1 Maccabees 8

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Now Judas had heard of the reputation of the Romans: how strong they were, and how wel disposedtowards any who made common cause with them, making a treaty of friendship with anyone who approachedthem.	1 Now Judas heard of the fame of the Romans, that they are powerful and strong, and willingly agree to all things that are requested of them: and that whosoever have come to them, they have made amity with them, and that they are mighty in power.
2 (And, indeed, they were extremely powerful.) He had been told of their wars and of their prowessamong the Gauls, whom they had conquered and put under tribute;	2 And they heard of their battles, and their noble acts, which they had done in Galatia, how they conquered them, and brought them under tribute:
3 and of al they had done in the province of Spain to gain possession of the silver and gold mines there,	3 And how great things they had done in the land of Spain, and that they had brought under their power the mines of silver and of gold that are there, and had gotten possession of all the place by their counsel and patience:
4 making themselves masters of the whole country by their determination and perseverance, despite itsgreat distance from their own; of the kings who came from the ends of the earth to attack them, only to becrushed by them and overwhelmed with disaster, and of others who paid them annual tribute;	4 And had conquered places that were very far off from them, and kings that came against them from the ends of the earth, and had overthrown them with great slaughter: and the rest pay them tribute every year.
5 Philip, Perseus king of the Kittim, and others who had dared to make war on them, had been defeatedand reduced to subjection,	5 And that they had defeated in battle Philip, and Perses the king of the Ceteans, and the rest that had borne arms against them, and had conquered them:
6 while Antiochus the Great, king of Asia, who had advanced to attack them with a hundred and twentyelephants, cavalry, chariots and a very large army, had also suffered defeat at their hands;	6 And how Antiochus the great king of Asia, who went to fight against them, having a hundred and twenty elephants, with horsemen, and chariots, and a very great army, was routed by them:
7 they had taken him alive and imposed on him and his successors, on agreed terms, the payment of anenormous tribute, the surrender of hostages, and the cession	7 And how they took him alive, and appointed to him, that both he and they that should reign after him, should pay a great tribute, and that he should give hostages, and that which was agreed upon,
8 of the Indian territory, with Media, Lydia, and some of their best provinces, which they took from himand gave to King Eumenes.	8 And the country of the Indians, and of the Medes, and of the Lydians, some of their best provinces: and those which they had taken from them they gave to king Eumenes.
9 Judas had also heard how, when the Greeks planned an expedition to destroy the Romans,	9 And that they who were in Greece had a mind to go and to destroy them: and they had knowledge thereof,
10 the latter had got wind of it and, sending a single general against them, had fought a campaign inwhich they inflicted heavy casualties, carried their women and children away into captivity, pillaged their goods,subdued their country, tore down their fortresses and reduced them to a slavery lasting to the present day;	10 And they sent a general against them, and fought with them, and many of them were slain, and they carried away their wives and their children captives, and spoiled them, and took possession of their land, and threw down their walls, and brought them to be their servants unto this day.
11 and how they had destroyed and subjugated al the other kingdoms and islands that resisted them.	11 And the other kingdoms, and islands, that at any time had resisted them, they had destroyed and brought under their power.
12 But where their friends and those who relied on them were concerned, they had always stood by theirfriendship. They had subdued kings far and near, and al who heard their name went in terror of them.	12 But with their friends, and such as relied upon them, they kept amity, and had conquered kingdoms that were near, and that were far off: for all that heard their name, were afraid of them.
13 One man, if they determined to help him and advance him to a throne, would certainly occupy it, whileanother, if they so determined, would find himself deposed; their influence was paramount.	13 That whom they had a mind to help to a kingdom, those reigned: and whom they would, they deposed from a kingdom: and they were greatly exalted.
14 In spite of al this, no single one of them had assumed a crown or put on the purple for his ownaggrandisement.	14 And none of all these wore a crown, or was clothed in purple, to be magnified thereby.
15 They had set up a senate, where three hundred and twenty councillors deliberated daily, constantlydebating how best to regulate public affairs.	15 And that they made themselves a senate house, and consulted daily three hundred and twenty men, that sat in council always for the people, that they might do the things that were right.
