1 And in the year an hundreth threescore came up Alexander the son of Antiochus, that was surnamed Noble: and he took Ptolemais, and they received him, and he reigned there.
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.
2 And Demetrius the king heard it, and he gathered together an exceeding great army, and went forth to meet him into battle.
2 And king Demetrius heard of it, and gathered together an exceeding great army, and went forth against him to fight.
3 And Demetrius sent an epistle to Jonathas in peaceable words, to magnify him.
3 And Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan, with peaceable words, to magnify him.
4 For he said: Let us prevent to make peace with him, before he make with Alexander against us:
4 For he said: Let us first make a peace with him, before he make one with Alexander against us.
5 for he will remember all the evils, that we have done against him, and against his brother, and against his nation.
5 For he will remember all the evils that we have done against him, and against his brother, and against his nation.
6 And he gave him authority to gather an army, and to make weapons, and to be himself his fellow: and the hostages that were in the castle, he commanded to be delivered to him.
6 And he gave him authority to gather together an 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.
7 And Jonathas came into Jerusalem, and read the epistles in the hearing of all the people, and of them that were in the castle.
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.
8 And they feared with great fear, because they heard that the king gave him authority to gather an army.
8 And they were struck with great fear, because they heard that the king had given him authority to gather together an army.
9 And the hostages were delivered to Jonathas, and he rendered them to their parents.
9 And the hostages were delivered to Jonathan, and he restored them to their parents.
10 And Jonathas dwelt in Jerusalem, and began to build, & to renew the city.
10 And Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem, and began to build, and to repair the city.
11 And he spake to them that made the works, that they should build the walls, and mount Sion round about with square stones for munition: and so they did.
11 And he ordered workmen to build the walls, and mount Sion round about with square stones for fortification: and so they did.
12 And the Aliens fled that were in the holds, which Bacchides had built:
12 Then the strangers that were in the strong holds, which Bacchides had built, fled away.
13 and every man left his place, & departed into his own country:
13 And every man left his place, and departed into his own country:
14 only in Bethsura there remained some of them, that had forsaken the law, and the precepts of God: for this was for a refuge to them.
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.
15 And Alexander the king heard of the promises, that Demetrius had promised to Jonathas: and they told him the battles, & the worthy acts that he did, and his brethren, and the labours, that they endured:
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 labors that they had endured.
16 and he said: Why, shall we find any such man? And now we will make him a friend, and our fellow.
16 And he said: Shall we find such another man? Now, therefore, we will make him our friend and our confederate.
17 And he wrote an epistle, and sent it to him according to these words, saying:
17 So he wrote a letter, and sent it to him according to these words, saying:
18 King Alexander to his brother Jonathas greeting.
18 King Alexander to his brother, Jonathan, greetings.
19 We have heard of thee, that thou art mighty of power, and art meet to be our friend:
19 We have heard of thee, that thou art a man of great power, and fit to be our friend:
20 and now we make thee this day high Priest of thy nation, that thou be called the king's friend (& he sent him purple, and a crown of gold) & in our affairs thou be of one mind with us, and keep amity towards us.
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.
21 And Jonathas put on him the holy stole the seventh month, in the year an hundreth threescore in the solemn day of Scenopegia: and he gathered an army, and made very many weapons.
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.
22 And Demetrius heard these words, and was exceeding sorry, and said:
22 And Demetrius heard these words, and was exceeding sorry, and said:
23 What is this that we have done, that Alexander hath prevented us to take the friendship of the Jews for his strength?
23 What is this that we have done, that Alexander hath prevented us to gain the friendship of the Jews to strengthen himself?
24 I also will write to them words of request, and dignities, and gifts: that they may be with me to aid me.
24 I also will write to them words of request, and offer dignities, and gifts: that they may be with me to aid me.
25 And he wrote to them in these words: King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews greeting.
25 And he wrote to them in these words: King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews, greeting.
26 Because you have kept covenant towards us, and have continued in our amity, and have not joined to our enemies, we have heard of it, and are glad.
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.
27 And now persevere still to keep fidelity towards us, & we will reward you with good things, for that you have done with us.
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.
28 And we will remit you many charges, and will give you many gifts.
28 And we will remit to you many charges, and will give you gifts.
29 And now I release you, and all the Jews from tributes, & I pardon you the prices of salt, & remit the crowns, & the thirds of the seed:
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:
30 and the half of the fruit of trees, which is my portion, I leave to you from this day forward, that it be not taken of the land of Juda, and of the three cities that are added thereto of Samaria, & Galilee from this day & for ever:
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 forever:
31 & let Jerusalem be holy, and free with the coasts thereof: & the tithes, & tributes be they to it.
31 And let Jerusalem be holy and free, with the borders thereof: and let the tenths, and tributes be for itself.
32 I release also the authority of the castle, that is in Jerusalem, and I give it to the high priest, to place therein men whomsoever he shall choose, that may keep it.
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.
33 And every soul of the Jews, that is captive from the land of Juda in all my kingdom, I dismiss free for nothing, that all may be discharged also from tributes of their cattle.
