1. Makkabeler 14

¹Yüz yetmiş ikinci yılda Kral Demetrius ordularını topladı ve Trifon'a karşı savaşmak üzere kendisine yardım devşirmek amacıyla Medya'ya gitti.

²Pers ve Medya Kralı Arsakes, Demetrius'un kendi sınırlarına girdiğini duyunca, onu sağ olarak ele geçirmesi için yöneticilerinden birini gönderdi.

³Bu yönetici gidip Demetrius'un ordugahını bozguna uğrattı, onu yakalayıp Arsakes'e götürdü ve Arsakes onu muhafaza altına aldı.

⁴Şimon'un yaşadığı bütün günler boyunca Yahuda ülkesi huzur içinde kaldı; Şimon ulusunun iyiliğini gözetti, halkı onun yetkisinden ve görkeminden her zaman hoşnut kaldı.

⁵Kazandığı bütün bu görkemin yanı sıra, Yafa'yı bir liman olarak ele geçirip denizin adalarına bir giriş kapısı açtı.

⁶Ulusunun sınırlarını genişletti ve ülkeye tamamen egemen oldu.

⁷Çok sayıda tutsak topladı; Gezer'i, Beytsur'u ve kaleyi ele geçirdi. Kaleyi her türlü kirlilikten arındırdı ve ona karşı koyabilecek kimse çıkmadı.

⁸Halk topraklarını barış içinde işliyordu; toprak kendi ürününü, kırların ağaçları da kendi meyvesini veriyordu.

⁹Yaşlılar meydanlarda oturup hep birlikte iyi şeyler üzerine konuşuyor, gençler ise görkemli giysiler ve savaş donanımları kuşanıyordu.

¹⁰Kentlere yiyecek sağladı ve onları savunma araçlarıyla donattı; öyle ki, onun görkemli adı yeryüzünün en uç sınırlarına kadar ulaştı.

¹¹Ülkede barışı sağladı ve İsrail büyük bir sevinçle coştu.

¹²Herkes kendi asmasının ve incir ağacının altında oturdu, onları korkutacak kimse yoktu.

¹³Ülkede onlarla savaşacak kimse kalmadı ve o günlerde krallar ezilip bozguna uğratıldı.

¹⁴Halkının bütün ezilmişlerine destek oldu; yasayı titizlikle araştırdı, yasasız ve kötü olan herkesi ortadan kaldırdı.

¹⁵Kutsal yerleri yüceltti ve tapınak kaplarının sayısını artırdı.

¹⁶Yonatan'ın öldüğü Roma'da ve hatta Sparta'ya kadar duyulunca çok üzüldüler.

¹⁷Ancak kardeşi Şimon'un onun yerine başkâhin olduğunu, ülkeye ve içindeki kentlere egemen olduğunu duyduklarında,

¹⁸kardeşleri Yahuda ve Yonatan ile yapmış oldukları dostluk ve ittifakı yenilemek amacıyla ona tunç levhalar üzerine yazılmış mektuplar gönderdiler.

¹⁹Bu yazılar Yeruşalim'deki topluluğun önünde okundu.

²⁰Spartalıların gönderdiği mektubun sureti şudur: "Spartalıların yöneticileri ve kenti, başkâhin Şimon'a, ileri gelenlere, kâhinlere ve Yahudi halkının geri kalan kardeşlerine esenlik diler.

²¹Halkımıza gönderilen elçileriniz bize görkeminizi ve onurunuzu bildirdiler; onların gelişi bizi çok sevindirdi.

²²Onların halk meclisinde söylediklerini kayıtlara şöyle geçirdik: 'Yahudilerin elçileri, Antiohos oğlu Numenios ve Yason oğlu Antipatros, bizimle olan dostluklarını yenilemek üzere bize geldiler.

²³Halk, bu adamları onurla ağırlamayı ve Sparta halkına bir anı olması için konuşmalarının bir suretini halkın resmi arşivine koymayı uygun buldu. Ayrıca bunun bir suretini de başkâhin Şimon'a yazdık.'"

