1 Then came up John from Gazera, and told Simon his father what Cendebeus had done.
2 Wherefore Simon called his two eldest sons, Judas and John, and said unto them, I, and my brethren, and my father’s house, have ever from my youth unto this day fought against the enemies of Israel; and things have prospered so well in our hands, that we have delivered Israel oftentimes.
3 But now I am old, and ye, by God’s mercy, are of a sufficient age: be ye instead of me and my brother, and go and fight for our nation, and the help from heaven be with you.
4 So he chose out of the country twenty thousand men of war with horsemen, who went out against Cendebeus, and rested that night at Modin.
5 And when as they rose in the morning, and went into the plain, behold, a mighty great host both of footmen and horsemen came against them: howbeit there was a water brook betwixt them.
6 So he and his people pitched over against them: and when he saw that the people were afraid to go over the water brook, he went first over himself, and then the men seeing him passed through after him.
7 That done, he divided his men, and set the horsemen in the midst of the footmen: for the enemies’ horsemen were very many.
8 Then sounded they with the holy trumpets: whereupon Cendebeus and his host were put to flight, so that many of them were slain, and the remnant gat them to the strong hold.
9 At that time was Judas John’s brother wounded; but John still followed after them, until he came to Cedron, which Cendebeus had built.
10 So they fled even unto the towers in the fields of Azotus; wherefore he burned it with fire: so that there were slain of them about two thousand men. Afterward he returned into the land of Judea in peace.
11 Moreover in the plain of Jericho was Ptolemeus the son of Abubus made captain, and he had abundance of silver and gold:
12 For he was the high priest’s son in law.
13 Wherefore his heart being lifted up, he thought to get the country to himself, and thereupon consulted deceitfully against Simon and his sons to destroy them.
14 Now Simon was visiting the cities that were in the country, and taking care for the good ordering of them; at which time he came down himself to Jericho with his sons, Mattathias and Judas, in the hundred threescore and seventeenth year, in the eleventh month, called Sabat:
15 Where the son of Abubus receiving them deceitfully into a little hold, called Docus, which he had built, made them a great banquet: howbeit he had hid men there.
16 So when Simon and his sons had drunk largely, Ptolemee and his men rose up, and took their weapons, and came upon Simon into the banqueting place, and slew him, and his two sons, and certain of his servants.
17 In which doing he committed a great treachery, and recompensed evil for good.
18 Then Ptolemee wrote these things, and sent to the king, that he should send him an host to aid him, and he would deliver him the country and cities.
19 He sent others also to Gazera to kill John: and unto the tribunes he sent letters to come unto him, that he might give them silver, and gold, and rewards.
20 And others he sent to take Jerusalem, and the mountain of the temple.
21 Now one had run afore to Gazera and told John that his father and brethren were slain, and, quoth he, Ptolemee hath sent to slay thee also.
22 Hereof when he heard, he was sore astonished: so he laid hands on them that were come to destroy him, and slew them; for he knew that they sought to make him away.
23 As concerning the rest of the acts of John, and his wars, and worthy deeds which he did, and the building of the walls which he made, and his doings,
24 Behold, these are written in the chronicles of his priesthood, from the time he was made high priest after his father.
1 et ascendit Iohannis de Gazaris et nuntiavit Simoni patri suo
quae fecit Cendebeus
2 et vocavit Simon duos filios suos seniores Iudam et Iohannem
et ait illis
ego et fratres mei
expugnavimus hostes Israhel ab adulescentia usque in hunc diem
et prosperatum est in manibus nostris liberare Israhel aliquotiens
3 nunc autem senui sed estote loco meo et fratris mei
et egressi pugnate pro gente nostra
auxilium vero de caelo vobiscum sit
4 et elegit de regione viginti milia virorum belligeratorum et equites
et profecti sunt ad Cendebeum
et dormierunt in Modin
5 et surrexerunt mane et abierunt in campum
et ecce exercitus copiosus in obviam illis peditum et equitum
et fluvius torrens erat inter medium ipsorum
6 et admovit castra contra faciem eorum ipse et populus eius
et vidit populum trepidantem ad transfretandum torrentem
et transfretavit primus
et viderunt eum viri et transierunt post eum
7 et divisit populum et equites in medio peditum
erat autem equitatus adversariorum copiosus nimis
8 et exclamaverunt sacris tubis
et in fugam conversus est Cendebeus et castra eius
et ceciderunt ex eis multi vulnerati
residui autem fugerunt in munitionem
9 tunc vulneratus est Iudas frater Iohannis
Iohannes autem insecutus est eos
donec venit Caedronam quam aedificavit
10 et fugerunt usque ad turres quae erant in agris Azoti
et succendit eas igni
et ceciderunt ex illis duo milia virorum
et reversus est Iudaeam in pace
11 et Ptolomeus filius Abobi constitutus erat dux in campo Hiericho
et habebat argentum et aurum multum
12 erat enim gener summi sacerdotis
13 et exaltatum est cor eius et volebat obtinere regionem
et cogitabat dolum adversus Simonem et filios eius ut tolleret eos
14 Simon autem perambulans civitates quae erant in regione
et sollicitudinem gerens earum descendit Hiericho
ipse et Matthathias filius eius et Iudas
anno centesimo septuagesimo septimo
mense undecimo hic mensis sabath
15 et suscepit eos filius Abobi in munitiunculam
quae vocatur Doch cum dolo quam aedificavit
et fecit eis convivium magnum et abscondit illic viros
16 et cum inebriatus esset Simon et filii eius
surrexit Ptolomeus cum suis
et sumpserunt arma sua et intraverunt in convivium
et occiderunt eum et duos filios eius et quosdam pueros eius
17 et fecit deceptionem magnam in Israhel
et reddidit mala pro bonis
18 et scripsit haec Ptolomeus et misit regi
ut mitteret ei exercitum in auxilium et traderet regionem
et civitates eorum et tributa
19 et misit alios in Gazaram tollere Iohannem
et tribunis misit epistulas ut venirent ad se
et daret eis argentum et aurum et dona
20 et alios misit occupare Hierusalem et montem templi
21 et praecurrens quidam nuntiavit Iohanni in Gazara
quia periit pater eius et fratres eius et quia misit te quoque interfici
22 ut audivit autem vehementer expavit
et conprehendit viros qui venerant perdere eum et occidit eos
cognovit enim quia quaerebant eum perdere
23 et cetera sermonum Iohannis et bellorum eius
et bonarum virtutum quibus fortiter gessit
et aedificii murorum quos struxit et rerum gestarum
eius
24 ecce haec scripta sunt in libro dierum sacerdotii eius
ex quo factus est princeps sacerdotum post patrem suum
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