1 मक्काबियों 14

1In the year one hundred and seventy-two, king Demetrius assembled has army, and went into Media to get him succours to fight against Tryphon.

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

3And he went and defeated the army of Demetrius: and took him, and brought him to Arsaces, and he put him into custody.

4And all the land of Juda was at rest all the days of Simon, and he sought the good of his nation: and his power, and his glory pleased them well all his days.

5And with all his glory he took Joppe for a haven, and made an entrance to the isles of the sea.

6And he enlarged the bounds of his nation, and made himself master of the country.

7And he gathered together a great number of captives, and had the dominion of Gazara, and of Bethsura, and of the castle: and took away all uncleanness out of it and there was none that resisted him.

8And every man tilled his land with peace: and the land of Juda yielded her increase, and the trees of the fields their fruit.

9The ancient men sat all in the streets, and treated together of the good things of the land, and the young men put on them glory, and the robes of war.

10And he provided victuals for the cities, and he appointed that they should be furnished with ammunition, so that the fame of his glory was renowned even to the end of the earth.

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

12And every man sat under his vine, and under his fig tree: and there was none to make them afraid.

13There was none left in the land to fight against them: kings were discomfited in those days.

14And he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low, and he sought the law, and took away every unjust and wicked man.

15He glorified the sanctuary, and multiplied the vessels of the holy places.

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

17But when they heard that Simon his brother was made high priest in his place, and was possessed of all the country, and the cities therein:

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

19And they were read before the assembly in Jerusalem. And this is the copy of the letters that the Spartans sent.

20The princes and the cities of the Spartans to Simon the high priest, and to the ancients, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews their brethren, greeting.

21The ambassadors that were sent to our people, have told us of your glory, and honour, and joy: and we rejoice at their coming.

22And we registered what was said by them in the councils of the people in this manner: Numenius the son of Antiochus, and Antipater the son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews, came to us to renew the former friendship with us.

23And it pleased the people to receive the men honourably, and to put a copy of their words in the public records, to be a memorial to the people of the Spartans. And we have written a copy of them to Simon the high priest.

24And after this Simon sent Numenius to Rome, with a great shield of gold the weight of a thousand pounds, to confirm the league with them. And when the people of Rome had heard

25These words, they said: What thanks shall we give to Simon, and his sons?

26For he hath restored his brethren, and hath driven away in fight the enemies of Israel from them: and they decreed him liberty, and registered it in tables of brass, and set it upon pillars in mount Sion.

27And this is a copy of the writing: The eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the year one hundred and seventy-two, being the third year under Simon the high priest at Asaramel,

28In a great assembly of the priests, and of the people, and the princes of the nation, and the ancients of the country, these things were notified: Forasmuch as there have often been wars in our country,

29And Simon the son of Mathathias of the children of Jarib, and his brethren have put themselves in danger, and have resisted the enemies of their nation, for the maintenance of their holy places, and the law: and have raised their nation to great glory.

30And Jonathan gathered together his nation, and was made their high priest, and he was laid to his people.

31And their enemies desired to tread down and destroy their country, and to stretch forth their hands against their holy places.

32Then Simon resisted and fought for his nation, and laid out much of his money, and armed the valiant men of his nation, and gave them wages:

33And he fortified the cities of Judea, and Bethsura that lieth in the borders of Judea, where the armour of the enemies was before: and he placed there a garrison of Jews.

34And he fortified Joppe which lieth by the sea: and Gazara, which bordereth upon Azotus, wherein the enemies dwelt before, and he placed Jews here: and furnished them with all things convenient for their reparation.

35And the people seeing the acts of Simon, and to what glory he meant to bring his nation, made him their prince, and high 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 advance his people.

36And in his days things prospered in his hands, so that the heathens were taken away out of their country, and they also that were in the city of David in Jerusalem in the castle, out of which they issued forth, and profaned all places round about the sanctuary, and did much evil to its purity.

37And he placed therein Jews for the defence of the country, and of the city, and he raised up the walls of Jerusalem.

38And king Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood.

39According to these things he made him his friend, and glorified him with great glory.

