Chapter 79

8:27. In like manner also if war shall come first upon the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall help them with all their heart, according as the time shall permit them:

8:28. And there shall not be given to them that come to their aid, either wheat, or arms, or money, or ships, as it hath seemed good to the Romans: and they shall observe their orders without deceit.

8:29. According to these articles did the Romans covenant with the people of the Jews.

8:30. And, if after this, one party or the other shall have a mind to add to these articles, or take away any thing, they may do it at their pleasure: and whatsoever they shall add, or take away, shall be ratified.

8:31. Moreover, concerning the evils that Demetrius, the king, hath done against them, we have written to him, saying: Why hast thou made thy yoke heavy upon our friends and allies, the Jews.

8:32. If, therefore, they come again to us complaining of thee, we will do them justice, and will make war against thee by sea and land.

1 Machabees Chapter 9

Bacchides is sent again into Judea: Judas fights against him with eight hundred men and is slain. Jonathan succeeds him and revenges the murder of his brother John. He fights against Bacchides. Alcimus dies miserably. Bacchides besieges Bethbessen. He is forced to raise the siege and leave the country.

9:1. In the mean time, when Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army were fallen in battle, he sent again Bacchides and Alcimus into Judea; and the right wing of his army with them.

9:2. And they took the road that leadeth to Galgal, and they camped in Masaloth, which is in Arabella: and they made themselves masters of it, and slew many people.

9:3. In the first month of the hundred and fifty-second year they brought the army to Jerusalem:

9:4. And they arose and went to Berea, with twenty thousand men, and two thousand horsemen.

9:5. Now Judas had pitched his tents in Laisa, and three thousand chosen men with him:

9:6. And they saw the multitude of the army that they were many, and they were seized with great fear: and many withdrew themselves out of the camp, and there remained of them no more than eight hundred men.

9:7. And Judas saw that his army slipped away, and the battle pressed upon him, and his heart was cast down: because he had not time to gather them together, and he was discouraged.

9:8. Then he said to them that remained: Let us arise, and go against our enemies, if we may be able to fight against them.

9:9. But they dissuaded him, saying: We shall not be able, but let us save our lives now, and return to our brethren, and then we will fight against them: for we are but few.

9:10. Then Judas said: God forbid we should do this thing, and flee away from them: but if our time be come, let us die manfully for our brethren, and let us not stain our glory.

9:11. And the army removed out of the camp, and they stood over against them: and the horsemen were divided into two troops, and the slingers, and the archers, went before the army, and they that were in the front were all men of valour.

9:12. And Bacchides was in the right wing, and the legion drew near on two sides, and they sounded the trumpets:

9:13. And they also that were on Judas's side, even they also cried out, and the earth shook at the noise of the armies: and the battle was fought from morning even unto the evening.

9:14. And Judas perceived that the stronger part of the army of Bacchides was on the right side, and all the stout of heart came together with him:

9:15. And the right wing was discomfited by them, and he pursued them even to the mount Azotus.

9:16. And they that were in the left wing saw that the right wing was discomfited, and they followed after Judas, and them that were with him, at their back:

9:17. And the battle was hard fought, and there fell many wounded of the one side and of the other.

9:18. And Judas was slain, and the rest fled away.

9:19. And Jonathan and Simon took Judas, their brother, and buried him in the sepulchre of their fathers, in the city of Modin.

9:20. And all the people of Israel bewailed him with great lamentation, and they mourned for him many days.

9:21. And said: How is the mighty man fallen, that saved the people of Israel!

9:22. But the rest of the words of the wars of Judas, and of the noble acts that he did, and of his greatness, are not written: for they were very many.

9:23. And it came to pass, after the death of Judas, that the wicked began to put forth their heads in all the confines of Israel, and all the workers of iniquity rose up.

9:24. In those days there was a very great famine, and they and all their country yielded to Bacchides.

