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Early World
Patriarchs
Egypt and Exodus
Desert Wanderings
Conquest and Judges
Royal Kingdom
Divided Kingdom
Exile
Royal Kingdom
Divided Kingdom
Exile
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Maccabean Revolt
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Exile
Divided Kingdom
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Messianic Fulfillment
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Day 150 of 365

about 16 minutes

1 Maccabees 14-15

1 Maccabees Chapter 14

¹In the one hundred seventy-second year, King Demetrius gathered his forces together, and went into Media to get help, that he might fight against Tryphon. ²When Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had come into his borders, he sent one of his princes to take him alive. ³He went and struck the army of Demetrius, and seized him and brought him to Arsaces, who put him under guard. ⁴The land had rest all the days of Simon. He sought the good of his nation. His authority and his honor was pleasing to them all his days. ⁵Amid all his honors, he took Joppa for a harbor, and made it an entrance for the islands of the sea. ⁶He enlarged the borders of his nation and took possession of the country. ⁷He gathered together a great number of captives, and took control of Gazara, Bethsura, and the citadel, and he removed its uncleannesses from it. There was no one who resisted him. ⁸They tilled their land in peace, and the land gave her increase, and the trees of the plains gave their fruit. ⁹The old men sat in the streets; they all conversed together about good things. The young men put on glorious and warlike apparel. ¹⁰He provided food for the cities and furnished them with means of defense, until the glory of his name was known to the end of the earth. ¹¹He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy. ¹²Each man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was no one to make them afraid. ¹³No one was left in the land who fought against them. The kings were defeated in those days. ¹⁴He strengthened all those of his people who were humble. He searched out the law, and every lawless and wicked person he took away. ¹⁵He glorified the sanctuary, and added to the vessels of the temple. ¹⁶It was heard at Rome that Jonathan was dead, and even in Sparta, and they were exceedingly grieved. ¹⁷But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon was made high priest in his place, and ruled the country and the cities in it, ¹⁸they wrote to him on brass tablets to renew with him the friendship and the alliance which they had confirmed with his brothers Judas and Jonathan. ¹⁹These were read before the congregation at Jerusalem. ²⁰This is the copy of the letter which the Spartans sent: “The rulers and the city of the Spartans, to Simon the high priest, to the elders, the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, our kindred, greetings. ²¹The ambassadors who were sent to our people reported to us about your glory and honor. We were glad for their coming, ²²and we registered the things that were spoken by them in the public records as follows: ‘Numenius son of Antiochus, and Antipater son of Jason, the Jews’ ambassadors, came to us to renew the friendship they had with us. ²³It pleased the people to entertain the men honorably, and to put the copy of their words in the public records, to the end that the people of the Spartans might have a record of them. Moreover they wrote a copy of these things to Simon the high priest.’ ” ²⁴After this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold weighing one thousand minas, in order to confirm the alliance with them. ²⁵But when the people heard these things, they said, “What thanks shall we give to Simon and his sons? ²⁶For he and his brothers and the house of his father have made themselves strong, and have fought and chased away Israel’s enemies, and confirmed liberty to Israel. ” ²⁷So they wrote on tablets of brass, and set them on pillars on mount Zion. This is the copy of the writing: “On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred seventy-second year, which is the third year of Simon the high priest, ²⁸in Asaramel, in a great congregation of priests and people and princes of the nation, and of the elders of the country, it was proclaimed to us: ²⁹‘Since wars often occurred in the country, Simon the son of Mattathias, the son of the sons of Joarib, and his brothers, put themselves in jeopardy and withstood the enemies of their nation, that their sanctuary and the law might be established, and glorified their nation with great glory. ³⁰Jonathan rallied the nation, became their high priest, and was gathered to his people. ³¹Their enemies planned to invade their country, that they might destroy their country utterly, and stretch out their hands against their sanctuary. ³²Then Simon rose up and fought for his nation. He spent much of his own money to arm the valiant men of his nation and give them wages. ³³He fortified the cities of Judea and Bethsura that lies on the borders of Judea, where the weapons of the enemies had been stored, and there he placed a garrison of Jews. ³⁴He fortified Joppa which is upon the sea, and Gazara which is upon the borders of Azotus, where the enemies used to live, and placed Jews there, and set in there all things necessary for their restoration. ³⁵The people saw Simon’s faith, and the glory which he resolved to bring to his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things, and for the justice and the faith which he kept to his nation, and because he sought by all means to exalt his people. ³⁶In his days, things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were taken away out of their country, and they also who were in the city of David, those who were in Jerusalem, who had made themselves a citadel, out of which they used to go, and polluted everything around the sanctuary, and did great damage to its purity. ³⁷He placed Jews in it and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and made high the walls of Jerusalem. ³⁸King Demetrius confirmed to him the high priesthood according to these things, ³⁹and made him one of his friends, and honored him with great honor; ⁴⁰for he had heard that the Jews had been called by the Romans friends, allies, and kindred, and that they had met the ambassadors of Simon honorably; ⁴¹and that the Jews and the priests were well pleased that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until there should arise a faithful prophet; ⁴²and that he should be governor over them, and should take charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over the country, and over the weapons, and over the strongholds; and that he should take charge of the sanctuary, ⁴³and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold; ⁴⁴and that it should not be lawful for any of the people or of the priests to nullify any of these things, or to oppose the words that he should speak, or to gather an assembly in the country without him, or to be clothed in purple, or wear a buckle of gold; ⁴⁵but whoever should do otherwise, or nullify any of these things, he will be liable to punishment.’ ” ⁴⁶All the people consented to ordain for Simon that he should do according to these words. ⁴⁷So Simon accepted this, and consented to be high priest, and to be captain and governor of the Jews and of the priests, and to be protector of all. ⁴⁸They commanded to put this writing on tablets of brass, and to set them up within the precinct of the sanctuary in a conspicuous place, ⁴⁹and moreover to put copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.

