1 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 Tryphon.

1 Anno centesimo septuagesimo secundo, congregavit rex Demetrius exercitum suum, et abiit in Mediam ad contrahenda sibi auxilia, ut expugnaret Tryphonem.

2 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:

2 Et audivit Arsaces rex Persidis et Mediæ, quia intravit Demetrius confines suos: et misit unum de principibus suis ut comprehenderet eum vivum, et adduceret eum ad se.

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

3 Et abiit, et percussit castra Demetrii: et comprehendit eum, et duxit eum ad Arsacem, et posuit eum in custodiam.

4 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.

4 Et siluit omnis terra Juda omnibus diebus Simonis, et quæsivit bona genti suæ: et placuit illis potestas ejus et gloria ejus omnibus diebus.

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

5 Et cum omni gloria sua accepit Joppen in portum, et fecit introitum in insulis maris.

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

6 Et dilatavit fines gentis suæ, et obtinuit regionem.

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

7 Et congregavit captivitatem multam, et dominatus est Gazaræ, et Bethsuræ, et arci: et abstulit immunditias ex ea, et non erat qui resisteret ei.

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

8 Et unusquisque colebat terram suam cum pace: et terra Juda dabat fructus suos, et ligna camporum fructum suum.

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

9 Seniores in plateis sedebant omnes, et de bonis terræ tractabant, et juvenes induebant se gloriam, et stolas belli.

10 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.

10 Et civitatibus tribuebat alimonias, et constituebat eas ut essent vasa munitionis quoadusque nominatum est nomen gloriæ ejus usque ad extremum terræ.

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

11 Fecit pacem super terram, et lætatus est Israël lætitia magna.

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

12 Et sedit unusquisque sub vite sua, et sub ficulnea sua: et non erat qui eos terreret.

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

13 Defecit impugnans eos super terram: reges contriti sunt in diebus illis.

14 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.

14 Et confirmavit omnes humiles populi sui, et legem exquisivit, et abstulit omnem iniquum et malum:

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

15 sancta glorificavit, et multiplicavit vasa sanctorum.

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

16 ¶ Et auditum est Romæ quia defunctus esset Jonathas, et usque in Spartiatas: et contristati sunt valde.

17 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:

17 Ut audierunt autem quod Simon frater ejus factus esset summus sacerdos loco ejus, et ipse obtineret omnem regionem, et civitates in ea,

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

18 scripserunt ad eum in tabulis æreis, ut renovarent amicitias et societatem quam fecerant cum Juda et cum Jonatha, fratribus ejus.

19 Which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.

19 Et lectæ sunt in conspectu ecclesiæ in Jerusalem. Et hoc exemplum epistolarum, quas Spartiatæ miserunt:

20 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:

20 Spartianorum principes et civitates, Simoni sacerdoti magno, et senioribus, et sacerdotibus, et reliquo populo Judæorum, fratribus, salutem.

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

21 Legati, qui missi sunt ad populum nostrum, nuntiaverunt nobis de vestra gloria, et honore, ac lætitia: et gavisi sumus in introitu eorum.

22 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.

22 Et scripsimus quæ ab eis erant dicta in conciliis populi, sic: Numenius Antiochi, et Antipater Jasonis filius, legati Judæorum, venerunt ad nos, renovantes nobiscum amicitiam pristinam.

23 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.

23 Et placuit populo excipere viros gloriose, et ponere exemplum sermonum eorum in segregatis populi libris, ut sit ad memoriam populo Spartiatarum. Exemplum autem horum scripsimus Simoni magno sacerdoti.

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

24 Post hæc autem misit Simon Numenium Romam, habentem clypeum aureum magnum, pondo mnarum mille, ad statuendam cum eis societatem. ¶ Cum autem audisset populus Romanus

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

25 sermones istos, dixerunt: Quam gratiarum actionem reddemus Simoni, et filiis ejus?

26 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.

26 restituit enim ipse fratres suos, et expugnavit inimicos Israël ab eis, et statuerunt ei libertatem, et descripserunt in tabulis æreis, et posuerunt in titulis in monte Sion.

