1 Now in the hundred and seventy-second year Sovereign Dĕmĕtrios gathered his forces together, and went into Maḏai to gain help to fight against Truphon.
2 But when Arsakes, the sovereign of Paras and Maḏai, heard that Dĕmĕtrios had entered within his borders, he sent one of his princes to take him alive,
3 who went and smote the army of Dĕmĕtrios, and took him and brought him to Arsakes, by whom he was put under guard.
4 As for the land of Yahuḏah, it was quiet all the days of Shim’on; for he sought the good of his nation in order that his authority and honour pleased them well all the days.
5 And as he was honourable in all his deeds, so in this, that he took Yapho for a harbour, and made an entrance to the islands of the sea,
6 and enlarged the boundary of his nation, and recovered the land,
7 and gathered together a great number of captives, and had the reign of Gezer, and Bĕyth Tsur, and the tower, out of the which he took all uncleanness, neither was there any that resisted him.
8 Then they tilled their ground in peace, and the earth gave its increase, and the trees of the field their fruit.
9 All the old men sat in the streets, speaking good words together, and the young men put on splendid armour.
10 He provided food for the cities, and appointed in them all manner of fortification, so that his honourable name was known to the ends of the world.
11 He made peace in the land, and Yisra’ĕl rejoiced with great joy,
12 for every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was none to trouble them,
13 neither was there any left in the land to fight against them. The sovereigns themselves were also overthrown in those days,
14 and he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low. He searched out the Law, and he removed every despiser of the Law and wicked person.
15 He adorned the Miqdash, and multiplied vessels for the Hĕyḵal.
16 Now when it was heard in Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Yahonathan was dead, they were very sorry,
17 but as soon as they heard that his brother Shim’on was made kohĕn ha’gadol in his place, and ruled the country, and the cities there,
18 they wrote to him on tablets of bronze, to renew the friendship and alliance which they had made with Yahuḏah and Yahonathan his brothers;
19 writings which were read before the assembly at Yerushalayim.
20 And this is the copy of the letters that the Lakedaemonians sent: “The rulers of the Lakedaemonians, with the city, to Shim’on the kohĕn ha’gadol, and the elders, and kohenim, and remnant of the people of the Yahuḏim, our brothers, greetings.
21 The ambassadors that were sent to our people informed us of your esteem and honour, therefore we were glad of their coming,
22 and registered the words that they spoke in the council of the people in this manner: ‘Numĕnios son of Antioḵos, and Antipater son of Yason, the Yahuḏim’s ambassadors, came to us to renew the friendship they had with us,
23 and it pleased the people to receive the men honourably, and to put the copy of their message in public record, so that the people of the Lakedaemonians might have a memorial of it Furthermore we have written a copy of it to Shim’on the kohĕn ha’gadol.’ ”
24 After this Shim’on sent Numĕnios to Rome with a great golden shield of one thousand minas weight to confirm the alliance with them.
25 When the people heard of this, they said, “What thanks shall we give to Shim’on and his sons?
26 “For he and his brothers and the house of his father have established Yisra’ĕl, and chased away their enemies from them in battle, and confirmed their freedom.”
27 So then they wrote it on tablets of bronze, which they placed on columns in Mount Tsiyon. And this is the copy of the writing: “The eighteenth day of the month Elul, in the hundred and seventy-second year, being the third year of Shim’on the kohĕn ha’gadol,
28 at Asaramel in the great assembly of the kohenim and people and rulers of the nation and elders of the country, these words were declared to us.
29 “Since many times there have been battles in the country, for which the maintenance of their Miqdash, and the Law, Shim’on the son of Mattithyahu, of the descendants of Yariḇ, together with his brothers, put themselves in danger, and resisting the enemies of their nation did their nation great honour.
30 “For after Yahonathan, having gathered his nation together, and been their kohĕn ha’gadol, was added to his people,
31 their enemies prepared to invade their country, that they might destroy it, and lay hands on the Miqdash.
32 “At which time Shim’on rose up, and fought for his nation, and spent much of his own wealth, and armed the brave men of his nation and gave them wages,
33 and fortified the cities of Yahuḏah, together with Bĕyth Tsur that lies on the borders of Yahuḏah, where the armour of the enemies had been before; but he positioned a garrison of Yahuḏim there.
34 “He also fortified Yapho, which lies on the coast, and Gezer, that borders on Ashdoḏ, where the enemies had dwelt before. And he appointed Yahuḏim there, and supplied them with all matters necessary for its repairs.”
35 So the people sang the deeds of Shim’on, and to what esteem he thought to bring his nation, making him their governor and chief kohĕn, because he had done all these matters, and for the Right-Ruling and belief which he guarded for his nation, and that by all means he sought to exalt his people.
36 For in his time matters prospered in his hands, so that the gentiles were taken out of their country, and also those that were in the city of Dawiḏ in Yerushalayim who had made themselves a tower from which they came out and polluted all around the Miqdash and did much evil in the qodesh place.
37 But he appointed Yahuḏim in it and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and raised up the walls of Yerushalayim.
38 Sovereign Dĕmĕtrios also confirmed him in the high kehunnah according to those matters,
39 and made him one of his friends, and honoured him with great honour.
40 For he had heard it said, that the Romans had called the Yahuḏim their friends and allies and brothers; and that they had entertained the ambassadors of Shim’on honourably.
41 Also that the Yahuḏim and kohenim were well pleased that Shim’on should be their governor and kohĕn ha’gadol forever, until there should arise a trustworthy naḇi.
42 That he should also be their leader, and would take charge of the Miqdash, to appoint them over their works, and over the country, and over the armoury, and over the fortresses.
43 Besides this, that he should be obeyed by 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.
44 Also that it should be not allowed for the people or kohenim to break any of these matters, or to refute his words, or to gather an assembly in the country without him, or to be clothed in purple, or wear a gold buckle;
45 and whoever should do otherwise, or break any of these matters should be punished.
46 So it pleased all the people to establish Shim’on, and to do as had been said.
47 Then Shim’on accepted this, and was well pleased to be kohĕn ha’gadol, and leader and governor of the Yahuḏim and kohenim, and to defend them all.
48 So they commanded that this writing should be put on tablets of bronze, and that they should be put up within the surrounds of the Miqdash in a conspicuous place;
49 also that the copies of this should be stored in the treasury, so that Shim’on and his sons might have them.