1st Maccabees 11

CHAPTER 11

¹And the king of Egypt gathered an host, as gravel that is about the brink of the sea, and many ships; and sought for to wield the realm of Alexander in guile, and add it to his realm.

²And he went out into Syria with peaceable words, and they opened to him cities, and came to him; for why king Alexander commanded for to go out against him, for he was father of the king’s wife.

³Soothly when Ptolemy entered into a city, he putted keepings of knights in each city.

⁴And as he nighed to Azotus, they showed to him the temple of Dagon burnt in fire, and Azotus, and other things thereof were destroyed, and bodies cast forth, and the burials of them that were slain in battle, which they made beside the way.

⁵And they told to the king that Jonathan did these things, for to make envy to him; and the king was still.

⁶And Jonathan came to the king with glory into Joppa, and they greeted them together; and they slept there.

⁷And Jonathan went with the king till to the flood that is called Eleutherus, and turned again into Jerusalem.

⁸Soothly king Ptolemy wielded the lordship of cities till to Seleucia, by the sea coast, and thought against Alexander evil counsels;

⁹and sent legates to Demetrius, and said, Come thou, make we betwixt us covenant, and I shall give to thee my daughter, whom Alexander hath, and thou shalt reign in the realm of thy father.

¹⁰For it rueth me, that I gave to him my daughter; for he sought for to slay me.

¹¹And he despised him therefore, for he coveted the realm of him.

¹²And he took away his daughter, and gave her to Demetrius, and alienated him from Alexander; and his enmities were made known.

¹³And Ptolemy entered into Antioch, and putted two diadems to his head, of Egypt and of Asia.

¹⁴Forsooth Alexander, the king, was in Cilicia in those days, for they rebelled, that were in those places.

¹⁵And Alexander heard, and came to him into battle; and Ptolemy, the king, brought forth the host, and came to him in strong hand, and drove him away.

¹⁶And Alexander flew into Arabia, for to be defended there; soothly king Ptolemy was enhanced.

¹⁷And Zabdiel of Arabia took away Alexander’s head, and sent to Ptolemy.

¹⁸And king Ptolemy was dead in the third day; and they that were in strengths perished, of them that were within the castles.

¹⁹And Demetrius reigned in the hundred year and seven and sixtieth.

²⁰In those days Jonathan gathered them that were in Judea, for to overcome the high tower, that is in Jerusalem; and they made against it many engines.

²¹And some wicked men, that hated their folk, went to the king Demetrius [or to king Demetrius] , and told to him, that Jonathan besieged the high tower.

²²And as he heard, he was wroth, and anon he came to Ptolemais, and wrote to Jonathan, that he should not besiege the high tower, but should come to him in haste, to speak together.

²³Soothly as Jonathan heard, he commanded for to besiege; and he chose of the elder men of Israel, and priests, and gave him to peril.

²⁴And he took gold, and silver, and clothes, and many other presents; and went to the king, to Ptolemais, and found grace in the sight of him.

²⁵And some wicked men of his folk asked against him;

²⁶and the king did to him, as they that were before him, did to him; and he enhanced him in sight of all his friends,

²⁷and ordained to him princehood of priesthood, and whatever other precious things he had before; and made him prince of his friends.

²⁸And Jonathan asked of the king, that he should make Judea free, and three princehoods of three places, and Samaria, and nigh coasts thereof; and he promised to him three hundred talents.

²⁹And the king consented, and wrote to Jonathan epistles of all these things, containing this manner.

³⁰King Demetrius to Jonathan, brother, health, and to the folk of Jews.

³¹The ensample of [the] epistle, which we have written to Lasthenes, our father, of you, we sent to you, that ye should know.

³²King Demetrius to Lasthenes, father, health.

³³To the people of Jews, our friends, and keeping which things be just with us, we deemed for to do well, for [the] benignity of them that they have with us.

³⁴Therefore we ordained to them, all the coasts of Judea, and three cities of offerings [or three cities] , Lydda, and Ramathem, and Apherema, that be added to Judea, and Samaria, and all the nigh coast of them, for to be sequestered, or parted , to all men doing sacrifice in Jerusalem, for these things that the king took before of them by all years, and for fruits of the earth, and of apples.

³⁵And of other things that pertained to us, of tithes, and tributes, from this time we forgive to them; and the plain places of salt-making, and the crowns or crown taxes that were borne to us, all things we grant to them;

³⁶and nothing of these shall be void, from this time and into all time.

³⁷Now therefore busy ye for to make ensample of these things, and be it given to Jonathan, and be put in the holy mount, and in the solemn [or the holy] place.

³⁸And king Demetrius saw, that the land was still in his sight, and that nothing against-stood him, and let go all his host, each man into his place, except the strange host, or the host of strangers or foreigners , that he drew from isles of heathen men; and all the hosts of his fathers were enemies to him.

