1 Maccabees 13

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
1 Simon heard that Trypho had col ected a large army to invade and devastate Judaea,	1 Now when Simon heard that Tryphon had gathered together a great host to invade the land of Judea, and destroy it,
2 and when he saw how the people were quaking with fear, he went up to Jerusalem, cal ed the peopletogether,	2 And saw that the people was in great trembling and fear, he went up to Jerusalem, and gathered the people together,
3 and exhorted them thus, 'You know yourselves how much I and my brothers and my father's familyhave done for the laws and the sanctuary; you know what wars and hardships we have experienced.	3 And gave them exhortation, saying, Ye yourselves know what great things I, and my brethren, and my father's house, have done for the laws and the sanctuary, the battles also and troubles which we have seen.
4 That is why my brothers are all dead, for Israel's sake, and I am the only one left.	4 By reason whereof all my brethren are slain for Israel's sake, and I am left alone.
5 Far be it from me, then, to be sparing of my own life in any time of oppression, for I am not worth morethan my brothers.	5 Now therefore be it far from me, that I should spare mine own life in any time of trouble: for I am no better than my brethren.
6 Rather wil I avenge my nation and the sanctuary and your wives and children, now that the foreignersare al united in malice to destroy us.'	6 Doubtless I will avenge my nation, and the sanctuary, and our wives, and our children: for all the heathen are gathered to destroy us of very malice.
7 The people's spirit rekindled as they listened to his words,	7 Now as soon as the people heard these words, their spirit revived.
8 and they shouted back at him, 'You are our leader in place of Judas and your brother Jonathan.	8 And they answered with a loud voice, saying, Thou shalt be our leader instead of Judas and Jonathan thy brother.
9 Fight our battles for us, and we wil do whatever you tel us.'	9 Fight thou our battles, and whatsoever, thou commandest us, that will we do.
10 So he assembled al the fighting men and hurried on with completing the wal s of Jerusalem,fortifying the whole perimeter.	10 So then he gathered together all the men of war, and made haste to finish the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it round about.
11 He sent a considerable force to Joppa under Jonathan son of Absalom who drove out the inhabitantsand remained there in occupation.	11 Also he sent Jonathan the son of Absolom, and with him a great power, to Joppa: who casting out them that were therein remained there in it.
12 Trypho now left Ptolemais with a large army to invade Judaea, taking Jonathan with him underguard.	12 So Tryphon removed from Ptolemaus with a great power to invade the land of Judea, and Jonathan was with him in ward.
13 Simon pitched camp in Adida, facing the plain.	13 But Simon pitched his tents at Adida, over against the plain.
14 When Trypho learned that Simon had taken the place of his brother Jonathan and that he intendedto join battle with him, he sent envoys to him with this message,	14 Now when Tryphon knew that Simon was risen up instead of his brother Jonathan, and meant to join battle with him, he sent messengers unto him, saying,
15 'Your brother Jonathan was in debt to the royal exchequer for the offices he held; that is why we aredetaining him.	15 Whereas we have Jonathan thy brother in hold, it is for money that he is owing unto the king's treasure, concerning the business that was committed unto him.
16 If you send a hundred talents of silver and two of his sons as hostages, to make sure that on hisrelease he does not revolt against us, we shal release him.'	16 Wherefore now send an hundred talents of silver, and two of his sons for hostages, that when he is at liberty he may not revolt from us, and we will let him go.
17 Although Simon was aware that the message was a ruse, he sent for the money and the boys forfear of incurring great hostility from the people,	17 Hereupon Simon, albeit he perceived that they spake deceitfully unto him yet sent he the money and the children, lest peradventure he should procure to himself great hatred of the people:
18 who would have said that Jonathan had died because Simon would not send Trypho the money andthe children.	18 Who might have said, Because I sent him not the money and the children, therefore is Jonathan dead.
19 He therefore sent both the boys and the hundred talents, but Trypho broke his word and did notrelease Jonathan.	19 So he sent them the children and the hundred talents: howbeit Tryphon dissembled neither would he let Jonathan go.
