1    ^noteNowe when Simon heard that Tryphon gathered a great hoste to come into the land of Iuda, to destroy it,

2   And sawe that the people was in great trembling and feare, he came vp to Ierusalem, and gathered the people together,

3   And gaue them exhortation, saying, Ye know what great thinges I, and my brethren, and my fathers house haue done for the Lawe, & the Sanctuarie, and the battels, & troubles that we haue seene.

4   By reason whereof all my brethren are slaine for Israels sake, and I am left alone.

5   Nowe therefore God forbid, that I shoulde spare mine owne life in any time of trouble: for I am not better then my brethren.

6   But I wil auenge my nation, and the Sanctuarie, and our wiues, and our children: for all the heathen are gathered together to destroye vs of very malice.

7   In hearing these words the hearts of the people were kindled,

8   So that they cried with a lowd voyce, saying, Thou shalt be our captaine in steade of Iudas and Ionathan thy brethren.

9   Fight thou our battels, and whatsoeuer thou commaundest vs, we will doe it.

10   ¶2; So hee gathered all the men of warre, making hast to finish the walles of Ierusalem, and fortified it round about.

11   Then sent he Ionathan the sonne of Absalomus with a great host vnto Ioppe, which droue them out that were therein, and remained there himselfe.

12   Tryphon also remoued from Ptolemais with a great armie, to come into the land of Iuda, and Ionathan was with him as prisoner.

13   And Simon pitched his tents at ^note Addidis vpon the open plaine.

14   But when Tryphon knew that Simon stoode vp in steade of his brother Ionathan, and that hee woulde fight against him, hee sent messengers vnto him, saying,

15   Whereas we haue kept Ionathan thy brother, it is for money that hee is owing in the Kings account concerning the busines that he had in hand.

16   Wherefore send now an hundreth talents of siluer, and his two sonnes for hostages, that when he is letten foorth, hee will not turne from vs, and

we will send him againe.

17   Neuertheles Simon knew that he dissembled in his wordes, yet commaunded he the money and children to be deliuered vnto him, least he should be in greater hatred of the people of Israel.

18   Who might haue sayd, Because he sent him not the money and the children, therefore is Ionathan dead.

19   So he sent the children and an hundreth talents: but he dissembled, and would not let Ionathan goe.

20   ¶2; Afterward came Tryphon into the land to destroy it, and went round about by the way, that leadeth vnto Adora: but wheresoeuer they went, thither went Simon and his hoste.

21   Now they that were in the castell, sent messengers vnto Tryphon, that hee should make haste to come by the wildernes, & to send them vittailes.

22   So Tryphon made ready all his horsemen: but the same night fell a very great snowe, so that he came not, because of the snowe: but he remoued and went into the countrey of Galaad.

23   And when hee came neere to Bascama, he slewe Ionathan, and he was buried there.

24   So Tryphon returned, and went into his owne land.

25   ¶2; Then sent Simon to take the bones of Ionathan his brother, and they buried him in Modin his fathers citie.

26   And all Israel bewailed him with great lamentation, and mourned for him very long.

27   And Simon made vpon the sepulchre of his father and his brethren, a building hie to looke vnto, of hewen stone behinde and before,

28   And set vp seuen pillars vpon it, one against another, for his father, his mother, and foure brethren,

29   And set great pillars round about them, and set armes vpon the pillars for a perpetuall memorie, and carued ships beside the armes, that they might be seene of men sayling in the sea.

30   This sepulchre which hee made at Modin, standeth yet vnto this day.

31    ^note¶2; Nowe as Tryphon went foorth with the yong King Antiochus, he slew him traiterously,

32   And reigned in his steade, and crowned him selfe King of Asia, and brought a great plague vpon the land.

33   Simon also built vp the castels of Iudea, and compassed them about with hie towers, and great walles, euen with towers, and gates, and barres, and layde vp vittailes in the strong holdes.

34   Moreouer Simon chose certaine men & sent them to king Demetrius, that he would discharge the land: for all Tryphons doings were robberies.

35   Whereupon Demetrius the king answered him, and wrote vnto him after this maner,

36   Demetrivs the King vnto Simon the hie Priest, and the friend of Kings, & to the Elders and to the nation of the Iewes sendeth greeting.

37   The golden crowne, and ^note precious stone that ye sent vnto vs, haue we receiued, and are ready to make a stedfast peace with you, and to write vnto the officers, to release you of the things wherein we made you free.

38   So the things that we haue graunted you, shall be stable: the strong holdes which ye haue builded, shalbe your owne.

39   Also we forgiue the ouersights, and faultes committed vnto this day, and the crowne taxe that ye ought vs: and whereas was any other tribute in Ierusalem, it shalbe nowe no tribute.

40   And they that are meete among you to be written with our men, let them be written vp, that there may be peace betweene vs.

41   Thus the yoke of the heathen was taken from Israel in the hundred and seuentie yeere.

42   And the people of Israel began to write in their letters, and publique instruments, In The First yeere of Simon, the hie and chiefe Priest, gouernour and prince of the Iewes.

43   In those dayes Simon camped against Gaza, and besieged it round about, where he set vp an engine of warre, and approched neere the citie, and beat a tower, and tooke it.

44   So they that were in the engine, leapt into the citie, and there was great trouble in the citie,

45   In so much that the people of the citie rent their clothes, and climed vp vpon the walles with their wiues, & children, & cried with a loud voyce, beseeching Simon to graunt them peace, saying,

46   Deale not with vs according to our wickednes, but according to thy mercy.

47   Then Simon pitied them, and would fight no more against them, but put them out of the citie, and clensed the houses, wherein the idoles were, and so entred thereunto with psalmes and thankesgiuing.

48   So when he had cast all the filthines out, he set such men in it as kept the Law, and fortified it, and builded there a dwelling place for him selfe.

49   Nowe, when they in the castell at Ierusalem were kept, that they could not come foorth nor goe into the countrey, neither buy nor sell, they were very hungry, & many of them were famished to death,

50   In so much that they besought Simon to make peace with them: which he graunted them, and put them out from thence, and clensed the castell from filthines.

51   And vpon the three and twentie day of the second moneth, in the hundreth seuentie and one yeere, they entred into it with thankesgiuing, and branches of palme trees, and with harpes, and with cymbales, and with violes, & with psalmes, & songs, because the great enemie of Israel was ouercome.

52   And he ordeined that the same day should be kept euery yeere with gladnes.

53   And he fortified the mount of the Temple that was beside the castell where he dwelt himselfe with his company.

54   Simon also seeing that Iohn his sonne was now a man, he made him captaine of all the hostes, and caused him to dwell in ^note Gazaris.

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