1 Maccabees 11
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1ANd the King of Egypt gathered a great hoste, like the sand that lyeth vpon the sea shore, and manie ships, and went about through deceit to obteine the kingdome of Alexander, and to ioyne it vnto his owne realme. 2Vpon this he went into Syria with friendlie wordes, and was let into the cities, and men came forthe to mete him: for King Alexander had commanded them to mete him, because he was his father in Law. 3Now when he entred into the citie of Ptolemais, he lefte bands and garisons in euerie citie. 4And when he came nere to Azotus, they shewed him the temple of Dagon that was burnt, and Azotus, and the suburbes thereof that were destroyed, and the bodies cast abroad, and them that he had burnt in the battel: for they had made heapes of them by the way where he shulde passe. 5And thei tolde the King what Ionathan had done, to the intent thei might get him euil wil: but the King helde his peace. 6And Ionathan met the King with great honour at Ioppe, where they saluted one another, and laye there. 7So when Ionathan had gone with the King vnto the water that was called Eleutherus, he turned againe to Ierusalem. 8So King Ptolemeus gate the dominion of the cities by the sea vnto Seleucia vpon the sea coast, imagining wicked counsels against Alexander, 9¶And sent ambassadours vnto King Demetrius, saying, Come, let vs make a league betwene vs, and I wil giue thee my daughter, which Alexander hathe, and thou shalt reigne in thy fathers kingdome. 10For I repent that I gaue Alexander my daughter: for he goeth about to slaye me. 11Thus he sclandered Alexander, as one that shulde desire his realme. 12And he toke his daughter from him, and gaue her vnto Demetrius, and forsoke Alexander, so that their hatred was openly knowen. 13Then Ptolemeus came to Antiochia, where he set two crownes vpon his owne head, of Asia and of Egypt. 14In the meane season was King Alexander in Cilicia: for they that dwelt in those places, had rebelled against him: 15But when Alexander heard it, he came to warre against him, and Ptolemeus broght forthe his hoste, and met him with a mightie power, and put him to flight. 16Then fled Alexander into Arabia, there to be defended: so Ptolemeus was exalted. 17And Zabdiel the Arabian smote of Alexanders head, & sent it vnto Ptolemeus. 18But the third day after, King Ptolemeus dyed: and thei that were in the holdes, were slayne one of another. 19And Demetrius reigned in the hundreth, thre score and seuenth yere. 20¶At the same time gathered Ionathan them that were in Iudea, to laye siege vnto the castle, which was at Ierusalem, and they made manie instruments of warre against it. 21Then went there certeine vngodlie persones(which hated their owne people)vnto King Demetrius, and tolde him that Ionathan besieged the castle. 22So when he heard it, he was angrie, and immediatly came vnto Ptolemais, & wrote vnto Ionathan, that he shulde laye no more siege vnto it, but that he shulde mete him and speake with him at Ptolemais in all haste. 23Neuertheles when Ionathan heard this, he commanded to besiege it: he chose also certeine of the Elders of Israel, and the Priests, and put him self in danger, 24And toke with him siluer and golde, and apparel, and diuerse presents, and went to Ptolemais vnto the King, and founde fauour in his sight. 25And thogh certeine vngodlie men of his owne nacion had made complaintes vpon him, 26Yet the King intreated him as his predecessers had done, and promoted him in the sight of all his friends, 27And confirmed him in the hie priesthode with all the honorable things, that he had afore, & made him his chief friend. 28Ionathan also desired the King, that he wolde make Iudea fre with the thre gouernements, & the countrey of Samaria, & Ionathan promised him thre hundreth talents. 29Whereunto the King consented, & gaue Ionathan writing of the same, conteining these wordes, 30KING DEMETRIVS vnto his brother Ionathan, and to the nacion of the Iewes sendeth greting. 31We send you here a copie of the letter, which we did write vnto our cousin Lasthenes concerning you, that ye shulde se it. 32King Demetrius vnto Lasthenes his father sendeth greting. 33For the faithfulnes that our friends the nacion of the Iewes kepe vnto vs, and for their good wil towardes vs we are determined to do them good. 34Wherefore we assigne to them the coasts of Iudea with the thre gouernements Apherema, and Lydda, and Ramathe(which are added vnto Iudea from the countrey of Samaria) and all that apperteineth to all them that sacrifice in Ierusalem: bothe concerning the paiments which the King toke yerely aforetime, bothe for the frutes of the earth, & for the frutes of the trees. 35As for the other things apperteining vnto vs of the tenths & tributes, which were due vnto vs, and the customes of salte, & crowne taxes, which were payed vnto vs, we discharge them of all from hence forthe. 36And nothing hereof shalbe reuoked from this time forthe and for euer. 37Therefore se that ye make a copie of these things, and deliuer it vnto Ionathan, that it may be set vp vpon the holy mount in an open place. 