1In the one hundred and seventy-second year, King Demetrius gathered his forces and went into Media to enlist aid for himself, so that he might fight Trypho.
2And Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had entered his borders, and he sent one of his commanders to capture him alive.
3And he went and struck the camp of Demetrius, captured him, and brought him to Arsaces, who put him in custody.
4And the land was at rest all the days of Simon, and he sought good for his nation. His authority and his glory were pleasing to them all his days.
5And in addition to all his glory, he took Joppa for a harbor and made an entryway to the islands of the sea.
6And he enlarged the borders of his nation and took control of the country.
7And he gathered many captives and became master of Gazara, Beth-zur, and the Akra. And he removed the uncleannesses from it, and there was no one who opposed him.
8And they cultivated their land in peace, and the land gave its produce, and the trees of the plains their fruit.
9Elders sat in the public squares; all of them discussed good things, and the young men put on splendid apparel and military attire.
10He supplied the cities with provisions and equipped them for fortification, until his glorious name was renowned to the end of the earth.
11He established peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy.
12And each one sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was no one to make them afraid.
13And anyone warring against them in the land ceased, and their kings were crushed in those days.
14And he strengthened all the humble of his people; he sought out the law and removed every lawless and wicked person.
15He glorified the holy place and multiplied the vessels of the sanctuary.
16And it was heard in Rome, and as far as Sparta, that Jonathan had died, and they were deeply grieved.
17But when they heard that Simon his brother had become high priest in his place and was in control of the country and the cities in it,
18they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendship and the alliance that they had established with Judas and Jonathan his brothers.
19And they were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.
20And this is the copy of the letter that the Spartans sent: “The rulers of the Spartans and the city, to Simon the great priest, and to the elders, the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, their brothers, greetings.”
21“The ambassadors who were sent to our people have reported to us about your glory and honor, and we rejoiced at their arrival.”
22“And we have recorded what was said by them in the public decrees, as follows: Numenius son of Antiochus, and Antipater son of Jason, ambassadors of the Jews, came to us to renew their friendship with us.”
23“And it pleased the people to receive the men with honor and to place a copy of their words in the public archives, so that the people of the Spartans might have a record. And a copy of these things they wrote to Simon the high priest.”
24After these things, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a large golden shield weighing a thousand minas, to establish the alliance with them.
25When the people heard these words, they said, “What thanks shall we give to Simon and his sons?”
26“For he and his brothers and the house of his father have stood firm and have fought off the enemies of Israel, and they have established freedom for it.” And they recorded this on bronze tablets and set them on pillars on Mount Zion.
27And this is the copy of the inscription: “On the eighteenth of Elul, in the one hundred and seventy-second year—which is the third year of Simon the high priest—
28in Saramel, at a great assembly of the priests and people, and rulers of the nation, and the elders of the country, the following was made known:
29Since wars have often occurred in the country, and Simon son of Mattathias, a son of the sons of Joarib, and his brothers have given themselves to danger and have stood against the adversaries of their nation so that their holy place and the law might be established, and have glorified their nation with great glory—
30and Jonathan rallied their nation and became their high priest, and was gathered to his people;
31And their enemies resolved to invade their land to destroy it, and to lay hands on their sanctuary.
32Then Simon arose and fought for his nation. He spent a great deal of his own money, armed his nation’s fighting men, and gave them wages.
33He also fortified the cities of Judea, and Beth-zur on the border of Judea, where the enemy’s armory had previously been, and he stationed a garrison of Judean men there.
34He also fortified Joppa by the sea and Gazara on the border of Azotus, where the enemy had previously lived. He settled Judeans there and supplied the cities with everything needed for their restoration.
35When the people saw Simon’s faithfulness and the glory he was determined to win for his nation, they appointed him their leader and high priest because of all he had done, for the justice and faithfulness he had maintained toward his nation, and because he had sought in every way to exalt his people.
36And in his days he succeeded in driving the Gentiles out of their country, as well as those in the City of David in Jerusalem—the ones who had built a citadel for themselves from which they would sally forth and defile the area around the sanctuary, inflicting a great blow against its purity.
37He settled Judean men in it and fortified it for the security of the country and the city, and he raised the walls of Jerusalem higher.
38And King Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood on this basis,
39He made him one of his Friends and honored him greatly.
40For word had reached him that the Judeans were addressed by the Romans as friends, allies, and brothers, and that the Romans had received Simon’s envoys with honor.
41and that the Judeans and the priests were pleased for Simon to be their leader and high priest forever, until a faithful prophet should arise;
42and for him to be commander over them, to have charge of the sanctuary, and to appoint officials under him over their public works, the country, the weapons, and the fortresses;
43and that he should have charge of the sanctuary, be obeyed by all, that all contracts in the country be written in his name, and that he be clothed in purple and wear gold.
44And it shall not be lawful for any of the people or the priests to set aside any of these things, or to contradict his commands, or to convene an assembly in the country without his permission, or to be clothed in purple and wear a golden brooch.
45Whoever acts contrary to these things or sets any of them aside shall be subject to punishment.”
46And all the people approved of decreeing that Simon should act in accordance with these words.
47And Simon accepted and was pleased to be high priest, and to be commander and ethnarch of the Judeans and the priests, and to preside over all things.
48And they ordered this inscription to be placed on bronze tablets and to set them up in the precinct of the sanctuary in a secure place.
49And they ordered that copies of them be placed in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.
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