²⁴Bundan sonra Şimon, ittifakı pekiştirmek amacıyla, bin mina ağırlığında büyük bir altın kalkanla Numenios'u Roma'ya gönderdi.

²⁵Halk bu olanları duyunca şöyle dedi: "Şimon'a ve oğullarına nasıl teşekkür edebiliriz?

²⁶Çünkü kendisi, kardeşleri ve babasının evi kararlılıkla durdular, İsrail'in düşmanlarıyla savaşarak onları uzaklaştırdılar ve halka özgürlüğünü kazandırdılar." Böylece bunu tunç levhalara yazıp Siyon Dağı'ndaki sütunların üzerine diktiler.

²⁷Yazının sureti şudur: "Yüz yetmiş ikinci yılın Elul ayının on sekizinci gününde –ki bu başkâhin Şimon'un üçüncü yılıdır–

²⁸Asaramel'de, kâhinlerin, halkın, ulusun önderlerinin ve ülkenin ileri gelenlerinin büyük topluluğunda bize şu durum bildirildi:

²⁹Ülkede sık sık savaşlar çıktığında, Yehoyarib soyundan Mattathias oğlu Şimon ve kardeşleri, uluslarının kutsal yerini ve yasasını korumak için kendilerini tehlikeye attılar, uluslarının düşmanlarına karşı koydular ve uluslarına büyük bir görkem kazandırdılar.

³⁰Yonatan halkını bir araya topladı, onların başkâhini oldu ve sonra halkına katıldı.

³¹Düşmanları, ülkelerini yakıp yıkmak ve kutsal yerlerine el uzatmak amacıyla topraklarını istila etmek istediler.

³²O zaman Şimon ayağa kalktı, ulusu için savaştı, kendi servetinden büyük harcamalar yaptı, ulusunun yiğitlerini silahlandırıp onlara ücretlerini ödedi.

³³Yahuda kentlerini ve Yahuda sınırındaki Beytsur'u güçlendirdi; o Beytsur ki, daha önce düşmanın silah deposuydu, ama Şimon oraya Yahudi askerlerden oluşan bir garnizon yerleştirdi.

³⁴Deniz kıyısındaki Yafa'yı ve Aşdot sınırındaki Gezer'i de güçlendirdi; buralarda daha önce düşmanlar oturuyordu, Şimon ise oraya Yahudileri yerleştirdi ve buraların onarımı için gereken her şeyi sağladı.

³⁵Halk, Şimon'un yaptıklarını ve ulusuna kazandırmak istediği görkemi görünce, bütün bunları yaptığı, ulusuna karşı gösterdiği adalet ve sadakat için, ayrıca halkını her şekilde yüceltmeye çalıştığı için onu kendilerine önder ve başkâhin yaptı.

³⁶Onun günlerinde, ulusları kendi topraklarından, özellikle de Yeruşalim'deki Davut Kenti'nde kendilerine bir kale kurup oradan çıkan, kutsal yerin çevresini kirleten ve tapınağın kutsallığına büyük zarar verenleri oradan söküp atmak onun eliyle başarıya ulaştı.

³⁷Oraya Yahudi askerler yerleştirdi, ülkenin ve kentin güvenliği için orayı güçlendirdi ve Yeruşalim'in surlarını yükseltti.

³⁸Bu yüzden Kral Demetrius onun başkâhinliğini onayladı,

³⁹onu dostları arasına kabul etti ve ona büyük onur verdi.

⁴⁰Çünkü Romalıların Yahudileri dost, müttefik ve kardeş olarak adlandırdıklarını ve Şimon'un elçilerini onurla karşıladıklarını duymuştu.

⁴¹Yahudiler ve kâhinler, güvenilir bir peygamber ortaya çıkıncaya dek, Şimon'un sonsuza dek kendilerine önder ve başkâhin olmasını uygun gördüler.

⁴²Ayrıca onların komutanı olacak, kutsal yerin işlerinden, ülkenin yönetiminden, silahlardan ve kalelerden sorumlu bulunacaktı; evet, kutsal yer onun sorumluluğunda olacaktı.

⁴³Herkes onun sözünü dinleyecek, ülkedeki tüm resmi belgeler onun adına yazılacak, kendisi mor giysiler giyecek ve altın takılar takacaktı.

