1 Maccabees 10 In the hundreth and three score yeere came Alexander the sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes, and tooke Ptolemais, and they receiued him, and there he reigned.

Geneva⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ In the hundreth and three score yeere came Alexander the sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes, and tooke Ptolemais, and they receiued him, and there he reigned. ² Nowe when Demetrius the King heard it, he gathered an exceeding great hoste, and went foorth against him to fight. ³ Also Demetrius sent letters vnto Ionathan, with louing words, as though he would preferre him. ⁴ For he saide, Wee will first make peace with him, before he ioyne with Alexander against vs. ⁵ Els hee will remember all the euill that wee haue done against him, and against his brethren and his nation. ⁶ And so he gaue Ionathan leaue to gather an hoste, and to prepare weapons, and to be confederate with him, and commaunded the hostages that were in the castell, to be deliuered vnto him. ⁷ Then came Ionathan to Ierusalem, and read the letters in the audience of all the people, and of them that were in the castell. ⁸ Therefore they were sore afraide, because they heard that the King had giuen him licence to gather an armie. ⁹ So they that were of the castell, deliuered the hostages vnto Ionathan, who restored them to their parents. ¹⁰ Ionathan also dwelt at Ierusalem, and began to builde, and repaire the citie. ¹¹ And he commanded the workemen to build the walles, and the mount Sion rounde about with hewen stone, to fortifie it: and so they did. ¹² Then the strangers that were in the castles which Bacchides had made, fled, ¹³ So that euery man left his place, and went into his owne countrey. ¹⁴ Onely at Beth-sura remained certaine which had forsaken the Lawe and the commaundements: for it was their refuge. ¹⁵ Nowe when King Alexander had heard of the promises that Demetrius had made vnto Ionathan: and when it was tolde him of the battels and noble actes, which hee and his brethren had done, and of the paines that they had endured, ¹⁶ He said, Might we find such a man? Now therefore we will make him our friend and confederate. ¹⁷ Vpon this hee wrote a letter, and sent it vnto him, with these wordes, saying, ¹⁸ King Alexander to his brother Ionathan sendeth salutation. ¹⁹ Wee haue heard of thee, that thou art a very valiant man, and worthy to be our friend. ²⁰ Wherefore this day we ordaine thee to bee the hie Priest of thy nation, and to bee called the Kings friende: (and he sent him a purple robe, and a crowne of golde,) that thou mayst consider what is for our profite, and keepe friendship toward vs. ²¹ So in the seuenth moneth of the hundreth and three score yeere, vpon the feast day of the tabernacles, Ionathan put on the holy garment, and gathered an hoste, and prepared many weapons. ²² Which when Demetrius heard, he was marueilous sory, and said, ²³ What haue wee done, that Alexander hath preuented vs in getting the friendship of the Iewes for his strength? ²⁴ Yet will I write and exhort them, and promise them dignities and rewardes, that they may helpe mee. ²⁵ Whereupon he wrote vnto them these words, King Demetrivs vnto the nations of the Iewes sendeth greeting. ²⁶ Wee haue heard that ye haue kept your couenant toward vs, and continued in our friendship, and haue not ioyned with our enemies, whereof we are glad. ²⁷ Nowe therefore remaine stil, and keepe fidelitie toward vs, and we will recompence you for the good things that ye haue done for vs, ²⁸ And will release you of many charges, and giue you rewards. ²⁹ And nowe I discharge for your sake all the Iewes from tributes, and free you from the customes of salt, and the crowne taxes, and from the thirde part of the seede. ³⁰ And from the halfe of the fruite of the trees which is mine owne duetie, I so release them that from this day foorth, none shall take any thing of the land of Iuda, or of the three gouernments which are added thereunto, as of Samaria and of Galile, from this day foorth for euermore. ³¹ Ierusalem also with all things beloging thereto, shalbe holy and free from the tenths & tributes. ³² Also I release the power of the castel which is at Ierusalem, and giue it vnto the hie Priest, that he may