The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 45: 1 Machabees
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Unknown >> The Bible, Douay Rheims, Book 45: 1 Machabees
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9:36. And the children of Jambri came forth out of Madaba, and took
John, and all that he had, and went away with them.
9:37. After this it was told Jonathan, and Simon, his brother, that the
children of Jambri made a great marriage, and were bringing the bride
out of Madaba, the daughter of one of the great princes of Chanaan, with
great pomp.
9:38. And they remembered the blood of John, their brother: and they
went up, and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain.
9:39. And they lifted up their eyes, and saw: and behold a tumult, and
great preparation: and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends, and
his brethren to meet them with timbrels, and musical instruments and
many weapons.
9:40. And they rose up against them from the place where they lay in
ambush, and slew them, and there fell many wounded, and the rest fled
into the mountains, and they took all their spoils:
9:41. And the marriage was turned into mourning, and the noise of their
musical instruments into lamentation.
9:42. And they took revenge for the blood of their brother: and they
returned to the bank of the Jordan.
9:43. And Bacchides heard it, and he came on the sabbath day even to the
bank of the Jordan, with a great power.
9:44. And Jonathan said to his company: Let us arise, and fight against
our enemies: for it is not now as yesterday, and the day before.
9:45. For behold the battle is before us, and the water of the Jordan on
this side and on that side, and banks, and marshes, and woods: and there
is no place for us to turn aside.
9:46. Now, therefore, cry ye to heaven, that ye may be delivered from
the hand of your enemies. And they joined battle.
9:47. And Jonathan stretched forth his hand to strike Bacchides, but he
turned away from him backwards.
9:48. And Jonathan, and they that were with him, leapt into the Jordan,
and swam over the Jordan to them.
9:49. And there fell of Bacchides' side that day a thousand men: and
they returned to Jerusalem,
9:50. And they built strong cities in Judea, the fortress that was in
Jericho, and in Ammaus, and in Bethoron, and in Bethel, and Thamnata,
and Phara, and Thopo, with high walls, and gates, and bars.
9:51. And he placed garrisons in them, that they might wage war against
Israel:
9:52. And he fortified the city of Bethsura, and Gazara, and the castle,
and set garrisons in them, and provisions of victuals:
9:53. And he took the sons of the chief men of the country for hostages,
and put them in the castle in Jerusalem in custody.
9:54. Now in the year one hundred and fifty-three, the second month,
Alcimus commanded the walls of the inner court of the sanctuary to be
thrown down, and the works of the prophets to be destroyed: and he began
to destroy. 9:55. At that time Alcimus was struck: and his works were
hindered, and his mouth was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, so
that he could no more speak a word, nor give order concerning his house.
9:56. And Alcimus died at that time in great torment.
9:57. And Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead: and he returned to the
king, and the land was quiet for two years.
9:58. And all the wicked held a council, saying: Behold Jonathan, and
they that are with him, dwell at ease and without fear: now, therefore,
let us bring Bacchides hither, and he shall take them all in one night.
9:59. So they went, and gave him counsel.
9:60. And he arose to come with a great army: and he sent secretly
letters to his adherents that were in Judea to seize upon Jonathan, and
them that were with him: but they could not, for their design was known
to them.
9:61. And he apprehended of the men of the country, that were the
principal authors of the mischief, fifty men, and he slew them.
9:62. And Jonathan, and Simon, and they that were with him, retired into
Bethbessen, which is in the desert: and he repaired the breaches
thereof, and they fortified it.
9:63. And when Bacchides knew it, he gathered together all his
multitude: and sent word to them that were of Judea.
9:64. And he came, and camped above Bethbessen, and fought against it
many days, and made engines.
9:65. But Jonathan left his brother, Simon, in the city and went forth
into the country, and came with a number of men,
9:66. And struck Odares, and his brethren, and the children of Phaseron,
in their tents, and he began to slay, and to increase in forces.
9:67. But Simon, and they that were with him, sallied out of the city,
and burnt the engines,
9:68. And they fought against Bacchides, and he was discomfited by them:
and they afflicted him exceedingly, for his counsel, and his enterprise
was in vain.
9:69. And he was angry with the wicked men that had given him counsel to
come into their country, and he slew many of them: and he purposed to
return with the rest into their country.
9:70. And Jonathan had knowledge of it, and he sent ambassadors to him
to make peace with him, and to restore to him the prisoners.
