1 Maccabees Chapter 13

1 Maccabees Chapter 13

1And Simon heard that Trypho had gathered together an immense army to come to the land of Judah and to lay waste to it.
2Seeing that the people were fearful and trembling, he went up to Jerusalem, and he gathered together the people.
3And exhorting them, he said: "You know what great battles I, and my brothers, and the house of my father, have fought for the laws and for the holy places, and the anguish that we have seen.
4As a result these things, all my brothers have perished for the sake of Israel, and I have been left alone.
5And now, it is not necessary for me to spare my life in any time of tribulation. For I am not better than my brothers.
6And so, I will vindicate my people and the sanctuary, and likewise our children and wives. For all the Gentiles have gathered together to crush us, solely out of malice."
7And the spirit of the people was immediately enkindled, when they heard these words.
8And they responded with a loud voice, saying: "You are our leader in place of Judas and of Jonathan, your brother.
9Fight our battles, and we will do whatever you tell us to do."
10And so, gathering together all the men of war, he accelerated the completion of all the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it all around.
11And he sent Jonathan, the son of Absalom, and with him a new army, into Joppa, and he cast out those who were in it, and he himself remained there.
12And Trypho moved from Ptolemais, with a great army, to come into the land of Judah, and Jonathan was with him in custody.
13But Simon took up a position at Addus, opposite the face of the plains.
14And when Trypho realized that Simon rose up in the place of his brother, Jonathan, and that he would be joining in battle with him, he sent messengers to him,
15saying: "We have detained your brother, Jonathan, because of the money that he owed to the king's account, because of the matters for which he was responsible.
16And now, send a hundred talents of silver, and two of his sons for hostages, so that when he is dismissed, he may not flee from us. And then we will release him."
17And Simon knew that he was speaking deceitfully to him. Yet he ordered the money and the boys to be given, lest he should bring upon himself a great hostility from the people of Israel, who might have said,
18"It is because he did not send the money and the boys that he perished."
19So he sent the boys and one hundred talents. And he was lying and did not dismiss Jonathan.
20And after this, Trypho came into the country, to crush it. And they circled around by the way that leads to Adora. And Simon and his camp marched into every place, wherever they went.
21But those who were in the stronghold sent messengers to Trypho, so that he would hurry to come through the desert, and to send them provisions.
22And Trypho prepared all his horsemen to arrive on that night. But there was a very great snowfall, and he did not come into Gilead.
23And when he approached toward Baskama, he killed Jonathan and his sons there.
24And Trypho turned back and went into his own land.
25And Simon sent and took the bones of Jonathan, his brother, and he buried them in Modin, the city of his fathers.
26And all Israel bewailed him with great lamentation. And they mourned him for many days.
27And Simon built, over the sepulcher of his father and of his brothers, a building, lofty to see, of polished stone, front and back.
28And he set up seven pyramids, one against another, for his father, and his mother, and his four brothers.
29And around these he placed great columns; and upon the columns, weapons, as a continual memorial; and beside the weapons, carvings of ships, which might be seen by all those who sail the sea.
30This is the sepulcher that he made in Modin, even to this day.
31But Trypho, when he was on a journey with the young king, Antiochus, killed him by deceit.
32And he reigned in his place, and he put on the diadem of Asia, and he caused great scourges upon the land.
33And Simon built up the strongholds of Judea, fortifying them with high towers, and great walls, and gates and bars. And he placed provisions in the fortresses.
34And Simon chose men, and he sent to king Demetrius, so that he would grant a remission to the region, for all that Trypho did was to carry out plundering.
35And king Demetrius responded to this word, and he wrote a letter in this manner:
36"King Demetrius to Simon, the high priest and friend of kings, and to the elders, and to the people of the Jews: greetings.
37The golden crown and the bahem that you sent, we have received. And we are prepared to make a great peace with you, and to write to the officers of the king to remit to you the things that we have released.
38For whatever we have established remains in force for you. The strongholds that you have built, let them be yours.
39Likewise, any oversight or fault, even to this day, we forgive it, along with the crown that you owed. And if anything else was taxed in Jerusalem, now let it not be taxed.
40And if any of you is fit to be enrolled among our own, let them be enrolled. And let there be peace between us."
41In the one hundred and seventieth year, the yoke of the Gentiles was taken away from Israel.
42And the people of Israel began to write in the tablets and the public records, in the first year under Simon: high priest, great commander, and leader of the Jews.
43In those days, Simon took up a position at Gaza, and he encamped around it, and he made machines of war, and he applied them to the city, and he struck one tower and captured it.
44And those who were within the machine broke forth into the city. And a great commotion occurred in the city.
45And those who were in the city ascended upon the wall, with their wives and children, having torn their tunics. And they cried out with a loud voice, asking Simon to grant them a pledge.
46And they said, "Do not repay us according to our malice, but according to your mercy."
47And weeping, Simon did not destroy them. Yet he cast them out of the city, and he cleansed the buildings, in which there had been idols. And then he entered into it with hymns, blessing the Lord.
48And, having cast out of it all uncleanness, he placed in it men who would observe the law. And he fortified it and made it his dwelling place.
49But those who were in the stronghold of Jerusalem were prohibited from going out and entering the region, and from buying and selling. And they were very hungry, and many of them perished through famine.
50And they cried out to Simon, that they might receive a pledge, and he granted it to them. And he cast them out of there, and he cleansed the stronghold from contaminations.
51And they entered into it on the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred and seventy-first year, with thanksgiving, and palm branches, and lyres, and cymbals, and psalteries, and hymns, and canticles, because a great enemy had been crushed out of Israel.
52And he established that these days should be kept every year with rejoicing.
53And he fortified the mountain of the temple, which was near the stronghold, and he lived there himself, along with those who were with him.
54And Simon saw that John, his son, was a valiant man in battle. And so he appointed him as commander of all the forces. And he lived in Gazara.