Primus Machabaeorum 14

VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Anno centesimo septuagesimo secundo, congregavit rex Demetrius exercitum suum, et abiit in Mediam ad contrahenda sibi auxilia, ut expugnaret Tryphonem.	1 In the year 172, King Demetrius assembled his forces and marched into Media to raise help for thefight against Trypho.
2 Et audivit Arsaces rex Persidis et Mediæ, quia intravit Demetrius confines suos : et misit unum de principibus suis ut comprehenderet eum vivum, et adduceret eum ad se.	2 When Arsaces king of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius had entered his territory, he sent one ofhis generals to capture him alive.
3 Et abiit, et percussit castra Demetrii : et comprehendit eum, et duxit eum ad Arsacem, et posuit eum in custodiam.	3 The general defeated the army of Demetrius, seized him and brought him to Arsaces, who imprisonedhim.
4 Et siluit omnis terra Juda omnibus diebus Simonis, et quæsivit bona genti suæ : et placuit illis potestas ejus et gloria ejus omnibus diebus.	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.
5 Et cum omni gloria sua accepit Joppen in portum, et fecit introitum in insulis maris.	5 To crown his titles to glory, he took Joppa and made it a harbour, gaining access to the MediterraneanIsles.
6 Et dilatavit fines gentis suæ, et obtinuit regionem.	6 He enlarged the frontiers of his nation, keeping his mastery over the homeland,
7 Et congregavit captivitatem multam, et dominatus est Gazaræ, et Bethsuræ, et arci : et abstulit immunditias ex ea, et non erat qui resisteret ei.	7 resettling a host of captives. He conquered Gezer, Beth-Zur and the Citadel, ridding them of everyimpurity, and no one could resist him.
8 Et unusquisque colebat terram suam cum pace : et terra Juda dabat fructus suos, et ligna camporum fructum suum.	8 The people farmed their land in peace; the land gave its produce, the trees of the plain their fruit.
9 Seniores in plateis sedebant omnes, et de bonis terræ tractabant, et juvenes induebant se gloriam, et stolas belli.	9 The elders sat at ease in the squares, all their talk was of their prosperity; the young men woresplendid armour.
10 Et civitatibus tribuebat alimonias, et constituebat eas ut essent vasa munitionis quoadusque nominatum est nomen gloriæ ejus usque ad extremum terræ.	10 He kept the towns supplied with provisions and furnished with fortifications, until his fame resoundedto the ends of the earth.
11 Fecit pacem super terram, et lætatus est Israël lætitia magna.	11 He established peace in the land, and Israel knew great joy.
12 Et sedit unusquisque sub vite sua, et sub ficulnea sua : et non erat qui eos terreret.	12 Each man sat under his own vine and his own fig tree, and there was no one to make them afraid.
13 Defecit impugnans eos super terram : reges contriti sunt in diebus illis.	13 No enemy was left in the land to fight them, the very kings of those times had been crushed.
14 Et confirmavit omnes humiles populi sui, et legem exquisivit, et abstulit omnem iniquum et malum :	14 He encouraged the afflicted members of his people, suppressing every wicked man and renegade.He strove to observe the Law,
15 sancta glorificavit, et multiplicavit vasa sanctorum.	15 and gave new splendour to the Temple, enriching it with many sacred vessels.
16 Et auditum est Romæ quia defunctus esset Jonathas, et usque in Spartiatas : et contristati sunt valde.	16 When it became known in Rome and as far as Sparta that Jonathan was dead, people were deeplygrieved.
17 Ut audierunt autem quod Simon frater ejus factus esset summus sacerdos loco ejus, et ipse obtineret omnem regionem, et civitates in ea,	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,
18 scripserunt ad eum in tabulis æreis, ut renovarent amicitias et societatem quam fecerant cum Juda et cum Jonatha, fratribus ejus.	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,
19 Et lectæ sunt in conspectu ecclesiæ in Jerusalem. Et hoc exemplum epistolarum, quas Spartiatæ miserunt :	19 and the document was read out before the assembly in Jerusalem.
20 Spartianorum principes et civitates, Simoni sacerdoti magno, et senioribus, et sacerdotibus, et reliquo populo Judæorum, fratribus, salutem.	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.
21 Legati, qui missi sunt ad populum nostrum, nuntiaverunt nobis de vestra gloria, et honore, ac lætitia : et gavisi sumus in introitu eorum.	21 'The ambassadors whom you sent to our people have informed us of your glory and prosperity, andwe are delighted with their visit.
22 Et scripsimus quæ ab eis erant dicta in conciliis populi, sic : Numenius Antiochi, et Antipater Jasonis filius, legati Judæorum, venerunt ad nos, renovantes nobiscum amicitiam pristinam.	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.
23 Et placuit populo excipere viros gloriose, et ponere exemplum sermonum eorum in segregatis populi libris, ut sit ad memoriam populo Spartiatarum. Exemplum autem horum scripsimus Simoni magno sacerdoti.	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." '
24 Post hæc autem misit Simon Numenium Romam, habentem clypeum aureum magnum, pondo mnarum mille, ad statuendam cum eis societatem. Cum autem audisset populus Romanus	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.