9:25. And Bacchides chose the wicked men, and made them lords of the country:

9:26. And they sought out, and made diligent search after the friends of Judas, and brought them to Bacchides, and he took vengeance of them, and abused them.

9:27. And there was a great tribulation in Israel, such as was not since the day, that there was no prophet seen in Israel.

9:28. And all the friends of Judas came together, and said to Jonathan:

9:29. Since thy brother Judas died there is not a man like him to go forth against our enemies, Bacchides, and them that are the enemies of our nation.

9:30. Now, therefore, we have chosen thee this day to be our prince, and captain, in his stead, to fight our battles.

9:31. So Jonathan took upon him the government at that time, and rose up in the place of Judas, his brother

9:32. And Bacchides had knowledge of it, and sought to kill him.

9:33. And Jonathan, and Simon, his brother, knew it, and all that were with them: and they fled into the desert of Thecua, and they pitched by the water of the lake Asphar,

9:34. And Bacchides understood it, and he came himself, with all his army, over the Jordan, on the sabbath day.

9:35. And Jonathan sent his brother, a captain of the people, to desire the Nabutheans his friends, that they would lend them their equipage, which was copious.

9:36. And the children of Jambri came forth out of Madaba, and took John, and all that he had, and went away with them.

9:37. After this it was told Jonathan, and Simon, his brother, that the children of Jambri made a great marriage, and were bringing the bride out of Madaba, the daughter of one of the great princes of Chanaan, with great pomp.

9:38. And they remembered the blood of John, their brother: and they went up, and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain.

9:39. And they lifted up their eyes, and saw: and behold a tumult, and great preparation: and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends, and his brethren to meet them with timbrels, and musical instruments and many weapons.

9:40. And they rose up against them from the place where they lay in ambush, and slew them, and there fell many wounded, and the rest fled into the mountains, and they took all their spoils:

9:41. And the marriage was turned into mourning, and the noise of their musical instruments into lamentation.

9:42. And they took revenge for the blood of their brother: and they returned to the bank of the Jordan.

9:43. And Bacchides heard it, and he came on the sabbath day even to the bank of the Jordan, with a great power.

9:44. And Jonathan said to his company: Let us arise, and fight against our enemies: for it is not now as yesterday, and the day before.

9:45. For behold the battle is before us, and the water of the Jordan on this side and on that side, and banks, and marshes, and woods: and there is no place for us to turn aside.

9:46. Now, therefore, cry ye to heaven, that ye may be delivered from the hand of your enemies. And they joined battle.

9:47. And Jonathan stretched forth his hand to strike Bacchides, but he turned away from him backwards.

9:48. And Jonathan, and they that were with him, leapt into the Jordan, and swam over the Jordan to them.

9:49. And there fell of Bacchides' side that day a thousand men: and they returned to Jerusalem,

9:50. And they built strong cities in Judea, the fortress that was in Jericho, and in Ammaus, and in Bethoron, and in Bethel, and Thamnata, and Phara, and Thopo, with high walls, and gates, and bars.

9:51. And he placed garrisons in them, that they might wage war against Israel:

9:52. And he fortified the city of Bethsura, and Gazara, and the castle, and set garrisons in them, and provisions of victuals:

9:53. And he took the sons of the chief men of the country for hostages, and put them in the castle in Jerusalem in custody.

9:54. Now in the year one hundred and fifty-three, the second month, Alcimus commanded the walls of the inner court of the sanctuary to be thrown down, and the works of the prophets to be destroyed: and he began to destroy.

9:55. At that time Alcimus was struck: and his works were hindered, and his mouth was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, so that he could no more speak a word, nor give order concerning his house.

9:56. And Alcimus died at that time in great torment.

9:57. And Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead: and he returned to the king, and the land was quiet for two years.

9:58. And all the wicked held a council, saying: Behold Jonathan, and they that are with him, dwell at ease and without fear: now, therefore, let us bring Bacchides hither, and he shall take them all in one night.

9:59. So they went, and gave him counsel.

