1Mac 10:1 In the hundred and sixtieth year
Alexander, the son of Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes, went up and took
Ptolemais: for the people had received him, by means whereof he reigned
there,
1Mac 10:2 Now when king Demetrius heard thereof, he gathered together an
exceeding great host, and went forth against him to fight.
1Mac 10:3 Moreover Demetrius sent letters unto Jonathan with loving words,
so as he magnified him.
1Mac 10:4 For said he, Let us first make peace with him, before he join with
Alexander against us:
1Mac 10:5 Else he will remember all the evils that we have done against him,
and against his brethren and his people.
1Mac 10:6 Wherefore he gave him authority to gather together an host, and to
provide weapons, that he might aid him in battle: he commanded also that the
hostages that were in the tower should be delivered him.
1Mac 10:7 Then came Jonathan to Jerusalem, and read the letters in the
audience of all the people, and of them that were in the tower:
1Mac 10:8 Who were sore afraid, when they heard that the king had given him
authority to gather together an host.
1Mac 10:9 Whereupon they of the tower delivered their hostages unto
Jonathan, and he delivered them unto their parents.
1Mac 10:10 This done, Jonathan settled himself in Jerusalem, and began to
build and repair the city.
1Mac 10:11 And he commanded the workmen to build the walls and the mount
Sion and about with square stones for fortification; and they did so.
1Mac 10:12 Then the strangers, that were in the fortresses which Bacchides
had built, fled away;
1Mac 10:13 Insomuch as every man left his place, and went into his own
country.
1Mac 10:14 Only at Bethsura certain of those that had forsaken the law and
the commandments remained still: for it was their place of refuge.
1Mac 10:15 Now when king Alexander had heard what promises Demetrius had
sent unto Jonathan: when also it was told him of the battles and noble acts
which he and his brethren had done, and of the pains that they had endured,
1Mac 10:16 He said, Shall we find such another man? now therefore we will
make him our friend and confederate.
1Mac 10:17 Upon this he wrote a letter, and sent it unto him, according to
these words, saying,
1Mac 10:18 King Alexander to his brother Jonathan sendeth greeting:
1Mac 10:19 We have heard of thee, that thou art a man of great power, and
meet to be our friend.
1Mac 10:20 Wherefore now this day we ordain thee to be the high priest of
thy nation, and to be called the king's friend; (and therewithal he sent him
a purple robe and a crown of gold:) and require thee to take our part, and
keep friendship with us.
1Mac 10:21 So in the seventh month of the hundred and sixtieth year, at the
feast of the tabernacles, Jonathan put on the holy robe, and gathered
together forces, and provided much armour.
1Mac 10:22 Whereof when Demetrius heard, he was very sorry, and said,
1Mac 10:23 What have we done, that Alexander hath prevented us in making
amity with the Jews to strengthen himself?
1Mac 10:24 I also will write unto them words of encouragement, and promise
them dignities and gifts, that I may have their aid.
1Mac 10:25 He sent unto them therefore to this effect: King Demetrius unto
the people of the Jews sendeth greeting:
1Mac 10:26 Whereas ye have kept covenants with us, and continued in our
friendship, not joining yourselves with our enemies, we have heard hereof,
and are glad.
1Mac 10:27 Wherefore now continue ye still to be faithful unto us, and we
will well recompense you for the things ye do in our behalf,
1Mac 10:28 And will grant you many immunities, and give you rewards.
1Mac 10:29 And now do I free you, and for your sake I release all the Jews,
from tributes, and from the customs of salt, and from crown taxes,
1Mac 10:30 And from that which appertaineth unto me to receive for the third
part or the seed, and the half of the fruit of the trees, I release it from
this day forth, so that they shall not be taken of the land of Judea, nor of
the three governments which are added thereunto out of the country of
Samaria and Galilee, from this day forth for evermore.
1Mac 10:31 Let Jerusalem also be holy and free, with the borders thereof,
both from tenths and tributes.
1Mac 10:32 And as for the tower which is at Jerusalem, I yield up authority
over it, and give the high priest, that he may set in it such men as he
shall choose to keep it.
