1Mac 14:1 

Now in the hundred threescore and twelfth year king Demetrius 

gathered his forces together, and went into Media to get him 

help to fight against Tryphone. 

1Mac 14:2 

But when Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that 

Demetrius was entered within his borders, he sent one of his 

princes to take him alive: 

1Mac 14:3 

Who went and smote the host of Demetrius, and took him, and 

brought him to Arsaces, by whom he was put in ward. 

1Mac 14:4 

As for the land of Judea, that was quiet all the days of 

Simon; for he sought the good of his nation in such wise, as 

that evermore his authority and honour pleased them well. 

1Mac 14:5 

And as he was honourable in all his acts, so in this, that he 

took Joppa for an haven, and made an entrance to the isles of 

the sea, 

1Mac 14:6 

And enlarged the bounds of his nation, and recovered the 

country, 

1Mac 14:7 

And gathered together a great number of captives, and had the 

dominion of Gazera, and Bethsura, and the tower, out of the 

which he took all uncleaness, neither was there any that 

resisted him. 

1Mac 14:8 

Then did they till their ground in peace, and the earth gave 

her increase, and the trees of the field their fruit. 

1Mac 14:9 

The ancient men sat all in the streets, communing together of 

good things, and the young men put on glorious and warlike 

apparel. 

1Mac 14:10 

He provided victuals for the cities, and set in them all 

manner of munition, so that his honourable name was renowned 

unto the end of the world. 

1Mac 14:11 

He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great 

joy: 

1Mac 14:12 

For every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there 

was none to fray them: 

1Mac 14:13 

Neither was there any left in the land to fight against them: 

yea, the kings themselves were overthrown in those days. 

1Mac 14:14 

Moreover he strengthened all those of his people that were 

brought low: the law he searched out; and every contemner of the 

law and wicked person he took away. 

1Mac 14:15 

He beautified the sanctuary, and multiplied vessels of the 

temple. 

1Mac 14:16 

Now when it was heard at Rome, and as far as Sparta, that 

Jonathan was dead, they were very sorry. 

1Mac 14:17 

But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon was made 

high priest in his stead, and ruled the country, and the cities 

therein: 

1Mac 14:18 

They wrote unto him in tables of brass, to renew the 

friendship and league which they had made with Judas and 

Jonathan his brethren: 

1Mac 14:19 

Which writings were read before the congregation at 

Jerusalem. 

1Mac 14:20 

And this is the copy of the letters that the Lacedemonians 

sent; The rulers of the Lacedemonians, with the city, unto Simon 

the high priest, and the elders, and priests, and residue of the 

people of the Jews, our brethren, send greeting: 

1Mac 14:21 

The ambassadors that were sent unto our people certified us 

of your glory and honour: wherefore we were glad of their 

coming, 

1Mac 14:22 

And did register the things that they spake in the council of 

the people in this manner; Numenius son of Antiochus, and 

Antipater son of Jason, the Jews' ambassadors, came unto us to 

renew the friendship they had with us. 

1Mac 14:23 

And it pleased the people to entertain the men honourably, 

and to put the copy of their ambassage in publick records, to 

the end the people of the Lacedemonians might have a memorial 

thereof: furthermore we have written a copy thereof unto Simon 

the high priest. 

1Mac 14:24 

After this Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of 

gold of a thousand pound weight to confirm the league with them. 

1Mac 14:25 

Whereof when the people heard, they said, What thanks shall 

we give to Simon and his sons? 

1Mac 14:26 

For he and his brethren and the house of his father have 

established Israel, and chased away in fight their enemies from 

them, and confirmed their liberty. 

1Mac 14:27 

So then they wrote it in tables of brass, which they set upon 

pillars in mount Sion: and this is the copy of the writing; The 

eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the hundred threescore and 

twelfth year, being the third year of Simon the high priest, 

1Mac 14:28 

At Saramel in the great congregation of the priests, and 

people, and rulers of the nation, and elders of the country, 

were these things notified unto us. 

1Mac 14:29 

Forasmuch as oftentimes there have been wars in the country, 

wherein for the maintenance of their sanctuary, and the law, 

Simon the son of Mattathias, of the posterity of Jarib, together 

with his brethren, put themselves in jeopardy, and resisting the 

enemies of their nation did their nation great honour: 

1Mac 14:30 

(For after that Jonathan, having gathered his nation 

together, and been their high priest, was added to his people, 

1Mac 14:31 

Their enemies prepared to invade their country, that they 

might destroy it, and lay hands on the sanctuary: 

1Mac 14:32 

At which time Simon rose up, and fought for his nation, and 

spent much of his own substance, and armed the valiant men of 

his nation and gave them wages, 

1Mac 14:33 

And fortified the cities of Judea, together with Bethsura, 

that lieth upon the borders of Judea, where the armour of the 

enemies had been before; but he set a garrison of Jews there: 

1Mac 14:34 

Moreover he fortified Joppa, which lieth upon the sea, and 

Gazera, that bordereth upon Azotus, where the enemies had dwelt 

before: but he placed Jews there, and furnished them with all 

things convenient for the reparation thereof.) 

1Mac 14:35 

The people therefore sang the acts of Simon, and unto what 

glory he thought to bring his nation, made him their governor 

and chief priest, because he had done all these things, and for 

the justice and faith which he kept to his nation, and for that 

he sought by all means to exalt his people. 

1Mac 14:36 

For in his time things prospered in his hands, so that the 

heathen were taken out of their country, and they also that were 

in the city of David in Jerusalem, who had made themselves a 

tower, out of which they issued, and polluted all about the 

sanctuary, and did much hurt in the holy place: 

1Mac 14:37 

But he placed Jews therein. and fortified it for the safety 

of the country and the city, and raised up the walls of 

Jerusalem. 

1Mac 14:38 

King Demetrius also confirmed him in the high priesthood 

according to those things, 

1Mac 14:39 

And made him one of his friends, and honoured him with great 

honour. 

1Mac 14:40 

For he had heard say, that the Romans had called the Jews 

their friends and confederates and brethren; and that they had 

entertained the ambassadors of Simon honourably; 

1Mac 14:41 

Also that the Jews and priests were well pleased that Simon 

should be their governor and high priest for ever, until there 

should arise a faithful prophet; 

1Mac 14:42 

Moreover that he should be their captain, and should take 

charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over 

the country, and over the armour, and over the fortresses, that, 

I say, he should take charge of the sanctuary; 

1Mac 14:43 

Beside this, that he should be obeyed of every man, and that 

all the writings in the country should be made in his name, and 

that he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold: 

1Mac 14:44 

Also that it should be lawful for none of the people or 

priests to break any of these things, or to gainsay his words, 

or to gather an assembly in the country without him, or to be 

clothed in purple, or wear a buckle of gold; 

1Mac 14:45 

And whosoever should do otherwise, or break any of these 

things, he should be punished. 

1Mac 14:46 

Thus it liked all the people to deal with Simon, and to do as 

hath been said. 

1Mac 14:47 

Then Simon accepted hereof, and was well pleased to be high 

priest, and captain and governor of the Jews and priests, and to 

defend them all. 

1Mac 14:48 

So they commanded that this writing should be put in tables 

of brass, and that they should be set up within the compass of 

the sanctuary in a conspicuous place; 

1Mac 14:49 

Also that the copies thereof should be laid up in the 

treasury, to the end that Simon and his sons might have them.