1 Maccabees 14

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 In the year one hundred and seventy-two, King Demetrius assembled his army and marched into Media to obtain help so that he could fight Trypho.	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 Tryphone.
2 When Arsaces, king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had invaded his territory, he sent one of his generals to take him alive.	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:
3 The general went forth and defeated the army of Demetrius; he captured him and brought him to Arsaces, who put him in prison.	3 Who went and smote the host of Demetrius, and took him, and brought him to Arsaces, by whom he was put in ward.
4 The land was at rest all the days of Simon, who sought the good of his nation. His people were delighted with his power and his magnificence throughout his reign.	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.
5 As his crowning glory he captured the port of Joppa and made it a gateway to the isles of the sea.	5 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,
6 He enlarged the borders of his nation and gained control of the country.	6 And enlarged the bounds of his nation, and recovered the country,
7 He took many enemies prisoners of war and made himself master of Gazara, Beth-zur, and the citadel. He cleansed the citadel of its impurities; there was no one to withstand him.	7 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.
8 The people cultivated their land in peace; the land yielded its produce and the trees of the field their fruit.	8 Then did they till their ground in peace, and the earth gave her increase, and the trees of the field their fruit.
9 Old men sat in the squares, all talking about the good times, while the young men wore the glorious apparel of war.	9 The ancient men sat all in the streets, communing together of good things, and the young men put on glorious and warlike apparel.
10 He supplied the cities with food and equipped them with means of defense, till his glorious name reached the ends of the earth.	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.
11 He brought peace to the land, and Israel was filled with happiness.	11 He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy:
12 Every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, with no one to disturb him.	12 For every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was none to fray them:
13 No one was left to attack them in their land; the kings in those days were crushed.	13 Neither was there any left in the land to fight against them: yea, the kings themselves were overthrown in those days.
14 He strengthened all the lowly among his people and was zealous for the law; he suppressed all the lawless and the wicked.	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.
15 He made the temple splendid and enriched its equipment.	15 He beautified the sanctuary, and multiplied vessels of the temple.
16 When people heard in Rome and even in Sparta that Jonathan had died, they were deeply grieved.	16 Now when it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan was dead, they were very sorry.
17 But when the Romans heard that his brother Simon had been made high priest in his place and was master of the country and the cities,	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:
18 they sent him inscribed tablets of bronze to renew with him the friendship and alliance that they had established with his brothers Judas and Jonathan.	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:
19 These were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.	19 Which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.
20 This is a copy of the letter that the Spartans sent: "The rulers and the citizens of Sparta send greetings to Simon the high priest, the elders, the priests, and the rest of the Jewish people, our brothers.	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:
21 The envoys you sent to our people have informed us of your glory and fame, and we were happy that they came.	21 The ambassadors that were sent unto our people certified us of your glory and honour: wherefore we were glad of their coming,
22 In accordance with what they said we have recorded the following in the public decrees: Since Numenius, son of Antiochus, and Antipater, son of Jason, envoys of the Jews, have come to us to renew their friendship with us,	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.
23 the people have voted to receive the men with honor, and to deposit a copy of their words in the public archives, so that the people of Sparta may have a record of them. A copy of this decree has been made for Simon the high priest."	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.
24 After this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great gold shield weighing a thousand minas, to confirm the alliance with the Romans.	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.
25 When the people heard of these things, they said, "How can we thank Simon and his sons?	25 Whereof when the people heard, they said, What thanks shall we give to Simon and his sons?
26 He and his brothers and his father's house have stood firm and repulsed Israel's enemies. They have thus preserved its liberty." So they made an inscription on bronze tablets, which they affixed to pillars on Mount Zion.	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.
27 The following is a copy of the inscription: "On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the year one hundred and seventy-two, that is, the third year under Simon the high priest in Asaramel,	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,
28 in a great assembly of priests, people, rulers of the nation, and elders of the country, the following proclamation was made:	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.
29 "'Since there have often been wars in our country, Simon, son of the priest Mattathias, descendant of Joarib, and his brothers have put themselves in danger and resisted the enemies of their nation, so that their sanctuary and law might be maintained, and they have thus brought great glory to their nation.	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:
30 After Jonathan had rallied his nation and become their high priest, he was gathered to his kinsmen.	30 (For after that Jonathan, having gathered his nation together, and been their high priest, was added to his people,
31 When the enemies of the Jews sought to invade and devastate their country and to lay hands on their temple,	31 Their enemies prepared to invade their country, that they might destroy it, and lay hands on the sanctuary:
32 Simon rose up and fought for his nation, spending large sums of his own money to equip the men of his nation's armed forces and giving them their pay.	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,
33 He fortified the cities of Judea, especially the frontier city of Beth-zur, where he stationed a garrison of Jewish soldiers, and where previously the enemy's arms had been stored.	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:
34 He also fortified Joppa by the sea and Gazara on the border of Azotus, a place previously occupied by the enemy; these cities he resettled with Jews, and furnished them with all that was necessary for their restoration.	34 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.)
35 When the Jewish people saw Simon's loyalty and the glory he planned to bring to his nation, they made him their leader and high priest because of all he had accomplished and the loyalty and justice he had shown his nation. In every way he sought to exalt his people.	35 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.
36 "'In his time and under his guidance they succeeded in driving the Gentiles out of their country, especially those in the City of David in Jerusalem, who had built for themselves a citadel from which they used to sally forth to defile the environs of the temple and inflict grave injury on its purity.	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:
37 In this citadel he stationed Jewish soldiers, and he strengthened its fortifications for the defense of the land and the city, while he also raised the wall of Jerusalem to a greater height.	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.
38 Consequently, King Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood,	38 King Demetrius also confirmed him in the high priesthood according to those things,
39 made him one of his Friends, and conferred the highest honors on him.	39 And made him one of his friends, and honoured him with great honour.
40 He had indeed heard that the Romans had addressed the Jews as friends, allies, and brothers and that they had received Simon's envoys with honor.	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;
41 "'The Jewish people and their priest have, therefore, made the following decisions. Simon shall be their permanent leader and high priest until a true prophet arises.	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;
42 He shall act as governor general over them, and shall have charge of the temple, to make regulations concerning its functions and concerning the country, its weapons and strongholds,	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;
43 he shall be obeyed by all. All contracts made in the country shall be dated by his name. He shall have the right to wear royal purple and gold ornaments.	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:
44 It shall not be lawful for any of the people or priests to nullify any of these decisions, or to contradict the orders given by him, or to convene an assembly in the country without his consent, to be clothed in royal purple or wear an official gold brooch.	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;
45 Whoever acts otherwise or violates any of these prescriptions shall be liable to punishment.	45 And whosoever should do otherwise, or break any of these things, he should be punished.
46 "'All the people approved of granting Simon the right to act in accord with these decisions,	46 Thus it liked all the people to deal with Simon, and to do as hath been said.
47 and Simon accepted and agreed to act as high priest, governor general, and ethnarch of the Jewish people and priests and to exercise supreme authority over all.'"	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.
48 It was decreed that this inscription should be engraved on bronze tablets, to be set up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the temple,	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;
49 and that copies of it should be deposited in the treasury, where they would be available to Simon and his sons.	49 Also that the copies thereof should be laid up in the treasury, to the end that Simon and his sons might have them.