9:60. And he arose to come with a great army: and he sent secretly letters to his adherents that were in Judea to seize upon Jonathan, and them that were with him: but they could not, for their design was known to them.

9:61. And he apprehended of the men of the country, that were the principal authors of the mischief, fifty men, and he slew them.

9:62. And Jonathan, and Simon, and they that were with him, retired into Bethbessen, which is in the desert: and he repaired the breaches thereof, and they fortified it.

9:63. And when Bacchides knew it, he gathered together all his multitude: and sent word to them that were of Judea.

9:64. And he came, and camped above Bethbessen, and fought against it many days, and made engines.

9:65. But Jonathan left his brother, Simon, in the city and went forth into the country, and came with a number of men,

9:66. And struck Odares, and his brethren, and the children of Phaseron, in their tents, and he began to slay, and to increase in forces.

9:67. But Simon, and they that were with him, sallied out of the city, and burnt the engines,

9:68. And they fought against Bacchides, and he was discomfited by them: and they afflicted him exceedingly, for his counsel, and his enterprise was in vain.

9:69. And he was angry with the wicked men that had given him counsel to come into their country, and he slew many of them: and he purposed to return with the rest into their country.

9:70. And Jonathan had knowledge of it, and he sent ambassadors to him to make peace with him, and to restore to him the prisoners.

9:71. And he accepted it willingly, and did according to his words, and swore that he would do him no harm all the days of his life.

9:72. And he restored to him the prisoners which he before had taken out of the land of Juda: and he returned, and went away into his own country, and he came no more into their borders.

9:73. So the sword ceased from Israel: and Jonathan dwelt in Machmas, and Jonathan began there to judge the people, and he destroyed the wicked out of Israel.

1 Machabees Chapter 10

Alexander Bales sets himself up for king: both he and Demetrius seek to make Jonathan their friend. Alexander kills Demetrius in battle, and honours Jonathan. His victory over Apollonius.

10:1. Now in the hundred and sixtieth year, Alexander, the son of Antiochus, surnamed the Illustrious, came up and took Ptolemais, and they received him, and he reigned there.

10:2. And king Demetrius heard of it, and gathered together an exceeding great army, and went forth against him to fight.

10:3. And Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan, with peaceable words, to magnify him.

10:4. For he said: Let us first make a peace with him, before he make one with Alexander against us.

10:5. For he will remember all the evils that we have done against him, and against his brother, and against his nation.

10:6. And he gave him authority to gather together a army, and to make arms, and that he should be his confederate: and the hostages that were in the castle, he commanded to be delivered to him.

10:7. And Jonathan came to Jerusalem, and read the letters in the hearing of all the people, and of them that were in the castle.

10:8. And they were struck with great fear, because they heard that the king had given him authority to gather together an army.

10:9. And the hostages were delivered to Jonathan, and he restored them to their parents.

10:10. And Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem, and began to build, and to repair the city.

10:11. And he ordered workmen to build the walls, and mount Sion round about with square stones for fortification: and so they did.

10:12. Then the strangers that were in the strong holds, which Bacchides had built, fled away.

10:13. And every man left his place, and departed into his own country:

10:14. Only in Bethsura there remained some of them, that had forsaken the law, and the commandments of God: for this was a place of refuge for them.

10:15. And king Alexander heard of the promises that Demetrius had made Jonathan: and they told him of the battles, and the worthy acts that he and his brethren had done, and the labours that they had endured.

10:16. And he said: Shall we find such another man? now, therefore, we will make him our friend and our confederate.

10:17. So he wrote a letter, and sent it to him according to these words, saying:

10:18. King Alexander to his brother, Jonathan, greetings.

10:19. We have heard of thee, that thou art a man of great power, and fit to be our friend:

10:20. Now therefore, we make thee this day high priest of thy nation, and that thou be called the king's friend, (and he sent him a purple robe, and a crown of gold) and that thou be of one mind with us in our affairs, and keep friendship with us.

