1 Maccabees 13
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1NOw when Simon heard that Tryphon gathered a great hoste to come into the land of Iuda, and to destroye it, 2And sawe that the people was in great trembling and feare, he came vp to Ierusalem, and gathered the people together, 3And gaue them exhortacion, saying, Ye knowe what great things I, & my brethren, & my fathers house haue done for the Law, and the Sanctuarie, and the battels, & troubles that we haue sene. 4By reason whereof all my brethren are slaine for Israels sake, and I am left alone. 5Now therefore God forbide, that I shulde spare mine owne life in anie time of trouble: for I am not better then my brethren. 6But I wil aduenge my nacion, and the Sanctuatie, and our wiues, and our children: for all the heathen are gathered together to destroy vs of very malice. 7In hearing these wordes the hearts of the people were kindled, 8So that they cryed with a loude voyce, saying, Thou shalt be our captaine in stead of Iudas and Ionathan thy brethren. 9Fight thou our battels, and whatsoeuer thou commandest vs, we wil do it. 10¶So he gathered all the men of warre, making haste to finish the walles of Ierusalem, and fortified it rounde about. 11Then sent he Ionathan the sonne of Absalomus with a great hoste vnto Ioppe, which droue them out that were therein, & remained there him self. 12Tryphon also remoued from Ptolemais with a great armie, to come into the land of Iuda, & Ionathan was with him as prisoner. 13And Simon pitched his tentes at "Addidis vpon the open plaine. 14But when Tryphon knewe that Simon stode vp in stead of his brother Ionathan, & that he wolde fight against him, he sent messengers vnto him, saying, 15Where as we haue kept Ionathan thy brother, it is for money that he is owing in the Kings account concerning the busines that he had in hand. 16Wherefore send now an hundreth talents of siluer, & his two sonnes for hostages, that when he is letten forthe, he wil not turne from vs, and we wil send him againe. 17Neuertheles Simon knewe that he dissembled in his wordes, yet commanded he the money and children to be deliuered vnto him, lest he shulde be in greater hatred of the people of Israel. 18Who might haue said, Because he sent him not the money and the children, therefore is Ionathan dead. 19So he sent the children and an hundreth talents: but he dissembled, and wolde not let Ionathan go. 20¶Afterwarde came Tryphon into the land to destroye it, & went rounde about by the way, that leadeth vnto Adora: but wheresoeuer thei went, thether went Simon and his hoste. 21Now they that were in the castel, sent messengers vnto Tryphon, that he shulde make haste to come by the wildernes, & to send them vitailes. 22So Tryphon made readie all his horsemen: but the same night fell a very great snowe, so that he came not, because of the snowe: but he remoued and went into the countrey of Galaad. 23And when he came nere to Bascama, he slewe Ionathan and he was buryed there. 24So Tryphon returned, & went into his owne land. 25¶Then sent Simon to take the bones of Ionathan his brother, & they buryed him in Modin his fathers cities. 26And all Israel bewailed him with great lamentacion, & mourned for him verie long. 27And Simon made vpon the sepulchre of his father & his brethren, a buylding high to loke vnto, of hewen stone behinde and before, 28And set vp seuen pillers vpon it, one against another, for his father, his mother, and foure brethren, 29And set great pillers round about them, and set armes vpon the pillers for a perpetual memorie, and carued shippes beside the armes, that they might be sene of men sailing in the sea. 30This sepulchre which he made at Modin, standeth yet vnto this day. 31¶Now as Tryphon went forthe with the yong King Antiochus, he slewe him traiterously, 32And reigned in his stead, and crowned him self King of Asia, and broght a great plague vpon the land. 33Simon also buylte vp the castels of Iudea, and compassed them about with high towers, & great walles, euen with towers, and gates and barres, and laid vp vitailes in the strong holdes. 34Moreouer Simon chose certeine men and sent them to King Demetrius, that he wolde discharge the land: for all Tryphons doings were robberies. 35Whereupon Demetrius the King answered him, and wrote vnto him after this maner, 36DEMETRIVS the King vnto Simon the high Priest, and the friend of Kings, and to the Elders and to the nation of the Iewes sendeth greting. 37The golden crowne, and "precious stone that ye sent vnto vs, haue we receiued, and are readie to make a stedfast peace with you, and to write vnto the officers, to release you of the things wherein we made you fre. 38So the things that we haue granted you, shalbe stable: the strong holdes which ye haue buylded, shalbe your owne. 39Also we forgiue the ouersights, and fautes committed vnto this day, and the crowne taxe that ye oght vs: and where as was anie other tribute in Ierusalem, it shalbe now no tribute. 40And they that are mete among you to be writen with our men, let them be writen vp, that there may be peace betwene vs. 41Thus the yoke of the heathen was taken from Israel in the hundreth, & seuentie yere. 42And the people of Israel began to write in their letters, & publike instruments, IN THE FIRST yere of Simon, the high and chief Priest, gouernour, and prince of the Iewes. 43In those dayes Simon camped against Gaza, and besieged it rounde about, where he set vp an engine of warre, and approched nere the citie, and bet a towre, and toke it. 44So thei that were in the engine, leapt into the citie, and there was great trouble in the citie, 45In so muche that the people of the citie rent their clothes, and climed vp vpon the walles with their wiues, and children, and cryed with a loude voyce, beseching Simon to grant them peace, saying, 46Deale not with vs according to our wickednes, but according to thy mercie. 47Then Simon pitied them, and wolde fight no more against them, but put them out of the citie, and clensed the houses, wherein the idoles were, and so entred thereunto with psalmes and thankesgiuing. 48So when he had cast all the filthines out, he set suche men in it as kept the Law, and fortified it, and buylded there a dwelling place for him self. 49Now, when they in the castel at Ierusalem were kept, that they colde not come forthe nor go into the countrey, nether bye nor sel, they were very hungrie, and manie of them were famished to death, 50In so muche that they besoght Simon to make peace with them: which he granted them, and put them out from thence, and clensed the castel from filthines. 51And vpon the thre, and twentie day of the seconde moneth in the hundreth, seuentie and one yere, they entred into it with thankesgiuing, and branches of palme trees, and with harpes, and with cymbales, and with violes, and with psalmes, and songs, because the great enemie of Israel was ouercome. 52And he ordeined that the same day shulde be kept euerie yere with gladnes. 53And he fortified the mount of the Temple that was beside the castel where he dwelt him self with his companie. 54Simon also seing that Iohn his sonne was now a man, he made him captaine of all the hostes, & caused him to dwell in Gazaris.