⁴⁴Halktan ya da kâhinlerden hiç kimsenin bu kararlardan herhangi birini geçersiz kılmaya, onun sözlerine karşı gelmeye, onun izni olmadan ülkede topluluk kurmaya, mor giysi giymeye ya da altın toka takmaya hakkı olmayacaktı.

⁴⁵Kim bu kurallara aykırı davranır ya da bunlardan birini geçersiz kılarsa suçlu sayılacaktı."

⁴⁶Bütün halk, Şimon'a bu yetkileri vermeyi ve bu sözlere göre hareket etmeyi kabul etti.

⁴⁷Şimon da bunu kabul etti; başkâhin olmayı, Yahudilerin ve kâhinlerin komutanı ve önderi olarak kalmayı ve hepsini korumayı memnuniyetle üstlendi.

⁴⁸Bu kararnamenin tunç levhalar üzerine yazılmasını ve tapınak avlusunda göze çarpan bir yere dikilmesini buyurdular.

⁴⁹Suretlerinin ise, Şimon ve oğullarının elinde bulunması için tapınağın hazine dairesine konulmasına karar verdiler.

¹ΚΑΙ ἐν ἔτει δευτέρῳ καὶ ἑβδομηκοστῷ καὶ ἑκατοστῷ συνήγαγε Δημήτριος ὁ βασιλεὺς τὰς δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Μηδίαν τοῦ ἐπισπάσασθαι βοήθειαν αὐτῷ, ὅπως πολεμήσῃ τὸν Τρύφωνα.

²καὶ ἤκουσεν ᾿Αρσάκης ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς Περσίδος καὶ Μηδίας ὅτι ἦλθε Δημήτριος εἰς τὰ ὅρια αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἕνα τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτοῦ συλλαβεῖν αὐτὸν ζῶντα.

³καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ ἐπάταξε τὴν παρεμβολὴν Δημητρίου καὶ συνέλαβεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἤγαγεν αὐτὸν πρὸς ᾿Αρσάκην, καὶ ἔθετο αὐτὸν ἐν φυλακῇ.

⁴Καὶ ἡσύχασεν ἡ γῆ ᾿Ιούδα πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας Σίμωνος, καὶ ἐζήτησαν ἀγαθὰ τῷ ἔθνει αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἤρεσεν αὐτοῖς ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας.

⁵καὶ μετὰ πάσης τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἔλαβε τὴν ᾿Ιόππην εἰς λιμένα καὶ ἐποίησεν εἴσοδον ταῖς νήσοις τῆς θαλάσσης.

⁶καὶ ἐπλάτυνε τὰ ὅρια τῷ ἔθνει αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκράτησε τῆς χώρας.

⁷καὶ συνήγαγεν αἰχμαλωσίαν πολλὴν καὶ ἐκυρίευσε Γαζάρων καὶ Βαιθσούρων καὶ τῆς ἄκρας· καὶ ἐξῇρε τὰς ἀκαθαρσίας ἐξ αὐτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἀντικείμενος αὐτῷ.

⁸καὶ ἦσαν γεωργοῦντες τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν μετ᾿ εἰρήνης, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐδίδου τὰ γεννήματα αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ ξύλα τῶν πεδίων τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῶν.

⁹πρεσβύτεροι ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις ἐκάθηντο, πάντες περὶ ἀγαθῶν ἐκοινολογοῦντο, καὶ οἱ νεανίσκοι ἐνεδύσαντο δόξας καὶ στολὰς πολέμου.

¹⁰ταῖς πόλεσιν ἐχορήγησε βρώματα καὶ ἔταξεν αὐτὰς ἐν σκεύεσιν ὀχυρώσεως, ἕως ὅτου ὠνομάσθη τὸ ὄνομα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἕως ἄκρου τῆς γῆς.

¹¹ἐποίησε τὴν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ εὐφράνθη ᾿Ισραὴλ εὐφροσύνην μεγάλην.

¹²καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἕκαστος ὑπὸ τὴν ἄμπελον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν συκῆν αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐκφοβῶν αὐτούς.

