1Mac 16:1 Then came up John from Gazera, and told Simon his father what
Cendebeus had done.
1Mac 16:2 Wherefore Simon called his two eldest sons, Judas and John, and
said unto them, I, and my brethren, and my father's house, have ever from my
youth unto this day fought against the enemies of Israel; and things have
prospered so well in our hands, that we have delivered Israel oftentimes.
1Mac 16:3 But now I am old, and ye, by God's mercy, are of a sufficient age:
be ye instead of me and my brother, and go and fight for our nation, and the
help from heaven be with you.
1Mac 16:4 So he chose out of the country twenty thousand men of war with
horsemen, who went out against Cendebeus, and rested that night at Modin.
1Mac 16:5 And when as they rose in the morning, and went into the plain,
behold, a mighty great host both of footmen and horsemen came against them:
howbeit there was a water brook betwixt them.
1Mac 16:6 So he and his people pitched over against them: and when he saw
that the people were afraid to go over the water brook, he went first over
himself, and then the men seeing him passed through after him.
1Mac 16:7 That done, he divided his men, and set the horsemen in the midst
of the footmen: for the enemies' horsemen were very many.
1Mac 16:8 Then sounded they with the holy trumpets: whereupon Cendebeus and
his host were put to flight, so that many of them were slain, and the
remnant gat them to the strong hold.
1Mac 16:9 At that time was Judas John's brother wounded; but John still
followed after them, until he came to Cedron, which Cendebeus had built.
1Mac 16:10 So they fled even unto the towers in the fields of Azotus;
wherefore he burned it with fire: so that there were slain of them about two
thousand men. Afterward he returned into the land of Judea in peace.
1Mac 16:11 Moreover in the plain of Jericho was Ptolemeus the son of Abubus
made captain, and he had abundance of silver and gold:
1Mac 16:12 For he was the high priest's son in law.
1Mac 16:13 Wherefore his heart being lifted up, he thought to get the
country to himself, and thereupon consulted deceitfully against Simon and
his sons to destroy them.
1Mac 16:14 Now Simon was visiting the cities that were in the country, and
taking care for the good ordering of them; at which time he came down
himself to Jericho with his sons, Mattathias and Judas, in the hundred
threescore and seventeenth year, in the eleventh month, called Sabat:
1Mac 16:15 Where the son of Abubus receiving them deceitfully into a little
hold, called Docus, which he had built, made them a great banquet: howbeit
he had hid men there.
1Mac 16:16 So when Simon and his sons had drunk largely, Ptolemee and his
men rose up, and took their weapons, and came upon Simon into the banqueting
place, and slew him, and his two sons, and certain of his servants.
1Mac 16:17 In which doing he committed a great treachery, and recompensed
evil for good.
1Mac 16:18 Then Ptolemee wrote these things, and sent to the king, that he
should send him an host to aid him, and he would deliver him the country and
cities.
1Mac 16:19 He sent others also to Gazera to kill John: and unto the tribunes
he sent letters to come unto him, that he might give them silver, and gold,
and rewards.
1Mac 16:20 And others he sent to take Jerusalem, and the mountain of the
temple.
1Mac 16:21 Now one had run afore to Gazera and told John that his father and
brethren were slain, and, quoth he, Ptolemee hath sent to slay thee also.
1Mac 16:22 Hereof when he heard, he was sore astonished: so he laid hands on
them that were come to destroy him, and slew them; for he knew that they
sought to make him away.
1Mac 16:23 As concerning the rest of the acts of John, and his wars, and
worthy deeds which he did, and the building of the walls which he made, and
his doings,
1Mac 16:24 Behold, these are written in the chronicles of his priesthood,
from the time he was made high priest after his father.