Simon is made captain general in the room of his brother. Jonathan is slain by Tryphon. Simon is favoured by Demetrius: he taketh Gaza, and the castle of Jerusalem.

 1 Now Simon heard that Tryphon was gathering together a very great army, to invade the land of Juda, and to destroy it.
Et audivit Simon quod congregavit Tryphon exercitum copiosum ut veniret in terram Juda, et attereret eam.

 2 And seeing that the people was in dread, and in fear, he went up to Jerusalem, and assembled the people:
Videns quia in tremore populus est, et in timore, ascendit Jerusalem, et congregavit populum :

 3 And exhorted them, saying: You know what great battles I and my brethren, and the house of my father, have fought for the laws, and the sanctuary, and the distresses that we have seen:
et adhortans dixit : Vos scitis quanta ego, et fratres mei, et domus patris mei, fecimus pro legibus et pro sanctis, praelia, et angustias quales vidimus :

 4 By reason whereof all my brethren have lost their lives for Israel's sake, and I am left alone.
horum gratia perierunt fratres mei omnes propter Israel, et relictus sum ego solus.

 5 And now far be it from me to spare my life in any time of trouble: for I am not better than my brethren.
Et nunc non mihi contingat parcere animae meae in omni tempore tribulationis : non enim melior sum fratribus meis.

 6 I will avenge then my nation and the sanctuary, and our children, and wives: for all the heathens are gathered together to destroy us out of mere malice.
Vindicabo itaque gentem meam, et sancta, natos quoque nostros, et uxores : quia congregatae sunt universae gentes conterere nos inimicitiae gratia.

 7 And the spirit of the people was enkindled as soon as they heard these words.
Et accensus est spiritus populi simul ut audivit sermones istos :

 8 And they answered with a loud voice, saying: Thou art our leader in the place of Judas, and Jonathan thy brother.
et responderunt voce magna, dicentes : Tu es dux noster loco Judae, et Jonathae fratris tui :

 9 Fight thou our battles, and we will do whatsoever thou shalt say to us.
pugna praelium nostrum : et omnia, quaecumque dixeris nobis, faciemus.

 10 So gathering together all the men of war, he made haste to finish all the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it round about.
Et congregans omnes viros bellatores, acceleravit consummare universos muros Jerusalem, et munivit eam in gyro.

 11 And he sent Jonathan the son of Absalom, and with him a new army into Joppe, and he cast out them that were in it, and himself remained there.
Et misit Jonathan filium Absalomi, et cum eo exercitum novum in Joppen, et ejectis his qui erant in ea, remansit illic ipse.

 12 And Tryphon removed from Ptolemais with a great army, to invade the land of Juda, and Jonathan was with him in custody.
Et movit Tryphon a Ptolemaida cum exercitu multo, ut veniret in terram Juda, et Jonathas cum eo in custodia.

 13 But Simon pitched in Addus, over against the plain.
Simon autem applicuit in Addus contra faciem campi.

 14 And when Tryphon understood that Simon was risen up in the place of his brother Jonathan, and that he meant to join battle with him, he sent messengers to him,
Et ut cognovit Tryphon quia surrexit Simon loco fratris sui Jonathae, et quia commissurus esset cum eo praelium, misit ad eum legatos,

 15 Saying: We have detained thy brother Jonathan for the money that he owed in the king's account, by reason of the affairs which he had the management of.
dicens : Pro argento, quod debebat frater tuus Jonathas in ratione regis propter negotia quae habuit, detinuimus eum.

 16 But now send a hundred talents of silver, and his two sons for hostages, that when he is set at liberty he may not revolt from us, and we will release him.
Et nunc mitte argenti talenta centum, et duos filios ejus obsides, ut non dimissus fugiat a nobis, et remittemus eum.

 17 Now Simon knew that he spoke deceitfully to him, nevertheless he ordered the money, and the children to be sent: lest he should bring upon himself a great hatred of the people of Israel, who might have said:
Et cognovit Simon quia cum dolo loqueretur secum : jussit tamen dari argentum et pueros, ne inimicitiam magnam sumeret ad populum Israel, dicentem :

 18 Because he sent not the money, and the children, therefore is he lost.
Quia non misit ei argentum, et pueros, propterea periit.

