The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

And I design to go through the country, that I may take revenge of them that have destroyed our country, and that have made many cities desolate in my realm.

Now, therefore, I confirm unto thee all the oblations which all the kings before me remitted to thee, and what other gifts soever they remitted to thee:

And I give thee leave to coin thy own money in thy country:

And let Jerusalem be holy and free, and all the armour that hath been made, and the fortresses which thou hast built, and which thou keepest in thy hands, let them remain to thee.

And all that is due to the king, and what should be the king's hereafter, from this present and for ever, is forgiven thee.

And when we shall have recovered our kingdom, we will glorify thee, and thy nation, and the temple, with great glory, so that your glory shall be made manifest in all the earth.

In the year one hundred and seventy-four, Antiochus entered into the land of his fathers, and all the forces assembled to him, so that few were left with Tryphon.

And king Antiochus pursued after him, and he fled along by the sea coast and came to Dora.

For he perceived that evils were gathered together upon him, and his troops had forsaken him.

And Antiochus camped above Dora with a hundred and twenty thousand men of war, and eight thousand horsemen:

And he invested the city, and the ships drew near by sea: and they annoyed the city by land, and by sea, and suffered none to come in, or to go out.

And Numenius, and they that had been with him, came from the city of Rome, having letters written to the kings, and countries, the contents whereof were these:

Lucius, the consul of the Romans, to king Ptolemee, greeting.

The ambassadors of the Jews, our friends, came to us, to renew the former friendship and alliance, being sent from Simon, the high priest, and the people of the Jews.

And they brought also a shield of gold of a thousand pounds.

It hath seemed good therefore to us, to write to the kings and countries, that they should do them no harm, nor fight against them, their cities, or countries: and that they should give no aid to them that fight against them.

And it hath seemed good to us to receive the shield of them.

If, therefore, any pestilent men are fled out of their country to you, deliver them to Simon, the high priest, that he may punish them according to their law.

These same things were written to king Demetrius, and to Attalus, and to Ariarathes, and to Arsaces,

And to all the countries: and to Lampsacus and to the Spartans, and to Delus, and Myndus, and Sicyon, and Caria, and Samus, and Pamphylia, and Lycia, and Alicarnassus, and Cos, and Side, and Aradus, and Rhodes, and Phaselis, and Gortyna, and Gnidus, and Cyprus, and Cyrene.

And they wrote a copy thereof to Simon, the high priest, and to the people of the Jews.

But king Antiochus moved his camp to Dora the second time, assaulting it continually, and making engines: and he shut up Tryphon, that he could not go out.

And Simon sent to him two thousand chosen men to aid him, silver also, and gold, and abundance of furniture.

And he would not receive them, but broke all the covenant that he had made with him before, and alienated himself from him.

And he sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends, to treat with him, saying: You hold Joppe and Gazara, and the castle that is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my kingdom:

Their borders you have wasted, and you have made great havoc in the land, and have got the dominion of many places in my kingdom.

Now, therefore, deliver up the cities that you have taken, and the tributes of the places whereof you have gotten the dominion without the borders of Judea.

But if not, give me for them five hundred talents of silver, and for the havoc that you have made, and the tributes of the cities, other five hundred talents: or else we will come and fight against you.

So Athenobius, the king's friend came to Jerusalem, and saw the glory of Simon and his magnificence in gold, and silver, and his great equipage, and he was astonished, and told him the king's words.

And Simon answered him, and said to him: We have neither taken other men's land, neither do we hold that which is other men's, but the inheritance of our fathers, which was for some time unjustly possessed by our enemies.

But we having opportunity, claim the inheritance of our fathers.

And as to thy complaints concerning Joppe and Gazara, they did great harm to the people, and to our country: yet for these we will give a hundred talents. And Athenobius answered him not a word.

But returning in a rage to the king, made report to him of these words, and of the glory of Simon, and of all that he had seen, and the king was exceeding angry.

And Tryphon fled away by ship to Orthosias.