set in it such men, as he shall chuse to keepe it. ³³ Moreouer I freely deliuer euery one of ye Iewes that were taken away prisoners out of the lande of Iuda throughout all my realme, and euery one of them shalbe free from tributes, yea, eue their cattel, ³⁴ And all the feastes, and Sabbaths, and newe Moones, and the dayes appointed & the three dayes before the feast, and the three dayes after the feast, shall be dayes of freedome and libertie for all the Iewes in my realme, ³⁵ So that in them no man shall haue power to doe any thing, or to vexe any of them in any maner of cause. ³⁶ Also thirtie thousande of the Iewes shall be written vp in the Kings hoste, and haue their wages payed them as appertaineth to all them that are of the Kings armie: and of them shall be ordeined certaine to keepe the Kings strong holdes. ³⁷ And some of them shalbe set ouer the Kings most secret affaires, and their gouernours and their Princes shalbe of themselues, and they shall liue after their owne lawes, as the King hath commaunded in the land of Iuda. ³⁸ And the three gouernements that are added vnto Iudea from the countrey of Samaria, shall be ioyned vnto Iudea, and they shall be as vnder one, and obey none other power, but the hie Priest. ³⁹ And I giue Ptolemais and the borders thereof vnto the Sanctuarie at Ierusalem, for the necessarie expenses of the holy things. ⁴⁰ Moreouer, I will giue euery yeere fifteene thousand sicles of siluer of the Kings reuenues out of the places appertaining vnto me. ⁴¹ And all the ouerplus which they haue not payed for the things due, as they did in the former yeeres, from hencefoorth they shall giue it towarde the workes of the Temple. ⁴² And besides this, the fiue thousande sicles of siluer which they receiued yeerely of the account appointed for the interteinment of the Sanctuarie these yeeres passed, euen these things shalbe released because they apperteine to the Priests that minister. ⁴³ Item, whosoeuer they bee that flee vnto the Temple at Ierusalem, or within the liberties thereof, and are indetted to the King for any maner of thing, they shall be pardoned, and all that they haue in my realme. ⁴⁴ For the building also and repairing of the workes of the Sanctuarie, expenses shall be giuen of the Kings reuenues. ⁴⁵ And for the making of the walles of Ierusalem, and fortifying it rounde about, that the holdes in Iudea may be built vp, shall also the costes be giuen out of the Kings reuenues. ⁴⁶ But when Ionathan and the people heard these words, they gaue no credit vnto them, neither receiued them: for they remembred the great wickednesse that he had done in Israel, and how sore he had vexed them. ⁴⁷ Wherefore they agreed vnto Alexander: for he was the first that had intreated of true peace with them, and so were confederate with him always. ⁴⁸ Then gathered King Alexander a great hoste, and camped ouer against Demetrius. ⁴⁹ So the two Kings ioyned battell, but Demetrius hoste fled, and Alexander pursued him, and preuailed against them. ⁵⁰ So that sore battell continued till the sunne went downe, & Demetrius was slaine the same day. ⁵¹ Then Alexander sent Ambassadours vnto Ptolemeus the King of Egypt with these words, saying, ⁵² For so much as I am come againe to my realme, and am set in the throne of my fathers, and haue gotten the dominion, and haue destroyed Demetrius, and enioy my countrey, ⁵³ Seeing that I haue euen giuen him the battel, and he and his armie is discomfited by me, and I sit in the throne of his kingdome, ⁵⁴ Let vs nowe make friendship together, and giue me now thy daughter to wife: so shall I be thy sonne in lawe, and giue thee rewardes, and vnto her things according to thy dignitie. ⁵⁵ Then Ptolemeus the King gaue answere, saying, Happie bee the day, wherein thou art come againe vnto the land of thy fathers, and sittest in the throne of their kingdome. ⁵⁶ Nowe therefore will I fulfill thy writing: but meete mee at Ptolemais that wee may see one another, and that I may make thee my sonne in lawe, according to thy desire. ⁵⁷ So Ptolemeus went out of Egypt with his daughter Cleopatra, and came vnto Ptolemais in the hundreth threescore and two yeere, ⁵⁸ Where King Alexander met him, and he gaue vnto him his daughter Cleopatra, and marryed them at Ptolemais with great