40For he had heard that the Romans had called the Jews their friends, and confederates, and brethren, and that they had received Simon’s ambassadors with honour:

41And that the Jews, and their priests, had consented that he should be their prince, and high priest for ever, till there should arise a faithful prophet:

42And that he should be chief over them, and that he should have the charge of the sanctuary, and that he should appoint rulers over their works, and over the country, and over the armour, and over the strong holds.

43And that he should have care of the holy places: and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all the writings in the country should be made in his name: and that he should be clothed with purple, and gold:

44And that it should not be lawful for any of the people, or of the priests, to disannul any of these things, or to gainsay his words, or to call together an assembly in the country without him: or to be clothed with purple, or to wear a buckle of gold:

45And whosoever shall do otherwise, or shall make void any of these things shall be punished.

46And it pleased all the people to establish Simon, and to do according to these words.

47And Simon accepted thereof, and was well pleased to execute the office of the high priesthood, and to be captain, and prince of the nation of the Jews, and of the priests, and to be chief over all.

48And 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:

49And that a copy thereof should be put in the treasury, that Simon and his sons may have it.

1Anno centesimo septuagesimo secundo, congregavit rex Demetrius exercitum suum, et abiit in Mediam ad contrahenda sibi auxilia, ut expugnaret Tryphonem.

2Et 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.

3Et abiit, et percussit castra Demetrii: et comprehendit eum, et duxit eum ad Arsacem, et posuit eum in custodiam.

4Et siluit omnis terra Juda omnibus diebus Simonis, et quæsivit bona genti suæ: et placuit illis potestas ejus et gloria ejus omnibus diebus.

5Et cum omni gloria sua accepit Joppen in portum, et fecit introitum in insulis maris.

6Et dilatavit fines gentis suæ, et obtinuit regionem.

7Et congregavit captivitatem multam, et dominatus est Gazaræ, et Bethsuræ, et arci: et abstulit immunditias ex ea, et non erat qui resisteret ei.

8Et unusquisque colebat terram suam cum pace: et terra Juda dabat fructus suos, et ligna camporum fructum suum.

9Seniores in plateis sedebant omnes, et de bonis terræ tractabant, et juvenes induebant se gloriam, et stolas belli.

10Et civitatibus tribuebat alimonias, et constituebat eas ut essent vasa munitionis quoadusque nominatum est nomen gloriæ ejus usque ad extremum terræ.

11Fecit pacem super terram, et lætatus est Israël lætitia magna.

12Et sedit unusquisque sub vite sua, et sub ficulnea sua: et non erat qui eos terreret.

13Defecit impugnans eos super terram: reges contriti sunt in diebus illis.

14Et confirmavit omnes humiles populi sui, et legem exquisivit, et abstulit omnem iniquum et malum:

15sancta glorificavit, et multiplicavit vasa sanctorum.

16Et auditum est Romæ quia defunctus esset Jonathas, et usque in Spartiatas: et contristati sunt valde.

17Ut audierunt autem quod Simon frater ejus factus esset summus sacerdos loco ejus, et ipse obtineret omnem regionem, et civitates in ea,

18scripserunt ad eum in tabulis æreis, ut renovarent amicitias et societatem quam fecerant cum Juda et cum Jonatha, fratribus ejus.

19Et lectæ sunt in conspectu ecclesiæ in Jerusalem. Et hoc exemplum epistolarum, quas Spartiatæ miserunt:

20Spartianorum principes et civitates, Simoni sacerdoti magno, et senioribus, et sacerdotibus, et reliquo populo Judæorum, fratribus, salutem.

21Legati, qui missi sunt ad populum nostrum, nuntiaverunt nobis de vestra gloria, et honore, ac lætitia: et gavisi sumus in introitu eorum.

22Et 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.

23Et 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.

24Post hæc autem misit Simon Numenium Romam, habentem clypeum aureum magnum, pondo mnarum mille, ad statuendam cum eis societatem. Cum autem audisset populus Romanus

25sermones istos, dixerunt: Quam gratiarum actionem reddemus Simoni, et filiis ejus?