1Mac 10:33 Moreover I freely set at liberty every one of the Jews, that were
carried captives out of the land of Judea into any part of my kingdom, and I
will that all my officers remit the tributes even of their cattle.
1Mac 10:34 Furthermore I will that all the feasts, and sabbaths, and new
moons, and solemn days, and the three days before the feast, and the three
days after the feast shall be all of immunity and freedom for all the Jews
in my realm.
1Mac 10:35 Also no man shall have authority to meddle with or to molest any
of them in any matter.
1Mac 10:36 I will further, that there be enrolled among the king's forces
about thirty thousand men of the Jews, unto whom pay shall be given, as
belongeth to all king's forces.
1Mac 10:37 And of them some shall be placed in the king's strong holds, of
whom also some shall be set over the affairs of the kingdom, which are of
trust: and I will that their overseers and governors be of themselves, and
that they live after their own laws, even as the king hath commanded in the
land of Judea.
1Mac 10:38 And concerning the three governments that are added to Judea from
the country of Samaria, let them be joined with Judea, that they may be
reckoned to be under one, nor bound to obey other authority than the high
priest's.
1Mac 10:39 As for Ptolemais, and the land pertaining thereto, I give it as a
free gift to the sanctuary at Jerusalem for the necessary expences of the
sanctuary.
1Mac 10:40 Moreover I give every year fifteen thousand shekels of silver out
of the king's accounts from the places appertaining.
1Mac 10:41 And all the overplus, which the officers payed not in as in
former time, from henceforth shall be given toward the works of the temple.
1Mac 10:42 And beside this, the five thousand shekels of silver, which they
took from the uses of the temple out of the accounts year by year, even
those things shall be released, because they appertain to the priests that
minister.
1Mac 10:43 And whosoever they be that flee unto the temple at Jerusalem, or
be within the liberties hereof, being indebted unto the king, or for any
other matter, let them be at liberty, and all that they have in my realm.
1Mac 10:44 For the building also and repairing of the works of the sanctuary
expences shall be given of the king's accounts.
1Mac 10:45 Yea, and for the building of the walls of Jerusalem, and the
fortifying thereof round about, expences shall be given out of the king's
accounts, as also for the building of the walls in Judea.
1Mac 10:46 Now when Jonathan and the people heard these words, they gave no
credit unto them, nor received them, because they remembered the great evil
that he had done in Israel; for he had afflicted them very sore.
1Mac 10:47 But with Alexander they were well pleased, because he was the
first that entreated of true peace with them, and they were confederate with
him always.
1Mac 10:48 Then gathered king Alexander great forces, and camped over
against Demetrius.
1Mac 10:49 And after the two kings had joined battle, Demetrius' host fled:
but Alexander followed after him, and prevailed against them.
1Mac 10:50 And he continued the battle very sore until the sun went down:
and that day was Demetrius slain.
1Mac 10:51 Afterward Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemee king of Egypt
with a message to this effect:
1Mac 10:52 Forasmuch as I am come again to my realm, and am set in the
throne of my progenitors, and have gotten the dominion, and overthrown
Demetrius, and recovered our country;
1Mac 10:53 For after I had joined battle with him, both he and his host was
discomfited by us, so that we sit in the throne of his kingdom:
1Mac 10:54 Now therefore let us make a league of amity together, and give me
now thy daughter to wife: and I will be thy son in law, and will give both
thee and her as according to thy dignity.
1Mac 10:55 Then Ptolemee the king gave answer, saying, Happy be the day
wherein thou didst return into the land of thy fathers, and satest in the
throne of their kingdom.
1Mac 10:56 And now will I do to thee, as thou hast written: meet me
therefore at Ptolemais, that we may see one another; for I will marry my
daughter to thee according to thy desire.
1Mac 10:57 So Ptolemee went out of Egypt with his daughter Cleopatra, and
they came unto Ptolemais in the hundred threescore and second year:
1Mac 10:58 Where king Alexander meeting him, he gave unto him his daughter
Cleopatra, and celebrated her marriage at Ptolemais with great glory, as the
manner of kings is.
1Mac 10:59 Now king Alexander had written unto Jonathan, that he should come
and meet him.