 19 So he sent the children, and the hundred talents: and he lied, and did not let Jonathan go.
Et misit pueros, et centum talenta : et mentitus est, et non dimisit Jonathan.

 20 And after this Tryphon entered within the country, to destroy it: and they went about by the way that leadeth to Ador: and Simon and his army marched to every place whithersoever they went.
Et post haec venit Tryphon intra regionem, ut contereret eam : et gyraverunt per viam quae ducit Ador : et Simon et castra ejus ambulabant in omnem locum quocumque ibant.

 21 And they that were in the castle, sent messengers to Tryphon, that he should make haste to come through the desert, and send them victuals.
Qui autem in arce erant, miserunt ad Tryphonem legatos, ut festinaret venire per desertum, et mitteret illis alimonias.

 22 And Tryphon made ready all his horsemen to come that night: but there fell a very great snow, and he came not into the country of Galaad.
Et paravit Tryphon omnem equitatum, ut veniret illa nocte : erat autem nix multa valde, et non venit in Galaaditim.

 23 And when he approached to Bascama, he slew Jonathan and his sons there.
Et cum appropinquasset Bascaman, occidit Jonathan et filios ejus illic.

 24 And Tryphon returned, and went into his own country.
Et convertit Tryphon, et abiit in terram suam.

 25 And Simon sent, and took the bones of Jonathan his brother, and buried them in Modin, in the city of his fathers.
Et misit Simon, et accepit ossa Jonathae fratris sui, et sepelivit ea in Modin civitate patrum ejus.

 26 And all Israel bewailed him with great lamentation: and they mourned for him many days.
Et planxerunt eum omnis Israel planctu magno, et luxerunt eum dies multos.

 27 And Simon built over the sepulchre of his father and of his brethren, a building lofty to the sight, of polished stone behind and before:
Et aedificavit Simon super sepulchrum patris sui et fratrum suorum aedificium altum visu, lapide polito retro et ante.

 28 And he set up seven pyramids one against another for his father and his mother, and his four brethren:
Et statuit septem pyramidas, unam contra unam, patri et matri, et quatuor fratribus :

 29 And round about these he set great pillars: and upon the pillars arms for a perpetual memory: and by the arms ships carved, which might be seen by all that sailed on the sea.
et his circumposuit columnas magnas : et super columnas arma, ad memoriam aeternam : et juxta arma naves sculptas, quae viderentur ab omnibus navigantibus mare :

 30 This is the sepulchre that he made in Modin even unto this day.
hoc est sepulchrum, quod fecit in Modin usque in hunc diem.

 31 But Tryphon when he was upon a journey with the young king Antiochus, treacherously slew him.
Tryphon autem cum iter faceret cum Antiocho rege adolescente, dolo occidit eum :

 32 And he reigned in his place, and put on the crown of Asia: and brought great evils upon the land.
et regnavit loco ejus, et imposuit sibi diadema Asiae, et fecit plagam magnam in terra.

 33 And Simon built up the strong holds of Judea, fortifying them with high towers, and great walls, and gates, and bars: and he stored up victuals in the fortresses.
Et aedificavit Simon praesidia Judaeae, muniens ea turribus excelsis, et muris magnis, et portis, et seris : et posuit alimenta in munitionibus.

 34 And Simon chose men and sent to king Demetrius, to the end that he should grant an immunity to the land: for all that Tryphon did was to spoil.
Et elegit Simon viros, et misit ad Demetrium regem ut faceret remissionem regioni : quia actus omnes Tryphonis per direptionem fuerant gesti.

 35 And king Demetrius in answer to this request, wrote a letter in this manner:
Et Demetrius rex ad verba ista respondit ei, et scripsit epistolam talem :

 36 King Demetrius to Simon the high priest, and friend of kings, and to the ancients, and to the nation of the Jews, greeting.
Rex Demetrius Simoni summo sacerdoti et amico regum, et senioribus, et genti Judaeorum, salutem.

 37 The golden crown, and the palm, which you sent, we have received: and we are ready to make a firm peace with you, and to write to the king's chief officers to release you the things that we have released.
Coronam auream, et bahem, quam misistis, suscepimus : et parati sumus facere vobiscum pacem magnam, et scribere praepositis regis remittere vobis quae indulsimus.