26restituit 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.

27Et hoc est exemplum scripturæ: Octavadecima die mensis Elul, anno centesimo septuagesimo secundo, anno tertio sub Simone sacerdote magno in Asaramel,

28in conventu magno sacerdotum, et populi, et principum gentis, et seniorum regionis, nota facta sunt hæc: quoniam frequenter facta sunt prælia in regione nostra,

29Simon 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.

30Et congregavit Jonathas gentem suam, et factus est illis sacerdos magnus, et appositus est ad populum suum.

31Et voluerunt inimici eorum calcare et atterere regionem ipsorum, et extendere manus in sancta eorum.

32Tunc restitit Simon, et pugnavit pro gente sua, et erogavit pecunias multas, et armavit viros virtutis gentis suæ, et dedit illis stipendia:

33et munivit civitates Judææ, et Bethsuram, quæ erat in finibus Judææ, ubi erant arma hostium antea: et posuit illic præsidium viros Judæos.

34Et 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.

35Et 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.

36Et 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:

37et collocavit in ea viros Judæos ad tutamentum regionis, et civitatis, et exaltavit muros Jerusalem.

38Et rex Demetrius statuit illi summum sacerdotium.

39Secundum hæc fecit eum amicum suum, et glorificavit eum gloria magna.

40Audivit enim quod appellati sunt Judæi a Romanis amici, et socii, et fratres, et quia susceperunt legatos Simonis gloriose,

41et quia Judæi et sacerdotes eorum consenserunt eum esse ducem suum, et summum sacerdotem in æternum, donec surgat propheta fidelis:

42et 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:

43et 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:

44et 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:

45qui autem fecerit extra hæc, aut irritum fecerit aliquid horum, reus erit.

46Et complacuit omni populo statuere Simonem, et facere secundum verba ista.

47Et suscepit Simon, et placuit ei ut summo sacerdotio fungeretur, et esset dux et princeps gentis Judæorum, et sacerdotum, et præesset omnibus.

48Et scripturam istam dixerunt ponere in tabulis æreis, et ponere eas in peribolo sanctorum, in loco celebri:

49exemplum autem eorum ponere in ærario, ut habeat Simon, et filii ejus.

1In the one hundred and seventy-second year, king Demetrius gathered together his army, and he went into Media to obtain auxiliaries to fight against Trypho.

2And Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius entered his confines, and so he sent one of his princes to capture him alive and to bring him to him.

3And he went out and struck the camp of Demetrius. And captured him and brought him to Arsaces, and he placed him under guard.

4And the entire land of Judah was quiet during all the days of Simon, and he sought what was good for his people. And his power and his glory pleased them through all his days.

5And, with all his glory, he accepted Joppa as a port, and he made it an entrance to the islands of the sea.

6And he enlarged the boundaries of his nation, and he controlled the countryside.

7And he gathered together many captives, and he was the ruler of Gazara and Bethzur, and the stronghold. And he took uncleanness away from it, and there was no one who could withstand him.

8And each one cultivated his land in peace, and the land of Judah produced its fruits, and the trees of the fields their fruit.

9All the elders sat in the streets, and they discussed what was good for the country, and the youths clothed themselves in glory and in the robes of war.

10And he gave tributes of provisions to the cities, and he decreed that they would have equipment for fortification, so that the fame of his glory was renowned, even to the ends of the earth.

11He caused there to be peace over the land, and Israel was rejoicing with great joy.

12And each one sat under his vine and under his fig tree. And there was no one who would terrify them.

13There was nothing left of those who might fight against them in the land; kings had been crushed in those days.

14And he confirmed all the humble of his people, and he sought the law, and he took away every iniquity and evil.

15He glorified the sanctuary, and he multiplied the vessels of the holy places.

16And it was heard at Rome, and even in Sparta, that Jonathan had passed away. And they were very sorrowful.

17But when they heard that Simon, his brother, had been made high priest in his place, and that he obtained the entire country and the cities in it,

18they wrote to him on tablets of brass, so as to renew the friendship and alliance, which they had made with Judas and with Jonathan, his brothers.