27 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,

27 Et hoc est exemplum scripturæ: Octavadecima die mensis Elul, anno centesimo septuagesimo secundo, anno tertio sub Simone sacerdote magno in Asaramel,

28 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.

28 in conventu magno sacerdotum, et populi, et principum gentis, et seniorum regionis, nota facta sunt hæc: quoniam frequenter facta sunt prælia in regione nostra,

29 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:

29 Simon autem Mathathiæ filius, ex filiis Jarib, et fratres ejus, dederunt se periculo, et restiterunt adversariis gentis suæ, ut starent sancta ipsorum, et lex: et gloria magna glorificaverunt gentem suam.

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

30 Et congregavit Jonathas gentem suam, et factus est illis sacerdos magnus, et appositus est ad populum suum.

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

31 Et voluerunt inimici eorum calcare et atterere regionem ipsorum, et extendere manus in sancta eorum.

32 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,

32 Tunc restitit Simon, et pugnavit pro gente sua, et erogavit pecunias multas, et armavit viros virtutis gentis suæ, et dedit illis stipendia:

33 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:

33 et munivit civitates Judææ, et Bethsuram, quæ erat in finibus Judææ, ubi erant arma hostium antea: et posuit illic præsidium viros Judæos.

34 Moreover he fortified Joppe, which lieth upon the sea, and Gazara, 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.)

34 Et Joppen munivit, quæ erat ad mare, et Gazaram, quæ est in finibus Azoti, in qua hostes antea habitabant: et collocavit illic Judæos, et quæcumque apta erant ad correptionem eorum, posuit in eis.

35 The people therefore, seeing 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.

35 Et vidit populus actum Simonis, et gloriam quam cogitabat facere genti suæ, et posuerunt eum ducem suum, et principem sacerdotum, eo quod ipse fecerat hæc omnia, et justitiam, et fidem, quam conservavit genti suæ, et exquisivit omni modo exaltare populum suum.

36 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:

36 Et in diebus ejus prosperatum est in manibus ejus, ut tollerentur gentes de regione ipsorum, et qui in civitate David erant, in Jerusalem in arce, de qua procedebant, et contaminabant omnia quæ in circuitu sanctorum sunt, et inferebant plagam magnam castitati:

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

37 et collocavit in ea viros Judæos ad tutamentum regionis, et civitatis, et exaltavit muros Jerusalem.

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

38 Et rex Demetrius statuit illi summum sacerdotium.

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

39 Secundum hæc fecit eum amicum suum, et glorificavit eum gloria magna.

40 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;

40 Audivit enim quod appellati sunt Judæi a Romanis amici, et socii, et fratres, et quia susceperunt legatos Simonis gloriose,

41 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;

41 et quia Judæi et sacerdotes eorum consenserunt eum esse ducem suum, et summum sacerdotem in æternum, donec surgat propheta fidelis:

42 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;

42 et ut sit super eos dux, et ut cura esset illi pro sanctis, et ut constitueret præpositos super opera eorum, et super regionem, et super arma, et super præsidia:

43 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:

43 et cura sit illi de sanctis: et ut audiatur ab omnibus, et scribantur in nomine ejus omnes conscriptiones in regione: et ut operiatur purpura et auro:

44 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:

44 et ne liceat ulli ex populo et ex sacerdotibus irritum facere aliquid horum, et contradicere his quæ ab eo dicuntur, aut convocare conventum in regione sine ipso, et vestiri purpura, et uti fibula aurea:

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

45 qui autem fecerit extra hæc, aut irritum fecerit aliquid horum, reus erit.

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

46 Et complacuit omni populo statuere Simonem, et facere secundum verba ista.

47 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.

47 Et suscepit Simon, et placuit ei ut summo sacerdotio fungeretur, et esset dux et princeps gentis Judæorum, et sacerdotum, et præesset omnibus.

48 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;

48 Et scripturam istam dixerunt ponere in tabulis æreis, et ponere eas in peribolo sanctorum, in loco celebri:

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

49 exemplum autem eorum ponere in ærario, ut habeat Simon, et filii ejus.