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.
34 And all the solemn days, & the sabbaths, & the new moons, & the days appointed, and three days before the solemn day, and three days after the solemn day let them all be of immunity & remission, to all the Jews that are in my kingdom:
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:
35 & no man shall have power to do any thing, & to make businesses against any of them in any cause.
35 And no man shall have power to do anything against them, or to molest any of them, in any cause.
36 And let there be enrolled of the Jews in the king's army to the number of thirty thousand men: & allowance shall be given them as behoveth to all the king's bands, & of them there shall be ordained certain, that shall be in the fortresses of the great king:
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:
37 and of these there shall be appointed over the affairs of the kingdom, that are done of trust, and let there be princes of them, and let them walk in their own laws, as the king hath commanded in the land of Juda.
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.
38 And the three cities that are added to Jury of the country of Samaria, let them be accounted with Jury: that they may be under one, and obey no other power, but the high priest's:
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:
39 Ptolomais, and the confines thereof, which I have given for a gift to the holies, that are in Jerusalem, to the necessary charges of the holy things.
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.
40 And I give every year fifteen thousand sicles of silver of the king's accounts, that belong to me:
40 And I give every year fifteen thousand sicles of silver out of the king’s accounts, of what belongs to me:
41 & all that is above which they had not rendered, that were over the affairs the years before, from this time they shall give it to the works of the house.
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.
42 And beside these five thousand sicles of silver, which they received of the account of the holies every year: & let these pertain to the priests, that execute the ministry.
42 Moreover, the five thousand sicles of silver, which they received from the account of the holy places, every year, shall also belong to the priests that execute the ministry.
43 And whosoever fly into the temple that is in Jerusalem, and in all the coasts thereof, in the king's danger for matter, let them be dismissed, & all things, that they have in my kingdom, let them have it free.
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.
44 And to build or repair the works of the holy places, the charges shall be given of the king's account:
44 For the building also, or repairing the works of the holy places, the charges shall be given out of the king’s revenues:
45 and to build the walls in Jerusalem, and to fortify them round about, the charges shall be given of the king's account, and to build the walls in Jurie.
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.
46 But as Jonathas, & the people heard these words, they believed them not, nor received them: because they remembered the great mischief, that he had done in Israel, and had afflicted them exceedingly.
46 Now when Jonathan and the people heard these words, ¹they 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.
47 And their liking was toward Alexander, because he had been the first mover of the words of peace unto them, & him they aided all days.
47 And their inclinations were towards Alexander, because he had been the chief promoter of peace in their regard, and him they always helped.
48 And king Alexander gathered a great army, & moved the camp near to Demetrius.
48 And King Alexander gathered together a great army, and moved his camp near to Demetrius.
49 And the two kings joined battle, and the army of Demetrius fled, & Alexander pursued him, & urged them sore.
49 And the two kings joined battle, and the army of Demetrius fled away, and Alexander pursued after him, and pressed them close.
50 And the battle grew very sore, till the sun went down: & Demetrius was slain in that day.
50 And the battle was hard fought, till the sun went down: and Demetrius was slain that day.
51 And Alexander sent legates to Ptolomee king of Ægypt according to these words, saying:
51 And Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemee king of Egypt, with words to this effect, saying:
52 Because I am returned into my Kingdom, and am set in the seat of my fathers, & have obtained the princedom, & have destroyed Demetrius, & possessed our country,
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,
53 and have joined battle with him, and he is destroyed himself, & his camp by us, and we sit in the seat of his kingdom:
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:
54 and now let us make amity one with another: & give me thy daughter to wife, and I will be thy son in law, & I will give thee gifts, and to her dignity.
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.
55 And king Ptolomee answered, saying: Happy is the day wherein thou art returned to the land of thy fathers, and art set in the seat of their kingdom.
55 And king Ptolemee answered, saying: Happy is the day wherein thou didst return to the land of thy fathers, and sattest in the throne of their kingdom.
56 And now I will do to thee that which thou hast written: but meet me at Ptolomais, that we may see one another, and I may despouse her to thee as thou hast said.
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.
57 And Ptolomee went out of Ægypt, he & Cleopatra his daughter, & he came to Ptolomais in the year an hundred threescore and two.
57 So Ptolemee went out of Egypt, with Cleopatra his daughter, and he came to Ptolemais, in the hundred and sixty-second year.
58 And Alexander the king met him, & he gave him Cleopatra his daughter: and he made her marriage at Ptolomais, as kings in great glory.
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.
59 And king Alexander wrote to Jonathas, that he should come to meet him.
59 And king Alexander wrote to Jonathan, that he should come and meet him.
60 And he went with glory to Ptolomais, & he met there the two kings, & he gave them much silver, & gold, & gifts: & he found grace in their sight.
60 And he went honorably to Ptolemais, and he met there the two kings, and he gave them much silver, and gold, and presents: and he found favor in their sight.
61 And there assembled against him pestilent men of Israel, wicked men soliciting against him: & the king attended not to them.
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.
