1 Maccabees 14

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

2 Καὶ ἤκουσεν Ἀρσάκης ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς Περσίδος καὶ Μηδειας ὅτι ἦλθε Δημήτριος εἰς τὰ ὅρια αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἕνα τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτοῦ συλλάβεῖν αὐτὸν ζῶντα.

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

4 Καὶ ἡσύχασεν ἡ γῆ Ἰούδα πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας Σίμωνος· καὶ ἐζήτησεν ἀγαθὰ τῷ ἔθνει αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἤρεσεν αὐτοῖς ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας.

5 Καὶ μετὰ πάσης τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἔλαβε τὴν Ἰόππην εἰς λιμένα, καὶ ἐποιήσεν εἴσοδον ταῖς νήσοις τῆς θαλάσσης.

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

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

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

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

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

11 Ἐποίησε τὴν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ εὐφράνθη Ἰσραὴλ εὐφροσύνην μεγάλην.

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

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

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

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

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

17 Ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν ὅτι Σίμων ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ γέγονεν ἀντʼ αὐτοῦ ἀρχιερεὺς, καὶ ἐπικρατεῖ τῆς χώρας καὶ τῶν πόλεων τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ.

18 Ἔγραψαν πρὸς αὐτὸν δέλτοις χαλκαῖς, τοῦ ἀνανεώσασθαι πρὸς αὐτὸν φιλίαν καὶ τὴν συμμαχίαν ἣν ἔστησαν πρὸς Ἰούδαν καὶ Ἰωνάθαν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ.

19 Καὶ ἀνεγνώσθησαν ἐνώπιον τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.

20 Καὶ 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 Ἰουδαίων ἀδελφοῖς χαίρειν.

21 Οἱ πρεσβεύται οἱ ἀποσταλέντες πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ἡμῶν ἀπήγγειλαν ἡμῖν περὶ τῆς δόξης ὑμῶν καὶ τιμῆς, καὶ εὐφράνθημεν ἐπὶ τῆ ἐφόδῳ αὐτῶν.

22 Καὶ ἀνεγράψαμεν τὰ ὑπʼ αὐτῶν εἰρημένα ἐν ταῖς βουλαῖς τοῦ δήμου οὕτως, Νουμήνιος Ἀντιόχου καὶ Ἀντίπατρος Ἰάσωνος πρεσβευταὶ Ἰουδαίων ἤλθοσαν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀνανεούμενοι τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς φιλίαν.

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

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

25 Ὡς δὲ ἤκουσεν ὁ δῆμος τῶν λόγων τούτων, εἶπον, τίνα χάριν ἀποδώσομεν Σίμωνι καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτοῦ;

26 Ἐστήρισε γὰρ αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπολέμησαν τοὺς ἐχθροὺς Ἰσραὴλ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔστησαν αὐτῷ ἐλευθερίαν.

27 Καὶ κατέγραψαν ἐν δέλτοις χαλκαῖς, καὶ ἔθεντο ἐν στήλαις ἐν ὄρει Σιών· καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἀντίγραφον τῆς γραφῆς· ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῃ Ἐλούλ, ἔτους δευτέρου καὶ ἑβδομηκοστοῦ καὶ ἑκατοστοῦ· καὶ τοῦτο τρίτον ἔτος ἐπὶ Σίμωνος ἀρχιερέως·

28 ἐν Σαραμὲλ, ἐπὶ συναγωγῆς μεγάλης ἱερέων, καὶ λαοῦ, καὶ ἀρχόντων ἔθνους, καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῆς χώρας ἐγνώρισεν ἡμῖν.

29 Ἐπεὶ πολλάκις ἐγενήθησαν πόλεμοι ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ· Σίμων δὲ ὁ υἱὸς Ματταθίου ὁ υἱὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰαρὶβ 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·

30 Καὶ ἤθροισεν Ἰωνάθαν τὸ ἔθνος αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐγενήθη αὐτοῖς ἀρχιερεὺς, καὶ προσετέθη πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ.

