1 Maccabees 14

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 In the year 172, King Demetrius assembled his forces and marched into Media to raise help for thefight against Trypho.	1 In the year one hundred and seventy-two, king Demetrius assembled has army, and went into Media to get him succours to fight against Tryphon.
2 When Arsaces king of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius had entered his territory, he sent one ofhis generals to capture him alive.	2 And Arsaces the king of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius was entered within his borders, and he sent one of his princes to take him alive, and bring him to him.
3 The general defeated the army of Demetrius, seized him and brought him to Arsaces, who imprisonedhim.	3 And he went and defeated the army of Demetrius: and took him, and brought him to Arsaces, and he put him into custody.
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.	4 And all the land of Juda was at rest all the days of Simon, and he sought the good of his nation: and his power, and his glory pleased them well all his days.
5 To crown his titles to glory, he took Joppa and made it a harbour, gaining access to the MediterraneanIsles.	5 And with all his glory he took Joppe for a haven, and made an entrance to the isles of the sea.
6 He enlarged the frontiers of his nation, keeping his mastery over the homeland,	6 And he enlarged the bounds of his nation, and made himself master of the country.
7 resettling a host of captives. He conquered Gezer, Beth-Zur and the Citadel, ridding them of everyimpurity, and no one could resist him.	7 And he gathered together a great number of captives, and had the dominion of Gazara, and of Bethsura, and of the castle: and took away all uncleanness out of it and there was none that resisted him.
8 The people farmed their land in peace; the land gave its produce, the trees of the plain their fruit.	8 And every man tilled his land with peace: and the land of Juda yielded her increase, and the trees of the fields their fruit.
9 The elders sat at ease in the squares, all their talk was of their prosperity; the young men woresplendid armour.	9 The ancient men sat all in the streets, and treated together of the good things of the land, and the young men put on them glory, and the robes of war.
10 He kept the towns supplied with provisions and furnished with fortifications, until his fame resoundedto the ends of the earth.	10 And he provided victuals for the cities, and he appointed that they should be furnished with ammunition, so that the fame of his glory was renowned even to the end of the earth.
11 He established peace in the land, and Israel knew great joy.	11 He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy.
12 Each man sat under his own vine and his own fig tree, and there was no one to make them afraid.	12 And every man sat under his vine, and under his fig tree: and there was none to make them afraid.
13 No enemy was left in the land to fight them, the very kings of those times had been crushed.	13 There was none left in the land to fight against them: kings were discomfited in those days.
14 He encouraged the afflicted members of his people, suppressing every wicked man and renegade.He strove to observe the Law,	14 And he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low, and he sought the law, and took away every unjust and wicked man.
15 and gave new splendour to the Temple, enriching it with many sacred vessels.	15 He glorified the sanctuary, and multiplied the vessels of the holy places.
16 When it became known in Rome and as far as Sparta that Jonathan was dead, people were deeplygrieved.	16 And it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan was dead: and they were very sorry.
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,	17 But when they heard that Simon his brother was made high priest in his place, and was possessed of all the country, and the cities therein:
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,	18 They wrote to him in tables of brass, to renew the friendship and alliance which they had made with Judas, and with Jonathan his brethren.
19 and the document was read out before the assembly in Jerusalem.	19 And they were read before the assembly in Jerusalem. And this is the copy of the letters that the Spartans sent.
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.	20 The princes and the cities of the Spartans to Simon the high priest, and to the ancients, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews their brethren, greeting.
21 'The ambassadors whom you sent to our people have informed us of your glory and prosperity, andwe are delighted with their visit.	21 The ambassadors that were sent to our people, have told us of your glory, and honour, and joy: and we rejoice at their coming.
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.	22 And we registered what was said by them in the councils of the people in this manner: Numenius the son of Antiochus, and Antipater the son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews, came to us to renew the former friendship with us.
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." '	23 And it pleased the people to receive the men honourably, and to put a copy of their words in the public records, to be a memorial to the people of the Spartans. And we have written a copy of them to Simon the high priest.
