1 Maccabees 10

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 In the year 160, Alexander, son of Antiochus Epiphanes, raised an army and occupied Ptolemais. Hewas wel received, and there inaugurated his reign.	1 Now in the hundred and sixtieth year Alexander the son of Antiochus, surnamed the Illustrious, came up and took Ptolemais, and they received him, and he reigned there.
2 On hearing this, King Demetrius assembled a very large army and marched off to do battle with him.	2 And king Demetrius heard of it, and gathered together an exceeding great army, and went forth against him to fight.
3 Demetrius furthermore sent Jonathan a most conciliatory letter, promising to promote him in rank,	3 And Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan with peaceable words, to magnify him.
4 for, as he said, 'We had better move first to come to terms with these people before he makescommon cause with Alexander against us;	4 For he said: Let us first make a peace with him, before he make one with Alexander against us.
5 he wil not have forgotten al the wrongs we inflicted on him and his brothers, and on his nation.'	5 For he will remember all the evils that we have done against him, and against his brother, and against his nation.
6 He even authorised him to raise an army, to manufacture arms, and to describe himself as his al y,and ordered the hostages in the Citadel to be surrendered to him.	6 And he gave him authority to gather together an army, and to make arms, and that he should be his confederate: and the hostages that were in the castle, he commanded to be delivered to him.
7 Jonathan went straight to Jerusalem and read the letter in the hearing of the whole people and of themen in the Citadel.	7 And Jonathan came to Jerusalem, and read the letters in the hearing of all the people, and of them that were in the castle.
8 They were terrified when they heard that the king had given him authority to raise an army.	8 And they were struck with great fear, because they heard that the king had given him authority to gather together an army.
9 The men in the Citadel surrendered the hostages to Jonathan, who handed them back to theirparents.	9 And the hostages were delivered to Jonathan, and he restored them to their parents.
10 Jonathan then took up residence in Jerusalem and began the rebuilding and restoration of the city.	10 And Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem, and began to build, and to repair the city.
11 He ordered those responsible for the work to build the wal s and the defences round Mount Zion ofsquared stone blocks to make them stronger, and this was done.	11 And he ordered workmen to build the walls, and mount Sion round about with square stones for fortification: and so they did.
12 The foreigners in the fortresses built by Bacchides abandoned them,	12 And the strangers that were in the strong holds, which Bacchides had built, fled away.
13 one after another leaving his post to go back to his own country.	13 And every man left his place, and departed into his own country:
14 Only at Beth-Zur were a few left of those who had forsaken the Law and the precepts, since this wastheir refuge.	14 Only in Bethsura there remained some of them, that had forsaken the law, and the commandments of God: for this was a place of refuge for them.
15 King Alexander heard of al the promises Demetrius had sent to Jonathan, and he was also given anaccount of the battles and exploits of this man and his brothers and of the hardships they had endured.	15 And king Alexander heard of the promises that Demetrius had made Jonathan: and they told him of the battles, and the worthy acts that he, and his brethren had done, and the labours that they had endured.
16 'Shal we ever find another man like him?' he exclaimed. 'We must make him our friend and al y!'	16 And he said: Shall we find such another man? now therefore we will make him our friend and our confederate.
17 He therefore wrote him a letter, addressing him in these terms:	17 So he wrote a letter, and sent it to him according to these words, saying:
18 'King Alexander to his brother Jonathan, greetings.	18 King Alexander to his brother Jonathan, greeting.
19 'You have been brought to our notice as a strong man of action and as someone who deserves to beour friend.	19 We have heard of thee, that thou art a man of great power, and fit to be our friend:
20 Accordingly, we have today appointed you high priest of your nation, with the title of "Friend of theKing" ' -- he also sent him a purple robe and a golden crown-'and you are to study our interests and maintainfriendly relations with us.'	20 Now therefore we make thee this day high priest of thy nation, and that thou be called the king's friend, (and he sent him a purple robe, and a crown of gold,) and that thou be of one mind with us in our affairs, and keep friendship with us.
