1 Maccabees 12 Ionathan nowe seeing that the time was meete for him, chose certeine men, and sent them vnto Rome, to establish & renue the friedship with them.

Geneva⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Ionathan nowe seeing that the time was meete for him, chose certeine men, and sent them vnto Rome, to establish & renue the friedship with them. ² Hee sent letters also vnto the Spartians and to other places, for the same purpose. ³ So they went vnto Rome, and entred into the Senate, and saide, Ionathan the high Priest and the nation of the Iewes sent vs vnto you, for to renue friendship with you, and the bond of loue, as in times past. ⁴ So the Romanes gaue them free pasports, that men should leade them home into the land of Iuda peaceably. ⁵ And this is the copie of the letters that Ionathan wrote vnto the Spartians, ⁶ Ionathan the hie Priest with the Elders of the nation, and the Priestes, and the rest of the people of the Iewes, sende greeting vnto the Spartians their brethren. ⁷ Heretofore were letters sent vnto Onias the hie Priest, from Arius, which then reigned among you, that ye would be our brethren, as the copy hereunder written specifieth. ⁸ And Onias intreated the ambassadour honourably, and receiued the letters: wherein there was mention made of the bond of loue and friendship. ⁹ But as for vs, we neede no such writings: for we haue the holy bookes in our hands for comfort. ¹⁰ Neuerthelesse wee thought it good to sende vnto you, for the renuing of the brotherhoode and friendship, least we should be strange vnto you: for it is long since the time that ye sent vnto vs. ¹¹ Wherefore wee remember you at all seasons continually, and in the feasts & other dayes appointed, when we offer sacrifices & prayers, as it is meete and conuenient to thinke vpon our brethren. ¹² And we reioyce at your prosperous estate. ¹³ And though wee haue bene enuironed with great troubles and warres, so that the Kings rounde about vs haue fought against vs, ¹⁴ Yet would we not be grieuous vnto you, nor to other of our confederates and friendes in these warres. ¹⁵ For we haue had helpe from heauen, that hath succoured vs, and wee are deliuered from our enemies, and our enemies are subdued. ¹⁶ Yet haue wee chosen Numenius the sonne of Antiochus, and Antipater the sonne of Iason, and sent them vnto the Romaines, for to renue the former friendship with them, and league. ¹⁷ We commanded them also to goe vnto you, and to salute you, and to deliuer you our letters, concerning the renuing of our brotherhoode. ¹⁸ And now ye shall doe vs a pleasure to giue vs an answere of these things. ¹⁹ And this was the copie of the letters, which Arius the King of Sparta sent vnto Onias. ²⁰ The King of the Spartians vnto Onias the high Priest sendeth greeting. ²¹ It is founde in writing, that the Spartians and Iewes are brethren, and come out of the generation of Abraham. ²² And nowe for so much as this is come to our knowledge, yee shall doe well, to write vnto vs of your prosperitie. ²³ As for vs, wee haue written vnto you, that your cattell and goods are ours, and ours are yours: these thinges haue wee commaunded to be shewed vnto you. ²⁴ Nowe when Ionathan heard, that Demetrius princes were come to fight against him, with a greater hoste then afore, ²⁵ Hee went from Ierusalem, and met them in the land of Hamath: for he gaue them not space to come into his owne countrey. ²⁶ And hee sent spies vnto their tentes, which came againe, and tolde him, that they were appointed to come vpon him in the night. ²⁷ Wherefore, when the sunne was gone downe, Ionathan commaunded his men to watch, and to be in armes readie to fight all the night, & sent watchmen round about the hoste. ²⁸ But when the aduersaries heard that Ionathan was readie with his men to the battel, they feared, & trembled in their hearts, and kindled fires in their tents, and fled away. ²⁹ Neuerthelesse Ionathan and his companie knewe it not till the morning: for they saw the fires burning. ³⁰ Then Ionathan followed vpon them, but he coulde not ouertake them: for they were gone ouer the flood Eleutherus. ³¹ So Ionathan turned to the Arabians, which were called Zabedei, and slewe them, and tooke their spoile. ³² He proceeded further also, and came vnto Damascus, and went thorow all the countrey. ³³ But Simon his brother went forth, and came to Ascalon and to the next holdes, departing vnto Ioppe, and wanne it. ³⁴ For he heard that they would deliuer the hold to them that tooke Demetrius part: wherefore hee set a garison there to keepe it. ³⁵ After this came Ionathan home, and called the Elders of the people together, and deuised with them for to build vp ye strong holds in Iudea, ³⁶ And to make the walles of Ierusalem hyer, and to make a great mount betwixt the castell and the citie, for to separate it from the citie, that it might be alone, and that men shoulde neither bye, nor fell in it. ³⁷ So they came together to builde vp the citie: for part of the wall vpon the brooke of the Eastside was fallen downe, and they repaired it, and called it Caphenatha. ³⁸ Simon also set vp Adida in Sephela, and made it strong with gates and barres. ³⁹ In the meane time Tryphon purposed to reigne in Asia, & to be crowned when he had slaine the King Antiochus. ⁴⁰ But he was afraide that Ionathan would not suffer him, but fight against him: wherefore he went about to take Ionathan, and to kill him: so hee departed, and came vnto Bethsan. ⁴¹ Then went Ionathan foorth against him to the battell with fourtie thousande chosen men, and came vnto Bethsan. ⁴² But when Tryphon saw that Ionathan came with so great an hoste, hee durst not laye hande vpon him, ⁴³ But receiued him honourably, and commended him vnto all his friendes, and gaue him rewards, and commaunded his men of warre to be as obedient vnto him as to himselfe, ⁴⁴ And said vnto Ionathan, Why hast thou caused this people to take such trauaile, seeing there is no warre betweene vs? ⁴⁵ Therefore send them now home againe, and chuse certaine men to waite vpon thee, and come thou with mee to Ptolemais: for I will giue it thee, with the other strong holdes, and the other garisons, and all them that haue the charge of the common affaires: so will I returne, and depart: for this is the cause of my comming. ⁴⁶ Ionathan beleeued him, and did as hee saide, and sent away his hoste, which went into the lande of Iuda, ⁴⁷ And reteined but three thousande with him, whereof he sent two thousand into Galile, and one thousand went with himselfe. ⁴⁸ Nowe assoone as Ionathan entred into Ptolemais, they of Ptolemais shut the gates, and tooke him, and slew all them with the sword, that came in with him. ⁴⁹ Then sent Tryphon an hoste of footemen, and horsemen into Galile, and into the great plaine, to destroy all Ionathans companie. ⁵⁰ But when they knewe that Ionathan was taken, and slaine, and those that were with him, they incouraged one another, and came foorth against them readie to the battell. ⁵¹ But when they which followed vpon them, sawe that it was a matter of life, they turned backe againe. ⁵² By this meanes all they came into the land of Iuda peaceably, and bewailed Ionathan, and them that were with him, and feared greatly, and all Israel made great lamentation. ⁵³ For all the heathen that were rounde about them, sought to destroy them. ⁵⁴ For they said, Now haue they no captaine, nor any man to helpe them: therefore let vs now fight against them, and roote out their memorie from among men.