And the king appointed Cendebeus captain of the sea coast, and gave him an army of footmen and horsemen.

And he commanded him to march with his army towards Judea: and he commanded him to build up Gedor, and to fortify the gates of the city, and to war against the people. But the king himself pursued after Tryphon.

And Cendebeus came to Jamnia, and began to provoke the people, and to ravage Judea, and to take the people prisoners, and to kill, and to build Gedor.

And he placed there horsemen, and an army: that they might issue forth, and make incursions upon the ways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.

Then John came up from Gazara, and told Simon, his father, what Cendebeus had done against their people.

And Simon called his two eldest sons, Judas and John, and said to them: I and my brethren, and my father's house, have fought against the enemies of Israel from our youth even to this day: and things have prospered so well in our hands, that we have delivered Israel oftentimes.

And now I am old, but be you instead of me, and my brethren, and go out, and fight for our nation: and the help from heaven be with you.

Then he chose out of the country twenty thousand fighting men, and horsemen, and they went forth against Cendebeus: and they rested in Modin.

And they arose in the morning, and went into the plain: and behold a very great army of footmen and horsemen came against them, and there was a running river between them.

And he and his people pitched their camp over against them, and he saw that the people were afraid to go over the river, so he went over first: then the men seeing him, passed over after him.

And he divided the people, and set the horsemen in the midst of the footmen: but the horsemen of the enemies were very numerous.

And they sounded the holy trumpets: and Cendebeus and his army were put to flight: and there fell many of them wounded, and the rest fled into the strong hold.

At that time, Judas, John's brother, was wounded: but John pursued after them, till he came to Cedron, which he had built:

And they fled even to the towers that were in the fields of Azotus, and he burnt them with fire. And there fell of them two thousand men, and he returned into Judea in peace.

Now Ptolemee, the son of Abobus, was appointed captain in the plain of Jericho, and he had abundance of silver and gold.

For he was son-in-law of the high priest.

And his heart was lifted up, and he designed to make himself master of the country, and he purposed treachery against Simon and his sons, to destroy them.

Now Simon, as he was going through the cities that were in the country of Judea, and taking care for the good ordering of them, went down to Jericho, he and Mathathias and Judas, his sons, in the year one hundred and seventy-seven, the eleventh month: the same is the month Sabath.

And the son of Abobus received them deceitfully into a little fortress, that is called Doch, which he had built: and he made them a great feast, and hid men there.

And when Simon and his sons had drunk plentifully, Ptolemee and his men rose up, and took their weapons, and entered into the banqueting place, and slew him, and his two sons, and some of his servants.

And he committed a great treachery in Israel, and rendered evil for good.

And Ptolemee wrote these things, and sent to the king that he should send him an army to aid him, and he would deliver him the country, and their cities, and tributes.

And he sent others to Gazara to kill John: and to the tribunes he sent letters to come to him, and that he would give them silver, and gold, and gifts.

And he sent others to take Jerusalem, and the mountain of the temple.

Now one running before, told John in Gazara, that his father and his brethren were slain, and that he hath sent men to kill thee also.

But when he heard it, he was exceedingly afraid: and he apprehended the men that came to kill him, and he put them to death: for he knew that they sought to make him away.

And as concerning the rest of the acts of John, and his wars, and the worthy deeds, which he bravely achieved, and the building of the walls, which he made, and the things that he did:

Behold, these are written in the book of the days of his priesthood, from the time that he was made high priest after his father.

To the brethren, the Jews that are throughout Egypt; the brethren, the Jews that are in Jerusalem, and in the land of Judea, send health and good peace.

May God be gracious to you, and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants:

And give you all a heart to worship him, and to do his will with a great heart, and a willing mind.

May he open your heart in his law, and in his commandments, and send you peace.

May he hear your prayers, and be reconciled unto you, and never forsake you in the evil time.

And now here we are praying for you.

When Demetrius reigned, in the year one hundred and sixty-nine, we Jews wrote to you in the trouble and violence that came upon us in those years, after Jason withdrew himself from the holy land, and from the kingdom.