¹³καὶ ἐξέλιπεν ὁ πολεμῶν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἱ βασιλεῖς συνετρίβησαν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις.

¹⁴καὶ ἐστήρισε πάντας τοὺς ταπεινοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ· τὸν νόμον ἐξεζήτησε καὶ ἐξῇρε πάντα ἄνομον καὶ πονηρόν·

¹⁵τὰ ἅγια ἐδόξασε, καὶ ἐπλήθυνε τὰ σκεύη τῶν ἁγίων.

¹⁶Καὶ ἠκούσθη ἐν Ῥώμῃ, ὅτι ἀπέθανεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν, καὶ ἕως Σπάρτης, καὶ ἐλυπήθησαν σφόδρα.

¹⁷ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν, ὅτι Σίμων ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ γέγονεν ἀντ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ ἐπικρατεῖ τῆς χώρας καὶ τῶν πόλεων τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ,

¹⁸ἔγραψαν πρὸς αὐτὸν δέλτοις χαλκαῖς τοῦ ἀνανεώσασθαι πρὸς αὐτὸν φιλίαν καὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν, ἣν ἔστησαν πρὸς ᾿Ιούδαν καὶ ᾿Ιωνάθαν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ.

¹⁹καὶ ἀνεγνώσθησαν ἐνώπιον τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

²⁰καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἀντίγραφον τῶν ἐπιστολῶν, ὧν ἀπέστειλαν οἱ Σπαρτιάται· «Σπαρτιατῶν ἄρχοντες καὶ ἡ πόλις Σίμωνι ἱερεῖ μεγάλῳ καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις καὶ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ τῷ λοιπῷ δήμῳ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ἀδελφοῖς χαίρειν.

²¹οἱ πρεσβευταὶ οἱ ἀποσταλέντες πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ἡμῶν ἀπήγγειλαν ἡμῖν περὶ τῆς δόξης ὑμῶν καὶ τιμῆς, καὶ ηὐφράνθημεν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐφόδῳ αὐτῶν.

²²καὶ ἀνεγράψαμεν τὰ ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν εἰρημένα ἐν ταῖς βουλαῖς τοῦ δήμου οὕτως· Νουμήνιος ᾿Αντιόχου καὶ ᾿Αντίπατρος ᾿Ιάσωνος πρεσβευταὶ ᾿Ιουδαίων ἤλθοσαν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀνανεούμενοι τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς φιλίαν.

²³καὶ ἤρεσε τῷ δήμῳ ἐπιδέξασθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐνδόξως καὶ τοῦ θέσθαι τὸ ἀντίγραφον τῶν λόγων αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς ἀποδεδειγμένοις τῶ δήμῳ βιβλίοις τοῦ ἔχειν μνημόσυνον τὸν δῆμον τῶν Σπαρτιατῶν. τὸ δὲ ἀντίγραφον τούτων ἐγράψαμεν Σίμωνι τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ». -

²⁴Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἀπέστειλε Σίμων τὸν Νουμήνιον εἰς Ῥώμην ἔχοντα ἀσπίδα χρυσῆν μεγάλην ὁλκῆς μνῶν χιλίων εἰς τὸ στῆσαι πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὴν συμμαχίαν.

²⁵῾Ως δὲ ἤκουσεν ὁ δῆμος τῶν λόγων τούτων, εἶπαν· τίνα χάριν ἀποδώσομεν Σίμωνι καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ;

²⁶ἐστήρισε γὰρ αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπολέμησαν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ᾿Ισραὴλ ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν καὶ ἔστησαν αὐτῷ ἐλευθερίαν. καὶ κατέγραψαν ἐν δέλτοις χαλκαῖς καὶ ἔθεντο ἐν στήλαις ἐν ὄρει Σιών.