9:71. And he accepted it willingly, and did according to his words, and
swore that he would do him no harm all the days of his life.
9:72. And he restored to him the prisoners which he before had taken out
of the land of Juda: and he returned, and went away into his own
country, and he came no more into their borders.
9:73. So the sword ceased from Israel: and Jonathan dwelt in Machmas,
and Jonathan began there to judge the people, and he destroyed the
wicked out of Israel.
1 Machabees Chapter 10
Alexander Bales sets himself up for king: both he and Demetrius seek to
make Jonathan their friend. Alexander kills Demetrius in battle, and
honours Jonathan. His victory over Apollonius.
10:1. Now in the hundred and sixtieth year, Alexander, the son of
Antiochus, surnamed the Illustrious, came up and took Ptolemais, and
they received him, and he reigned there.
10:2. And king Demetrius heard of it, and gathered together an exceeding
great army, and went forth against him to fight.
10:3. And Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan, with peaceable words, to
magnify him.
10:4. For he said: Let us first make a peace with him, before he make
one with Alexander against us.
10:5. For he will remember all the evils that we have done against him,
and against his brother, and against his nation.
10:6. And he gave him authority to gather together a army, and to make
arms, and that he should be his confederate: and the hostages that were
in the castle, he commanded to be delivered to him.
10:7. And Jonathan came to Jerusalem, and read the letters in the
hearing of all the people, and of them that were in the castle.
10:8. And they were struck with great fear, because they heard that the
king had given him authority to gather together an army.
10:9. And the hostages were delivered to Jonathan, and he restored them
to their parents.
10:10. And Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem, and began to build, and to
repair the city.
10:11. And he ordered workmen to build the walls, and mount Sion round
about with square stones for fortification: and so they did.
10:12. Then the strangers that were in the strong holds, which Bacchides
had built, fled away.
10:13. And every man left his place, and departed into his own country:
10:14. Only in Bethsura there remained some of them, that had forsaken
the law, and the commandments of God: for this was a place of refuge for
them.
10:15. And king Alexander heard of the promises that Demetrius had made
Jonathan: and they told him of the battles, and the worthy acts that he
and his brethren had done, and the labours that they had endured.
10:16. And he said: Shall we find such another man? now, therefore, we
will make him our friend and our confederate.
10:17. So he wrote a letter, and sent it to him according to these
words, saying:
10:18. King Alexander to his brother, Jonathan, greetings.
10:19. We have heard of thee, that thou art a man of great power, and
fit to be our friend:
10:20. Now therefore, we make thee this day high priest of thy nation,
and that thou be called the king's friend, (and he sent him a purple
robe, and a crown of gold) and that thou be of one mind with us in our
affairs, and keep friendship with us.
10:21. Then Jonathan put on the holy vestment in the seventh month, in
the year one hundred and threescore, at the feast day of the
tabernacles: and he gathered together an army, and made a great number
of arms.
10:22. And Demetrius heard these words, and was exceeding sorry, and
said:
10:23. What is this that we have done, that Alexander hath prevented us
to gain the friendship of the Jews to strengthen himself?
10:24. I also will write to them words of request, and offer dignities,
and gifts: that they may be with me to aid me.
10:25. And he wrote to them in these words: King Demetrius to the nation
of the Jews, greeting.
10:26. Whereas you have kept covenant with us, and have continued in our
friendship, and have not joined with our enemies, we have heard of it,
and are glad.
10:27. Wherefore now continue still to keep fidelity towards us, and we
will reward you with good things, for what you have done in our behalf.
10:28. And we will remit to you many charges, and will give you gifts.
10:29. And now I free you, and all the Jews, from tributes, and I
release you from the customs of salt, and remit the crowns, and the
thirds of the seed:
10:30. And the half of the fruit of trees, which is my share, I leave to
you from this day forward, so that it shall not be taken of the land of
Juda, and of the three cities that are added thereto out of Samaria and
Galilee, from this day forth, and for ever:
10:31. And let Jerusalem be holy and free, with the borders thereof: and
let the tenths, and tributes be for itself.
10:32. I yield up also the power of the castle that is in Jerusalem, and
I give it to the high priest, to place therein such men as he shall
choose, to keep it.
10:33. And every soul of the Jews that hath been carried captive from
the land of Juda in all my kingdom, I set at liberty freely, that all be
discharged from tributes, even of their cattle.
