Open English Translation 1 MAC Chapter 14

14 In the one hundred and seventy-second year,[fn] King Demetrios gathered his forces together, and went into Maday (Media) to get help, that he might fight against Trufon. 2 When Arsakes, the king of Paras (Persia) and Maday, heard that Demetrios had come into his borders, he sent one of his princes to take him alive. 3 He went and struck Demetrios’ army, and seized him and brought him to Arsakes, who put him under guard.

4 The land had rest all the days of Shim’on. He strived for the good of his nation. His authority and his honour was pleasing to them all his days. 5 Amid all his honours, he took Yafo (Joppa) for a harbour, and made it an entrance for the islands of the sea. 6 He enlarged the borders of his nation and took possession of the country. 7 He gathered together a great number of captives, and took control of Gezer, Beyt-Tsur, and the citadel, and he removed its uncleannesses from it. There was no one who resisted him. 8 They tilled their land in peace, and the land gave her increase, and the trees of the plains gave their fruit. 9 The old men sat in the streets; they all conversed together about good things. The young men put on glorious and warlike clothing. 10 He provided food for the cities and furnished them with means of defence, until the glory of his name was known to the end of the earth. 11 He made peace in the land, and Yisrael (Israel) rejoiced with great joy. 12 Each man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was no one to make them afraid. 13 No one was left in the land who fought against them. The kings were defeated in those days. 14 He strengthened all those of his people who were humble. He searched out the law, and every lawless and wicked person he took away. 15 He glorified the sanctuary, and added to the vessels of the temple.

16 It was heard at Romai that Yonatan (Jonathan) was dead, and even in Sparta, and they were extremely grieved. 17 But as soon as they heard that his brother Shim’on (Simon) was made high priest in his place, and ruled the country and the cities in it, 18 they wrote to him on brass tablets to renew with him the friendship and the alliance which they’d confirmed with his brothers Yehudah (Judas) and Yonatan. 19 These were read before the congregation at Yerushalem (Jerusalem).

20 This is the copy of the letters which the Spartans sent:

“The rulers and the city of the Spartans, to Shim’on the high priest, to the elders, the priests, and the rest of the people of the Yehudim (Jews), our kindred, greetings. 21 The ambassadors who were sent to our people reported to us about your glory and honour. We were glad for their coming, 22 and we registered the things that were spoken by them in the public records[fn] as follows: ‘Numenios son of Antiokos (Antiochus), and Antipater son of Yason, the Yehudim’ ambassadors, came to us to renew the friendship they had with us. 23 It pleased the people to entertain the men honourably, and to put the copy of their words in the public records,[fn] to the end that the people of the Spartans might have a record of them. Moreover they wrote a copy of these things to Shim’on the high priest.’ ”

24 After this, Shim’on sent Numenios to Romai with a great shield of gold of weighing one thousand minas,[fn] in order to confirm the alliance with them.

25 But when the people heard these things, they said, “How can we thank Shim’on and his sons? 26 Because he and his brothers and his father’s house have made themselves strong, and have fought and chased away Yisrael’s (Israel’s) enemies, and confirmed liberty to Yisrael.”[fn] 27 So they wrote on tablets of brass, and set them on pillars on Mt. Tsiyon (Zion). This is the copy of the writing:

“On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year,[fn] which is the third year of Shim’on the high priest, 28 in Asaramel, in a great congregation of priests and people and princes of the nation, and of the elders of the country, it was proclaimed to us:[fn] 29 ‘Since wars often occurred in the country, Shim’on the son of Matityah (Mattathias), the son of the sons of Yoyariv, and his brothers, put themselves in jeopardy and withstood the enemies of their nation, that their sanctuary and the law might be established, and glorified their nation with great glory. 30 Yonatan (Jonathan) rallied the nation, became their high priest, and was gathered to his people. 31 Their enemies planned to invade their country, that they might destroy their country utterly, and stretch out their hands against their sanctuary. 32 Then Shim’on rose up and fought for his nation. He spent much of his own money to arm the valiant men of his nation and give them wages. 33 He fortified the cities of Yehudah (Judea) and Beyt-Tsur that lies on the borders of Yehudah, where the weapons of the enemies were had been stored, and there he placed a garrison of Yehudim (Jews). 34 He fortified Yafo (Joppa) which is on the sea, and Gezer which is on the borders of Azotos, where the enemies used to live, and placed Yehudim there, and set in there all things necessary for their restoration. 35 The people saw Shim’on’s faith,[fn] and the glory which he resolved to bring to his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he’d done all these things, and for the justice and the faith which he kept to his nation, and because he tried to exalt his people in every way that he could. 36 In his days, things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were taken away out of their country, and they also who were in the city of David, those who were in Yerushalem (Jerusalem), who’d made themselves a citadel, out of which they used to go, and polluted everything around the sanctuary, and did great damage to its purity. 37 He placed Yehudim in it and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and made high Yerushalem’s walls. 38 King Demetrios confirmed to him the high priesthood according to these things, 39 and made him one of his friends,[fn] and honoured him with great honour; 40 for he’d heard that the Yehudim had been called by the Romaios friends, allies, and kindred, and that they’d met the ambassadors of Shim’on honourably; 41 and that the Yehudim and the priests were well pleased that Shim’on should be their leader and high priest forever, until there should arise a faithful prophet; 42 and that he should be governor over them, and should take charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over the country, and over the weapons, and over the fortresses; and that he should take charge of the sanctuary, 43 and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold; 44 and that it shouldn’t be lawful for any of the people or of the priests to nullify any of these things, or to oppose the words that he should speak, or to gather an assembly in the country without him, or to be clothed in purple, or wear a buckle of gold; 45 but anyone who should do otherwise, or nullify any of these things, he’ll be liable to punishment.’ ” 46 All the people consented to ordain for Shim’on that he should do according to these words. 47 So Shim’on accepted this, and consented to be high priest, and to be captain and governor[fn] of the Yehudim and of the priests, and to be protector of all.

48 They commanded to put this writing on tablets of brass, and to set them up within the precinct of the sanctuary in a conspicuous place, 49 and moreover to put copies of them in the treasury, so that Shim’on and his sons might have them.