1Mac 10:60 Who thereupon went honourably to Ptolemais, where he met the two
kings, and gave them and their friends silver and gold, and many presents,
and found favour in their sight.
1Mac 10:61 At that time certain pestilent fellows of Israel, men of a wicked
life, assembled themselves against him, to accuse him: but the king would
not hear them.
1Mac 10:62 Yea more than that, the king commanded to take off his garments,
and clothe him in purple: and they did so.
1Mac 10:63 And he made him sit by himself, and said into his princes, Go
with him into the midst of the city, and make proclamation, that no man
complain against him of any matter, and that no man trouble him for any
manner of cause.
1Mac 10:64 Now when his accusers saw that he was honored according to the
proclamation, and clothed in purple, they fled all away.
1Mac 10:65 So the king honoured him, and wrote him among his chief friends,
and made him a duke, and partaker of his dominion.
1Mac 10:66 Afterward Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with peace and gladness.
1Mac 10:67 Furthermore in the; hundred threescore and fifth year came
Demetrius son of Demetrius out of Crete into the land of his fathers:
1Mac 10:68 Whereof when king Alexander heard tell, he was right sorry, and
returned into Antioch.
1Mac 10:69 Then Demetrius made Apollonius the governor of Celosyria his
general, who gathered together a great host, and camped in Jamnia, and sent
unto Jonathan the high priest, saying,
1Mac 10:70 Thou alone liftest up thyself against us, and I am laughed to
scorn for thy sake, and reproached: and why dost thou vaunt thy power
against us in the mountains?
1Mac 10:71 Now therefore, if thou trustest in thine own strength, come down
to us into the plain field, and there let us try the matter together: for
with me is the power of the cities.
1Mac 10:72 Ask and learn who I am, and the rest that take our part, and they
shall tell thee that thy foot is not able to flight in their own land.
1Mac 10:73 Wherefore now thou shalt not be able to abide the horsemen and so
great a power in the plain, where is neither stone nor flint, nor place to
flee unto.
1Mac 10:74 So when Jonathan heard these words of Apollonius, he was moved in
his mind, and choosing ten thousand men he went out of Jerusalem, where
Simon his brother met him for to help him.
1Mac 10:75 And he pitched his tents against Joppa: but; they of Joppa shut
him out of the city, because Apollonius had a garrison there.
1Mac 10:76 Then Jonathan laid siege unto it: whereupon they of the city let
him in for fear: and so Jonathan won Joppa.
1Mac 10:77 Whereof when Apollonius heard, he took three thousand horsemen,
with a great host of footmen, and went to Azotus as one that journeyed, and
therewithal drew him forth into the plain. because he had a great number of
horsemen, in whom he put his trust.
1Mac 10:78 Then Jonathan followed after him to Azotus, where the armies
joined battle.
1Mac 10:79 Now Apollonius had left a thousand horsemen in ambush.
1Mac 10:80 And Jonathan knew that there was an ambushment behind him; for
they had compassed in his host, and cast darts at the people, from morning
till evening.
1Mac 10:81 But the people stood still, as Jonathan had commanded them: and
so the enemies' horses were tired.
1Mac 10:82 Then brought Simon forth his host, and set them against the
footmen, (for the horsemen were spent) who were discomfited by him, and
fled.
1Mac 10:83 The horsemen also, being scattered in the field, fled to Azotus,
and went into Bethdagon, their idol's temple, for safety.
1Mac 10:84 But Jonathan set fire on Azotus, and the cities round about it,
and took their spoils; and the temple of Dagon, with them that were fled
into it, he burned with fire.
1Mac 10:85 Thus there were burned and slain with the sword well nigh eight
thousand men.
1Mac 10:86 And from thence Jonathan removed his host, and camped against
Ascalon, where the men of the city came forth, and met him with great pomp.
1Mac 10:87 After this returned Jonathan and his host unto Jerusalem, having
any spoils.
1Mac 10:88 Now when king Alexander heard these things, he honoured Jonathan
yet more.
1Mac 10:89 And sent him a buckle of gold, as the use is to be given to such
as are of the king's blood: he gave him also Accaron with the borders
thereof in possession.