A   Now when Symon herde that Triphon gathered a grat Host to come into the lande of Iuda and to destroy it: and saw that the people was in greate fearfulnesse and care: He came vp to Ierusalem and gathered the people together, ∧ gaue th&ebar; exhortacyon, saiynge: Ye knowe what great battayls I and my brethren and my fathers house haue strik&ebar; for the lawe ^note and the Sanctuarye ∧ what maner of troubles we haue sene: thorow occasyon wherof, al my brethr&ebar; are slaxne for Israels sake, and I am lefte alone. And now lett not me spare my own life in any maner of trouble, for I am no better then my brethren: but wyll aueng my people and the Sanctuarye, oure chyldren and oure wyues: for all the Heathen are gathered together, to destroy vs of very malyce.

At these wordes the hertes of the people were kyndled together, so that they cried &wt; a loude voyce, saiynge: Thou shalte be oure captayne in steade of Iudas and Ionathas thy brethren, order thou oure battell, ∧ whatsoeuer thou commaundest vs, we shall do it. So he gathered all the men of warre making haste to finysh all the walles of Ierusalem, which he made strong rounde aboute. Then B   sente he Ionathas the sonne of Absalomus wyth a fresh host vnto Ioppa, whych droue th&ebar; out þt; were in the castell, and remayned there him selfe. Triphon also remoued from Ptolomias with a greate armie, to come into the lande of Iuda, and Ionathas with him in warde. And Simon pytched his tentes at Addus before the playne felde.

But when Triphon knewe that Symon stode vp in steade of hys brother Ionathas, ∧ that he wolde warre agaynst hym: he sent messaungers vnto him, saiyng: Wher as we haue kepte Ionathas thy brother, it is for money that he is owynge in the kynges accompte, concerninge the busynesse þt; he had in hande. Wherefore sende now an .C. talentes of syluer and his two sonnes for suertye, that when he is letten forth he shall not forsake vs: and we shall sende him agayne. Neuerthelesse Symon knewe, that he dyssembled in his wordes: yet commaunded he the money ∧ chyldren to be delyuered vnto hym: lest he should be the greater enemye against the people of Israell, and say: because he sent him not the money and the children, therfore is Ionathas dead.

C   So Symon sent hym the chyldren and an h&ubar;dreth tal&ebar;tes, but he dessembled, ∧ would not let Ionathas go. Afterwarde came Triphon into the lande, to destroye it, and wente rounde aboute by the waye, that ledeth vnto Ador. Butt wheresoeuer they wente, thyther wente Symon and his hoste also. Now they that were in the castell, sent messaungers vnto Tryphon, þt; he should make hast to come by the wyldernesse, and to sende th&ebar; vytales: And Triphon made ready al his horsmen to come that same night. Neuerthelesse it was a very greate snowe, so that he came not in Galaadithim. And wh&ebar; he drew nye Baschama, he slew Ionathas and hys sonnes ther, and then turned for to go home into his owne land.

Then sent Symon for to fet his brothers dead coarse, and buryed it in Modyn his fathers cyty. So all Israell bewayled hym &wt; great lamentacyon, and mourned for hym very longe. And Symon made vpon the sepulcher of his father and hys brethr&ebar; a buyldynge hye to loke vnto of fre stone behynde ∧ before: and set vp seu&ebar; pyllers, one agaynst another (for his father, hys mother and four brethen, and set great pillers rounde aboute, with armes vpon them for a perpetuall memory, and carued shyppes besyde the armes that they myght be sene of men saylynge in the sea. This sepulcre whiche he made Modin, standeth yet vnto this day.

D   Now as Triphon went forth to walke &wt;

þe; yonge kyng Antiochus, ^note he slewe hym traiterously, and raigned in his steade, crowned him self kyng of Asia. and dyd much euell in the lande. Symon also buylte vp the castels in Iewry, makinge them strong wyth highe towers, great walles portes and lockes, and layed vp vytayles in the stronge holdes. And Symon chose certayne men, and sente them to kynge Demetryus: to desyre hym, that he wolde discharge the land from all bondage, for Triphon had spoyled it very sore. Whervpon Demetrius the kynge answered hym, and wrote vnto him after this maner.

Demetryus the kynge sendeth gretynge vnto Symon the hye priest hys frende, wyth the elders ∧ people of the Iewes. The gold&ebar; crowne and precious stone that ye sent vnto vs, haue we receaued: and are ready to make a stedfast peace with you, yee ∧ to wryte vnto oure officers, for to release you, concernynge the thynges wherin we made you fre ∧ the appoyntment that we make wyth you, shalbe fyrm and stable. The stronge holdes which ye haue buylded, shalbe youre owne. As for anye ouer syght or fawte commytted vnto this daye, we forgeue it, ∧ the crowne taxe þt; ye oughte vs also. And where as was any other trybute in Ierusalem, it shal now be no tribute: and loke who are mete among you to be in oure courte, let them be wrytten vp, that ther maye be peace betwyxt vs.

Thus the yock of the Heathen was taken from Israell, E   in the hundreth and seuentye yeare. And the people of the Iewes beganne to wryte in their letters ∧ actes on thys maner. In þe; fyrste yeare of Symon þe; hye prest, and prynce of the Iewes. ^note

In those dayes went Symon vnto Gaza, and beseged it rounde aboute, where he sette vp ordinaunce of war. And wanne a tower whyche he toke: So they that gatte into the tower leapte in the cytye, whyche was in a greate feare: In so muche that the people of the citye rente their clothes, and climmed vp vpon the walles with their wyues ∧ chyldr&ebar; besechynge Symon to be at one wyth them: sayenge.

O rewarde vs not after our wyckednes, but be gracious vnto vs, and we shal do the seruyce. Then Symon for very pyte, wolde fight nomore against them, but put them out of the cytie, and caused the houses (wherin þe; Images were) to be cl&ebar;sed: and so entred the cytye wyth Psalmes of praise, geuyng thankes vnto the Lorde. So when he had caste all abhomynacyons out of the cytye, he sette such men in it as kept the lawe of God, and made the city stronge, and buylded a dwelling place for him selfe.

F   Nowe when they in the castall at Ierusalem were kepte so streaightly, þt; they coulde not come forth nor into the contre, ∧ myghte nether bye ner sell: they were verye hungrye and many of them famyshed to death: In so much that they besoughte Sym&obar; to be at one with th&ebar;, which he graunted them. So he put them out from thence, and clensed the castle from fylthynesse. And vpon the .xxiij. day of the sec&obar;d moneth in the .Clxxi. yeare they entred into it wyth thankes geuing and braunches of palme trees, wyth harpes, crowdes, cymbals, and lutes, syngynge spalmes, and songes of praise vnto God, for that the great enemy of Israel was ouercome.

And Symon ordened that the same daye should be kepte euery yeare in gladnesse and made stronge the hill of the temple that was besyde the castell, where he dwelt hym selfe with his c&obar;pany. Symon also perceauynge that Iohn his sonne was a myghtye man of armes, made him captayne of all the hostes, and caused him to dwel at Gaza.

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