1: In the one hundred seventy-second year, King Demetrius gathered his forces together, and went into Media to get help, that he might fight against Tryphon.

2: When Arsaces, the king of Persia and Media, heard that Demetrius had come into his borders, he sent one of his princes to take him alive.

3: He went and struck the army of Demetrius, and seized him and brought him to Arsaces, who put him under guard.

4: The land had rest all the days of Simon. He sought the good of his nation. His authority and his honor was pleasing to them all his days.

5: Amid all his honors, he took Joppa for a harbor, and made it an entrance for the islands of the sea.

6: He enlarged the borders of his nation and took possession of the country.

7: He gathered together a great number of captives, and took control of Gazara, Bethsura, and the citadel, and he removed its uncleannesses from it. There was no one who resisted him.

8: They tilled their land in peace, and the land gave her increase, and the trees of the plains gave their fruit.

9: The old men sat in the streets; they all conversed together about good things. The young men put on glorious and warlike apparel.

10: He provided food for the cities and furnished them with means of defense, until the glory of his name was known to the end of the earth.

11: He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy.

12: Each man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was no one to make them afraid.

13: No one was left in the land who fought against them. The kings were defeated in those days.

14: He strengthened all those of his people who were humble. He searched out the law, and every lawless and wicked person he took away.

15: He glorified the sanctuary, and added to the vessels of the temple.

16: It was heard at Rome that Jonathan was dead, and even in Sparta, and they were exceedingly grieved.

17: But as soon as they heard that his brother Simon was made high priest in his place, and ruled the country and the cities in it,

18: they wrote to him on brass tablets to renew with him the friendship and the alliance which they had confirmed with his brothers Judas and Jonathan.

19: These were read before the congregation at Jerusalem.

20: This is the copy of the letter which the Spartans sent: “The rulers and the city of the Spartans, to Simon the high priest, to the elders, the priests, and the rest of the people of the Jews, our kindred, greetings.

21: The ambassadors who were sent to our people reported to us about your glory and honor. We were glad for their coming,

22: and we registered the things that were spoken by them in the public records as follows: ‘Numenius son of Antiochus, and Antipater son of Jason, the Jews’ ambassadors, came to us to renew the friendship they had with us.

23: It pleased the people to entertain the men honorably, and to put the copy of their words in the public records, to the end that the people of the Spartans might have a record of them. Moreover they wrote a copy of these things to Simon the high priest.’ ”

24: After this, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with a great shield of gold weighing one thousand minas, in order to confirm the alliance with them.