16 They entrusted their government to one man for a year at a time, with absolute power over their wholeempire, and this man was obeyed by al without envy or jealousy.	16 And that they committed their government to one man every year, to rule over all their country, and they all obey one, and there is no envy, nor jealousy amongst them.
17 Having chosen Eupolemus son of John, of the family of Accos, and Jason son of Eleazar, Judas sentthem to Rome to make a treaty of friendship and al iance with these people,	17 So Judas chose Eupolemus the son of John, the son of Jacob, and Jason the son of Eleazar, and he sent them to Rome to make a league of amity and confederacy with them.
18 in the hope of being rid of the yoke, for they could see that Greek rule was reducing Israel to slavery.	18 And that they might take off from them the yoke of the Grecians, for they saw that they oppressed the kingdom of Israel with servitude.
19 The envoys made the lengthy journey to Rome and presented themselves before the Senate withtheir formal proposal:	19 And they went to Rome, a very long journey, and they entered into the senate house, and said:
20 'Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers, with the Jewish people, have sent us to you to conclude a treatyof al iance and peace with you, and to enrol ourselves as your al ies and friends.'	20 Judas Machabeus, and his brethren, and the people of the Jews have sent us to you, to make alliance and peace with you, and that we may be registered your confederates and friends.
21 The proposal met with the approval of the senators.	21 And the proposal was pleasing in their sight.
22 Here is a copy of the rescript which they engraved on bronze tablets and sent to Jerusalem to be keptthere by the Jews as a record of peace and al iance:	22 And this is the copy of the writing that they wrote back again, graven in tables of brass, and sent to Jerusalem, that it might be with them there for a memorial of the peace and alliance.
23 'Good fortune attend the Romans and the Jewish nation by sea and land for ever; may sword orenemy be far from them!	23 GOOD SUCCESS BE TO THE ROMANS, and to the people of the Jews, by sea and by land for ever: and far be the sword and enemy from them.
24 'If war comes first to Rome or any of her al ies throughout her dominions,	24 But if there come first any war upon the Romans, or any of their confederates, in all their dominions:
25 the Jewish nation wil take action as her al y, as occasion may require, and do it wholeheartedly.	25 The nation of the Jews shall help them according as the time shall direct, with all their heart:
26 They wil not give or supply to the enemy any grain, arms, money or ships: thus has Rome decided,and they are to honour their obligations without guarantees.	26 Neither shall they give them, whilst they are fighting, or furnish them with wheat, or arms, or money, or ships, as it hath seemed good to the Romans: and they shall obey their orders, without taking any thing of them.
27 In the same way, if war comes first to the Jewish nation, the Romans wil support them energetical yas occasion may offer,	27 In like manner also if war shall come first upon the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall help them with all their heart, according as the time shall permit them.
28 and the aggressor wil not be furnished with grain, arms, money or ships: such is the Roman decision,and they wil honour these obligations without treachery.	28 And there shall not be given to them that come to their aid, either wheat, or arms, or money, or ships, as it hath seemed good to the Romans: and they shall observe their orders without deceit.
29 Such are the articles under which the Romans have concluded their treaty with the Jewish people.	29 According to these articles did the Romans covenant with the people of the Jews.
30 If, later, either party should decide to make any addition or deletion, they wil be free to do so, and anysuch addition or deletion wil be binding.	30 And if after this one party or the other shall have a mind to add to these articles, or take away anything, they may do it at their pleasure: and whatsoever they shall add, or take away, shall be ratified.
31 'As regards the wrongs done to them by King Demetrius, we have written to him in these terms: Whyhave you made your yoke lie heavy on our friends and al ies the Jews?	31 Moreover concerning the evils that Demetrius the king hath done against them, we have written to him, saying: Why hast thou made thy yoke heavy upon our friends, and allies, the Jews?
32 If they appeal against you again, we shal uphold their rights and make war on you by sea and land.'	32 If therefore they come again to us complaining of thee, we will do them justice, and will make war against thee by sea and land.