38After this when Demetrius the King sawe that his land was in rest, and that no resistance was made against him, he sent away all his hoste, euerie man to his owne place, except certeine bandes of strangers, whome he broght from the yles of the heathen: wherefore all his fathers hoste hated him. 39Now was there one Tryphon, that had bene of Alexanders parte afore, which when he sawe that all the hoste murmured against Demetrius, he went to ”Simalcue the Arabian, that broght vp Antiochus the sonne of Alexander, 40And lay sore vpon him, to deliuer him this yong Antiochus, that he might reigne in his fathers stead: he tolde him also what great euil Demetrius had done, and how his men of warre hated him, and he remained there a long season. 41Also Ionathan sent vnto King Demetrius to driue them out which were in the castel at Ierusalem, and those that were in the forteresses: for they foght against Israel. 42So Demetrius sent vnto Ionathan, saying, I wil not onely do these things for thee & thy nacion, but if opportunitie serue, I wil honour thee and thy nacion. 43Now therefore thou shalt do me a pleasure, if thou wilt send me men to helpe me: for all mine armie is gone from me. 44So Ionathan sent him thre thousand strong men vnto Antiochia, and they came vnto the King: wherefore the King was verie glad at their comming. 45¶But they that were of the citie, euen an hundreth, and twentie thousand men, gathered them together in the middes of the citie, & wolde haue slaine the King. 46But the King fled into the palace, & the citizens kept the stretes of the citie, and beganne to fight. 47Then the King called to the Iewes for helpe, which came to him altogether, and went abroade through the citie, 48And slewe the same day an hundreth thousand, and set fyre vpon the citie, and toke many spoiles in that day, & deliuered the King. 49So when the citizens sawe that the Iewes had gotten th vpper hand of the citie, and that they them selues were disappointed of their purpose, they made their supplication vnto the King, saying, 50’Grant vs peace, and let the Iewes cease from vexing vs and the citie. 51So they cast away their weapons, & made peace, and the Iewes were greatly honored before the King, and before all that were in his realme, and they came againe to Ierusalem with great pray. 52Then King Demetrius sate in the throne of his kingdome, and had peace in his land. 53Neuertheles he dissembled in all that euer he spake, and withdrewe him self from Ionathan, nether did he rewarde him according to the benefites which he had done for him, but troubled him verie sore. 54¶After this returned Tryphon with the yong childe Antiochus, which reigned, & was crowned. 55Then there gathered vnto him all the men of warre, whome Demetrius had scatered, and they foght against him, who fled and turned his backe. 56So Tryphon toke the ”beastes, and wan Antiochia. 57And yong Antiochus wrote vnto Ionathan, saying, I appoint thee to be the chief Priest, and make thee ruler ouer the foure gouernements, that thou maist be a friend of the Kings. 58Vpon this he sent him golden vessels to be serued in, and gaue him leaue to drinke in golde, and to weare purple, & to haue a colar of golde. 59He made his brother Simon also captaine from the coastes of Tyrus vnto the borders of Egypt. 60Then Ionathan went forthe and passed through the cities beyonde the flood, and all the men of warre of Syria gathered vnto him for to helpe him: so he came vnto Ascalon, & they of the citie receiued him honorably. 61And from thence went he vnto Gaza: but they of Gaza shut him out: wherefore he laid siege vnto it, and burned the suburbes thereof with fyre, and spoiled them. 62Then they of Gaza made supplication vnto Ionathan, and he made peace with them, and toke of the sonnes of the chief men for hostages, and sent them to Ierusalem, and went through the countrey vnto Damascus. 63And when Ionathan heard that Demetrius princes were come into Cades, which is in Galile, with a great hoste, purposing to driue him out of the countrey, 64He came against them, & left Simon his brother in the countrey. 65And Simon besieged Beth-sura, and foght against it a long season, and shut it vp. 66So they desired to haue peace with him, which he granted them, and afterwarde put them out from thence, and toke the citie, and set a garison in it. 67Then Ionathan with his hoste came to the water of Genesar, and betimes in the morning came to the plaine of Azor. 68And beholde the hostes of the ”strangers met him in the plaine, and had layed ambushments for him in the mountaines. 69So that when they came against them, the ambushments rose out of their places and skirmished. 70So that all that were of Ionathans side, fled: and there was not one of them left, except Mattathias the sonne of "Absalomus, and Iudas the sonne of Calphi the captaines of the hoste. 71Then Ionathan rent his clothes, and cast earth vpon his head, and prayed, 72And turned againe to them to fight, and put them to flight, so that they fled away. 73Now when his owne men that were fled, sawe this, they turned againe vnto him, & helped him to followe after all vnto their tentes at Cades, and there they camped. 74So there were slaine of the strangers the same day about thre thousand men, & Ionathan turned againe to Ierusalem.