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1 And Simon heard that Tryphon had gathered together a mighty host to come into the land of Judah, and destroy it utterly. 2 And he saw that the people trembled and was in great fear; and he went up to Jerusalem, and gathered the people together; 3 and he encouraged them, and said unto them, Ye yourselves know all the things that I, and my brethren, and my father’s house, have done for the laws and the sanctuary, and the battles and the distresses which we have seen: 4 by reason hereof all my brethren have perished for Israel’s sake, and I am left alone. 5 And now be it far from me, that I should spare mine own life in any time of affliction; for I am not better than my brethren. 6 Howbeit I will take vengeance for my nation, and for the sanctuary, and for our wives and children; because all the Gentiles are gathered to destroy us of very hatred. 7 And the spirit of the people revived, as soon as they heard these words. 8 And they answered with a loud voice, saying, Thou art our leader instead of Judas and Jonathan thy brother. 9 Fight thou our battles, and all that thou shalt say unto us, that will we do. 10 And he gathered together all the men of war, and made haste to finish the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it round about. 11 And he sent Jonathan the son of Absalom, and with him a great host, to Joppa: and he cast out them that were therein, and abode there in it
12 And Tryphon removed from Ptolemais with a mighty host to enter into the land of Judah, and Jonathan was with him in ward. 13 But Simon encamped at Adida, over against the plain. 14 And Tryphon knew that Simon was risen up instead of his brother Jonathan, and meant to join battle with him, and he sent ambassadors unto him, saying, 15 It is for money which Jonathan thy brother owed unto the king’s treasure, by reason of the offices which he had, that we hold him fast. 16 And now send a hundred talents of silver, and two of his sons for hostages, that when he is set at liberty he may not revolt from us, and we will set him at liberty. 17 And Simon knew that they spake unto him deceitfully; and he sendeth the money and the children, lest peradventure he should procure to himself great hatred of the people, 18 and they should say, Because I sent him not the money and the children, he perished. 19 And he sent the children and the hundred talents. And he dealt falsely, and did not set Jonathan at liberty. 20 And after this Tryphon came to invade the land, and destroy it, and he went round about by the way that leadeth unto Adora: and Simon and his army marched over against him to every place, wheresoever he went. 21 Now they of the citadel sent unto Tryphon ambassadors, hastening him to come unto them through the wilderness, and to send them victuals. 22 And Tryphon made ready all his horse to come: and on that night there fell a very great snow, and he came not by reason of the snow. And he removed, and came into the country of Gilead. 23 But when he came near to Bascama, he slew Jonathan, and he was buried there. 24 And Tryphon returned, and went away into his own land.
25 And Simon sent, and took the bones of Jonathan his brother, and buried him at Modin, the city of his fathers. 26 And all Israel made great lamentation over him, and mourned for him many days. 27 And Simon built a monument upon the sepulchre of his father and his brethren, and raised it aloft to the sight, with polished stone behind and before. 28 And he set up seven pyramids, one over against another, for his father, and his mother, and his four brethren. 29 And for these he made cunning devices, setting about them great pillars, and upon the pillars he fashioned * all manner of arms for a perpetual memory, and beside the † arms ships carved, that they should be seen of all that sail on the sea. 30 This is the sepulchre which he made at Modin, and it is there unto this day.
31 Now Tryphon dealt deceitfully with the young king Antiochus, and slew him, 32 and reigned in his stead, and put on himself the diadem of Asia, and brought a great calamity upon the land. 33 And Simon built the strongholds of Judaea, and fenced them about with high towers, and great walls, and gates, and bars; and he laid up victuals in the strongholds. 34 And Simon chose men, and sent to king Demetrius, to the end he should give the country an immunity, because all that Tryphon did was to plunder. 35 And king Demetrius sent unto him according to these words, and answered him, and wrote a letter unto him, after this manner:
36 King Demetrius unto Simon the high priest and ‡ Friend of kings, and unto the elders and nation of the Jews, greeting: 37 The golden crown, and the palm branch, which ye sent, we have received: and we are ready to make a § stedfast peace with you, yea, and to write unto our officers, to grant immunities unto you. 38 And whatsoever things we confirmed unto you, they are confirmed; and the strongholds, which ye have builded, let them be your own. 39 As for any oversights and faults committed unto this day, we forgive them, and the crown which ye owed us: and if there were any other toll exacted in Jerusalem, let it be exacted no longer. 40 And if there be any among you meet to be enrolled in our court, let them be enrolled, and let there be peace betwixt us.
41 In ** the hundred and seventieth year was the yoke of the heathen taken away from Israel. 42 And the people began to write in their instruments and contracts, In the first year of Simon, the great high priest and captain and leader of the Jews.
43 In those days he encamped against †† Gazara, and compassed it round about with armies; and he made an engine of siege, and brought it up to the city, and smote a tower, and took it. 44 And they that were in the engine leaped forth into the city; and there was a great uproar in the city: 45 and they of the city rent their clothes, and went up on the walls with their wives and children, and cried with a loud voice, making request to Simon to give them ‡‡ his right hand. 46 And they said, Deal not with us according to our wickednesses, but according to thy mercy. 47 And Simon was reconciled unto them, and did not fight against them: and he put them out of the city, and cleansed the houses wherein the idols were, and so entered into it with singing and giving praise. 48 And he put all uncleanness out of it, and placed in it such men as would keep the law, and made it stronger than it was before, and built therein a dwelling place for himself.
49 But they of the citadel in Jerusalem were hindered from going forth, and from going into the country, and from buying and selling; and they hungered exceedingly, and a great number of them perished through famine. 50 And they cried out to Simon, that he should give them his right hand; and he gave it to them: and he put them out from thence, and he cleansed the citadel from its pollutions. 51 And he entered into it on the three and twentieth day of the second month, in §§ the hundred and seventy and first year, with praise and palm branches, and with harps, and with cymbals, and with viols, and with hymns, and with songs: because a great enemy was destroyed out of Israel. 52 And he ordained that they should keep that day every year with gladness. And the hill of the temple that was by the citadel he made stronger than before, and there he dwelt, himself and his men. 53 And Simon saw that John his son was a valiant man, and he made him leader of all his forces: and he dwelt in Gazara.
* 13:29 Gr. panoplies. † 13:29 Gr. panoplies. ‡ 13:36 See ch. ii. 18. § 13:37 Gr. great. ** 13:41 circa B.C. 143. †† 13:43 See ver. 53 (compare ver. 48); ch. xiv. 7, 34; xv. 28; xvi. 1: also Josephus. All the authorities read Gaza in this verse. ‡‡ 13:45 Gr. right hands. §§ 13:51 circa B.C. 142.