 38 For all that we have decreed in your favour, shall stand in force. The strong holds that you have built, shall be your own.
Quaecumque enim constituimus, vobis constant : munitiones, quas aedificastis, vobis sint :

 39 And as for any oversight or fault committed unto this day, we forgive it, and the crown which you owed: and if any other thing were taxed in Jerusalem, now let it not be taxed.
remittimus quoque ignorantias et peccata usque in hodiernum diem, et coronam quam debebatis : et si quid aliud erat tributarium in Jerusalem, jam non sit tributarium.

 40 And if any of you be fit to be enrolled among ours, let them be enrolled, and let there be peace between us.
Et si qui ex vobis apti sunt conscribi inter nostros, conscribantur, et sit inter nos pax.

 41 In the year one hundred and seventy the yoke of the Gentiles was taken off from Israel.
Anno centesimo septuagesimo, ablatum est jugum gentium ab Israel.

 42 And the people of Israel began to write in the instruments, and public records, The first year under Simon the high priest, the great captain and prince of the Jews.
Et coepit populus Israel scribere in tabulis, et gestis publicis, anno primo sub Simone summo sacerdote, magno duce, et principe Judaeorum.

 43 In those days Simon besieged Gaza, and camped round about it, and he made engines, and set them to the city, and he struck one tower, and took it.
In diebus illis applicuit Simon ad Gazam, et circumdedit eam castris, et fecit machinas, et applicuit ad civitatem, et percussit turrem unam, et comprehendit eam.

 44 And they that were within the engine leaped into the city: and there was a great uproar in the city.
Et eruperant qui erant intra machinam in civitatem, et factus est motus magnus in civitate.

 45 And they that were in the city went up with their wives and children upon the wall, with their garments rent, and they cried with a loud voice, beseeching Simon to grant them peace.
Et ascenderunt qui erant in civitate cum uxoribus et filiis supra murum, scissis tunicis suis, et clamaverunt voce magna, postulantes a Simone dextras sibi dari,

 46 And they said: Deal not with us according to our evil deeds, but according to thy mercy.
et dixerunt : Non nobis reddas secundum malitias nostras, sed secundum misericordias tuas.

 47 And Simon being moved, did not destroy them: but yet he cast them out of the city, and cleansed the houses wherein there had been idols, and then he entered into it with hymns, blessing the Lord.
Et flexus Simon, non debellavit eos : ejecit tamen eos de civitate, et mundavit aedes in quibus fuerant simulacra, et tunc intravit in eam cum hymnis benedicens Dominum :

 48 And having cast out of it all uncleanness, he placed in it men that should observe the law: and he fortified it, and made it his habitation.
et ejecta ab ea omni immunditia, collocavit in ea viros qui legem facerent : et munivit eam, et fecit sibi habitationem.

 49 But they that were in the castle of Jerusalem were hindered from going out and coming into the country, and from buying and selling: and they were straitened with hunger, and many of them perished through famine.
Qui autem erant in arce Jerusalem, prohibebantur egredi et ingredi regionem, et emere ac vendere : et esurierunt valde, et multi ex eis fame perierunt,

 50 And they cried to Simon for peace, and he granted it to them: and he cast them out from thence, and cleansed the castle from uncleannesses.
et clamaverunt ad Simonem ut dextras acciperent : et dedit illis : et ejecit eos inde, et mundavit arcem a contaminationibus :

 51 And they entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month, in the year one hundred and seventy-one, with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and harps, and cymbals, and psalteries, and hymns, and canticles, because the great enemy was destroyed out of Israel.
et intraverunt in eam tertia et vigesima die secundi mensis, anno centesimo septuagesimo primo, cum laude, et ramis palmarum, et cinyris, et cymbalis, et nablis, et hymnis, et canticis, quia contritus est inimicus magnus ex Israel.

 52 And he ordained that these days should be kept every year with gladness.
Et constituit ut omnibus annis agerentur dies hi cum laetitia.

 53 And he fortified the mountain of the temple that was near the castle, and he dwelt there himself, and they that were with him.
Et munivit montem templi, qui erat secus arcem, et habitavit ibi ipse, et qui cum eo erant.

 54 And Simon saw that John his son was a valiant man for war: and he made him captain of all the forces: and he dwelt in Gazara.
Et vidit Simon Joannem filium suum, quod fortis praelii vir esset : et posuit eum ducem virtutum universarum : et habitavit in Gazaris.