They burnt the gate, and shed innocent blood: then we prayed to the Lord, and were heard, and we offered sacrifices, and fine flour, and lighted the lamps, and set forth the loaves.

And now celebrate ye the days of Scenopegia in the month of Casleu.

In the year one hundred and eighty-eight, the people that is at Jerusalem, and in Judea, and the senate, and Judas, to Aristobolus, the preceptor of king Ptolemee, who is of the stock of the anointed priests, and to the Jews that are in Egypt, health and welfare.

Having been delivered by God out of great dangers, we give him great thanks, forasmuch as we have been in war with such a king.

For he made numbers of men swarm out of Persia, that have fought against us, and the holy city.

For when the leader himself was in Persia, and with him a very great army, he fell in the temple of Nanea, being deceived by the counsel of the priests of Nanea.

For Antiochus, with his friends, came to the place as though he would marry her, and that he might receive great sums of money under the title of a dowry.

And when the priests of Nanea had set it forth, and he with a small company had entered into the compass of the temple, they shut the temple,

When Antiochus was come in: and opening a secret entrance of the temple, they cast stones and slew the leader, and them that were with him, and hewed them in pieces; and cutting off their heads, they threw them forth.

Blessed be God in all things, who hath delivered up the wicked.

Therefore, whereas we purpose to keep the purification of the temple on the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, we thought it necessary to signify it to you: that you also may keep the day of Scenopegia, and the day of the fire, that was given when Nehemias offered sacrifice, after the temple and the altar was built.

For when our fathers were led into Persia, the priests that then were worshippers of God, took privately the fire from the altar, and hid it in a valley where there was a deep pit without water, and there they kept it safe, so that the place was unknown to all men.

But when many years had passed, and it pleased God that Nehemias should be sent by the king of Persia, he sent some of the posterity of those priests that had hid it, to seek for the fire: and as they told us, they found no fire, but thick water.

Then he bade them draw it up, and bring it to him: and the priest, Nehemias, commanded the sacrifices that were laid on, to be sprinkled with the same water, both the wood, and the things that were laid upon it.

And when this was done, and the time came that the sun shone out, which before was in a cloud, there was a great fire kindled, so that all wondered.

And all the priests made prayer, while the sacrifice was consuming, Jonathan beginning, and the rest answering.

And the prayer of Nehemias was after this manner: O Lord God, Creator of all things, dreadful and strong, just and merciful, who alone art the good king,

Who alone art gracious, who alone art just, and almighty, and eternal, who deliverest Israel from all evil, who didst choose the fathers, and didst sanctify them:

Receive the sacrifice for all thy people Israel, and preserve thy own portion, and sanctify it.

Gather together our scattered people, deliver them that are slaves to the Gentiles, and look upon them that are despised and abhorred: that the Gentiles may know that thou art our God.

Punish them that oppress us, and that treat us injuriously with pride.

Establish thy people in thy holy place, as Moses hath spoken.

And the priests sung hymns till the sacrifice was consumed.

And when the sacrifice was consumed, Nehemias commanded the water that was left to be poured out upon the great stones.

Which being done, there was kindled a flame from them: but it was consumed by the light that shined from the altar.

And when this matter became public, it was told to the king of Persia, that in the place where the priests that were led away, had hid the fire, there appeared water, with which Nehemias and they that were with him had purified the sacrifices.

And the king considering, and diligently examining the matter, made a temple for it, that he might prove what had happened.

And when he had proved it, he gave the priests many goods, and divers presents, and he took and distributed them to them with his own hand.

And Nehemias called this place Nephthar, which is interpreted purification. But many call it Nephi.

Now it is found in the descriptions of Jeremias, the prophet, that he commanded them that went into captivity, to take the fire, as it hath been signified, and how he gave charge to them that were carried away into captivity.

And how he gave them the law, that they should not forget the commandments of the Lord, and that they should not err in their minds, seeing the idols of gold, and silver, and the ornaments of them.