1Now Simon heard that Trypho had gathered a large force to come into the land of Judah to destroy it.
2And he saw that the people were trembling and terrified, so he went up to Jerusalem and assembled the people.
3And he encouraged them, saying to them, “You yourselves know all that I and my brothers and my father’s house have done for the laws and the sanctuary, and the wars and the hardships we have seen.”
4For this reason all my brothers have perished for the sake of Israel, and I alone am left.
5And now, far be it from me to spare my own life in any time of distress, for I am not better than my brothers.
6Nevertheless, I will vindicate my nation and the sanctuary, and our wives and children, because all the nations have gathered out of hatred to destroy us.
7And the spirit of the people was rekindled when they heard these words.
8And they answered with a loud voice, saying, “You are our leader in place of Judas and your brother Jonathan.”
9“Fight our war, and whatever you tell us, we will do.”
10So he gathered all the fighting men, and he hurried to complete the walls of Jerusalem and fortified it on all sides.
11And he sent Jonathan the son of Absalom with a sufficient force to Joppa; and he drove out those who were in it and remained there.
12And Trypho set out from Ptolemais with a large force to enter the land of Judah, and Jonathan was with him in custody.
13But Simon encamped at Adida, facing the plain.
14And Trypho learned that Simon had risen up in place of his brother Jonathan and that he intended to join battle with him, so he sent envoys to him, saying,
15“It is on account of the money that your brother Jonathan owed to the royal treasury, for the offices he held, that we are holding him.”
16“So now send one hundred talents of silver and two of his sons as hostages, so that when he is released he will not revolt from us, and we will release him.”
17And Simon knew that they were speaking to him deceitfully, yet he sent the money and the young boys, lest he incur great hostility from the people,
18who might say, “It is because he did not send him the money and the young boys that Jonathan perished.”
19So he sent the young boys and the one hundred talents. But Trypho broke his word and did not release Jonathan.
20After this, Trypho came to invade the country and destroy it, and he circled around by the road to Adora. But Simon and his army marched parallel to him to every place he went.
21Now the men in the citadel were sending envoys to Trypho, urging him to come to them through the wilderness and to send them provisions.
22So Trypho prepared all his cavalry to go, but on that night there was a very heavy snow, and he did not go because of the snow. Instead, he set out and went into the land of Gilead.
23And when he drew near to Baskama, he killed Jonathan, and he was buried there.
24Then Trypho returned and went away to his own land.
25And Simon sent and recovered the bones of his brother Jonathan, and he buried him in Modein, the city of his fathers.
26And all Israel mourned for him with a great mourning, and they lamented for him for many days.
27And Simon built a monument over the tomb of his father and his brothers, and he made it high to be seen, with polished stone on the back and on the front.
28And he set up seven pyramids, one opposite another, for his father and mother and his four brothers.
29And for these he constructed artistic designs, setting up great pillars around them, and on the pillars he put full suits of armor for an everlasting memorial, and beside the armor he had ships carved, so that they could be seen by all who sail the sea.
30This is the tomb that he made in Modein, and it is there to this day.
31But Trypho proceeded deceitfully with Antiochus the younger king, and killed him.
32Then he reigned in his place, put on the diadem of Asia, and inflicted a great blow upon the land.
33And Simon built up the fortifications of Judea and fortified them all around with high towers, great walls, towers, gates, and bars; and he placed provisions in the fortifications.
34And Simon chose men and sent them to King Demetrius to ask for a tax remission for the country, because all of Trypho’s actions had been acts of plunder.
35King Demetrius responded to him concerning these matters and wrote him a letter of this kind:
36“King Demetrius to Simon the high priest and friend of kings, and to the elders and nation of the Jews, greetings.
37We have received the golden crown and the palm branch that you sent, and we are ready to make a great peace with you and to write to the officials to grant you remissions.
38And whatever we have established with you stands, and let the fortifications that you have built be yours.
39And we forgive you the errors and offenses committed up to this present day, and the crown tax that you owed. And if any other tax was collected in Jerusalem, let it no longer be collected.
40And if any of you are suitable to be enrolled in our service, let them be enrolled. And let there be peace between us.”
41In the one hundred and seventieth year, the yoke of the Gentiles was lifted from Israel.
42And the people of Israel began to write in their documents and contracts, “In the first year of Simon, the great high priest, commander, and leader of the Jews.”
43In those days Simon encamped against Gaza and surrounded it with siege works. He built a siege engine and brought it up to the city, and he attacked one tower and captured it.
44And the men in the siege engine leaped out into the city, and there was a great commotion in the city.
45And the people in the city, with their wives and children, went up on the wall, tearing their garments, and they cried out with a loud voice, asking Simon to make terms with them.
46And they said, “Do not treat us according to our wicked deeds, but according to your mercy.”
47And Simon came to terms with them and did not fight against them. But he expelled them from the city and cleansed the houses in which there were idols, and then he entered it singing hymns and praises.
48He cast out from it all impurity and settled in it men who keep the law. He also fortified it further and built a dwelling for himself in it.
49But the men in the citadel in Jerusalem were prevented from going out into the country to buy and sell. So they became very hungry, and a considerable number of them perished from the famine.
50And they cried out to Simon to make terms, and he granted their request. He expelled them from there and cleansed the citadel of its defilements.
51And he entered it on the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred and seventy-first year, with praise and palm branches, with lyres, cymbals, and harps, and with hymns and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel.
52And he established that this day should be celebrated annually. He also fortified the temple mount beside the citadel, and he lived there with his men.
53And Simon saw that his son John was a man, so he appointed him commander of all the forces; and John lived in Gazara.
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