31 Καὶ ἐβουλήθησαν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν ἐμβατεῦσαι εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν, τοῦ ἐκτρίψαι τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐκτεῖναι χεῖρας ἐπὶ τὰ ἅγια αὐτῶν·

32 τότε 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,

33 καὶ ὠχύρωσε τὰς πόλεις τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ τὴν Βαιθσούραν τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ὁρίων τῆς Ἰουδαίας, οὗ ἦν τὰ ὅπλα τῶν πολεμίων τοπρότερον, καὶ ἔθετο ἐκεῖ φρουρὰν ἄνδρας Ἰουδαίους.

34 Καὶ Ἰόππην ὠχύρωσε τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ τὴν Γάζαρα τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ὁρίων Ἀζώτου, ἐν ᾗ ᾤκουν οἱ πολέμιοι τοπρότερον ἐκεῖ, καὶ κατῴκισεν ἐκεῖ Ἰουδαίους, καὶ ὅσα ἐπιτήδεια ἦν πρὸς τὴν τούτων ἐπανόρθωσιν ἔθετο ἐν αὐτοῖς.

35 Καὶ εἶδεν ὁ λαὸς τὴς πρᾶξιν τοῦ Σίμωνος, καὶ τὴν δόξαν ἣν ἐβουλεύσατο ποιῆσαι τῷ ἔθνει αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔθεντο αὐτὸν ἡγοὺμενον 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.

36 Καὶ 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 Ἱερουσαλὴμ, οἳ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς ἄκραν, ἐξ ἧς ἐξεπορεύοντο καὶ ἐμίαινον κύκλῳ τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ ἐποίουν πληγὴν μεγάλην ἐν τῇ ἁγνείᾳ.

37 Καὶ κατῴκισεν ἐν αὐτῇ ἄνδρας Ἰουδαίους, καὶ ὠχύρωσεν αὐτὴν πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τῆς χώρας καὶ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ὕψωσε τὰ τείχη Ἱερουσαλήμ.

38 Καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Δημήτριος ἔστησεν αὐτῷ τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην κατὰ ταῦτα,

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

40 Ἤκουσε γὰρ ὅτι προσηγόρευνται οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων φίλοι καὶ σύμμαχοι καὶ ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ ὅτι ἀπήντησαν τοῖς πρεσβευταῖς Σίμωνος ἐνδόξως·

41 καὶ ὅτι εὐδόκησαν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς, τοῦ εἶναι Σίμωνα ἡγουμένον καὶ ἀρχιερέα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἕως τοῦ ἀναστῆναι προφήτην πιστόν·

42 καὶ τοῦ εἶναι ἐπʼ αὐτῶν στρατηγόν, καὶ ὅπως μέλοι αὐτῷ περὶ τῶν ἁγίων καθιστάναι αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς χώρας, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὅπλων, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὀχυρωμάτων·

43 καὶ ὅπως μέλοι αὐτῷ περὶ τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ ὅπως ἀκούηται ὑπὸ πάντων, καὶ ὅπως γράφωνται ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ πᾶσαι συγγραφαὶ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ, καὶ ὅπως περιβάληται πορφύραν, καὶ χρυσοφορῇ.

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

45 Ὃς δʼ ἂν παρὰ ταῦτα ποιήσῃ ἢ ἀθετήσῃ τι τούτων, ἔνοχος ἔσται.

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

47 Καὶ ἐπεδέξατο Σίμων, καὶ εὐδόκησεν ἀρχιερατεύειν, καὶ εἶναι στρατηγὸς καὶ ἐθνάρχης τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἱερέων, καὶ τοῦ προστατῆσαι πάντων.

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

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

1 Now 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.

2 But 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:

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

4 As 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.

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

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

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

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

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

10 He 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.

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

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

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

14 Moreover 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.

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

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

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

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

19 which writings were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.

20 And 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:

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

22 and 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.

23 And it pleased the people to entertain the men honourably, and to put the copy of their ambassage in public 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.

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

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

26 For 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.

27 So 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,

28 at 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.

29 Forasmuch 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,

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

32 at 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,

33 and 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:

34 moreover he fortified Joppe, which lieth upon the sea, and Gazara, 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.)

35 The people therefore, seeing 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.

36 For 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:

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

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

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

40 For 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:

41 also 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;

42 moreover 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;

43 beside 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:

44 Also 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:

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

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

47 Then 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.

48 So 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;

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