25 sermones istos, dixerunt : Quam gratiarum actionem reddemus Simoni, et filiis ejus ?	25 When these events were reported to our people, they said, 'What mark of appreciation shal we giveto Simon and his sons?
26 restituit enim ipse fratres suos, et expugnavit inimicos Israël ab eis, et statuerunt ei libertatem, et descripserunt in tabulis æreis, et posuerunt in titulis in monte Sion.	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.
27 Et hoc est exemplum scripturæ : Octavadecima die mensis Elul, anno centesimo septuagesimo secundo, anno tertio sub Simone sacerdote magno in Asaramel,	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:
28 in conventu magno sacerdotum, et populi, et principum gentis, et seniorum regionis, nota facta sunt hæc : quoniam frequenter facta sunt prælia in regione nostra,	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:
29 Simon autem Mathathiæ filius, ex filiis Jarib, et fratres ejus, dederunt se periculo, et restiterunt adversariis gentis suæ, ut starent sancta ipsorum, et lex : et gloria magna glorificaverunt gentem suam.	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;
30 Et congregavit Jonathas gentem suam, et factus est illis sacerdos magnus, et appositus est ad populum suum.	30 'For when, Jonathan having ral ied his nation and become its high priest and having then beengathered to his ancestors,
31 Et voluerunt inimici eorum calcare et atterere regionem ipsorum, et extendere manus in sancta eorum.	31 the enemy planned to invade the country, intending to devastate their territory and to lay hands ontheir sanctuary,
32 Tunc restitit Simon, et pugnavit pro gente sua, et erogavit pecunias multas, et armavit viros virtutis gentis suæ, et dedit illis stipendia :	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;
33 et munivit civitates Judææ, et Bethsuram, quæ erat in finibus Judææ, ubi erant arma hostium antea : et posuit illic præsidium viros Judæos.	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;
34 Et Joppen munivit, quæ erat ad mare, et Gazaram, quæ est in finibus Azoti, in qua hostes antea habitabant : et collocavit illic Judæos, et quæcumque apta erant ad correptionem eorum, posuit in eis.	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;
35 Et vidit populus actum Simonis, et gloriam quam cogitabat facere genti suæ, et posuerunt eum ducem suum, et principem sacerdotum, eo quod ipse fecerat hæc omnia, et justitiam, et fidem, quam conservavit genti suæ, et exquisivit omni modo exaltare populum suum.	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;
36 Et in diebus ejus prosperatum est in manibus ejus, ut tollerentur gentes de regione ipsorum, et qui in civitate David erant, in Jerusalem in arce, de qua procedebant, et contaminabant omnia quæ in circuitu sanctorum sunt, et inferebant plagam magnam castitati :	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;
37 et collocavit in ea viros Judæos ad tutamentum regionis, et civitatis, et exaltavit muros Jerusalem.	37 to station Jewish soldiers there instead for the security of the country and the city; and to heightenthe wal s of Jerusalem;
38 Et rex Demetrius statuit illi summum sacerdotium.	38 'And since King Demetrius has heard that the Romans call the Jews their friends, al ies and brothers,
39 Secundum hæc fecit eum amicum suum, et glorificavit eum gloria magna.	39 and that they have given an honourable reception to Simon's ambassadors, and, furthermore,
40 Audivit enim quod appellati sunt Judæi a Romanis amici, et socii, et fratres, et quia susceperunt legatos Simonis gloriose,	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
41 et quia Judæi et sacerdotes eorum consenserunt eum esse ducem suum, et summum sacerdotem in æternum, donec surgat propheta fidelis :	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,
42 et ut sit super eos dux, et ut cura esset illi pro sanctis, et ut constitueret præpositos super opera eorum, et super regionem, et super arma, et super præsidia :	42 with the right to appoint officials to oversee the fabric of the sanctuary and to administer the country,munitions and fortresses;
43 et cura sit illi de sanctis : et ut audiatur ab omnibus, et scribantur in nomine ejus omnes conscriptiones in regione : et ut operiatur purpura et auro :	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;
44 et ne liceat ulli ex populo et ex sacerdotibus irritum facere aliquid horum, et contradicere his quæ ab eo dicuntur, aut convocare conventum in regione sine ipso, et vestiri purpura, et uti fibula aurea :	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;
45 qui autem fecerit extra hæc, aut irritum fecerit aliquid horum, reus erit.	45 and anyone acting contrary to, or rejecting any article of, these enactments is liable to punishment;
46 Et complacuit omni populo statuere Simonem, et facere secundum verba ista.	46 'And since the people have unanimously agreed to grant Simon the right to act as aforesaid, and
47 Et suscepit Simon, et placuit ei ut summo sacerdotio fungeretur, et esset dux et princeps gentis Judæorum, et sacerdotum, et præesset omnibus.	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 :
48 Et scripturam istam dixerunt ponere in tabulis æreis, et ponere eas in peribolo sanctorum, in loco celebri :	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,
49 exemplum autem eorum ponere in ærario, ut habeat Simon, et filii ejus.	49 and that copies be deposited in the Treasury for Simon and his descendants.'