1 Maccabees 14

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 In the year 172, King Demetrius assembled his forces and marched into Media to raise help for thefight against Trypho.	1 In the one hundred and seventy-second year * Demetrius the king assembled his forces and marched into Media to secure help, so that he could make war against Trypho.
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 When Arsaces the king of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius had invaded his territory, he sent one of his commanders to take him alive.
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 seized him and took him to Arsaces, who put him under guard.
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 The land * had rest all the days of Simon. He sought the good of his nation; his rule was pleasing to them, as was the honor shown him, all his days.
5 To crown his titles to glory, he took Joppa and made it a harbour, gaining access to the MediterraneanIsles.	5 To crown all his honors he took Joppa for a harbor, and opened a way to the isles of the sea.
6 He enlarged the frontiers of his nation, keeping his mastery over the homeland,	6 He extended the borders of his nation, and gained full control 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 He gathered a host of captives; he ruled over Gazara and Beth-zur and the citadel, and he removed its uncleanness from it; and there was none to oppose him.
8 The people farmed their land in peace; the land gave its produce, the trees of the plain their fruit.	8 They tilled their land in peace; the ground gave its increase, and the trees of the plains their fruit.
9 The elders sat at ease in the squares, all their talk was of their prosperity; the young men woresplendid armour.	9 Old men sat in the streets; they all talked together of good things; and the youths donned the glories and garments of war.
10 He kept the towns supplied with provisions and furnished with fortifications, until his fame resoundedto the ends of the earth.	10 He supplied the cities with food, and furnished them with the means of defense, till his renown spread to the ends of the earth.
11 He established peace in the land, and Israel knew great joy.	11 He established 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 Each man sat under his vine and 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 No one was left in the land to fight them, and the kings were crushed 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 He strengthened all the humble of his people; he sought out the law, and did away with every lawless and wicked man.
15 and gave new splendour to the Temple, enriching it with many sacred vessels.	15 He made the sanctuary glorious, and added to the vessels of the sanctuary.
16 When it became known in Rome and as far as Sparta that Jonathan was dead, people were deeplygrieved.	16 It was heard in Rome, and as far away as Sparta, that Jonathan had died, and they were deeply grieved.
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 When they heard that Simon his brother had become high priest in his place, and that he was ruling over the country and the cities in it
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 on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendship and alliance which they had established with Judas and Jonathan his brothers.
19 and the document was read out before the assembly in Jerusalem.	19 And these were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.
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 This is a copy of the letter which the Spartans sent: "The rulers and the city of the Spartans to Simon the high priest and to the elders and the priests and the rest of the Jewish people, our 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 envoys who were sent to our people have told us about your glory and honor, and we rejoiced 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 what they said we have recorded in our public decrees, as follows, 'Numenius the son of Antiochus and Antipater the son of Jason, envoys of the Jews, have come to us to renew their 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 It has pleased our people to receive these men with honor and to put a copy of their words in the public archives, so that the people of the Spartans may have a record of them. And they have sent a copy of this 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 After this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a large gold shield weighing a thousand minas, to confirm the alliance with the Romans. *
25 When these events were reported to our people, they said, 'What mark of appreciation shal we giveto Simon and his sons?	25 When the people heard these things they said, "How shall we thank 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 and his brothers and the house of his father have stood firm; they have fought and repulsed Israel's enemies and established its freedom."
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 So they made a record on bronze tablets and put it upon pillars on Mount Zion. This is a copy of what they wrote: "On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year, * which is the third year of Simon the great high priest,
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 Asaramel, * in the great assembly of the priests and the people and the rulers of the nation and the elders of the country, the following was proclaimed to us:
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 "Since wars often occurred in the country, Simon the son of Mattathias, a priest of the sons * of Joarib, and his brothers, exposed themselves to danger and resisted the enemies of their nation, in order that their sanctuary and the law might be perserved; and they brought great glory to their nation.
30 'For when, Jonathan having ral ied his nation and become its high priest and having then beengathered to his ancestors,	30 Jonathan rallied the * nation, and became their high priest, and was gathered to his people.
31 the enemy planned to invade the country, intending to devastate their territory and to lay hands ontheir sanctuary,	31 And when their enemies decided to invade their country and lay hands on their sanctuary,
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 rose up and fought for his nation. He spent great sums of his own money; he armed the men of his nation's forces and paid 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 He fortified the cities of Judea, and Beth-zur on the borders of Judea, where formerly the arms of the enemy had been stored, 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 He also fortified Joppa, which is by the sea, and Gazara, which is on the borders of Azotus, where the enemy formerly dwelt. He settled Jews there, and provided in those cities * whatever was necessary for their restoration.
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 "The people saw Simon's faithfulness * and the glory which he had resolved to win for his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things and because of the justice and loyalty which he had maintained toward his nation. He sought in every way to exalt 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 Gentiles were put out of the * country, as were also the men in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had built themselves a citadel from which they used to sally forth and defile the environs of the sanctuary and do great damage 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 He settled Jews in it, and fortified it for the safety of the country and of the city, and built the walls of Jerusalem higher.
38 'And since King Demetrius has heard that the Romans call the Jews their friends, al ies and brothers,	38 "In view of these things King Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood,
39 and that they have given an honourable reception to Simon's ambassadors, and, furthermore,	39 and he made him one of the king's * friends and paid him high honors.
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 Jews were addressed by the Romans as friends and allies and brethren, and that the Romans * had received the envoys of Simon with honor.
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 * the Jews and their priests decided that Simon should be their leader and high priest for ever, until a trustworthy prophet should arise,
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 governor over them and that he should take charge of the sanctuary and appoint men over its tasks and over the country and the weapons and the strongholds, and that he should take charge of the sanctuary,
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 be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and wear 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 none of the people or priests shall be permitted to nullify any of these decisions or to oppose what he says, or to convene an assembly in the country without his permission, or to be clothed in purple or put on a gold buckle.
45 and anyone acting contrary to, or rejecting any article of, these enactments is liable to punishment;	45 Whoever acts contrary to these decisions or nullifies any of them shall be liable to punishment."
46 'And since the people have unanimously agreed to grant Simon the right to act as aforesaid, and	46 And all the people agreed to grant Simon the right to act in accord with these decisions.
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 So Simon accepted and agreed to be high priest, to be commander and ethnarch of the Jews and priests, and to be protector of them 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 gave orders to inscribe this decree upon bronze tablets, to put them up in a conspicuous place in the precincts of the sanctuary,
49 and that copies be deposited in the Treasury for Simon and his descendants.'	49 and to deposit copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.