|
1 Now Simon heard that Tryphon
was gathering together a very great army, to invade the land of Juda, and to destroy it.
2 And seeing that the people was in dread, and
in fear, he went up to Jerusalem, and assembled the people:
3 And exhorted them, saying: You know what
great battles I and my brethren, and the house of my father, have fought for
the laws, and the sanctuary, and the distresses that we have seen:
4 By reason whereof all my brethren have
lost their lives for Israel's sake, and I am left alone.
5 And now far be it from me to spare my life
in any time of trouble: for I am not better than my brethren.
6 I will avenge then my nation and the
sanctuary, and our children, and wives: for all the heathens are gathered
together to destroy us out of mere malice.
7 And the spirit of the people was enkindled
as soon as they heard these words.
8 And they answered with a loud voice,
saying: Thou art our leader in the place of Judas, and Jonathan thy brother.
9 Fight thou our battles, and we will do
whatsoever thou shalt say to us.
10 So gathering together all the men of war,
he made haste to finish all the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it round
about.
11 And he sent Jonathan the son of Absalom,
and with him a new army into Joppe, and he cast out
them that were in it, and himself remained there.
12 And Tryphon
removed from Ptolemais with a great army, to invade
the land of Juda, and Jonathan was with him in
custody.
13 But Simon pitched in Addus,
over against the plain.
14 And when Tryphon
understood that Simon was risen up in the place of his brother Jonathan, and
that he meant to join battle with him, he sent messengers to him,
15 Saying: We have detained thy brother
Jonathan for the money that he owed in the king's account, by reason of the
affairs which he had the management of.
16 But now send a hundred talents of silver,
and his two sons for hostages, that when he is set at liberty he may not
revolt from us, and we will release him.
17 Now Simon knew that he spoke deceitfully to
him, nevertheless he ordered the money, and the children to be sent: lest he
should bring upon himself a great hatred of the people of Israel, who might
have said:
18 Because he sent not the money, and the
children, therefore is he lost.
19 So he sent the children, and the hundred
talents: and he lied, and did not let Jonathan go.
20 And after this Tryphon
entered within the country, to destroy it: and they went about by the way
that leadeth to Ador: and
Simon and his army marched to every place whithersoever they went.
21 And they that were in the castle, sent
messengers to Tryphon, that he should make haste to
come through the desert, and sent them victuals.
22 And Tryphon made
ready all his horsemen to come that night: but there fell a very great snow,
and he came not into the country of Galaad.
23 And when he approached to Bascama, he slew Jonathan and his sons there.
24 And Tryphon
returned, and went into his own country.
25 And Simon sent, and took the bones of
Jonathan his brother, and buried them in Modin, in
the city of his fathers.
26 And all Israel bewailed him with great
lamentation: and they mourned for him many days.
27 And Simon built over the sepulchre of his father and of his brethren, a building
lofty to the sight, of polished stone behind and before:
28 And he set up seven pyramids one against
another for his father and his mother, and his four brethren:
29 And round about these he set great
pillars: and upon the pillars arms for a perpetual memory: and by the arms
ships carved, which might be seen by all that sailed on the sea.
30 This is the sepulchre
that he made in Modin even unto this day.
31 But Tryphon when
he was upon a journey with the young king Antiochus, treacherously slew him.
32 And he reigned in his place, and put on the
crown of Asia: and brought great evils upon the land.
33 And Simon built up the strong holds of Judea,
fortifying them with high towers, and great walls, and gates, and bars: and
he stored up victuals in the fortresses.
34 And Simon chose men and sent to king
Demetrius, to the end that he should grant an immunity to the land: for all
that Tryphon did was to spoil.
35 And king Demetrius in answer to this
request, wrote a letter in this manner:
36 King Demetrius to Simon the high priest,
and friend of kings, and to the ancients, and to the nation of the Jews,
greeting.
37 The golden crown, and the palm, which you
sent, we have received: and we are ready to make a firm peace with you, and
to write to the king's chief officers to release you the things that we have
released.
38 For all that we have decreed in your favour, shall stand in force. The strong holds that you
have built, shall be your own.
39 And as for any oversight or fault committed
unto this day, we forgive it, and the crown which you owed: and if any other
thing were taxed in Jerusalem, now let it not be taxed.
40 And if any of you be fit to be enrolled
among ours, let them be enrolled, and let there be peace between us.
41 In the year one hundred and seventy the
yoke of the Gentiles was taken off from Israel.
42 And the people of Israel began to write in
the instruments, and public records, The first year under Simon the high
priest, the great captain and prince of the Jews.