²⁷καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἀντίγραφον τῆς γραφῆς· «᾿Οκτωκαιδεκάτῃ ᾿Ελούλ, ἔτους δευτέρου καὶ ἑβδομηκοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ - καὶ τοῦτο τρίτον ἔτος ἐπὶ Σίμωνος ἀρχιερέως

²⁸ἐν ἀσαραμὲλ - ἐπὶ συναγωγῆς μεγάλης ἱερέων καὶ λαοῦ καὶ ἀρχόντων ἔθνους καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῆς χώρας ἐγνώρισεν ἡμῖν·

²⁹ἐπεὶ πολλάκις ἐγενήθησαν πόλεμοι ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ, Σίμων δὲ ὁ υἱὸς Ματταθίου ὁ υἱὸς τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ιωαρὶβ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ ἔδωκαν ἑαυτοὺς τῷ κινδύνῳ καὶ ἀντέστησαν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις τοῦ ἔθνους αὐτῶν, ὅπως σταθῇ τὰ ἅγια αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ νόμος, καὶ δόξῃ μεγάλῃ ἐδόξασαν τὸ ἔθνος αὐτῶν.

³⁰καὶ ἤθροισεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν τὸ ἔθνος αὐτῶν καὶ ἐγενήθη αὐτοῖς ἀρχιερεὺς καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ,

³¹καὶ ἐβουλήθησαν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν ἐμβατεῦσαι εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν τοῦ ἐκτρῖψαι τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκτεῖναι χεῖρας ἐπὶ τὰ ἅγια αὐτῶν.

³²τότε ἀνέστη Σίμων, καὶ ἐπολέμησε περὶ τοῦ ἔθνους αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐδαπάνησε χρήματα πολλὰ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ὡπλοδότησε τοὺς ἄνδρας τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ ἔθνους αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὀψώνια

³³καὶ ὠχύρωσε τὰς πόλεις τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας καὶ τὴν Βαιθσούραν τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ὁρίων τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας, οὗ ἦν τὰ ὅπλα τῶν πολεμίων τὸ πρότερον, καὶ ἔθετο ἐκεῖ φρουρὰν ἄνδρας ᾿Ιουδαίους.

³⁴καὶ ᾿Ιόππην ὠχύρωσε τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ τὴν Γάζαρα τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ὁρίων ᾿Αζώτου, ἐν ᾗ ᾤκουν οἱ πολέμιοι τὸ πρότερον ἐκεῖ, καὶ κατῴκισεν ἐκεῖ ᾿Ιουδαίους, καὶ ὅσα ἐπιτήδεια ἦν πρὸς τὴν τούτων ἐπανόρθωσιν, ἔθετο ἐν αὐτοῖς.

³⁵καὶ εἶδεν ὁ λαὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν τοῦ Σίμωνος καὶ τὴν δόξαν, ἣν ἐβουλεύσατο ποιῆσαι τῷ ἔθνει αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτὸν ἡγούμενον αὐτῶν καὶ ἀρχιερέα διὰ τὸ αὐτὸν πεποιηκέναι πάντα ταῦτα καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην καὶ τὴν πίστιν, ἣν συνετήρησε τῷ ἔθνει αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐζήτησε παντὶ τρόπῳ ὑψῶσαι τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ.

³⁶καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ εὐωδώθη ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἐξαρθῆναι τὰ ἔθνη ἐκ τῆς χώρας αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ πόλει Δαυὶδ τοὺς ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, οἳ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς ἄκραν, ἐξ ἧς ἐξεπορεύοντο καὶ ἐμίαινον κύκλῳ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ ἐποίουν πληγὴν μεγάλην ἐν τῇ ἁγνείᾳ.

³⁷καὶ κατῴκισεν ἐν αὐτῇ ἄνδρας ᾿Ιουδαίους καὶ ὠχύρωσεν αὐτὴν πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τῆς χώρας καὶ τῆς πόλεως καὶ ὕψωσε τὰ τείχη ῾Ιερουσαλήμ,

³⁸καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Δημήτριος ἔστησεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην κατὰ ταῦτα

³⁹καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐδόξασεν αὐτὸν δόξῃ μεγάλῃ.