10:21. Then Jonathan put on the holy vestment in the seventh month, in the year one hundred and threescore, at the feast day of the tabernacles: and he gathered together an army, and made a great number of arms.

10:22. And Demetrius heard these words, and was exceeding sorry, and said:

10:23. What is this that we have done, that Alexander hath prevented us to gain the friendship of the Jews to strengthen himself?

10:24. I also will write to them words of request, and offer dignities, and gifts: that they may be with me to aid me.

10:25. And he wrote to them in these words: King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews, greeting.

10:26. Whereas you have kept covenant with us, and have continued in our friendship, and have not joined with our enemies, we have heard of it, and are glad.

10:27. Wherefore now continue still to keep fidelity towards us, and we will reward you with good things, for what you have done in our behalf.

10:28. And we will remit to you many charges, and will give you gifts.

10:29. And now I free you, and all the Jews, from tributes, and I release you from the customs of salt, and remit the crowns, and the thirds of the seed:

10:30. And the half of the fruit of trees, which is my share, I leave to you from this day forward, so that it shall not be taken of the land of Juda, and of the three cities that are added thereto out of Samaria and Galilee, from this day forth, and for ever:

10:31. And let Jerusalem be holy and free, with the borders thereof: and let the tenths, and tributes be for itself.

10:32. I yield up also the power of the castle that is in Jerusalem, and I give it to the high priest, to place therein such men as he shall choose, to keep it.

10:33. And every soul of the Jews that hath been carried captive from the land of Juda in all my kingdom, I set at liberty freely, that all be discharged from tributes, even of their cattle.

10:34. And I will that all the feasts, and the sabbaths, and the new moons, and the days appointed, and three days before the solemn day, and three days after the solemn day, be all days of immunity and freedom, for all the Jews that are in my kingdom:

10:35. And no man shall have power to do any thing against them, or to molest any of them, in any cause.

10:36. And let there be enrolled in the king's army to the number of thirty thousand of the Jews: and allowance shall be made them, as is due to all the king's forces and certain of them shall be appointed to be in the fortresses of the great king:

10:37. And some of them shall be set over the affairs of the kingdom, that are of trust, and let the governors be taken from among themselves, and let them walk in their own laws, as the king hath commanded in the land of Juda.

10:38. And the three cities that are added to Judea, out of the country of Samaria, let them be accounted with Judea: that they may be under one, and obey no other authority but that of the high priest:

10:39. Ptolemais and the confines thereof, I give as a free gift to the holy places that are in Jerusalem, for the necessary charges of the holy things.

10:40. And I give every year fifteen thousand sickles of silver out of the king's accounts, of what belongs to me:

10:41. And all that is above, which they that were over the affairs the years before, had not paid, from this time they shall give it to the works of the house.

10:42. Moreover, the five thousand sickles of silver, which they received from the account of the holy places, every year, shall also belong to the priests that execute the ministry.

10:43. And whosoever shall flee into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and in all the borders thereof, being indebted to the king for any matter, let them be set at liberty, and all that they have in my kingdom, let them have it free.

10:44. For the building also, or repairing the works of the holy places, the charges shall be given out of the king's revenues:

10:45. For the building also of the walls of Jerusalem, and the fortifying thereof round about, the charges shall be given out of the king's account, as also for the building of the walls in Judea.

10:46. Now when Jonathan and the people heard these words, they gave no credit to them, nor received them because they remembered the great evil that he had done in Israel, for he had afflicted them exceedingly.

10:47. And their inclinations were towards Alexander, because he had been the chief promoter of peace in their regard, and him they always helped.

10:48. And king Alexander gathered together a great army, and moved his camp near to Demetrius.

10:49. And the two kings joined battle, and the army of Demetrius fled away, and Alexander pursued after him, and pressed them close.

10:50. And the battle was hard fought, till the sun went down: and Demetrius was slain that day.

10:51. And Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemee king of Egypt, with words to this effect, saying:

Ptolemee. . .Surnamed Philometer.

