Bishops(i)
1 Nowe when Simon heard that Tryphon gathered a great hoast to come into the lande of Iuda, and to destroy it,
2 And saw that the people was in great fearefulnes and care: he came vp to Hierusalem, and gathered the people together,
3 And gaue them exhortation, saying: Ye know what great battailes I and my brethren and my fathers house haue fought for the lawe and the sanctuarie, and what maner of troubles we haue seene.
4 Through occasion whereof, all my brethren are slaine for Israels sake, and I am left alone.
5 And now let not me spare myne owne lyfe in any maner of trouble, for I am no better then my brethren:
6 But wyll auenge my people and the sanctuarie, our children and our wyues: for all the heathen are gathered together to destroy vs, of very malice.
7 At these wordes the heartes of the people were kindled together,
8 So that they cried with a loude voyce, saying: Thou shalt be our captaine, in steade of Iudas and Ionathas thy brethren:
9 Order thou our battaile, and whatsoeuer thou commaundest vs, we shall do it.
10 So he gathered all the men of warre, making haste to finishe all the walles of Hierusalem, which he made strong rounde about.
11 Then sent he Ionathas the sonne of Absalomus with a freshe hoast vnto Ioppa, which droue them out that were in the castle, and remained there him selfe.
12 Tryphon also remoued from Ptolomais with a great armie, to come into the lande of Iuda, and Ionathas with him, in warde.
13 And Simon pitched his tentes at Addus before the plaine fielde.
14 But when Tryphon knewe that Simon stoode vp in steade of his brother Ionathas, and that he would warre against him, he sent messengers vnto him, saying:
15 Where as we haue kept Ionathas thy brother, it is for money that he is owing in the kinges accompt, concerning the busines that he had in hande.
16 Wherefore, sende nowe a hundred talentes of siluer and his two sonnes for suretie (that when he is letten foorth, he shal not forsake vs) and we shall sende him againe.
17 Neuerthelesse, Simon knew that he discembled in his wordes: yet comaunded he the money and children to be deliuered vnto him, lest the Israelites might haue hated him,
18 And saide, Because he sent him not the money and the children, therefore is Ionathas dead.
19 So Simon sent him the children and an hundred talentes: but he dissembled, and would not let Ionathas go.
20 Afterwarde came Tryphon into the lande to destroy it, and went rounde about by the way that leadeth vnto Ador: But wheresoeuer they went, thyther went Simon and his hoast also.
21 Now they that were in the castle, sent messengers vnto Tryphon, that he should make haste to come by the wildernesse, and to sende them vitailes.
22 And Tryphon made redie al his horsmen to come the same night: neuerthelesse, it was a very great snowe, so that he came not because of the snowe, but he remoued and went into the countrey of Galaad.
23 And when he drue nye Baschama, he slue Ionathas and his sonnes there,
24 And then turned for to go home into his owne lande.
25 Then sent Simon for to fetch his brothers dead coarse, and buried it in Modin his fathers citie.
26 So al Israel bewayled him with great lamentation, and mourned for him very longe.
27 And Simon made vpon the sepulchre of his father and his brethren, a building, hie to loke vnto, of free stone, be hinde and before,
28 And set vp seuen pillers vpon it one against another, for his father, his mother, and foure brethren,
29 And set great pillers rounde about them, with armes vpon them for a perpetuall memorie, and carued shippes beside the armes, that they might be seene of men sayling in the sea.
30 This sepulchre which he made at Modin, standeth yet vnto this day.
31 Nowe as Tryphon went foorth to walke with the young king Antiochus, he slue him trayterously,
32 And raigned in his steade, crowned him selfe king of Asia, and did much euil in the lande.
33 Simon also built vp the castles in Iurie, making them strong with hie towers, great walles, portes and lockes, and layde vp vitailes in the stronge holdes.
34 And Simon chose certaine men, & sent them to king Demetrius, to desire him that he would discharge the lande from all bondage, for Tryphon had spoyled it very sore.
35 Whereupon Demetrius the king aunswered him, and wrote vnto him, after this maner:
36 Demetrius the king sendeth greeting vnto Simon the hie priest his friend, with the elders & people of the Iewes:
37 The golden crowne and precious stone that ye sent vnto vs, haue we receaued, and are redie to make a stedfast peace with you, yea and to write vnto our officers for to release you, concerning the thinges wherein we made you free.
38 And the appoyntment that we make with you, shalbe firme and stable: the strong holdes which ye haue builded, shalbe your owne.
39 As for any ouersight or fault committed vnto this day, we forgeue it, and the crowne taxe that ye ought vs also: And where as was any other tribute in Hierusalem, it shall now be no tribute:
40 And loke who are meete among you to be in our court, let them be written vp, that there may be peace betwixt vs.
41 Thus the yoke of the heathen was taken from Israel, in the hundred and seuentith yere.
42 And the people of the Iewes began to write in their letters and actes on this maner: In the first yere of Simon the hie priest, a gouernour and prince of the Iewes.
43 In those dayes went Simon vnto Gaza, & besieged it rounde about, where he set vp ordinaunce of warre, and wan a towre, which he toke.
44 So they that gat into the towre, lept into the citie, which was in a great feare:
45 Insomuch that the people of the citie rent their clothes, and clymed vp vpon the walles, with their wiues and children, beseching Simon to be at one with them, saying:
46 O rewarde vs not after our wickednesse, but be gratious vnto vs, [and we shall do thee seruice.]
47 Then Simon for very pitie woulde fight no more against them, but put the out of the citie, and caused the houses wherein the images were, to be clensed, and so entred the citie with psalmes of prayse, geuing thankes vnto the Lorde.
48 So when he had cast all abhominations out of the citie, he set such men in it as kept the lawe of God, and made the citie strong, and builded a dwelling place for him selfe.
49 Now when they in the castle at Hierusalem were kept so straightly that they coulde not come foorth nor go into the countrey, & might neither bye nor sel, they were very hungry, and many of them famished to death:
50 Insomuch that they besought Simon to be at one with them, which he graunted them: So he put them out from thence, and clensed the castle from filthinesse.
51 And vpon the twentie and three day of the second moneth, in the hundred threescore and eleuenth yere, they entred into it with thankesgeuing, and braunches of paulme trees, with harpes, croudes, cymbales, and lutes, singing psalmes and songes of praise vnto God, for that the great enemie of Israel was ouercome.
52 And Simon ordained that the same day shoulde be kept euery yere with gladnesse,
53 And made strong the hill of the temple that was beside the castle, where he dwelt him selfe with his company.
54 Simon also perceauing that Ihon his sonne was a mightie man of armes, made him captaine of all the hoastes, and caused him to dwell at Gaza.