⁴⁰ἤκουσε γὰρ ὅτι προσηγόρευνται οἱ ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων φίλοι καὶ σύμμαχοι καὶ ἀδελφοί, καὶ ὅτι ἀπήντησαν τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς Σίμωνος ἐνδόξως,

⁴¹καὶ ὅτι εὐδόκησαν οἱ ᾿Ιουδαῖοι καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς τοῦ εἶναι Σίμωνα ἡγούμενον καὶ ἀρχιερέα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἕως τοῦ ἀναστῆναι προφήτην πιστὸν

⁴²καὶ τοῦ εἶναι ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν στρατηγὸν καὶ ὅπως μέλῃ αὐτῷ περὶ τῶν ἁγίων καθιστάναι αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς χώρας καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὅπλων καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὀχυρωμάτων,

⁴³καὶ ὅπως μέλῃ αὐτῷ περὶ τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ ὅπως ἀκούηται ὑπὸ πάντων, καὶ ὅπως γράφωνται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ πᾶσαι συγγραφαὶ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ, καὶ ὅπως περιβάλληται πορφύραν καὶ χρυσοφορῇ·

⁴⁴καὶ οὐκ ἐξέσται οὐδενὶ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τῶν ἱερέων ἀθετῆσαί τι τούτων καὶ ἀντειπεῖν τοῖς ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ῥηθησομένοις καὶ ἐπισυστρέψαι συστροφὴν ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ ἄνευ αὐτοῦ καὶ περιβάλλεσθαι πορφύραν καὶ ἐμπορποῦσθαι πόρπην χρυσῆν·

⁴⁵ὃς δ᾿ ἂν παρὰ ταῦτα ποιήσῃ ἢ ἀθετήσῃ τι τούτων, ἔνοχος ἔσται». -

⁴⁶καὶ εὐδόκησε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς θέσθαι Σίμωνι καὶ ποιῆσαι κατὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους.

⁴⁷καὶ ἐπεδέξατο Σίμων καὶ εὐδόκησεν ἀρχιερατεύειν καὶ εἶναι στρατηγὸς καὶ ἐθνάρχης τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων καὶ ἱερέων καὶ τοῦ προστατῆσαι πάντων.

⁴⁸καὶ τὴν γραφὴν ταύτην εἶπον θέσθαι ἐν δέλτοις χαλκαῖς καὶ στῆσαι αὐτὰς ἐν περιβόλῳ τῶν ἁγίων ἐν τόπῳ ἐπισήμῳ,

⁴⁹τὰ δὲ ἀντίγραφα αὐτῶν θέσθαι ἐν τῷ γαζοφυλακίῳ, ὅπως ἔχῃ Σίμων καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ.

¹Now in the hundred threescore and twelfth year king Demetrius gathered his forces together, and went into Media to get him help to fight against Tryphon.

²But when Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius was entered within his borders, he sent one of his princes to take him alive:

³Who went and smote the host of Demetrius, and took him, and brought him to Arsaces, by whom he was put in ward.

⁴As for the land of Judea, that was quiet all the days of Simon; for he sought the good of his nation in such wise, as that evermore his authority and honour pleased them well.

⁵And as he was honourable in all his acts, so in this, that he took Joppa for an haven, and made an entrance to the isles of the sea,

⁶And enlarged the bounds of his nation, and recovered the country,

⁷And gathered together a great number of captives, and had the dominion of Gazera, and Bethsura, and the tower, out of the which he took all uncleanness, neither was there any that resisted him.

⁸Then did they till their ground in peace, and the earth gave her increase, and the trees of the field their fruit.

⁹The ancient men sat all in the streets, communing together of good things, and the young men put on glorious and warlike apparel.

¹⁰He provided victuals for the cities, and set in them all manner of munition, so that his honourable name was renowned unto the end of the world.

¹¹He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy:

¹²For every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was none to fray them:

¹³Neither was there any left in the land to fight against them: yea, the kings themselves were overthrown in those days.

¹⁴Moreover he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low: the law he searched out; and every contemner of the law and wicked person he took away.

¹⁵He beautified the sanctuary, and multiplied vessels of the temple.

¹⁶Now when it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan was dead, they were very sorry.