25: But when the people heard these things, 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 made themselves strong, and have fought and chased away Israel’s enemies, and confirmed liberty to Israel. ”

27: So they wrote on tablets of brass, and set them on pillars on mount Zion. This is the copy of the writing: “On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the one hundred seventy-second year, which is the third year of Simon the high priest,

28: in Asaramel, in a great congregation of priests and people and princes of the nation, and of the elders of the country, it was proclaimed to us:

29: ‘Since wars often occurred in the country, Simon the son of Mattathias, the son of the sons of Joarib, and his brothers, put themselves in jeopardy and withstood the enemies of their nation, that their sanctuary and the law might be established, and glorified their nation with great glory.

30: Jonathan rallied the nation, became their high priest, and was gathered to his people.

31: Their enemies planned to invade their country, that they might destroy their country utterly, and stretch out their hands against their sanctuary.

32: Then Simon rose up and fought for his nation. He spent much of his own money to arm the valiant men of his nation and give them wages.

33: He fortified the cities of Judea and Bethsura that lies on the borders of Judea, where the weapons of the enemies had been stored, and there he placed a garrison of Jews.

34: He fortified Joppa which is upon the sea, and Gazara which is upon the borders of Azotus, where the enemies used to live, and placed Jews there, and set in there all things necessary for their restoration.

35: The people saw Simon’s faith, and the glory which he resolved to bring to his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things, and for the justice and the faith which he kept to his nation, and because he sought by all means to exalt his people.

36: In his days, things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were taken away out of their country, and they also who were in the city of David, those who were in Jerusalem, who had made themselves a citadel, out of which they used to go, and polluted everything around the sanctuary, and did great damage to its purity.

37: He placed Jews in it and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and made high the walls of Jerusalem.

38: King Demetrius confirmed to him the high priesthood according to these things,

39: and made him one of his friends, and honored him with great honor;

40: for he had heard that the Jews had been called by the Romans friends, allies, and kindred, and that they had met the ambassadors of Simon honorably;

41: and that the Jews and the priests were well pleased that Simon should be their leader and high priest forever, until there should arise a faithful prophet;

42: and that he should be governor over them, and should take charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over the country, and over the weapons, and over the strongholds; and that he should take charge of the sanctuary,

43: and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all contracts in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold;

44: and that it should not be lawful for any of the people or of the priests to nullify any of these things, or to oppose the words that he should speak, or to gather an assembly in the country without him, or to be clothed in purple, or wear a buckle of gold;

45: but whoever should do otherwise, or nullify any of these things, he will be liable to punishment.’ ”

46: All the people consented to ordain for Simon that he should do according to these words.

47: So Simon accepted this, and consented to be high priest, and to be captain and governor of the Jews and of the priests, and to be protector of all.

48: They commanded to put this writing on tablets of brass, and to set them up within the precinct of the sanctuary in a conspicuous place,

49: and moreover to put copies of them in the treasury, so that Simon and his sons might have them.