20 Next, Trypho set about the invasion and devastation of the country; he made a detour along theAdora road, but Simon and his army confronted him wherever he attempted to go.	20 And after this came Tryphon to invade the land, and destroy it, going round about by the way that leadeth unto Adora: but Simon and his host marched against him in every place, wheresoever he went.
21 The men in the Citadel kept sending messengers to Trypho, urging him to get through to them byway of the desert and send them supplies.	21 Now they that were in the tower sent messengers unto Tryphon, to the end that he should hasten his coming unto them by the wilderness, and send them victuals.
22 Trypho organised his entire cavalry to go, but that night it snowed so heavily that he could not getthrough for the snow, so he left there and moved off into Gilead.	22 Wherefore Tryphon made ready all his horsemen to come that night: but there fell a very great snow, by reason whereof he came not. So he departed, and came into the country of Galaad.
23 As he approached Baskama he kil ed Jonathan, who was buried there.	23 And when he came near to Bascama he slew Jonathan, who was buried there.
24 Trypho turned back and regained his own country.	24 Afterward Tryphon returned and went into his own land.
25 Simon sent and recovered the bones of his brother Jonathan, and buried him in Modein, the town ofhis ancestors.	25 Then sent Simon, and took the bones of Jonathan his brother, and buried them in Modin, the city of his fathers.
26 Al Israel kept solemn mourning for him and long bewailed him.	26 And all Israel made great lamentation for him, and bewailed him many days.
27 Over the tomb of his father and brothers, Simon raised a monument high enough to catch the eye,using dressed stone back and front.	27 Simon also built a monument upon the sepulchre of his father and his brethren, and raised it aloft to the sight, with hewn stone behind and before.
28 He erected seven pyramids facing each other, for his father and mother and his four brothers,	28 Moreover he set up seven pyramids, one against another, for his father, and his mother, and his four brethren.
29 surrounding them with a structure consisting of tal columns surmounted by trophies of arms to theireverlasting memory and, beside the trophies of arms, ships sculpted on a scale to be seen by al who sail thesea.	29 And in these he made cunning devices, about the which he set great pillars, and upon the pillars he made all their armour for a perpetual memory, and by the armour ships carved, that they might be seen of all that sail on the sea.
30 Such was the monument he constructed at Modein, and it is stil there today.	30 This is the sepulchre which he made at Modin, and it standeth yet unto this day.
31 Now Trypho, betraying the trust of young King Antiochus, put him to death.	31 Now Tryphon dealt deceitfully with the young king Antiochus, and slew him.
32 He usurped his throne, assuming the crown of Asia, and brought great havoc on the country.	32 And he reigned in his stead, and crowned himself king of Asia, and brought a great calamity upon the land.
33 Simon built up the fortresses of Judaea, surrounding them with high towers, great wal s and gateswith bolts, and stocked these fortresses with food.	33 Then Simon built up the strong holds in Judea, and fenced them about with high towers, and great walls, and gates, and bars, and laid up victuals therein.
34 He also sent a delegation to King Demetrius, to get him to grant the province a remission, since alTrypho did was to despoil.	34 Moreover Simon chose men, and sent to king Demetrius, to the end he should give the land an immunity, because all that Tryphon did was to spoil.
35 King Demetrius replied to his request in a letter framed as fol ows:	35 Unto whom king Demetrius answered and wrote after this manner:
36 'King Demetrius to Simon, high priest and Friend of Kings, and to the elders and nation of the Jews,greetings.	36 King Demetrius unto Simon the high priest, and friend of kings, as also unto the elders and nation of the Jews, sendeth greeting:
37 'It has pleased us to accept the golden crown and the palm you have sent us, and we are disposedto make a general peace with you, and to write to the officials to grant you remissions.	37 The golden crown, and the scarlet robe, which ye sent unto us, we have received: and we are ready to make a stedfast peace with you, yea, and to write unto our officers, to confirm the immunities which we have granted.