43 In those days Simon besieged Gaza, and
camped round about it, and he made engines, and set them to the city, and he
struck one tower, and took it.
44 And they that were within the engine leaped
into the city: and there was a great uproar in the city.
45 And they that were in the city went up with
their wives and children upon the wall, with their garments rent, and they
cried with a loud voice, beseeching Simon to grant them peace.
46 And they said: Deal not with us according
to our evil deeds, but according to thy mercy.
47 And Simon being moved, did not destroy
them: but yet he cast them out of the city, and cleansed the houses wherein
there had been idols, and then he entered into it with hymns, blessing the
Lord.
48 And having cast out of it all uncleanness,
he placed in it men that should observe the law: and he fortified it, and
made it his habitation.
49 But they that were in the castle of
Jerusalem were hindered from going out and coming into the country, and from
buying and selling: and they were straitened with hunger, and many of them
perished through famine.
50 And they cried to Simon form peace, and he
granted it to them: and he cast them out from thence, and cleansed the castle
from uncleannesses.
51 And they entered into it the three and
twentieth day of the second month, in the year one hundred and seventy-one,
with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and harps, and cymbals, and
psalteries, and hymns, and canticles, because the great enemy was destroyed
out of Israel.
52 And he ordained that these days should be
kept every year with gladness.
53 And he fortified the mountain of the temple
that was near the castle, and he dwelt there himself, and they that were with
him.
54 And Simon saw that John his son was a
valiant man for war: and he made him captain of all the forces: and he dwelt
in Gazara.
|
1- و بلغ سمعان ان تريفون قد جمع
جيشا عظيما ليغير على ارض يهوذا و يدمرها.
2- و راى ان شعبه قد داخله الرعب
و الرعدة فصعد الى اورشليم و جمع الشعب.
3- و شجعهم و قال لهم قد علمتم
ما فعلت انا و اخوتي و اهل بيت ابي من اجل السنن و الاقداس و ما لقينا من الحروب
و الشدائد.
4- و قد كان في ذلك هلاك اخوتي
جميعا لاجل اسرائيل و بقيت انا وحدي.
5- و الان فحاش لي ان اضن بنفسي
في كل موقع ضيق فاني لست خيرا من اخوتي.
6- بل انتقم لامتي و للاقداس و
لنسائنا و اولادنا لان الامم باسرها قد اجتمعت لتدميرنا بغضا.
7- فلما سمع الشعب هذا الكلام ثارت نفوسهم.
8- و اجابوا بصوت عظيم قائلين
انت قائد لنا مكان يهوذا و يوناتان اخيك.
9- فحارب حربنا و مهما قلت لنا
فانا نفعله.
10- فحشد جميع رجال القتال و جد في اتمام اسوار
اورشليم و حصنها مما حولها.
11- ثم وجه يوناتان بن ابشالوم الى يافا في
عدد واف من الجيش فطرد الذين كانوا فيها و اقام هناك.
12- و زحف تريفون من بطلمايس في جيش عظيم
قاصدا ارض يهوذا و معه يوناتان تحت الحفظ.
13- و كان سمعان حالا بحاديد قبالة السهل.
14- و علم تريفون ان سمعان قد
قام في موضع يوناتان اخيه و انه مزمع ان يلحم الحرب معه فانفذ اليه رسلا.
15- يقول انا انما قبضنا على
يوناتان اخيك لمال كان عليه للملك فيما باشره من الامور.
16- فالان ارسل مئة قنطار فضة و ابنيه رهينة
لئلا يغدر بنا اذا اطلقناه و حينئذ نطلقه.
17- و علم سمعان انهم انما يكلمونه بمكر الا
انه ارسل المال و الولدين مخافة ان يجلب على نفسه عداوة عظيمة من قبل الشعب و
يقولوا.
18- لسبب انه لم يرسل اليه المال و الولدين
هلك.
19- فوجه الولدين و مئة القنطار
الا ان تريفون اخلف و لم يطلق يوناتان.
20- و جاء تريفون بعد ذلك ليغير
على البلاد و يدمرها و دار في الطريق الى ادورا و كان سمعان و جيشه يقاومونه
حيثما تقدم.
21- و انفذ الذين في القلعة رسلا
الى تريفون يلحون عليه ان ياتيهم في طريق البرية و ينفذ اليهم ميرة.
22- فجهز تريفون جميع فرسانه
للمسير في ذلك الليل لكن اذ تكاثر الثلج جدا منعهم الثلج من المسير فارتحل و اتى
الى ارض جلعاد.