10:34. And I will that all the feasts, and the sabbaths, and the new
moons, and the days appointed, and three days before the solemn day, and
three days after the solemn day, be all days of immunity and freedom,
for all the Jews that are in my kingdom:
10:35. And no man shall have power to do any thing against them, or to
molest any of them, in any cause.
10:36. And let there be enrolled in the king's army to the number of
thirty thousand of the Jews: and allowance shall be made them, as is due
to all the king's forces and certain of them shall be appointed to be in
the fortresses of the great king:
10:37. And some of them shall be set over the affairs of the kingdom,
that are of trust, and let the governors be taken from among themselves,
and let them walk in their own laws, as the king hath commanded in the
land of Juda.
10:38. And the three cities that are added to Judea, out of the country
of Samaria, let them be accounted with Judea: that they may be under
one, and obey no other authority but that of the high priest:
10:39. Ptolemais and the confines thereof, I give as a free gift to the
holy places that are in Jerusalem, for the necessary charges of the holy
things.
10:40. And I give every year fifteen thousand sickles of silver out of
the king's accounts, of what belongs to me:
10:41. And all that is above, which they that were over the affairs the
years before, had not paid, from this time they shall give it to the
works of the house.
10:42. Moreover, the five thousand sickles of silver, which they
received from the account of the holy places, every year, shall also
belong to the priests that execute the ministry.
10:43. And whosoever shall flee into the temple that is in Jerusalem,
and in all the borders thereof, being indebted to the king for any
matter, let them be set at liberty, and all that they have in my
kingdom, let them have it free.
10:44. For the building also, or repairing the works of the holy places,
the charges shall be given out of the king's revenues:
10:45. For the building also of the walls of Jerusalem, and the
fortifying thereof round about, the charges shall be given out of the
king's account, as also for the building of the walls in Judea.
10:46. Now when Jonathan and the people heard these words, they gave no
credit to them, nor received them because they remembered the great evil
that he had done in Israel, for he had afflicted them exceedingly.
10:47. And their inclinations were towards Alexander, because he had
been the chief promoter of peace in their regard, and him they always
helped.
10:48. And king Alexander gathered together a great army, and moved his
camp near to Demetrius.
10:49. And the two kings joined battle, and the army of Demetrius fled
away, and Alexander pursued after him, and pressed them close.
10:50. And the battle was hard fought, till the sun went down: and
Demetrius was slain that day.
10:51. And Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemee king of Egypt, with
words to this effect, saying:
Ptolemee... Surnamed Philometer.
10:52. Forasmuch as I am returned into my kingdom and am set in the
throne of my ancestors, and have gotten the dominion, and have
overthrown Demetrius and possessed our country,
10:53. And have joined battle with him, and both he and his army have
been destroyed by us, and we are placed in the throne of his kingdom:
10:54. Now, therefore, let us make friendship one with another: and give
me now thy daughter to wife, and I will be thy son in law, and I will
give both thee and her gifts worthy of thee.
10:55. And king Ptolomee answered, saying: Happy is the day wherein thou
didst return to the land of thy fathers, and sattest in the throne of
their kingdom.
10:56. And now I will do to thee as thou hast written but meet me at
Ptolemais, that we may see one another, and I may give her to thee as
thou hast said.
10:57. So Ptolemee went out of Egypt, with Cleopatra his daughter, and
he came to Ptolemais, in the hundred and sixty-second year.
10:58. And king Alexander met him, and he gave him his daughter,
Cleopatra: and he celebrated her marriage at Ptolemais with great glory,
after the manner of kings.
10:59. And king Alexander wrote to Jonathan, that he should come and
meet him.
10:60. And he went honourably to Ptolemais, and he met there the two
kings, and he gave them much silver, and gold, and presents: and he
found favour in their sight.
10:61. And some pestilent men of Israel, men of a wicked life, assembled
themselves against him, to accuse him: and the king gave no heed to
them.
10:62. And he commanded that Jonathan's garments should he taken off,
and that he shonld be clothed with purple: and they did so. And the king
made him sit by himself.
10:63. And he said to his princes: Go out 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.
10:64. So when his accusers saw his glory proclaimed, and him clothed
with purple, they all fled away.
10:65. And the king magnified him, and enrolled him amongst his chief
friends, and made him governor, and partaker of his dominion.
10:66. And Jonathan returned into Jerusalem with peace and joy.