glorie, as the maner of Kings is. ⁵⁹ Then wrote King Alexander vnto Ionathan, that he should come and meete him. ⁶⁰ So he went honourably vnto Ptolemais, and there hee met the two Kings, and gaue them great presents of siluer and golde, and to their friends, and found fauour in their sight. ⁶¹ And there assembled certaine pestilent fellowes of Israel, and wicked men to accuse him: but the King would not heare them. ⁶² And the King commanded that they should take off the garments of Ionathan, and clothe him in purple: and so they did: and the King appointed him to sit by him, ⁶³ And saide vnto his Princes, Goe with him into the middes of the citie, and make a proclamation, that no man complaine against him of any matter, and that no man trouble him for any maner of cause. ⁶⁴ So when his accusers sawe his honour according as it was proclaimed, and that he was clothed in purple, they fled all away. ⁶⁵ And the King preferred him to honour, and wrote him among his chiefe friends, and made him a Duke, and partaker of his dominion. ⁶⁶ Thus Ionathan returned to Ierusalem with peace and gladnesse. ⁶⁷ In the hundreth, threescore and fiue yeere came Demetrius the sonne of Demetrius, from Creta into his fathers land. ⁶⁸ Whereof when King Alexander heard, hee was very sorie, and returned vnto Antiochia. ⁶⁹ Then Demetrius appointed Apollonius thegouernour of Coelosyria, who gathered a great hoste, and camped in Iamnia, and sent vnto Ionathan the hie Priest, saying, ⁷⁰ Darest thou, being but alone, lift vp thy selfe against vs? and I am laughed at, and reproched, because of thee: nowe therefore why doest thou vaunt thy selfe against vs in the mountaines? ⁷¹ Nowe then if thou trust in thine owne strength, come downe to vs into the plaine fielde, and there let vs trie the matter together: for I haue the strength of cities. ⁷² Aske and learne who I am, and they shall take my part: and they shall tell thee that your foote is not able to stand before our face: for thy fathers haue bene twise chased in their owne land. ⁷³ And now how wilt thou be able to abide so great an hoste of horsemen and footemen in the plaine, where is neither stone, nor rocke, nor place to flee vnto? ⁷⁴ When Ionathan heard the wordes of Apollonius, he was moued in his minde: wherefore hee chose ten thousand men, & went out of Ierusalem, and Simon his brother met him for to helpe him. ⁷⁵ And he pitched his tentes at Ioppe: but they shut him out of the citie: for Apollonius garison was in Ioppe. ⁷⁶ Then they fought against it, and they that were in the citie, for very feare let him in: so Ionathan wanne Ioppe. ⁷⁷ Apollonius hearing of this, tooke three thousand horsemen with a great hoste of foote men, and went toward Azotus, as though he would go forward, and came immediatly into the plaine fielde, because he had so many horsemen, and put his trust in them. ⁷⁸ So Ionathan followed vpon him to Azotus, and the armie skirmished with his arriere band. ⁷⁹ For Apollonius had left a thousand horsmen behinde them in ambush. ⁸⁰ And Ionathan knew that there was an ambushment behinde him, and though they had compassed in his hoste, and shot dartes at the people from the morning to the euening, ⁸¹ Yet the people stood still, as Ionathan had commanded them, till their horses were wearie. ⁸² Then brought Simon foorth his hoste, and set them against the band: but the horses were weary, and he discomfited them, and they fled: so the horsemen were scattered in the fielde, ⁸³ And they fled to Azotus, and came into the temple of Dagon their idole, that they might there saue them selues. ⁸⁴ But Ionathan set fire vpon Azotus and all the cities round about it, and tooke their spoyles, and burnt with fire the temple of Dagon with all them that were fled into it. ⁸⁵ Thus were slaine and burnt about eight thousand men. ⁸⁶ So Ionathan remooued the hoste from thence, and camped by Ascalon, where the men of the citie came foorth, and met him with great honour. ⁸⁷ After this went Ionathan and his hoste againe to Ierusalem with great spoyles. ⁸⁸ And when King Alexander heard these things, he began to doe Ionathan more honour, ⁸⁹ And sent him a coller of golde, as the vse is to be giuen vnto such as are of the Kings blood: he gaue him also Accaron, with the borders thereof in possession.