¹⁷But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon was made high priest in his stead, and ruled the country, and the cities therein:

¹⁸They wrote unto him in tables of brass, to renew the friendship and league which they had made with Judas and Jonathan his brethren:

¹⁹Which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.

²⁰And this is the copy of the letters that the Lacedemonians sent; The rulers of the Lacedemonians, with the city, unto Simon the high priest, and the elders, and priests, and residue of the people of the Jews, our brethren, send greeting:

²¹The ambassadors that were sent unto our people certified us of your glory and honour: wherefore we were glad of their coming,

²²And did register the things that they spake in the council of the people in this manner; Numenius son of Antiochus, and Antipater son of Jason, the Jews’ ambassadors, came unto us to renew the friendship they had with us.

²³And it pleased the people to entertain the men honourably, and to put the copy of their ambassage in publick records, to the end the people of the Lacedemonians might have a memorial thereof: furthermore we have written a copy thereof unto Simon the high priest.

²⁴After this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold of a thousand pound weight to confirm the league with them.

²⁵Whereof when the people heard, they said, What thanks shall we give to Simon and his sons?

²⁶For he and his brethren and the house of his father have established Israel, and chased away in fight their enemies from them, and confirmed their liberty.

²⁷So then they wrote it in tables of brass, which they set upon pillars in mount Sion: and this is the copy of the writing; The eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the hundred threescore and twelfth year, being the third year of Simon the high priest,

²⁸At Saramel in the great congregation of the priests, and people, and rulers of the nation, and elders of the country, were these things notified unto us.

²⁹Forasmuch as oftentimes there have been wars in the country, wherein for the maintenance of their sanctuary, and the law, Simon the son of Mattathias, of the posterity of Jarib, together with his brethren, put themselves in jeopardy, and resisting the enemies of their nation did their nation great honour:

³⁰(For after that Jonathan, having gathered his nation together, and been their high priest, was added to his people,

³¹Their enemies prepared to invade their country, that they might destroy it, and lay hands on the sanctuary:

³²At which time Simon rose up, and fought for his nation, and spent much of his own substance, and armed the valiant men of his nation and gave them wages,

³³And fortified the cities of Judea, together with Bethsura, that lieth upon the borders of Judea, where the armour of the enemies had been before; but he set a garrison of Jews there:

³⁴Moreover he fortified Joppa, which lieth upon the sea, and Gazera, that bordereth upon Azotus, where the enemies had dwelt before: but he placed Jews there, and furnished them with all things convenient for the reparation thereof.)

³⁵The people therefore sang the acts of Simon, and unto what glory he thought to bring his nation, made him their governor and chief 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 exalt his people.

³⁶For in his time things prospered in his hands, so that the heathen were taken out of their country, and they also that were in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had made themselves a tower, out of which they issued, and polluted all about the sanctuary, and did much hurt in the holy place:

³⁷But he placed Jews therein. and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and raised up the walls of Jerusalem.

³⁸King Demetrius also confirmed him in the high priesthood according to those things,

³⁹And made him one of his friends, and honoured him with great honour.

⁴⁰For he had heard say, that the Romans had called the Jews their friends and confederates and brethren; and that they had entertained the ambassadors of Simon honourably;

⁴¹Also that the Jews and priests were well pleased that Simon should be their governor and high priest for ever, until there should arise a faithful prophet;

⁴²Moreover that he should be their captain, and should take charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over the country, and over the armour, and over the fortresses, that, I say, he should take charge of the sanctuary;

⁴³Beside this, that he should be obeyed of every man, and that all the writings in the country should be made in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold:

⁴⁴Also that it should be lawful for none of the people or priests to break any of these things, or to gainsay his words, or to gather an assembly in the country without him, or to be clothed in purple, or wear a buckle of gold;

⁴⁵And whosoever should do otherwise, or break any of these things, he should be punished.

⁴⁶Thus it liked all the people to deal with Simon, and to do as hath been said.

⁴⁷Then Simon accepted hereof, and was well pleased to be high priest, and captain and governor of the Jews and priests, and to defend them all.

⁴⁸So 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;

⁴⁹Also that the copies thereof should be laid up in the treasury, to the end that Simon and his sons might have them.