23- و لما ان قارب بسكاما قتل
يوناتان و دفنوه هناك.
24- ثم رجع تريفون و انصرف الى
ارضه.
25- فارسل سمعان و اخذ عظام يوناتان اخيه و
دفنها في مودين مدينة ابائه.
26- و ناح عليه كل اسرائيل نوحا
عظيما و ندبوه اياما كثيرة.
27- و شيد سمعان على قبر ابيه و
اخوته بناء عاليا منظورا بحجارة نحتت من وراء و من امام.
28- و نصب على القبور سبعة اهرام
واحدا بازاء واحد لابيه و امه و اخوته الاربعة.
29- و زينها بفنون و نقوش و جعل
حولها اعمدة عظيمة مرسوما على الاعمدة اسلحة تخليدا لذكرهم و بجانب الاسلحة سفن
منقوشة و كانت منظورة لجميع ركاب البحر.
30- هذا هو القبر الذي صنعه
بمودين باقيا الى هذا اليوم.
31- و سلك تريفون بالغدر مع
انطيوكس الملك الصغير و قتله.
32- و ملك مكانه و لبس تاج اسية
و ضرب الارض ضربة عظيمة.
33- و بنى سمعان حصون اليهودية و
عززها بالبروج الرفيعة و الاسوار العظيمة و الابواب و المزاليج و ادخر ميرة في
الحصون.
34- و انتخب سمعان رجالا و ارسل
الى ديمتريوس الملك ان يعفي البلاد لان كل ما فعله تريفون انما كان اختلاسا.
35- فبعث اليه ديمتريوس الملك
بهذا الكلام و اجابه و كتب اليه كتابا هذه صورته.
36- من ديمتريوس الملك الى سمعان الكاهن
الاعظم و صديق الملوك و الى الشيوخ و شعب اليهود سلام.
37- قد وصل الينا اكليل الذهب و
السعفة التي بعثت بها الينا و في عزمنا ان نعقد معكم سلما وثيقا و نكاتب ارباب
الامور ان يعفوكم مما عليكم.
38- و كل ما رسمنا لكم يبقى مرسوما و الحصون
التي بنيتموها تكون لكم.
39- و لكن ما فرط من هفوة و خطا
الى هذا اليوم نتجاوز عنه و الاكليل الذي لنا عليكم و كل وضيعة اخرى على اورشليم
نعفيكم منها.
40- و ان كان فيكم اهل للاكتتاب
في جندنا فليكتتبوا و لكن فيما بيننا سلم.
41- و في السنة المئة و السبعين
خلع نير الامم عن اسرائيل.
42- و بدا شعب اسرائيل يكتب في
توقيع الصكوك و العقود في السنة الاولى لسمعان الكاهن الاعظم قائد اليهود و
رئيسهم.
43- في تلك الايام نزل سمعان على غزة و حاصرها بجيوشه و صنع دبابات و
ادناها من المدينة و ضرب احد البروج و استولى عليه.
44- و هجم الذين في الدبابة على
المدينة فوقع اضطراب عظيم في المدينة.
45- و صعد الذين في المدينة مع
النساء الى السور ممزقة ثيابهم و صرخوا بصوت عظيم الى سمعان يسالونه الامان.
46- و قالوا لا تعاملنا بحسب
مساوئنا بل بحسب رافتك.
47- فرق لهم سمعان و كف عن
قتالهم و اخرجهم من المدينة و طهر البيوت التي كانت فيها اصنام ثم دخلها
بالتسبيح و الشكر.
48- و ازل منها كل رجاسة و
اسكن هناك رجالا من المتمسكين بالشريعة و حصنها و بنى له فيها منزلا.
49- و اما الذين في قلعة اورشليم
فاذ كانوا قد منعوا من الخروج و دخول البلد و من البيع و الشراء اشتدت مجاعتهم و
مات كثير منهم.
50- فصرخوا الى سمعان يسالون
الامان فامنهم و اخرجهم من هناك و طهر القلعة من النجاسات.
51- و دخلها في اليوم الثالث و
العشرين من الشهر الثاني في السنة المئة و الحادية و السبعين بالحمد و السعف و
الكنارات و الصنوج و العيدان و التسابيح و الاناشيد لانحطام العدو الشديد من
اسرائيل.
52- و رسم ان يعيد ذلك اليوم بسرور كل سنة.
53- ثم حصن جبل الهيكل الذي
بجانب القلعة و سكن هناك هو و الذين معه.
54- و راى سمعان ان يوحنا ابنه
رجل باس فجعله قائدا على جميع الجيوش و اقام بجازر
|