1 Maccabees Chapter 15

¹Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon the priest and governor of the Jews, and to all the nation. ²Its contents follow: “King Antiochus to Simon the chief priest and governor, and to the nation of the Jews, greetings. ³Whereas certain troublemakers have made themselves masters of the kingdom of our fathers, but my purpose is to claim the kingdom, that I may restore it as it was before; and moreover I have raised a multitude of foreign soldiers, and have prepared warships; ⁴moreover I plan to land in the country, that I may punish those who have destroyed our country, and those who have made many cities in the kingdom desolate; ⁵now therefore I confirm to you all the tax remissions which the kings who were before me remitted to you, and whatever gifts besides they remitted to you, ⁶and I permit you to coin money for your country with your own stamp, ⁷but that Jerusalem and the sanctuary should be free. All the weapons that you have prepared, and the strongholds that you have built, which you have in your possession, let them remain yours. ⁸Every debt owed to the king, and the things that will be owed to the king from henceforth and for evermore, let them be remitted to you. ⁹Moreover, when we have established our kingdom, we will glorify you and your nation and the temple with great glory, so that your glory will be made manifest in all the earth. ¹⁰In the one hundred seventy-fourth year, Antiochus went into the land of his fathers; and all the forces came together to him, so that there were few men with Tryphon. ¹¹King Antiochus pursued him, and he came, as he fled, to Dor, which is by the sea; ¹²for he knew that troubles had come upon him all at once, and that his forces had deserted him. ¹³Antiochus encamped against Dor, and with him one hundred twenty thousand men of war and eight thousand cavalry. ¹⁴He surrounded the city, and the ships joined in the attack from the sea. He harassed the city by land and sea, and permitted no one to go out or in. ¹⁵Numenius and his company came from Rome, having letters to the kings and to the countries, in which were written these things: ¹⁶“Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy, greetings. ¹⁷The Jews’ ambassadors came to us as our friends and allies, to renew the old friendship and alliance, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews. ¹⁸Moreover they brought a shield of gold weighing one thousand minas. ¹⁹It pleased us therefore to write to the kings and to the countries, that they should not seek their harm or fight against them, their cities, and their country, or be allies with those who fight against them. ²⁰Moreover, it seemed good to us to receive the shield from them. ²¹If therefore any troublemakers have fled from their country to you, deliver them to Simon the high priest, that he may take vengeance on them according to their law.” ²²He wrote the same things to King Demetrius, to Attalus, to Arathes, to Arsaces, ²³to all the countries, to Sampsames, to the Spartans, to Delos, to Myndos, to Sicyon, to Caria, to Samos, to Pamphylia, to Lycia, to Halicarnassus, to Rhodes, to Phaselis, to Cos, to Side, to Aradus, Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus, and Cyrene. ²⁴They also wrote this copy to Simon the high priest. ²⁵But King Antiochus encamped against Dor the second day, bringing his forces up to it continually, and making engines of war; and he shut up Tryphon from going in or out. ²⁶Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to fight on his side, with silver, gold, and instruments of war in abundance. ²⁷He would not receive them, but nullified all the covenants which he had made with him before, and was estranged from him. ²⁸He sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends, to confer with him, saying, “You hold possession of Joppa, Gazara, and the citadel that is in Jerusalem, cities of my kingdom. ²⁹You have devastated their territory, and done great harm in the land, and control many places in my kingdom. ³⁰Now therefore hand over the cities which you have taken, and the tributes of the places which you have taken control of outside of the borders of Judea; ³¹or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver; and for the harm that you have done, and the tributes of the cities, another five hundred talents. Otherwise we will come and subdue you.” ³²Athenobius, the king’s friend, came to Jerusalem. When he saw the glory of Simon, the cupboard of gold and silver vessels, and his great attendance, he was amazed. He reported to him the king’s words. ³³Simon answered, and said to him, “We have not taken other men’s land nor do we have possession of that which belongs to others, but of the inheritance of our fathers. However, it had been in possession of our enemies wrongfully for a while. ³⁴But we, having opportunity, firmly hold the inheritance of our fathers. ³⁵As for Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they did great harm among the people throughout our country. We will give one hundred talents for them.” Athenobius didn’t answer even one word, ³⁶but returned in a rage to the king, and reported to him these words, and the glory of Simon, and all that he had seen; and the king was exceedingly angry. ³⁷Meanwhile, Tryphon embarked on board a ship, and fled to Orthosia. ³⁸The king appointed Cendebaeus chief captain of the sea coast, and gave him troops of infantry and cavalry. ³⁹He commanded him to encamp against Judea, and he commanded him to build up Kidron, and to fortify the gates, and that he should fight against the people; but the king pursued Tryphon. ⁴⁰So Cendebaeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people, and to invade Judea, and to take the people captive and kill them. ⁴¹He built Kidron and stationed cavalry and infantry there, to the end that going out they might make raids on the highways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.

1: Antiochus son of Demetrius the king sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon the priest and governor of the Jews, and to all the nation.

2: Its contents follow: “King Antiochus to Simon the chief priest and governor, and to the nation of the Jews, greetings.

3: Whereas certain troublemakers have made themselves masters of the kingdom of our fathers, but my purpose is to claim the kingdom, that I may restore it as it was before; and moreover I have raised a multitude of foreign soldiers, and have prepared warships;

4: moreover I plan to land in the country, that I may punish those who have destroyed our country, and those who have made many cities in the kingdom desolate;

5: now therefore I confirm to you all the tax remissions which the kings who were before me remitted to you, and whatever gifts besides they remitted to you,

6: and I permit you to coin money for your country with your own stamp,

7: but that Jerusalem and the sanctuary should be free. All the weapons that you have prepared, and the strongholds that you have built, which you have in your possession, let them remain yours.