21 Jonathan put on the sacred vestments in the seventh month of the year 160, on the feast of Shelters;he then set about raising troops and manufacturing arms in quantity.	21 Then Jonathan put on the holy vestment in the seventh month, in the year one hundred and threescore, at the feast day of the tabernacles: and he gathered together an army, and made a great number of arms.
22 Demetrius was displeased when he heard what had happened.	22 And Demetrius heard these words, and was exceeding sorry, and said:
23 'What have we been doing,' he said, 'for Alexander to forestal us in winning the friendship of theJews and so improving his own position?	23 What is this that we have done, that Alexander hath prevented us to gain the friendship of the Jews to strengthen himself?
24 I too shall address an appeal to them, offering them advancement and riches as an inducement tosupport me.'	24 I also will write to them words of request, and offer dignities, and gifts: that they may be with me to aid me.
25 And he wrote to them as fol ows: 'King Demetrius to the Jewish nation, greetings.	25 And he wrote to them in these words: King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews, greeting.
26 'We have heard how you have kept your agreement with us and have maintained friendly relationswith us and have not gone over to our enemies, and it has given us great satisfaction.	26 Whereas you have kept covenant with us, and have continued in our friendship, and have not joined with our enemies, we have heard of it, and are glad.
27 If you now continue to keep faith with us, we shal make you a handsome return for what you do onour behalf.	27 Wherefore now continue still to keep fidelity towards us, and we will reward you with good things, for what you have done in our behalf.
28 We shal accord you many exemptions and grant you privileges.	28 And we will remit to you many charges, and will give you gifts.
29 'Henceforth I release you and exempt al the Jews from the tribute, the salt dues and the crownlevies,	29 And now I free you, and all the Jews from tributes, and I release you from the customs of salt, and remit the crowns, and the thirds of the seed:
30 and whereas I am entitled to one-third of the grain and one-half of the fruit of the trees, I release fromthis levy, from today and for the future, Judaea and the three districts annexed to it from Samaria-Galilee, fromthis day henceforth in perpetuity.	30 And the half of the fruit of trees, which is my share, I leave to you from this day forward, so that it shall not be taken of the land of Juda, and of the three cities that are added thereto out of Samaria and Galilee, from this day forth and for ever:
31 Jerusalem wil be sacred and exempt, with its territory, from tithes and dues.	31 And let Jerusalem be holy and free, with the borders thereof: and let the tenths, and tributes be for itself.
32 I relinquish control of the Citadel in Jerusalem and make it over to the high priest, so that he mayman it with a garrison of his own choosing.	32 I yield up also the power of the castle that is in Jerusalem, and I give it to the high priest, to place therein such men as he shall choose to keep it.
33 Every Jewish person taken from Judaea into captivity in any part of my kingdom I set free withoutransom, and decree that al wil be exempt from taxes, even on their livestock.	33 And every soul of the Jews that hath been carried captive from the land of Juda in all my kingdom, I set at liberty freely, that all be discharged from tributes even of their cattle.
34 Al festivals, Sabbaths, New Moons and days of special observance, and the three days before andthree days after a festival, wil be days of exemption and quittance for al the Jews in my kingdom,	34 And I will that all the feasts, and the sabbaths, and the new moons, and the days appointed, and three days before the solemn day, and three days after the solemn day, be all days of immunity and freedom, for all the Jews that are in my kingdom:
35 and no one wil have the right to exact payment from, or to molest, any of them for any matterwhatsoever.	35 And no man shall have power to do any thing against them, or to molest any of them, in any cause.
36 'Jews will be enrol ed in the king's forces to the number of thirty thousand men and receivemaintenance on the same scale as the rest of the king's forces.	36 And let there be enrolled in the king's army to the number of thirty thousand of the Jews: and allowance shall be made them as is due to all the king's forces, and certain of them shall be appointed to be in the fortresses of the great king:
37 Some of them wil be stationed in the king's major fortresses, and from among others appointmentswil be made to positions of trust in the kingdom. Their officers and commanders will be appointed from their ownnumber and wil live under their own laws, as the king has prescribed for Judaea.	37 And some of them shall be set over the affairs of the kingdom, that are of trust, and let the governors be taken from among themselves, and let them walk in their own laws, as the king hath commanded in the land of Juda.
