1 Maccabees 14

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
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.	1 In the year 172, King Demetrius assembled his forces and marched into Media to raise help for thefight against Trypho.
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 When Arsaces king of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius had entered his territory, he sent one ofhis generals to capture him alive.
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 The general defeated the army of Demetrius, seized him and brought him to Arsaces, who imprisonedhim.
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 The country was at peace throughout the days of Simon. He sought the good of his nation and theywere wel pleased with his authority, as with his magnificence, throughout his life.
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,	5 To crown his titles to glory, he took Joppa and made it a harbour, gaining access to the MediterraneanIsles.
6 And enlarged the bounds of his nation, and recovered the country,	6 He enlarged the frontiers of his nation, keeping his mastery over the homeland,
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.	7 resettling a host of captives. He conquered Gezer, Beth-Zur and the Citadel, ridding them of everyimpurity, and no one could resist him.
8 Then did they till their ground in peace, and the earth gave her increase, and the trees of the field their fruit.	8 The people farmed their land in peace; the land gave its produce, the trees of the plain their fruit.
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 The elders sat at ease in the squares, all their talk was of their prosperity; the young men woresplendid armour.
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 He kept the towns supplied with provisions and furnished with fortifications, until his fame resoundedto the ends of the earth.
11 He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy:	11 He established peace in the land, and Israel knew great joy.
12 For every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was none to fray them:	12 Each man sat under his own vine and his own fig tree, and there was no one to make them afraid.
13 Neither was there any left in the land to fight against them: yea, the kings themselves were overthrown in those days.	13 No enemy was left in the land to fight them, the very kings of those times had been crushed.
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 He encouraged the afflicted members of his people, suppressing every wicked man and renegade.He strove to observe the Law,
15 He beautified the sanctuary, and multiplied vessels of the temple.	15 and gave new splendour to the Temple, enriching it with many sacred vessels.
16 Now when it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan was dead, they were very sorry.	16 When it became known in Rome and as far as Sparta that Jonathan was dead, people were deeplygrieved.
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 But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon had succeeded him as high priest and was masterof the country and the cities in it,
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 they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew the treaty of friendship and al iance which they hadmade with his brothers, Judas and Jonathan,
19 Which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.	19 and the document was read out before the assembly in Jerusalem.
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 This is the copy of the letter sent by the Spartans: 'The rulers and the city of Sparta, to Simon thehigh priest and to the elders and priests and the rest of the people of the Jews, greetings.
21 The ambassadors that were sent unto our people certified us of your glory and honour: wherefore we were glad of their coming,	21 'The ambassadors whom you sent to our people have informed us of your glory and prosperity, andwe are delighted with their visit.
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 We have recorded their declarations in the minutes of our public assemblies, as fol ows, "Numeniusson of Antiochus, and Antipater son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews, came to us to renew their friendshipwith us.
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 And it was the people's pleasure to receive these personages with honour and to deposit a copy oftheir statements in the public archives, so that the people of Sparta might preserve a record of them. A copy wasalso made for Simon the high priest." '
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 After this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome as the bearer of a large golden shield weighing a thousandmina, to confirm the alliance with them.
25 Whereof when the people heard, they said, What thanks shall we give to Simon and his sons?	25 When these events were reported to our people, they said, 'What mark of appreciation shal we giveto Simon and his sons?
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 He stood firm, he and his brothers and his father's house: he fought off the enemies of Israel andsecured its freedom.' So they recorded an inscription on bronze tablets and set it up on pil ars on Mount Zion.
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 This is a copy of the text: 'The eighteenth of Elul, in the year 172, being the third year of Simon,eminent high priest:
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 Asaramel, in the Grand Assembly of priests and people, of princes of the nation and of elders ofthe country: 'We are acquainted with the matters fol owing:
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 'When there was almost incessant fighting in the country Simon, son of Mattathias, a priest of theline of Joarib, and his brothers courted danger and withstood their nation's enemies to safeguard the integrity oftheir sanctuary and of the Law, and so brought their nation great glory;
30 (For after that Jonathan, having gathered his nation together, and been their high priest, was added to his people,	30 'For when, Jonathan having ral ied his nation and become its high priest and having then beengathered to his ancestors,
31 Their enemies prepared to invade their country, that they might destroy it, and lay hands on the sanctuary:	31 the enemy planned to invade the country, intending to devastate their territory and to lay hands ontheir sanctuary,
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 Simon next came forward to fight for his nation: spending much of his personal wealth on arming hisnation's fighting men and on providing their pay;
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 fortifying the towns of Judaea, as wel as Beth-Zur on the Judaean frontier where the enemy arsenalhad formerly been, and stationing in it a garrison of Jewish soldiers;
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.)	34 fortifying Joppa on the coast, and Gezer on the borders of Azotus, a place formerly inhabited by theenemy, founding a Jewish colony there, and providing the settlers with everything they needed to set them ontheir feet;
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.	35 'In consequence of which, the people, aware of Simon's loyalty and of the glory which he wasdetermined to win for his nation, have made him their ethnarch and high priest, for all his services and for theintegrity and loyalty which he has shown towards his nation, and for having by every means sought to enhancehis people's power;
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 'It has fal en to him in his time to expel the foreigners from his country, including those in the City ofDavid in Jerusalem, who had converted it into a citadel for their own use, from which they would sal y out todefile the surroundings of the sanctuary and to violate its sacred character;
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 to station Jewish soldiers there instead for the security of the country and the city; and to heightenthe wal s of Jerusalem;
38 King Demetrius also confirmed him in the high priesthood according to those things,	38 'And since King Demetrius has heard that the Romans call the Jews their friends, al ies and brothers,
39 And made him one of his friends, and honoured him with great honour.	39 and that they have given an honourable reception to Simon's ambassadors, and, furthermore,
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 that the Jews and priests are happy that Simon should, pending the advent of a genuine prophet, betheir ethnarch and high priest for life
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 therefore he has confirmed him in the high-priestly office, has raised him to the rank of Friend andhas showered great honours on him, also confirming him as their commander-in-chief,
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 with the right to appoint officials to oversee the fabric of the sanctuary and to administer the country,munitions and fortresses;
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 he is to have personal charge of the sanctuary, and to be obeyed by al ; al official documents in thecountry must be drawn up in his name; and he may assume the purple and may wear golden ornaments;
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 'Furthermore, it is against the law for any member of the public or of the priesthood to contraveneany of these enactments or to contest his decisions, or to convene a meeting anywhere in the country without hispermission, or to assume the purple or wear the golden brooch;
45 And whosoever should do otherwise, or break any of these things, he should be punished.	45 and anyone acting contrary to, or rejecting any article of, these enactments is liable to punishment;
46 Thus it liked all the people to deal with Simon, and to do as hath been said.	46 'And since the people have unanimously agreed to grant Simon the right to act as aforesaid, and
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 since Simon, for his part, has given his assent, and has consented to assume the high-priestly officeand to be commander-in-chief and ethnarch of the Jews and their priests, and to preside over al :
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 'So, be it now enacted: that this record be inscribed on bronze tablets and be erected at someconspicuous place within the precincts of the Temple,
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 and that copies be deposited in the Treasury for Simon and his descendants.'