10:52. Forasmuch as I am returned into my kingdom and am set in the throne of my ancestors, and have gotten the dominion, and have overthrown Demetrius and possessed our country,

10:53. And have joined battle with him, and both he and his army have been destroyed by us, and we are placed in the throne of his kingdom:

10:54. Now, therefore, let us make friendship one with another: and give me now thy daughter to wife, and I will be thy son in law, and I will give both thee and her gifts worthy of thee.

10:55. And king Ptolomee answered, saying: Happy is the day wherein thou didst return to the land of thy fathers, and sattest in the throne of their kingdom.

10:56. And now I will do to thee as thou hast written but meet me at Ptolemais, that we may see one another, and I may give her to thee as thou hast said.

10:57. So Ptolemee went out of Egypt, with Cleopatra his daughter, and he came to Ptolemais, in the hundred and sixty-second year.

10:58. And king Alexander met him, and he gave him his daughter, Cleopatra: and he celebrated her marriage at Ptolemais with great glory, after the manner of kings.

10:59. And king Alexander wrote to Jonathan, that he should come and meet him.

10:60. And he went honourably to Ptolemais, and he met there the two kings, and he gave them much silver, and gold, and presents: and he found favour in their sight.

10:61. And some pestilent men of Israel, men of a wicked life, assembled themselves against him, to accuse him: and the king gave no heed to them.

10:62. And he commanded that Jonathan's garments should be taken off, and that he should be clothed with purple: and they did so. And the king made him sit by himself.

10:63. And he said to his princes: Go out with him into the midst of the city, and make proclamation, that no man complain against him of any matter, and that no man trouble him for any manner of cause.

10:64. So when his accusers saw his glory proclaimed, and him clothed with purple, they all fled away.

10:65. And the king magnified him, and enrolled him amongst his chief friends, and made him governor, and partaker of his dominion.

10:66. And Jonathan returned into Jerusalem with peace and joy.

10:67. In the year one hundred and sixty-five, Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, came from Crete into the land of his fathers.

10:68. And king Alexander heard of it, and was much troubled, and returned to Antioch.

10:69. And king Demetrius made Apollonius his general, who was governor of Celesyria: and he gathered together a great army, and came to Jamnia: and he sent to Jonathan, the high priest,

10:70. Saying: Thou alone standest against us, and I am laughed at and reproached, because thou shewest thy power against us in the mountains.

10:71. Now, therefore, if thou trustest in thy forces, come down to us into the plain, and there let us try one another: for with me is the strength of war.

10:72. Ask, and learn who I am, and the rest that help me, who also say that your foot cannot stand before our face, for thy fathers have twice been put to flight in their own land:

10:73. And now how wilt thou be able to abide the horsemen, and so great an army in the plain, where there is no stone, nor rock, nor place to flee to?

10:74. Now when Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, he was moved in his mind: and he chose ten thousand men, and went out of Jerusalem, and Simon, his brother, met him to help him.

10:75. And they pitched their tents near Joppe, but they shut him out of the city: because a garrison of Apollonius was in Joppe, and he laid siege to it.

10:76. And they that were in the city being affrighted, opened the gates to him: so Jonathan took Joppe.

10:77. And Apollonius heard of it, and he took three thousand horsemen, and a great army.

10:78. And he went to Azotus, as one that was making a journey, and immediately he went forth into the plain: because he had a great number of horsemen, and he trusted in them. And Jonathan followed after him to Azotus, and they joined battle.

10:79. And Apollonius left privately in the camp a thousand horsemen behind them.

10:80. And Jonathan knew that there was an ambush behind him, and they surrounded his army, and cast darts at the people from morning till evening.

10:81. But the people stood still, as Jonathan had commanded them: and so their horses were fatigued.

10:82. Then Simon drew forth his army, and attacked the legion: for the horsemen were wearied: and they were discomfited by him, and fled.

10:83. And they that were scattered about the plain fled into Azotus, and went into Bethdagon, their idol's temple, there to save themselves.