38 'As regards the three districts annexed to Judaea from the province of Samaria, these wil beintegrated into Judaea and considered as coming under one governor, obeying the high priest's authority and noother.	38 And the three cities that are added to Judea, out of the country of Samaria, let them be accounted with Judea: that they may be under one, and obey no other authority but that of the high priest:
39 Ptolemais and the land thereto pertaining I present to the sanctuary in Jerusalem, to meet thenecessary expenses of public worship.	39 Ptolemais, and the confines thereof, I give as a free gift to the holy places, that are in Jerusalem, for the necessary charges of the holy things.
40 And I make a personal grant of fifteen thousand silver shekels annual y chargeable to the royalrevenue from appropriate places.	40 And I give every year fifteen thousand sicles of silver out of the king's accounts, of what belongs to me:
41 And the entire surplus, which has not been paid in by the officials as in previous years, wilhenceforth be paid over by them for work on the Temple.	41 And all that is above, which they that were over the affairs the years before, had not paid, from this time they shall give it to the works of the house.
42 In addition, the sum of five thousand silver shekels, levied annual y on the profits of the sanctuary, asshown in the annual accounts, is also relinquished as the perquisite of the priests who perform the liturgy.	42 Moreover the five thousand sicles of silver which they received from the account of the holy places, every year, shall also belong to the priests that execute the ministry.
43 Anyone who takes refuge in the Temple in Jerusalem or any of its precincts, when in debt to theroyal exchequer or otherwise, wil be discharged in ful possession of al the goods he owns in my kingdom.	43 And whosoever shall flee into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and in all the borders thereof, being indebted to the king for any matter, let them be set at liberty, and all that they have in my kingdom, let them have it free.
44 As regards the building and restoration of the sanctuary, the expense of the work wil be met fromthe royal exchequer.	44 For the building also, or repairing the works of the holy places, the charges shall be given out of the king's revenues:
45 The reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem and the fortification of the perimeter will also be acharge on the royal exchequer, as also the reconstruction of other city wal s in Judaea.'	45 For the building also of the walls of Jerusalem, and the fortifying thereof round about, the charges shall be given out of the king's account, as also for the building of the walls in Judea.
46 When Jonathan and the people heard these proposals, they put no faith in them and refused toaccept them, remembering what great wrongs Demetrius had done to Israel and how cruel y he had oppressedthem.	46 Now when Jonathan, and the people heard these words, they gave no credit to them nor received them: because they remembered the great evil that he had done in Israel, for he had afflicted them exceedingly.
47 They decided in favour of Alexander, since he seemed to offer the better inducements of the two,and they became his constant al ies.	47 And their inclinations were towards Alexander, because he had been the chief promoter of peace in their regard, and him they always helped.
48 King Alexander now mustered large forces and advanced against Demetrius.	48 And king Alexander gathered together a great army, and moved his camp near to Demetrius.
49 The two kings met in battle. Alexander's army was routed, and Demetrius pursued him and defeatedhis troops.	49 And the two kings joined battle, and the army of Demetrius fled away, and Alexander pursued after him, and pressed them close.
50 He continued the battle with vigour until sunset. Demetrius himself, however, was kil ed the sameday.	50 And the battle was hard fought till the sun went down: and Demetrius was slain that day.
51 Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy king of Egypt, with this message:	51 And Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemee king of Egypt, with words to this effect, saying:
52 'Since I have returned to my kingdom, have ascended the throne of my ancestors, have gainedcontrol by crushing Demetrius, and so recovered our country-	52 Forasmuch as I am returned into my kingdom, and am set in the throne of my ancestors and have gotten the dominion, and have overthrown Demetrius, and possessed our country,
53 for I fought him and we crushed both him and his army, and I now occupy his royal throne-	53 And have joined battle with him, and both he and his army have been destroyed by us, and we are placed in the throne of his kingdom:
54 let us now make a treaty of friendship. Give me your daughter in marriage: as your son-in-law, I shalgive you, and her, presents which are worthy of you.'	54 Now therefore let us make friendship one with another: and give me now thy daughter to wife, and I will be thy son in law, and I will give both thee and her gifts worthy of thee.