62 And he commanded Jonathas to be changed of his garments, & that he should be clothed with purple: and so they did. And the king placed him to sit with himself.
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.
63 And he said to his princes: Go ye out with him into the midst of the city, & proclaim, that no man solicit against him for any matter, & that no man be troublesome unto him for any cause.
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.
64 And it came to pass, as they that solicited saw his glory that was published, & him covered with purple, they all fled:
64 So when his accusers saw his glory proclaimed, and him clothed with purple, they all fled away.
65 & the king magnified him, & wrote him amongst his chief friends, & made him Duke, & partaker of the princedom.
65 And the king magnified him, and enrolled him amongst his chief friends, and made him governor, and partaker of his dominion.
66 And Jonathas returned into Jerusalem with peace & joy.
66 And Jonathan returned into Jerusalem with peace and joy.
67 In the year an hundreth sixty five came Demetrius the son of Demetrius from Crete into the land of his fathers.
67 In the year one hundred and sixty-five, Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, came from Crete into the land of his fathers.
68 And Alexander the king heard it, & he was very sorry, & returned to Antioch.
68 And king Alexander heard of it, and was much troubled, and returned to Antioch.
69 And Demetrius the king made Apollonius general, who was ruler of Coelesiria: & he gathered a great army, & came to Jamnia: & he sent to Jonathas the high priest,
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,
70 saying: Thou only resistest us, & I am brought into derision, & into reproach, because thou doest exercise power against us in the mountains.
70 Saying: Thou alone standest against us, and I am laughed at and reproached, because thou showest thy power against us in the mountains.
71 Now therefore if thou trust in thy forces, come down to us in the plain, let us compare there one with another: because with me is the force of battles.
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.
72 Ask, & learn who I am, & the rest, that aid me, who also say that your foot cannot stand before our face, because twice have thy fathers been put to flight in their own land:
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:
73 and now how wilt thou be able to abide the horsemen, & so great an army in the plain, where is no stone, nor rock, nor place to fly?
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?
74 But as Jonathas heard the words of Apollonius, he was moved in mind: & he chose ten thousand men, & went forth from Jerusalem, & Simon his brother met him to aid him.
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.
75 And they moved the camp to Joppe, & it shut him out of the city: because the garrison of Apollonius was in Joppe, & he assaulted it.
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.
76 And they that were in the city being put in great fear, opened to him, & Jonathas obtained Joppe.
76 And they that were in the city being affrighted, opened the gates to him: so Jonathan took Joppe.
77 And Apollonius heard it, & he took three thousand horsemen, & a great army.
77 And Apollonius heard of it, and he took three thousand horsemen, and a great army.
78 And he went to Azotus as making journey, and immediately he went forth into the plain: because he had a multitude of horsemen, and he trusted in them. And Jonathas pursued him unto Azotus, and they joined battle.
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.
79 And Apollonius left in the camp a thousand horsemen behind them secretly.
79 And Apollonius left privately in the camp a thousand horsemen behind them.
80 And Jonathas understood that there was an embushment behind him, and they compassed his camp, and they threw darts upon the people from morning even unto evening.
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.
81 But the people stood, as Jonathas had commanded: and their horses laboured.
81 But the people stood still, as Jonathan had commanded them: and so their horses were fatigued.
82 And Simon put forth his army, and joined it against the legion: for the horsemen were wearied: and they were discomfited by him, and fled.
82 Then Simon drew forth his army, and attacked the legion: for the horsemen were wearied: and they were discomfited by him, and fled.
83 And they that were scattered by the plain, fled into Azotus, and entered into Bethdagon their idol house, there to save themselves.
83 And they that were scattered about the plain fled into Azotus, and went into Bethdagon, their idol’s temple, there to save themselves.
84 And Jonathas burnt Azotus, and the cities that were round about it, and he took the spoils of them, and the temple of Dagon: and all that fled into it, he burnt with fire.
84 But Jonathan set fire to Azotus, and the cities that were round about it, and took the spoils of them and the temple of Dagon: and all them that were fled into it, he burnt with fire.
85 And there were that were slain by the sword, with these that were burnt, almost eight thousand men.
85 So they that were slain by the sword, with them that were burnt, were almost eight thousand men.
86 And Jonathas removed the camp from thence, and brought it to Ascalon: and they went out of the city to meet him in great glory.
86 And Jonathan, removed his army from thence and camped against Ascalon: and they went out of the city to meet him with great honor.
87 And Jonathas returned into Jerusalem with his company, having many spoils.
87 And Jonathan returned into Jerusalem with his people, having many spoils.
88 And it came to pass: as Alexander the king heard these words, he added yet to glorify Jonathas.
88 And it came to pass, when Alexander the king heard these words, that he honored Jonathan yet more.
89 And he sent him a chain of gold, as the custom is to be given to the cousins of kings. And he gave him Accaron and all the borders thereof in possession.
89 And he sent him a buckle of gold, as the custom is, to be given to such as are of the royal blood. And he gave him Accaron, and all the borders thereof, in possession.