XIII. Now when aSimon heard that bTryphon had gathered together a great host to invade the land of Judea, and destroy it, 2 and saw that the people was cin great trembling and fear, he went up to Jerusalem, and gathered the people together, 3 and gave them exhortation, saying, Ye yourselves know what great things I, and my brethren, and my father’s house, have done for the laws and the sanctuary, the battles also and troubles which we have seen. 4 by reason whereof dall my brethren are slain for Israel’s sake, and I am left alone. 5 Now therefore be it far from me, that I should spare mine own life in any time of trouble: efor I am no better than my brethren. 6 Doubtless I will avenge my nation, and the sanctuary, and our wives, and our children: for all the heathen are gathered to destroy us of very malice. 7 Now as soon as the people heard these words, their spirit frevived. 8 And they answered with a loud voice, saying, Thou shalt be our leader instead of gJudas and hJonathan thy brother. 9 Fight thou our battles, and whatsoever thou commandest us, that will we do. 10 So then he gathered together all the men of war, and made haste ito finish the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it round about. 11 Also he sent Jonathan the son of kAbsalom, and with him a great power, to lJoppe: who mcasting out them that were therein remained there in it.

12 So Tryphon removed from nPtolemais with a great power to invade the land of Judea, and oJonathan was with him in ward. 13 But Simon pitched his tents at pAdida, over against pthe plain. 14 Now when Tryphon knew that Simon qwas risen up instead of his brother Jonathan, and meant to join battle with him, he sent messengers unto him, saying, 15 Whereas we have Jonathan thy brother in hold, it is for money that he is owing unto the king’s treasure, * concerning the business that was committed unto him. 16 Wherefore now send an hundred talents of silver, and two of his sons for rhostages, that when he is at liberty he may not revolt from us, and we will let him go. 17 Hereupon Simon, albeit he perceived that they spake deceitfully unto him, yet sent he the money and the children, lest peradventure he should procure to himself great hatred of the people: 18 who might have said, Because I sent him not the money and the children, therefore is Jonathan dead. 19 So he sent them the children and the hundred talents: howbeit Tryphon dissembled, neither would he let Jonathan go. 20 And after this came Tryphon to invade the land, and destroy it, going round about by the way that leadeth unto sAdora: but Simon and his host marched against him in every place, wheresoever he went. 21 Now they that were in tthe tower sent messengers unto Tryphon, to the end that he should hasten his coming unto them by the wilderness, and usend them victuals. 22 Wherefore Tryphon made ready all his horsemen to come that night: but there fell a very great snow, by reason whereof he came not. So he departed, and came into the country of wGalaad. 23 And when he came near to xBascama, he slew Jonathan, who was buried there. 24 Afterward Tryphon returned and went into his own land.

25 * Then sent Simon, and took the bones of Jonathan his brother, and buried them in yModin, the city of his fathers. 26 And zall Israel made great lamentation for him, and bewailed him many days. 27 Simon also built a monument upon the sepulchre of his father and his brethren, and raised it aloft to the sight, with hewn stone behind and before. 28 Moreover he set up seven pyramids, one against another, for his father, and his mother, and his four brethren. 29 And in these he made cunning devices, about the which he set great pillars, and upon the pillars he made aall their armour for a perpetual memory, and by the armour ships carved, that they might be seen of all bthat sail on the sea. 30 This is the sepulchre which he made at cModin, and it standeth yet dunto this day.

31 Now eTryphon dealt deceitfully with the young king Antiochus, and slew him. 32 And he reigned in his stead, and crowned himself king of fAsia, and brought a great calamity upon the land. 33 Then Simon gbuilt up the strong holds in Judea, and fenced them about with high towers, and hgreat walls, and gates, and bars, and laid up victuals * therein. 34 Moreover Simon chose men, and sent to iking Demetrius, to the end he should give the land an immunity, because * all that Tryphon did was to spoil. 35 Unto whom king Demetrius answered and wrote after this manner: 36 King Demetrius unto Simon jkthe high priest, and kfriend of kings, as also unto the elders and nation of the Jews, sendeth greeting: 37 lThe golden crown, and mthe scarlet robe, which ye sent unto us, we have received: and we are ready to make a stedfast peace with you, yea, and to write unto our nofficers, to confirm the oimmunities which we have granted. 38 And whatsoever covenants we have made with you shall stand; and gthe strong holds, which ye have builded, shall be your own. 39 As for any oversight or fault committed unto this day, we forgive it, and the pcrown tax also, which ye owe us: and ppif there were any other tribute paid in Jerusalem, it shall no more be paid. 40 And look who are meet among you to be in our court, qlet them be enrolled, and let there be peace betwixt us. 41 Thus the yoke of the heathen was taken away from Israel in * the hundred and seventieth year. 42 Then the people of Israel rbegan to write in their instruments and contracts, In the first year of Simon the high priest, the governor and leader of the Jews.

43 In those days Simon camped against sGaza, and besieged it round about; he made also an engine of war, and set it by the city, and battered a certain tower, and took it. 44 And they that were in the engine leapt into the city; whereupon there was a great uproar in the city: 45 insomuch as the people of the city trent their clothes, and climbed upon the walls with their wives and children, and cried with a loud voice, beseeching Simon * to grant them peace. 46 And they said, Deal not with us according to our wickedness, but according to thy mercy. 47 So Simon was appeased towards them, and fought no more against them, but put them out of the city, and cleansed the houses wherein the idols were, and so entered into it uwith songs and thanksgiving. 48 Yea, he put all uncleanness out of it, and placed such men there as would keep the law, and made it stronger than it was before, and built therein wa dwelling place for himself.

49 * They also of xthe tower in Jerusalem were kept so strait, that they could neither ycome forth, nor go into the country, znor buy, nor sell: wherefore athey were in great distress for want of victuals, and a great number of them perished through famine. 50 Then cried they to Simon, beseeching him * to be at one with them: which thing he granted them; and when he had put them out from thence, aahe cleansed xthe tower from pollutions: 51 and entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month, in * the hundred seventy and one year, with bthanksgiving, and cbranches of palm trees, and with dfharps, and ecymbals, and with fviols, and bhymns, and songs: because there was destroyed ga great enemy out of Israel. 52 He ordained also that that day should be kept every year with gladness. Moreover hthe hill of the temple that was by xthe tower he made stronger than it was, and there he dwelt himself with his company. 53 And when Simon saw that iJohn his son was a valiant man, he made him captain of all the hosts; and jdwelt in kGazara.