55 King Ptolemy replied as follows: 'Happy the day when you returned to the land of your ancestors andascended their royal throne!	55 And king Ptolemee answered, saying: Happy is the day wherein thou didst return to the land of thy fathers, and sattest in the throne of their kingdom.
56 I shal at once do for you what your letter proposes; but meet me at Ptolemais, so that we can seeone another, and I shall become your father-in-law, as you have asked.'	56 And now I will do to thee as thou hast written: but meet me at Ptolemais, that we may see one another, and I may give her to thee as thou hast said.
57 Ptolemy left Egypt with his daughter Cleopatra and reached Ptolemais in the year 162.	57 So Ptolemee went out of Egypt, with Cleopatra his daughter, and he came to Ptolemais in the hundred and sixty-second year.
58 King Alexander went to meet him, and Ptolemy gave him the hand of his daughter Cleopatra andcelebrated her wedding in Ptolemais with great magnificence, as kings do.	58 And king Alexander met him, and he gave him his daughter Cleopatra: and he celebrated her marriage at Ptolemais, with great glory, after the manner of kings.
59 King Alexander then wrote to Jonathan to come and meet him.	59 And king Alexander wrote to Jonathan, that he should come and meet him.
60 Jonathan made his way in state to Ptolemais and met the two kings; he gave them and their friendssilver and gold, and many gifts, and made a favourable impression on them.	60 And he went honourably to Ptolemais, and he met there the two kings, and he gave them much silver, and gold, and presents: and he found favour in their sight.
61 A number of scoundrels, the pest of Israel, combined to denounce him, but the king paid no attentionto them.	61 And some pestilent men of Israel, men of a wicked life, assembled themselves against him to accuse him: and the king gave no heed to them.
62 In fact, the king commanded that Jonathan should be divested of his own garments and clothed inthe purple, which was done.	62 And he commanded that Jonathan's garments should be taken off, and that he should be clothed with purple: and they did so. And the king made him sit by himself.
63 The king then seated him by his side and said to his officers, 'Escort him into the centre of the cityand proclaim that no one is to bring charges against him on any count; no one is to molest him for any reason.'	63 And he said to his princes: Go out with him into the midst of the city, and make proclamation, that no man complain against him of any matter, and that no man trouble him for any manner of cause.
64 And so, when his accusers saw the honour done him by this proclamation, and Jonathan himselfinvested in the purple, they all fled.	64 So when his accusers saw his glory proclaimed, and him clothed with purple, they all fled away.
65 The king did him the honour of enrol ing him among the First Friends, and appointed himcommander-in-chief and governor-general.	65 And the king magnified him, and enrolled him amongst his chief friends, and made him governor and partaker of his dominion.
66 Jonathan then returned to Jerusalem in peace and gladness.	66 And Jonathan returned into Jerusalem with peace and joy.
67 In the year 165, Demetrius son of Demetrius came from Crete to the land of his ancestors.	67 In the year one hundred and sixty-five Demetrius the son of Demetrius came from Crete into the land of his fathers.
68 When King Alexander heard of it he was plunged into gloom, and retired to Antioch.	68 And king Alexander heard of it, and was much troubled, and returned to Antioch.
69 Demetrius confirmed Apol onius as governor of Coele-Syria; the latter assembled a large force,encamped at Jamnia and sent the fol owing message to Jonathan the high priest:	69 And king Demetrius made Apollonius his general, who was governor of Celesyria: and he gathered together a great army, and came to Jamnia: and he sent to Jonathan the high priest,
70 'You are entirely alone in rising against us, and now I find myself ridiculed and reproached on youraccount. Why do you use your authority to our disadvantage in the mountains?	70 Saying: Thou alone standest against us, and I am laughed at, and reproached, because thou shewest thy power against us in the mountains.
71 If you are so confident in your forces, come down now to meet us on the plain and let us take eachother's measure there; on my side I have the strength of the towns.	71 Now therefore if thou trustest in thy forces, come down to us into the plain, and there let us try one another: for with me is the strength of war.
