1Maccabees:14

---

Seeker Overlay ON

* 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 uncleaness , 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 .

---