38 Everything that we have decreed concerning you remains in force, and the fortresses you have builtmay remain in your hands.	38 And whatsoever covenants we have made with you shall stand; and the strong holds, which ye have builded, shall be your own.
39 We pardon all offences, unwitting or intentional, hitherto committed, and remit the crown tax you nowowe us; and whatever other taxes were levied in Jerusalem are no longer to be levied.	39 As for any oversight or fault committed unto this day, we forgive it, and the crown tax also, which ye owe us: and if there were any other tribute paid in Jerusalem, it shall no more be paid.
40 If any of you are suitable for enrolment in our bodyguard, let them be enrol ed, and let there bepeace between us.'	40 And look who are meet among you to be in our court, let then be enrolled, and let there be peace betwixt us.
41 The gentile yoke was thus lifted from Israel in the year 170,	41 Thus the yoke of the heathen was taken away from Israel in the hundred and seventieth year.
42 when our people began engrossing their documents and contracts: 'In the first year of Simon,eminent high priest, commander-in-chief and ethnarch of the Jews'.	42 Then the people of Israel began to write in their instruments and contracts, In the first year of Simon the high priest, the governor and leader of the Jews.
43 About that time Simon laid siege to Gezer, surrounding it with his troops. He constructed a mobiletower, brought it up to the city, opened a breach in one of the bastions and took it.	43 In those days Simon camped against Gaza and besieged it round about; he made also an engine of war, and set it by the city, and battered a certain tower, and took it.
44 The men in the mobile tower sprang out into the city, where great confusion ensued.	44 And they that were in the engine leaped into the city; whereupon there was a great uproar in the city:
45 The citizens, accompanied by their wives and children, mounted the ramparts with their garmentstorn and loudly implored Simon to make peace with them:	45 Insomuch as the people of the city rent their clothes, and climbed upon the walls with their wives and children, and cried with a loud voice, beseeching Simon to grant them peace.
46 'Treat us', they said, 'not as our wickedness deserves, but as your mercy prompts you.'	46 And they said, Deal not with us according to our wickedness, but according to thy mercy.
47 Simon came to terms with them and stopped the fighting; but he expel ed them from the city, purifiedthe houses which contained idols, and then made his entry with songs of praise.	47 So Simon was appeased toward them, and fought no more against them, but put them out of the city, and cleansed the houses wherein the idols were, and so entered into it with songs and thanksgiving.
48 He banished al impurity from it, settled in it people who observed the Law, and having fortified it,built a residence there for himself.	48 Yea, he put all uncleanness out of it, and placed such men there as would keep the law, and made it stronger than it was before, and built therein a dwellingplace for himself.
49 The occupants of the Citadel in Jerusalem, prevented as they were from coming out and going intothe countryside to buy and sel , were in desperate need of food, and numbers of them were being carried off bystarvation.	49 They also of the tower in Jerusalem were kept so strait, that they could neither come forth, nor go into the country, nor buy, nor sell: wherefore they were in great distress for want of victuals, and a great number of them perished through famine.
50 They begged Simon to make peace with them, and he granted this, though he expel ed them andpurified the Citadel from its pollutions.	50 Then cried they to Simon, beseeching him to be at one with them: which thing he granted them; and when he had put them out from thence, he cleansed the tower from pollutions:
51 The Jews made their entry on the twenty-third day of the second month in the year 171, withacclamations and carrying palms, to the sound of lyres, cymbals and harps, chanting hymns and canticles, sincea great enemy had been crushed and thrown out of Israel. Simon made it a day of annual rejoicing.	51 And entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month in the hundred seventy and first year, with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and with harps, and cymbals, and with viols, and hymns, and songs: because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel.
52 He fortified the Temple hil on the Citadel side, and took up residence there with his men.	52 He ordained also that that day should be kept every year with gladness. Moreover the hill of the temple that was by the tower he made stronger than it was, and there he dwelt himself with his company.
53 Since his son John had come to manhood, Simon appointed him general-in-chief, with his residencein Gezer.	53 And when Simon saw that John his son was a valiant man, he made him captain of all the hosts; and he dwelt in Gazera.