72 Ask and learn who I am and who the others supporting us are. You will hear that you cannot standup to us, since your ancestors were twice routed on their own ground,	72 Ask, and learn who I am, and the rest that help me, who also say that your foot cannot stand before our face, for thy fathers have twice been put to flight in their own land:
73 nor wil you now be able to withstand the cavalry or so great an army on the plain, where there isneither rock, nor stone, nor refuge of any kind.'	73 And now how wilt thou be able to abide the horsemen, and so great an army in the plain, where there is no stone, nor rock, nor place to flee to?
74 On hearing Apollonius' words, Jonathan's spirit was roused; he picked ten thousand men and leftJerusalem, and his brother Simon joined him with reinforcements.	74 Now when Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, he was moved in his mind: and he chose ten thousand men, and went out of Jerusalem, and Simon his brother met him to help him.
75 He drew up his forces outside Joppa, the citizens having shut him out, since Apol onius had agarrison in Joppa. When they began the attack,	75 And they pitched their tents near Joppe, but they shut him out of the city: because a garrison of Apollonius was in Joppe, and he laid siege to it.
76 the citizens took fright and opened the gates, and Jonathan occupied Joppa.	76 And they that were in the city being affrighted, opened the gates to him: so Jonathan took Joppe.
77 Hearing this, Apol onius marshal ed three thousand cavalry and a large army and made his way toAzotus as though intending to march through, while in fact pressing on into the plain, since he had a greatnumber of cavalry on which he was relying.	77 And Apollonius heard of it, and he took three thousand horsemen, and a great army.
78 Jonathan pursued him as far as Azotus, where the armies joined battle.	78 And he went to Azotus as one that was making a journey, and immediately he went forth into the plain: because he had a great number of horsemen, and he trusted in them. And Jonathan followed after him to Azotus, and they joined battle.
79 Now, Apol onius had left a thousand horsemen in concealment behind them.	79 And Apollonius left privately in the camp a thousand horsemen behind them.
80 Jonathan knew of this enemy position behind him; the horsemen surrounded his army, firing theirarrows into his men from morning til evening.	80 And Jonathan knew that there was an ambush behind him, and they surrounded his army, and cast darts at the people from morning till evening.
81 But the troops stood firm, as Jonathan had ordered. Once the cavalry was exhausted,	81 But the people stood still, as Jonathan had commanded them: and so their horses were fatigued.
82 Simon sent his own troops into attack against the phalanx, which he cut to pieces and routed.	82 Then Simon drew forth his army, and attacked the legion: for the horsemen were wearied: and they were discomfited by him, and fled.
83 The cavalry scattered over the plain and fled to Azotus, where they took sanctuary in Beth-Dagon,the temple of their idol.	83 And they that were scattered about the plain, fled into Azotus, and went into Bethdagon their idol's temple, there to save themselves.
84 Jonathan, however, set fire to Azotus and the surrounding towns, plundered them, and burned downthe temple of Dagon, with al the fugitives who had crowded into it.	84 But Jonathan set fire to Azotus, and the cities that were around it, and took the spoils of them, and the temple of Dagon: and all them that were fled into it, he burnt with fire.
85 The enemy losses, counting those who fell by the sword and those burnt to death, total ed abouteight thousand men.	85 So they that were slain by the sword, with them that were burnt, were almost eight thousand men.
86 Jonathan then left and pitched camp outside Ascalon, where the citizens came out to meet him withgreat ceremony.	86 And Jonathan removed his army from thence, and camped against Ascalon: and they went out of the city to meet him with great honour.
87 Jonathan then returned to Jerusalem with his fol owers, laden with booty.	87 And Jonathan returned into Jerusalem with his people, having many spoils.
88 In the event, when King Alexander heard what had happened, he awarded Jonathan furtherhonours:	88 And it came to pass: When Alexander the king heard these words, that he honoured Jonathan yet more.
89 he sent him the golden brooch, of the kind customarily presented to the King's Cousins, and gavehim proprietary rights over Ekron and the land adjoining it.	89 And he sent him a buckle of gold, as the custom is, to be given to such as are of the royal blood. And he gave him Accaron and all the borders thereof in possession.