The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Maccabees 13
1 Simon heard that Tryphon had gathered
together a mighty army to come into
the land of Judah and destroy it utterly.
2 He saw that the people were trembling
in great fear. So he went up to Jerusalem
and gathered the people together.
3 He encouraged them, and said to them,
“You yourselves know all the things that I,
my kindred, and my father’s house have
done for the laws and the sanctuary, and
the battles and the distresses which we
have seen.
4 Because of this, all my brothers have
perished for Israel’s sake, and I am left
alone.
5 Now be it far from me, that I should
spare my own life in any time of affliction,
for I am not better than my kindred.
6 However, I will take vengeance for
my nation, for the sanctuary, and for our
wives and children, because all the Gentiles
have gathered out of hatred to destroy us.
7 The spirit of the people revived as soon
as they heard these words.
8 They answered with a loud voice, saying,
“You are our leader in the place of
Judas and Jonathan your brothers.
9 Fight our battles, and we will do all that
you tell us to do.”
10 He gathered together all the men of
war, and hurried to finish the walls of
Jerusalem. He fortified it all around.
11 He sent Jonathan the son of Absalom,
and with him a great army, to Joppa. He
threw out those who were in it, and lived
there.
12 Tryphon left Ptolemais with a mighty
army to enter into the land of Judah, and
Jonathan was with him under guard.
13 But Simon encamped at Adida, near
the plain.
14 Tryphon knew that Simon had risen
upintheplace ofhisbrother Jonathan, and
meant to join battle with him, so he sent
ambassadors to him, saying,
15 “It is for money which Jonathan your
brother owed to the king’s treasury, by
reason of the offices which he had, that we
are detaining him.
16 Now send one hundred talents of silver and
two of his sons for hostages, so
that when he is released he may not revolt
against us, and we will release him.”
17 Simon knew that they spoke to him
deceitfully, but he sent to get the money
and the children, lest perhaps he would
arouse great hostility among the people,
18 who might say, “Because I didn’t send
him the money and the children, he perished.”
19 So he sent the children and the hundred
talents, but Tryphon lied, and didn’t
release Jonathan.
20 After this, Tryphon came to invade the
land and destroy it, and he went around
by the way that leads to Adora. Simon and
his army marched near him to every place,
wherever he went.
21 Now the people of the citadel sent
to Tryphon ambassadors, urging him to
come to them through the wilderness, and
to send them food.
22 So Tryphon prepared all his cavalry
to come, but on that night a very heavy
snow fell, and he didn’t come because of
the snow. He marched off and went into
the land of Gilead.
23 When he came near to Bascama, he
killed Jonathan, and he was buried there.
24 Then Tryphon turned back, and went
away into his own land.
25 Simon sent, and took the bones of
Jonathan his brother, and buried him at
Modin, the city of his fathers.
26 All Israel made greatlamentation over
him, and mourned for him many days.
27 Simon built a monument on the tomb
of his father and his kindred, and raised it
high so that it could be seen, with polished
stone on the front and back.
28 He also set up seven pyramids, one
near another, for his father, his mother,
and his four brothers.
29 For these, he made an elaborate setting,
erecting great pillars around them,
and upon the pillars he made suits of armor
for a perpetual memorial, and beside
the suits of armor, he carved ships, so that
they could be seen by all who sail on the sea.
30 This is the tomb which he made at
Modin. It remains to this day.
31 Now Tryphon deceived the young
King Antiochus and killed him,
32 and reigned in his place. He put on
himself the crown of Asia and brought a
great calamity upon the land.
33 Simon built up the strongholds of
Judea, and walled them all around with
high towers, great walls, gates, and bars;
and he stored food in the strongholds.
34 Simon chose men, and sent to King
Demetrius with a request that he grant
the country an immunity, because all that
Tryphon did was to plunder.
35 King Demetrius sent to him according
to these words, and answered him, and
wrote a letter to him, as follows:
36 “King Demetrius to Simon the high
priest and friend† of kings, and to the
elders and nation of the Jews, greetings.
37 The golden crown and the palm
branch, which you sent, we have received.
We are ready to make a steadfast peace
with you, yes, and to write to our officers
to release you from tribute.
38 Whatever things we confirmed to you,
they are confirmed. The strongholds,
which you have built, let them be your own.
39 As for any oversights and faults committed
to this day, we forgive them, and
the crown tax which you owed us. If there
were any other tax collected in Jerusalem,
let it be collected no longer.
40 If any among you are qualified to be
enrolled in our court, let them be enrolled,
and let there be peace between us.”
41 In the one hundred seventieth year,‡
the yoke of the Gentiles was taken away
from Israel.
42 The people began to write in their instruments
and contracts, “In the first year of Simon, the
great high priest and captain
and leader of the Jews.”
43 In those days Simon encamped
against§ Gazara, and surrounded it with
troops. He made a seige engine, and
brought it up to the city, and struck a
tower, and captured it.
44 Those who were in the engine leaped
out into the city; and there was a great
uproar in the city.
45 The people of the city tore their
clothes, and went up on the walls with
their wives and children, and cried with
a loud voice, asking Simon to give them† his
right hand.
46 They said, “Don’t deal with us according to
our wickednesses, but according to your mercy.
47 So Simon was reconciled to them,
and didn’t fight against them; but he
expelled them from the city and cleansed the
houses where the idols were, and then entered
into it with singing and giving praise.
48 He removed all uncleanness out of it,
and placed in it men who would keep the
law, and made it stronger than it was before,
and built a dwelling place for himself in it.
49 But the people of the citadel in
Jerusalem were hindered from going out
and from going into the country, and
from buying and selling. So they were
very hungry, and a great number of them
perished from famine.
50 Then they cried out to Simon, that he
should give them his right hand; and he
gave it to them; but he expelled them from
there, and he cleansed the citadel from its
pollutions.
51 He entered into it on the twentythird
day of the second month, in the one
hundred seventy-first year,‡ with praise
and palm branches, with harps, with cymbals,
and with stringed instruments, with
hymns, and with songs, because a great
enemy had been destroyed out of Israel.
52 Simon ordained that they should keep
that day every year with gladness. He
made the hill of the temple that was by the
citadel stronger than before, and he lived
there with his men.
53 Simon saw that his son John was a
man, so he made him leader of all his
forces; and he lived in Gazara.