10:67. In the year one hundred and sixty-five, Demetrius, the son of
Demetrius, came from Crete into the land of his fathers.
10:68. And king Alexander heard of it, and was much troubled, and
returned to Antioch.
10:69. And king Demetrius made Apollonius his general, who was governor
of Celesyria: and he gathered together a great army, and came to Jamnia:
and he sent to Jonathan, the high priest,
10:70. Saying: Thou alone standest against us, and I am laughed at and
reproached, because thou shewest thy power against us in the mountuins.
10:71. Now, therefore, if thou trustest in thy forces, come down to us
into the plain, and there let us try one another: for with me is the
strength of war.
10:72. Ask, and learn who I am, and the rest that help me, who also say
that your foot cannot stand before our face, for thy fathers have twice
been put to flight in their own land:
10:73. And now how wilt thou be able to abide the horsemen, and so great
an army in the plain, where there is no stone, nor rock, nor place to
flee to?
10:74. Now when Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, he was moved in
his mind: and he chose ten thousand men, and went out of Jerusalem, and
Simon, his brother, met him to help him.
10:75. And they pitched their tents near Joppe, but they shut him out of
the city: because a garrison of Apollonius was in Joppe, and he laid
siege to it.
10:76. And they that were in the city being affrighted, opened the gates
to him: so Jonathan took Joppe.
10:77. And Apollonius heard of it, and he took three thousand horsemen,
and a great army.
10:78. And he went to Azotus, as one that was making a journey, and
immediately he went forth into the plain: because he had a great number
of horsemen, and he trusted in them. And Jonathan followed after him to
Azotus, and they joined battle.
10:79. And Apollonius left privately in the camp a thousand horsemen
behind them.
10:80. And Jonathan knew that there was an ambush behind him, and they
surrounded his army, and cast darts at the people from morning till
evening.
10:81. But the people stood still, as Jonathan had commanded them: and
so their horses were fatigued.
10:82. Then Simon drew forth his army, and attacked the legion: for the
horsemen were wearied: and they were discomfited by him, and fled.
10:83. And they that were scattered about the plain fled into Azotus,
and went into Bethdagon, their idol's temple, there to save themselves.
10:84. But Jonathan set fire to Azotus, and the cities that were round
about it, and took the spoils of them and the temple of Dagon: and all
them that were fled into it, he burnt with fire.
10:85. So they that were slain by the sword, with them that were burnt,
were almost eight thousand men.
10:86. And Jonathan, removed his army from thence and camped against
Ascalon: and they went out of the city to meet him with great honour.
10:87. And Jonathan returned into Jerusalem with his people, having many
spoils.
10:88. And it came to pass, when Alexander, the king heard these words,
that he honoured Jonathan yet more.
10:89. And he sent him a buckle of gold, as the custom is, to be given
to such as are of the royal blood. And he gave him Accaron, and all the
borders thereof, in possession.
1 Machabees Chapter 11
Ptolemee invades the kingdom of Alexander: the latter is slain: and the
former dies soon after. Demetrius honours Jonathan, and is rescued by
the Jews from his own subjects in Antioch. Antiochus the younger favours
Jonathan. His exploits in divers places.
11:1. And the king of Egypt gathered together an army, like the sand
that lieth upon the sea shore, and many ships: and he sought to get the
kingdom of Alexander by deceit, and join it to his own kingdom.
11:2. And he went out into Syria with peaceable words and they opened to
him the cities, and met him: for king Alexander had ordered them to go
forth to meet him, because he was his father in law.
11:3. Now when Ptolemee entered into the cities, he put garrisons of
soldiers in every city.
11:4. And when he came near to Azotns, they shewed him the temple of
Dagon that was burnt with fire, and Azotus, and the suburbs thereof,
that were destroyed, and the bodies that were cast abroad, and the
graves of them that were slain in the battle, which they had made near
the way.
11:5. And they told the king that Jonathan had done these things, to
make him odious: but the king held his peace.
11:6. And Jonathan came to meet the king at Joppe with glory, and they
saluted one another, and they lodged there.
11:7. And Jonathan went with the king as far as the river, called
Eleutherus: and he returned into Jerusalem.
11:8. And king Ptolemee got the dominion of the cities by the sea side,
even to Seleucia, and he devised evil designs against Alexander.
11:9. And he sent ambassadors to Demetrius, saying: Come, let us make a
league between us, and I will give thee my daughter whom Alexander hath,
and thou shalt reign in the kingdom of thy father.
