1st Maccabees 10

CHAPTER 10

¹And in the hundred and sixtieth year Alexander, the son of Antiochus, went up, that is named noble or Epiphanes , [or Alexander, son of Antiochus, that is named noble, went up] , and occupied Ptolemais; and they received him, and he reigned there.

²And king Demetrius heard, and gathered an host full copious, and went out against him into battle.

³And Demetrius sent [an] epistle to Jonathan with peaceable words, for to magnify him.

⁴For he said, Before take we for to make peace with him, before that he make with Alexander against us;

⁵for he shall have mind of all evils, that we have done against him, and against his brothers, and against his folk.

⁶And he gave to him [or he gave him] power to gather host, and for to make arms, and him for to be his fellow. And he commanded hostages, either pledges , that were in the high tower, for to be given to him.

⁷And Jonathan came into Jerusalem, and read epistles, in hearing of all the people, and of them that were in the high tower.

⁸And they dreaded with great dread, for they heard, that the king gave him power to gather an host.

⁹And hostages were betaken to Jonathan, and he yielded them to their fathers and mothers.

¹⁰And Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem, and began for to build and renew the city.

¹¹And he said to men doing works, that they should make up the walls, and the hill of Zion in compass, with square stones to strengthening; and they did so.

¹²And aliens fled, that were in the strengths, which Bacchides had builded;

¹³and each man left his place, and went into his land.

¹⁴Only in Bethsura dwelt some of them, that forsook the law and the behests of God; for why this was to them to refuge.

¹⁵And Alexander the king heard promises, that Demetrius promised to Jonathan, and they told to him the battles and virtues which he did, and his brethren, and the travails which they travailed.

¹⁶And he said, Whether we shall find any such man? And now make we him our friend and fellow.

¹⁷And he wrote epistle, and sent, by [or after] these words, saying,

¹⁸King Alexander to Jonathan, brother, health.

¹⁹We have heard of thee, that thou art a mighty man in strengths, and art able that thou be our friend.

²⁰And now we ordain thee today highest priest of thy folk, and that thou be called friend of the king. And he sent to him purple, and a golden crown, that thou feel with us what things be ours, and keep friendships to us.

²¹And Jonathan clothed him with an holy stole [or the holy stole] , in the seventh month, in the hundred and sixtieth year, in the solemn day of Scenopegia. And he gathered an host, and made copious or plenteous arms.

²²And Demetrius heard these words, and was made full sorrowful, and said,

²³What have we done this thing, that Alexander before-occupied us, for to catch friendship of Jews, to his strengthening?

²⁴And I shall write to him praying words, and dignities, and gifts, that he be with me in help.

²⁵And he wrote to him by these words, King Demetrius to the folk of Jews, health.

²⁶For ye kept to us covenant, and dwelt in our friendship, and went not to our enemies, we heard, and joyed.

²⁷And now last ye yet for to keep to us faith; and we shall requite to you good things, for these things that ye did to us,

²⁸and we shall forgive to you many [givings of] rents, and we shall give gifts to you.

²⁹And now I absolve you, and all Jews, of tributes, and I forgive to you the prices of salt, and forgive crowns or crown taxes ,

³⁰and the third part of seed; and I leave to you from this day and afterward, the half part of fruit of the trees, that is of my portion, that it be not taken of the land of Judea, and of three cities that be added thereto, of Samaria and Galilee, from this day and into all time.

³¹And Jerusalem be holy, and free, with his coasts; and tithes and tributes be of it.

³²Also I forgive the power of the high tower, that is in Jerusalem; and I give it to the high [or highest] priest, that he ordain therein men, which-ever [or whomever] he shall choose, that shall keep it.

³³And each person of Jews, that is captive of the land of Judea, in all my realm, I deliver free willfully, or without money , that all be absolved of their tributes, yea, of their beasts.

³⁴And all solemn days, and sabbaths, and new moons, and all days ordained, and three days before the solemn day, and three days after the solemn day, all these be days of immunity, or franchise , and of remission, to all Jews that be in my realm.

³⁵And no man shall have power for to do anything, and move needs, or causes , against any of them in any cause.

³⁶And that there be written of Jews in the king’s host, to thirty thousands of men; and plenties shall be given to them, as it behooveth to all hosts of the king.

³⁷And of them shall be ordained, that be in the great strengths of the king; of them shall be ordained over needs of the realm, that be done of faith, and princes be of them; and walk they in their laws, as the king commanded in the land of Judea.

³⁸And three cities, that be added to Judea of the country of Samaria, be areckoned, or deemed , with Judea; that they be under one, and obey not to other power, no but to the highest priest;

³⁹Ptolemais, and the coasts thereof, which I have given a gift to holy men that be in Jerusalem, to needful costs of saints.

⁴⁰And I shall give in each year fifteen thousand of shekels of silver, of the king’s reasons, that pertain to me;

⁴¹and all that is residue, which they that were over needs yielded not in former years, from this time they shall give into the works of the house.

⁴²And over this, five thousand shekels of silver, which they took of reason of holy things by each year; and these things shall pertain to priests, that use [or be set in] ministry.

⁴³And whoever shall flee to the temple that is in Jerusalem, and in all coasts thereof, and be guilty to the king, in any cause, be dismissed, or released ; and have they free all things, that be to them in my realm.

⁴⁴And to build, or restore , works of holy things, costs, or expenses , shall be given of the king’s reason, or rent ,

⁴⁵and for to build out the walls of Jerusalem; and for to make strong in compass, expenses shall be given of the king’s reason, or rent , for to make out walls in Judea.

⁴⁶As Jonathan and the people heard these words, they believed not to them, neither received them ; for they had mind of the great malice that he had done in Israel, and had troubled them greatly.