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.	24 And after this Simon sent Numenius to Rome, with a great shield of gold the weight of a thousand pounds, to confirm the league with them. And when the people of Rome had heard
25 When these events were reported to our people, they said, 'What mark of appreciation shal we giveto Simon and his sons?	25 These words, they said: What thanks shall we give to Simon, and his sons?
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.	26 For he hath restored his brethren, and hath driven away in fight the enemies of Israel from them: and they decreed him liberty, and registered it in tables of brass, and set it upon pillars in mount Sion.
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:	27 And this is a copy of the writing: The eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the year one hundred and seventy-two, being the third year under Simon the high priest at Asaramel,
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:	28 In a great assembly of the priests, and of the people, and the princes of the nation, and the ancients of the country, these things were notified: Forasmuch as there have often been wars in our country,
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;	29 And Simon the son of Mathathias of the children of Jarib, and his brethren have put themselves in danger, and have resisted the enemies of their nation, for the maintenance of their holy places, and the law: and have raised their nation to great glory.
30 'For when, Jonathan having ral ied his nation and become its high priest and having then beengathered to his ancestors,	30 And Jonathan gathered together his nation, and was made their high priest, and he was laid to his people.
31 the enemy planned to invade the country, intending to devastate their territory and to lay hands ontheir sanctuary,	31 And their enemies desired to tread down and destroy their country, and to stretch forth their hands against their holy places.
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;	32 Then Simon resisted and fought for his nation, and laid out much of his money, and armed the valiant men of his nation, and gave them wages:
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;	33 And he fortified the cities of Judea, and Bethsura that lieth in the borders of Judea, where the armour of the enemies was before: and he placed there a garrison of Jews.
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;	34 And he fortified Joppe which lieth by the sea: and Gazara, which bordereth upon Azotus, wherein the enemies dwelt before, and he placed Jews here: and furnished them with all things convenient for their reparation.
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;	35 And the people seeing the acts of Simon, and to what glory he meant to bring his nation, made him their prince, and high 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 advance his people.
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;	36 And in his days things prospered in his hands, so that the heathens were taken away out of their country, and they also that were in the city of David in Jerusalem in the castle, out of which they issued forth, and profaned all places round about the sanctuary, and did much evil to its purity.
37 to station Jewish soldiers there instead for the security of the country and the city; and to heightenthe wal s of Jerusalem;	37 And he placed therein Jews for the defence of the country, and of the city, and he raised up the walls of Jerusalem.
38 'And since King Demetrius has heard that the Romans call the Jews their friends, al ies and brothers,	38 And king Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood.
39 and that they have given an honourable reception to Simon's ambassadors, and, furthermore,	39 According to these things he made him his friend, and glorified him with great glory.
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	40 For he had heard that the Romans had called the Jews their friends, and confederates, and brethren, and that they had received Simon's ambassadors with honour:
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,	41 And that the Jews, and their priests, had consented that he should be their prince, and high priest for ever, till there should arise a faithful prophet:
42 with the right to appoint officials to oversee the fabric of the sanctuary and to administer the country,munitions and fortresses;	42 And that he should be chief over them, and that he should have the charge of the sanctuary, and that he should appoint rulers over their works, and over the country, and over the armour, and over the strong holds.
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;	43 And that he should have care of the holy places: and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all the writings in the country should be made in his name: and that he should be clothed with purple, and 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;	44 And that it should not be lawful for any of the people, or of the priests, to disannul any of these things, or to gainsay his words, or to call together an assembly in the country without him: or to be clothed with purple, or to wear a buckle of gold:
45 and anyone acting contrary to, or rejecting any article of, these enactments is liable to punishment;	45 And whosoever shall do otherwise, or shall make void any of these things shall be punished.
46 'And since the people have unanimously agreed to grant Simon the right to act as aforesaid, and	46 And it pleased all the people to establish Simon, and to do according to these words.
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 :	47 And Simon accepted thereof, and was well pleased to execute the office of the high priesthood, and to be captain, and prince of the nation of the Jews, and of the priests, and to be chief over all.
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,	48 And 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 be deposited in the Treasury for Simon and his descendants.'	49 And that a copy thereof should be put in the treasury, that Simon and his sons may have it.