³⁹Forsooth one Tryphon was of the parts of Alexander before, and he saw that all the host grutched against Demetrius; and he went to Imalcue the Arabian, that nourished Antiochus, the son of Alexander.

⁴⁰And he made great instance or insistence to him, that he should betake him to him, for to reign instead of his father; and [he] told out to him, how great things Demetrius had done, and the enmities of his hosts against him; and he dwelt there many days.

⁴¹And Jonathan sent to king Demetrius, that he should cast out them [or should cast them out] , that were in the high tower in Jerusalem, and which were in helps, or strengths , for they impugned Israel.

⁴²And Demetrius sent to Jonathan, and said, Not only this I shall do to thee, and thy folk, but I shall make thee noble by glory, and thy folk, when it shall be covenable.

⁴³Now therefore rightly thou shalt do, if thou shalt send men into help to me, for all mine host went away.

⁴⁴And Jonathan sent to him three thousand of strong men, to Antioch; and they came to the king, and the king delighted in the coming of them.

⁴⁵And there came together that were of the city sixscore thousand of men [or an hundred and twenty thousand of men] , and would slay the king.

⁴⁶And the king fled into the hall. And they that were of the city occupied the ways of the city, and begun for to fight.

⁴⁷And the king called Jews into help, and all came together to him, and all were scattered by the city; and slew in that day an hundred thousand of men,

⁴⁸and [they] burnt the city, and took many spoils in that day, and delivered the king.

⁴⁹And they saw, that were of the city, that Jews had taken the city as they would; and they were made unsteadfast in their soul, and cried to the king with prayers, and said,

⁵⁰Give to us right hands, and cease the Jews for to fight against us and the city.

⁵¹And they casted away their arms, and made peace. And Jews were glorified in the sight of the king, and in the sight of all men that were in his realm, and were named in the realm. And they went again into Jerusalem, having many spoils.

⁵²And king Demetrius sat in the seat of his realm, and the land was still in his sight.

⁵³And he lied all things, whatever he said, and alienated him from Jonathan, and yielded not to him by [or after] benefices, which he had given to him; and Demetrius travailed him greatly.

⁵⁴After these things Tryphon turned again, and Antiochus, a young child, with him; and reigned, and putted on him a diadem.

⁵⁵And all hosts were gathered to him, which king Demetrius scattered; and they fought against him, and he flew, and turned backs.

⁵⁶And Tryphon took beasts, that is, elephants of the host of Demetrius , and wielded Antioch.

⁵⁷And Antiochus the young wrote to Jonathan, and said, I ordain to thee priesthood, and I ordain thee on four cities, that thou be of the king’s friends.

⁵⁸And he sent to him golden vessels, into ministry, and gave to him power to drink in gold, and for to be in purple, and for to have a golden lace, either ouch .

⁵⁹And he ordained Simon, his brother, duke from the ends of Tyre, till to the ends of Egypt.

⁶⁰And Jonathan went out, and walked over the flood by the cities; and all the host of Syria was gathered to him into help. And he came to Ascalon, and they of the city came against him worshipfully.

⁶¹And from thence he went to Gaza, and they that were at Gaza enclosed them altogether, and he besieged it. And he burnt what things were in compass of the city, and spoiled it by prey.

⁶²And men of Gaza prayed Jonathan, and he gave to them right hand, either peace . And he took the sons of them in pledges, either in hostage , and he sent them into Jerusalem, and walked through the country till to Damascus.

⁶³And Jonathan heard, that the princes of Demetrius trespassed in Kedesh, that is in Galilee, with much host, willing to remove him from need of the realm;

⁶⁴and he came against them. Forsooth he left Simon, his brother, within the province.

⁶⁵And Simon applied to or pitched at Bethsura, and fought against it many days, and enclosed altogether them [or enclosed them altogether] .

⁶⁶And they asked of him for to take right hands, and he gave to them. And he casted out them [or casted them out] from thence, and took the city, and putted therein strength.

⁶⁷And Jonathan and his host applied to the water of Gennesaret, or pitched by the Sea of Galilee , and before the light they walked in the light [or the field] of Asor

⁶⁸And lo! the hosts of aliens came against them in the field, and setted to him espies, in the hills. Soothly he came against of the contrary part.

⁶⁹Soothly the espies or ambushments rose up of their places, and joined battle. And all that were of Jonathan’s part fled,

⁷⁰and no man of them was left, no but Mattathias, son of Absalom, and Judas, son of Chalphi, princes of knighthood and host.

⁷¹And Jonathan rent his clothings, and putted earth in his head, and prayed.

⁷²And Jonathan turned again to them into battle, and altogether turned them into flight, and fought.

⁷³And they of his part that fled saw, and they turned again to him, and pursued with him till to Kedesh, to their tents, and fully [they] came till thither.

⁷⁴And there felled down in that day of aliens three thousand of them, and Jonathan turned again into Jerusalem.