19And they were read in the sight of the assembly at Jerusalem. And this is a copy of the letters that the Spartans sent:

20“The leaders and the cities of the Spartans, to Simon, the great priest, and to the elders, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, their brothers: greetings.

21The ambassadors who were sent to our people have reported to us of your glory, and honor, and rejoicing. And we were glad at their arrival.

22And we wrote down what was said by them in the councils of the people, as follows: ‘Numenius, the son of Antiochus, and Antipater, the son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews, came to us to renew the former friendship with us.

23And it pleased the people to receive the men gloriously, and to place a copy of their words in a section of the public books, so as to be a memorial for the people of the Spartans. Furthermore, we have written a copy of them to Simon, the great priest.’ ”

24But after this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome, in possession of a great shield of gold, weighing over a thousand pounds, to confirm the association with them.

25But when the people of Rome had heard these words, they said: “With what deeds of thanksgiving shall we repay Simon and his sons?

26For he has vindicated his brothers, and he has fought off the enemies of Israel from them.” And so, they decreed him free, and they registered it on tablets of brass and placed it in an inscription on mount Zion.

27And this is a copy of the writing: “On the eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year, the third year under Simon, the great priest at Asaramel,

28in a great convocation of the priests, and the people, and the leaders of the nation, and the elders of the country, these things were noted: ‘Now there have often been battles in our country.

29And Simon, the son of Mattathias, of the sons of Jarib, and his brothers, have put themselves in danger, and have withstood the enemies of their nation, so as to establish their holy places and the law. And they have glorified their people with great glory.

30And Jonathan gathered together his nation, and he was made their great priest, and he was laid to rest among his people.

31And their enemies wanted to trample and lay waste to their country, and to extend their hands against their holy places.

32Then Simon resisted, and he fought for his nation, and he requested much money, and he armed the valiant men of his nation and gave them wages.

33And he fortified the cities of Judea and Bethzur, which are along the borders of Judea, where the weaponry of the enemies was before. And he placed a garrison of Jewish men there.

34And he fortified Joppa, which is by the sea, and Gazara, which is on the border of Azotus, where the enemies stayed before, and he placed Jews there. And he positioned with them whatever was fitting for their preparations.

35And the people saw the acts of Simon, and the glory that he intended to bring to his nation, and they made him their commander and first priest, because he had done all these things, and because of the justice and faith that he maintained for his nation, and because he sought to exalt his people by all means.

36And in his days, there was prosperity by his hands, so that the Gentiles were taken away from their country, and also those who were in the city of David, in Jerusalem, in the stronghold, from which they went out and contaminated all the places that were around the sanctuary, and from which they brought a great scourging against chastity.

37And he placed in it Jewish men, as a means of protection for the region and the city, and he raised the walls of Jerusalem.

38And king Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood.

39According to these things, he made him his friend, and he glorified him with great glory.

40For he heard that the Romans had called the Jews their friends, and associates, and brothers, and that they received the ambassadors of Simon with glory,

41and that the Jews and their priests had consented that he should be their governor and high priest unceasingly, until there should arise a faithful prophet,

42and that he should be the commander over them, and that he should take care of the sanctuary, and that he should appoint foremen over their works, and over the country, and over the weapons, and over the strongholds,

43and that he should take care of the holy places, and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all the records in the country should be recorded in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple and gold,

44and that it should not be lawful for any of the people or the priests to make void any of these things, nor to contradict things that are said by him, nor to call together an assembly in the country without him, nor to be clothed in purple, nor to use a clasp of gold.

45And whoever will do otherwise, or who will make void any of these things, shall be guilty.

46And it pleased all the people to appoint Simon, and to act according to these words.

47And Simon accepted it, and he was pleased to perform the office of the high priesthood, and to be the commander and leader of the people of the Jews, and of the priests, and to be foremost over them all.

48And they asked that this writing be placed on tablets of brass, and be placed within the precinct of the sanctuary in a celebrated place,

49and that a copy of these be placed in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons may have it.’ “