Part 624 (1/2)

14:2. And Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius was entered within his borders, and he sent one of his princes to take him alive, and bring him to him.

14:3. And he went, and defeated the army of Demetrius: and took him, and brought him to Arsaces, and he put him into custody.

14:4. And all the land of Juda was at rest all the days of Simon, and he sought the good of his nation: and his power, and his glory pleased them well all his days.

14:5. And with all his glory he took Joppe for a haven, and made an entrance to the isles of the sea.

14:6. And he enlarged the bounds of his nation, and made himself master of the country.

14:7. And he gathered together a great number of captives, and had the dominion of Gazara, and of Bethsura, and of the castle: and took away all uncleanness out of it, and there was none that resisted him.

14:8. And every man tilled his land with peace, and the land of Juda yielded her increase, and the trees of the fields their fruit.

14:9. The ancient men sat all in the streets, and treated together of the good things of the land, and the youug men put on them glory, and the robes of war.

14:10. And he provided victuals for the cities, and he appointed that they should be furnished with ammunition, so that the fame of his glory was renowned even to the end of the earth.

14:11. He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy.

14:12. And every man sat under his vine, and under his fig tree: and there was none to make them afraid.

14:13. There was none left in the land to fight against them: kings were discomfited in those days.

14:14. And he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low, and he sought the law, and took away every unjust and wicked man.

14:15. He glorified the sanctuary, and multiplied the vessels of the holy places.

14:16. And it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan was dead: and they were very sorry.

14:17. But when they heard that Simon, his brother, was made high priest in his place, and was possessed of all the country, and the cities therein:

14:18. They wrote to him in tables of bra.s.s, to renew the friends.h.i.+p and alliance which they had made with Judas and with Jonathan, his brethren.

14:19. And they were read before the a.s.sembly in Jerusalem. And this is the copy of the letters that the Spartans sent.

14:20. The princes and the cities of the Spartans, to Simon, the high priest, and to the ancients, and the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, their brethren, greeting.

14:21. The amba.s.sadors that were sent to our people, have told us of your glory, and honour, and joy: and we rejoiced at their coming.

14:22. And we registered what was said by them in the councils of the people, in this manner: Numenius, the son of Antiochus, and Antipater, the son of Jason, amba.s.sadors of the Jews, came to us to renew the former friends.h.i.+p with us.

14:23. And it pleased the people to receive the men honourably, and to put a copy of their words in the public records, to be a memorial to the people of the Spartans. And we have written a copy of them to Simon, the high priest.

14:24. And after this Simon sent Numenius to Rome, with a great s.h.i.+eld of gold, of the weight of a thousand pounds, to confirm the league with them. And when the people of Rome had heard

14:25. These words, they said: What thanks shall we give to Simon, and his sons:

14:26. For he hath restored his brethren, and hath driven away in fight the enemies of Israel from them: and they decreed him liberty, and registered it in tables of bra.s.s, and set it upon pillars in mount Sion.

14:27. And this is a copy of the writing. The eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the year one hundred and seventy-two, being the third year under Simon, the high priest, at Asaramel,