8: Every debt owed to the king, and the things that will be owed to the king from henceforth and for evermore, let them be remitted to you.

9: Moreover, when we have established our kingdom, we will glorify you and your nation and the temple with great glory, so that your glory will be made manifest in all the earth.

10: In the one hundred seventy-fourth year, Antiochus went into the land of his fathers; and all the forces came together to him, so that there were few men with Tryphon.

11: King Antiochus pursued him, and he came, as he fled, to Dor, which is by the sea;

12: for he knew that troubles had come upon him all at once, and that his forces had deserted him.

13: Antiochus encamped against Dor, and with him one hundred twenty thousand men of war and eight thousand cavalry.

14: He surrounded the city, and the ships joined in the attack from the sea. He harassed the city by land and sea, and permitted no one to go out or in.

15: Numenius and his company came from Rome, having letters to the kings and to the countries, in which were written these things:

16: “Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptolemy, greetings.

17: The Jews’ ambassadors came to us as our friends and allies, to renew the old friendship and alliance, being sent from Simon the high priest, and from the people of the Jews.

18: Moreover they brought a shield of gold weighing one thousand minas.

19: It pleased us therefore to write to the kings and to the countries, that they should not seek their harm or fight against them, their cities, and their country, or be allies with those who fight against them.

20: Moreover, it seemed good to us to receive the shield from them.

21: If therefore any troublemakers have fled from their country to you, deliver them to Simon the high priest, that he may take vengeance on them according to their law.”

22: He wrote the same things to King Demetrius, to Attalus, to Arathes, to Arsaces,

23: to all the countries, to Sampsames, to the Spartans, to Delos, to Myndos, to Sicyon, to Caria, to Samos, to Pamphylia, to Lycia, to Halicarnassus, to Rhodes, to Phaselis, to Cos, to Side, to Aradus, Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus, and Cyrene.

24: They also wrote this copy to Simon the high priest.

25: But King Antiochus encamped against Dor the second day, bringing his forces up to it continually, and making engines of war; and he shut up Tryphon from going in or out.

26: Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to fight on his side, with silver, gold, and instruments of war in abundance.

27: He would not receive them, but nullified all the covenants which he had made with him before, and was estranged from him.

28: He sent to him Athenobius, one of his friends, to confer with him, saying, “You hold possession of Joppa, Gazara, and the citadel that is in Jerusalem, cities of my kingdom.

29: You have devastated their territory, and done great harm in the land, and control many places in my kingdom.

30: Now therefore hand over the cities which you have taken, and the tributes of the places which you have taken control of outside of the borders of Judea;

31: or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver; and for the harm that you have done, and the tributes of the cities, another five hundred talents. Otherwise we will come and subdue you.”

32: Athenobius, the king’s friend, came to Jerusalem. When he saw the glory of Simon, the cupboard of gold and silver vessels, and his great attendance, he was amazed. He reported to him the king’s words.

33: Simon answered, and said to him, “We have not taken other men’s land nor do we have possession of that which belongs to others, but of the inheritance of our fathers. However, it had been in possession of our enemies wrongfully for a while.

34: But we, having opportunity, firmly hold the inheritance of our fathers.

35: As for Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they did great harm among the people throughout our country. We will give one hundred talents for them.” Athenobius didn’t answer even one word,

36: but returned in a rage to the king, and reported to him these words, and the glory of Simon, and all that he had seen; and the king was exceedingly angry.

37: Meanwhile, Tryphon embarked on board a ship, and fled to Orthosia.

38: The king appointed Cendebaeus chief captain of the sea coast, and gave him troops of infantry and cavalry.

39: He commanded him to encamp against Judea, and he commanded him to build up Kidron, and to fortify the gates, and that he should fight against the people; but the king pursued Tryphon.

40: So Cendebaeus came to Jamnia and began to provoke the people, and to invade Judea, and to take the people captive and kill them.

41: He built Kidron and stationed cavalry and infantry there, to the end that going out they might make raids on the highways of Judea, as the king had commanded him.

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Scripture text: World English Bible, Catholic Edition (WEBC) — public domain

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