Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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In Praise of Simon
1 In the year 172 note King Demetrius
the Second gathered his
army and went to Media to seek additional
help for his war against
Trypho.
2 When King Arsaces the
Sixth of Persia and Media heard that
Demetrius had entered his territory,
-- --
he sent one of his commanders with
some troops to capture Demetrius
alive.
3 They attacked and defeated
the army of Demetrius, took him
captive, and brought him back to
King Arsaces, who threw him in
prison.
4 The land of Judea was at peace
as long as Simon lived. During his
entire reign, he used his position of
power and influence to do what was
good for his people, and they were
always pleased with him as their
ruler.
5 He added to his reputation
when he captured the port of Joppa
and opened up the route to the
Greek islands.
6 He not only enlarged
the territory of his nation and
gained control of the whole country,
7 but he brought back many prisoners
of war and captured Gezer, Bethzur,
and the fort in Jerusalem. He
purified the fort, and there was no
one to oppose him.
8 The Jews farmed their land in
peace; the land produced its crops
and the trees bore fruit.
9 The young
men showed off their splendid military
uniforms, while the old men sat
around the city squares and talked
about the great things that had happened.
10 Simon supplied the cities
with food and provided them with
weapons of defense. His fame
spread everywhere.
11 He brought
peace to the country, and Israel's joy
knew no bounds.
12 Everyone lived in
peace among his own grapevines
and fig trees, and no one made them
afraid.
13 In those days all the enemy
kings had been defeated, and there
was no one left in the land to fight
the Jews.
14 Simon provided help for
all the poor among his people, and
guided by the Law of Moses, he
eliminated all wicked and lawless
men.
15 He provided the Temple with
splendid furnishings and added a
large number of utensils for use in
worship.
16 When the news that Jonathan
had died reached Rome and Sparta,
it brought great sorrow.
17 But when
the Spartans heard that Simon had
succeeded his brother as High Priest
and that he was in control of the
country and its towns,
18 they engraved
on bronze tablets a renewal
of the treaty of friendship which
they had made with his brothers Judas
and Jonathan and sent the tablets
to him. note
19 These were read to the
assembly in Jerusalem.
20 What follows
is a copy of the letter sent by
the Spartans:
20 “The people of Sparta and
their rulers to Simon the High
Priest, to the leaders and the
priests of the Jews, and to all our
Jewish brothers, greetings.
21 The
delegation that you sent to our
people has told us how respected
and renowned you are. Their
visit has been a source of joy for
us,
22 and a report of their visit
has been written down in our
public records, as follows: ‘Numenius
son of Antiochus and
Antipater son of Jason, honored
representatives of the Jews, appeared
before us to renew their
treaty of friendship.
23 The assembly
of the people was
pleased to receive these men
with all honors and to place a
copy of their report in the public
archives, so that the people of
Sparta may have it on record. A
copy of this document has been
made for the High Priest Simon.’”
24 Later, Simon sent Numenius to
Rome with the gift of a large gold
shield weighing half a ton, to confirm
the Jews' alliance with the Romans.
25 When the people of Israel heard
about all this, they asked themselves,
“How can we express our
thanks to Simon and his sons?
26 He,
his brothers, and his father's whole
family have been towers of strength
for our nation. They have fought off
our enemies and set the nation free.”
26 So they recorded this on bronze
tablets and set them up on columns
on Mount Zion.
27 The inscription
read as follows:
27 “On the eighteenth day of the
month of Elul in the year 172, note
-- --
that is, in the third year of Simon,
the High Priest, note
28 at a
great assembly of priests, people,
officials, and national leaders
the following facts were made
known to us:
29 Often when wars
broke out in the country, Simon
son of Mattathias, a priest of the
Jehoiarib family, and his brothers
risked their lives in protecting
our nation, our Temple, and
our Law against our enemies.
They have brought great glory to
our nation.
30 Jonathan united
our people and became the High
Priest before he died.
31 The enemies
of the Jews plotted to invade
the land and defile the Temple.
32 Then Simon assumed
command and fought for his
country. He spent a large
amount of his own money to provide
weapons and wages for his
nation's armed forces.
33 He fortified
the towns of Judea, and especially
Bethzur on the border,
where enemy weapons had previously
been stored. He stationed
a detachment of soldiers there.
34 He fortified the seaport of Joppa
and the city of Gezer on the
border of Ashdod, which was
previously occupied by enemy
soldiers. He settled Jews there
and provided the towns with
everything that the people
needed. note
35 When the people saw
Simon's patriotism and how he
wanted to bring glory to his nation,
they made him their leader
and High Priest. They did this because
of all that he had accomplished
through his loyalty and
because he had brought about
justice and had tried in every
way to bring glory to his nation.
36 “Under his leadership the
Gentiles were driven out of the
land. Enemy soldiers were
forced out of the area north of
the Temple, where they had
built the fort, from which the
soldiers used to go out and defile
the holy Temple.
37 Simon
settled Jews in the fort,
strengthened it for the security
of the country and the city of Jerusalem,
and increased the
height of the city walls.
38 As a
result, King Demetrius confirmed
him as High Priest,
39 gave him the title of “Friend of
the King,” and treated him with
great honor.
40 Demetrius did
this because he had heard that
the Romans were calling the
Jews their friends, allies, and
brothers and that they had received
Simon's delegation with
full honors.
41 “Therefore, note the Jews and
their priests are happy to have
Simon and his descendants as
their leaders and High Priests,
until a true prophet appears.
42 Simon shall govern their country,
have charge of the Temple,
and shall be their military commander.
He shall be in charge of
military supplies, fortifications,
and public works.
43 The people
must obey him in everything. All
government contracts shall be
drawn up in his name. He shall
have the right to wear royal
robes with the gold shoulder
buckle.
44 “No one, priest or people,
shall have the legal right to annul
any of these decisions, to alter
or change any of Simon's orders,
to convene any assembly
in the country without this permission,
or to wear royal robes
with the gold shoulder buckle.
45 Anyone who disobeys or disregards
these regulations shall
be subject to punishment.
46 “The people gave their
unanimous approval to grant Simon
the right to act in accordance
with these regulations.
47 Simon consented and agreed
to be supreme leader: High
Priest, commander of the
armies, and governor of the
Jews and the priests.”
48 It was decided that this declaration
should be engraved on bronze
-- --
tablets and set up in a prominent
place within the Temple area
49 and
that copies should be placed in the
Temple treasury, where Simon and
his sons would have access to them.
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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