⁴⁷And it pleased altogether to them in Alexander, for he was to them prince of words of peace, and to him they bare help in all days.

⁴⁸And king Alexander gathered a great host, and moved tents against Demetrius.

⁴⁹And the kings joined battle, and the host of Demetrius fled; and Alexander pursued him, and lay on them;

⁵⁰and the battle was full strong, till the sun went down, and Demetrius fell in that day.

⁵¹And Alexander sent to Ptolemy, king of Egypt, legates by these words, and said,

⁵²For I came again into my realm, and sat in the seat of my fathers; and I have wielded princehood, and I have all-broken Demetrius, and have wielded our country;

⁵³and I have joined fight with him, and he and his hosts be all-fouled [or is broken altogether] of us, and we sat in the seat of his realm.

⁵⁴And now ordain we together friendship, and give thy daughter a wife to me, and I shall be thy daughter’s husband; and I shall give to thee gifts, and to her dignity.

⁵⁵And king Ptolemy answered, saying, Blessed be the day in which thou turnedest again to the land of thy fathers, and hast sat in the seat of the realm of them.

⁵⁶And now I shall do to thee which things thou hast written; but come thou against me to, or meet me at , Ptolemais, that we see us together, and I promise to thee, as thou saidest.

⁵⁷And Ptolemy went out of Egypt, he and Cleopatra, his daughter; and he came to Ptolemais, in the hundred and two and sixtieth year.

⁵⁸And Alexander, the king [or king Alexander] , came to him; and he gave to him Cleopatra, his daughter, and made his weddings at Ptolemais, as kings in great glory.

⁵⁹And king Alexander wrote to Jonathan, that he should come against or meet him.

⁶⁰And he went with glory to Ptolemais, and met there the two kings, and gave to them much silver, and gold, and gifts; and found grace in the sight of them.

⁶¹And men of Israel, full of venom, came together against him, wicked men, asking against him, and the king took no attention to them;

⁶²and commanded Jonathan for to be made naked of his clothes, and him for to be clothed in purple; and they did so.

⁶³And the king setted [or set] him for to sit with him, and said to his princes, Go ye out with him into the middle of the city, and preach ye, that no man ask against him of any need, or cause , neither any man be heavy to him of any reason.

⁶⁴And it was done, as they that asked, [or appealed him] , saw his glory that was preached, and him covered with purple, all fled.

⁶⁵And the king magnified him, and wrote him among the first friends, and putted him duke, and partner, or fellow , of princehood.

⁶⁶And Jonathan turned again into Jerusalem, with peace and gladness.

⁶⁷In the hundred year and five and sixtieth, Demetrius, the son of Demetrius, came from Crete into the land of his fathers.

⁶⁸And king Alexander heard, and was made full sorrowful, and turned again to Antioch.

⁶⁹And Demetrius ordained Apollonius duke, that was sovereign of Coele-syria; and he gathered his great host, and came to Jamnia; and sent to Jonathan, the highest priest, and said,

⁷⁰Thou alone against-standest us; I am made into scorn and shame therefore, for thou hauntest power in hills against us.

⁷¹Now therefore if thou trustest in thy virtues, come down to us into the field; and there assemble [or comparison] we together, for with me is virtue of battles.

⁷²Ask thou, and learn who I am, and others that be in help to me, and which say, that your foot may not stand against our face, for thy fathers were converted into flight twice into their land.

⁷³And now how shalt thou be able to sustain multitude of horsemen, and so great host in the field, where is no stone, nor rock, neither place of fleeing?

⁷⁴Soothly as Jonathan heard these words of Apollonius, he was moved in heart; and he chose ten thousand men, and went out from Jerusalem, and Simon, his brother, came to him into help.

⁷⁵And they pitched tents in Joppa, and it, that is, the people of Joppa , shutted out him [or shut him out] from the city, for Joppa was the keeping of Apollonius;

⁷⁶and he fought against it, that is, Jonathan fought against Joppa . And they were aghast, that were within the city, and opened to him; and Jonathan wielded Joppa.

⁷⁷And Apollonius heard, and moved three thousand of horsemen, and much host; and went to Azotus, as making way. And anon he went out into the field, for that he had [a] multitude of horsemen, and he trusted in them;

⁷⁸and Jonathan pursued him into Azotus, and they joined battle.

⁷⁹And Apollonius left in tents a thousand horsemen behind them privily.

⁸⁰And Jonathan knew that ambush-ments were behind him, and they environed his tents, and casted darts into the people, from the morrow till to eventide [or unto even] .

⁸¹Forsooth the people stood, as Jonathan commanded, and the horses of them travailed out.

⁸²And Simon led out his host, and joined against the legion; forsooth [the] horsemen were made weary, and were all-broken of him, and fled.

⁸³And they that were scattered in the field, fled into Azotus; and entered into the house of Dagon [or into Bethdagon] , their idol, that there they should deliver themselves.

⁸⁴And Jonathan burnt Azotus, and cities that were in compass thereof, and took spoils of them; and he burnt in fire the temple of Dagon, and them that fled into it.

⁸⁵And there were that fell by sword with them that were burnt, almost eight thousand men.

⁸⁶And from thence Jonathan moved tents, and applied them to or pitched at Ascalon; and they went out of the city against him in great glory.

⁸⁷And Jonathan turned again to Jerusalem with his men, having many spoils.

⁸⁸And it was done, as king Alexander heard these words, he putted to yet for to glorify Jonathan.

⁸⁹And he sent to him a golden lace, either ouch , as custom is to be given to cousins of kings; and he gave to him Ekron, and all coasts thereof in possession.