11:10. For I repent that I have given him my daughter: for he hath
sought to kill me.
11:11. And he slandered him, because he coveted his kingdom,
11:12. And he took away his daughter, and gave her to Demetrius, and
alienated himself from Alexander, and his enmities were made manifest.
11:13. And Ptolemee entered into Antioch, and set two crowns upon his
head, that of Egypt, and that of Asia.
11:14. Now king Alexander was in Cilicia at that time: because they that
were in those places had rebelled.
11:15. And when Alexander heard of it, he came to give him battle: and
king Ptolemee brought forth his army, and met him with a strong power,
and put him to flight.
11:16. And Alexander fled into Arabia, there to be protected: and king
Ptolemee was exalted.
11:17. And Zabdiel the Arabian took off Alexander's head, and sent it to
Ptolemee.
11:18. And king Ptolemee died the third day after: and they that were in
the strong holds were destroyed by them that were within the camp.
11:19. And Demetrius reigned in the hundred and sixty-seventh year.
11:20. In those days Jonathan gathered together them that were in Judea,
to take the castle that was in Jerusalem: and they made many engines of
war against it.
11:21. Then some wicked men that hated their own nation, went away to
king Demetrius, and told him that Jonathan was besieging the castle.
11:22. And when he heard it, he was angry: and forthwith he came to
Ptolemais, and wrote to Jonathan that he should not besiege the castle,
but should come to him in haste, and speak to him.
11:23. But when Jonathan heard this, he bade them besiege it still: and
he chose some of the ancients of Israel, and of the priests, and put
himself in danger.
11:24. And he took gold, and silver, and raiment, and many other
presents, and went to the king to Ptolemais and he found favour in his
sight.
11:25. And certain wicked men of his nation made complaints against him.
11:26. And the king treated him as his predecessors had done before: and
he exalted him in the sight of all his friends.
11:27. And he confirmed him in the high priesthood and all the honours
he had before, and he made him the chief of his friends.
11:28. And Jonathan requested of the king that he would make Judea free
from tribute, and the three governments, and Samaria, and the confines
thereof: and he promised him three hundred talents.
11:29. And the king consented: and he wrote letters to Jonathan of all
these things, to this effect.
11:30. King Demetrius to his brother, Jonathan, and to the nation of the
Jews, greeting.
11:31. We send you here a copy of the letter which we have written to
Lasthenes, our parent, concerning you, that you might know it.
11:32. King Demetrius to Lasthenes, his parent, greetings.
11:33. We have determined to do good to the nation of the Jews, who are
our friends, and keep the things that are just with us, for their good
will which they bear towards us.
11:34. We have ratified, therefore, unto them all the borders of Judea,
and the three cities, Apherema, Lydda, and Ramatha, which are added to
Judea, out of Samaria, and all their confines, to be set apart to all
them that sacrifice in Jerusalem, instead of the payments which the king
received of them every year, and for the fruits of the land, and of the
trees.
Apherema... is found only in the Greek version.
11:35. And as for other things that belonged to us of the tithes, and of
the tributes, from this time we discharge them of them: the saltpans
also, and the crowns that were presented to us.
11:36. We give all to them, and nothing hereof shall be revoked from
this time forth and for ever.
11:37. Now, therefore, see that thou make a copy of these things, and
let it be given to Jonathan, and set upon the holy mountain, in a
conspicuous place.
11:38. And king Demetrius, seeing that the land was quiet before him,
and nothing resisted him, sent away all his forces, every man to his own
place, except the foreign army, which he had drawn together from the
islands of the nations: so all the troops of his fathers hated him.
11:39. Now there was one Tryphon who had been of Alexander's party
before: who seeing that all the army murmured against Demetrius, went to
Emalchuel, the Arabian, who brought up Antiochus, the son of Alexander:
11:40. And he pressed him much to deliver him to him, that he might be
king in his father's place: and he told him all that Demetrius had done,
and how his soldiers hated him. And he remained there many days.
11:41. And Jonathan sent to king Demetrius, desiring that he would cast
out them that were in the castle in Jerusalem, and those that were in
the strong holds: because they fought against Israel.
11:42. And Demetrius sent to Jonathan, saying: I will not only do this
for thee, and for thy people, but I will greatly honour thee, and thy
nation, when opportunity shall serve.
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