacedemonians sent; The rulers of the Lacedemonians, with the city, unto Simon the high priest, and the elders, and priests, and residue of the people of the Jews, our brethren, send greeting:

The ambassadors that were sent unto our people certified us of your glory and honour: wherefore we were glad of their coming,

And did register the things that they spake in the council of the people in this manner; Numenius son of Antiochus, and Antipater son of Jason, the Jews’ ambassadors, came unto us to renew the friendship they had with us.

And it pleased the people to entertain the men honourably, and to put the copy of their ambassage in publick records, to the end the people of the Lacedemonians might have a memorial thereof: furthermore we have written a copy thereof unto Simon the high priest.

After this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold of a thousand pound weight to confirm the league with them.

Whereof when the people heard, they said, What thanks shall we give to Simon and his sons?

For he and his brethren and the house of his father have established Israel, and chased away in fight their enemies from them, and confirmed their liberty.

So then they wrote it in tables of brass, which they set upon pillars in mount Sion: and this is the copy of the writing; The eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the hundred threescore and twelfth year, being the third year of Simon the high priest,

At Saramel in the great congregation of the priests, and people, and rulers of the nation, and elders of the country, were these things notified unto us.

Forasmuch as oftentimes there have been wars in the country, wherein for the maintenance of their sanctuary, and the law, Simon the son of Mattathias, of the posterity of Jarib, together with his brethren, put themselves in jeopardy, and resisting the enemies of their nation did their nation great honour:

(For after that Jonathan, having gathered his nation together, and been their high priest, was added to his people,

Their enemies prepared to invade their country, that they might destroy it, and lay hands on the sanctuary:

At which time Simon rose up, and fought for his nation, and spent much of his own substance, and armed the valiant men of his nation and gave them wages,

And fortified the cities of Judea, together with Bethsura, that lieth upon the borders of Judea, where the armour of the enemies had been before; but he set a garrison of Jews there:

Moreover he fortified Joppa, which lieth upon the sea, and Gazera, that bordereth upon Azotus, where the enemies had dwelt before: but he placed Jews there, and furnished them with all things convenient for the reparation thereof.)

The people therefore sang the acts of Simon, and unto what glory he thought to bring his nation, made him their governor and chief 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 exalt his people.

For in his time things prospered in his hands, so that the heathen were taken out of their country, and they also that were in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had made themselves a tower, out of which they issued, and polluted all about the sanctuary, and did much hurt in the holy place:

But he placed Jews therein. and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and raised up the walls of Jerusalem.

King Demetrius also confirmed him in the high priesthood according to those things,

And made him one of his friends, and honoured him with great honour.

For he had heard say, that the Romans had called the Jews their friends and confederates and brethren; and that they had entertained the ambassadors of Simon honourably;

Also that the Jews and priests were well pleased that Simon should be their governor and high priest for ever, until there should arise a faithful prophet;

Moreover that he should be their captain, and should take charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over the country, and over the armour, and over the fortresses, that, I say, he should take charge of the sanctuary;

Beside this, that he should be obeyed of every man, and that all the writings in the country should be made in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold:

Also that it should be lawful for none of the people or priests to break any of these things, or to gainsay his words, or to gather an assembly in the country without him, or to be clothed in purple, or wear a buckle of gold;

And whosoever should do otherwise, or break any of these things, he should be punished.

Thus it liked all the people to deal with Simon, and to do as hath been said.

Then Simon accepted hereof, and was well pleased to be high priest, and captain and governor of the Jews and priests, and to defend them all.

So 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;

Also that the copies thereof should be laid up in the treasury, to the end that Simon and his sons might have them.