Simon Leads the Jews
1 Simon learned that Trypho had assembled a large army and that he had plans to invade Judea and devastate it. 2 He realized that this news had brought panic and fear to the people, so he went to Jerusalem, called the people together, 3 and tried to encourage them by saying, “You know how much my father's family, my brothers, and I have done for the sake of the Law of Moses and the Temple. You also know about the wars we have fought and the troubles we have had. 4 All my brothers have been killed fighting for our Law, our Temple, and our nation, and I am the only one left. 5 But never let it be said that I tried to save my own life in a time of danger; I do not consider myself better than my brothers. 6 Not in the least! It is true that in their hatred all the Gentile nations have gathered together to destroy us, but I will fight to defend my nation, the Temple, and your loved ones.”
7 These words immediately revived the morale of the people, 8 and they answered with a loud shout, “You are now our leader in place of your brothers Judas and Jonathan. 9 Fight our wars, and we will do whatever you ask.” 10 So Simon gathered together all the soldiers and hurried to complete the walls of Jerusalem and to strengthen all its defenses. 11 He sent Jonathan son of Absalom to Joppa with a large army. This Jonathan drove out the people who were there and occupied the town.
12 Trypho left Ptolemais with a large army to invade Judea, taking Simon's brother Jonathan along with him as a prisoner. 13 Simon set up camp at Adida at the edge of the plain. 14 When Trypho learned that Simon had succeeded his brother Jonathan and that he was ready to meet him in battle, he sent this message to him: 15 “I am holding your brother Jonathan under arrest because while he was in office he did not pay his debts to the royal treasury. 16 However, I will release him if you will pay me 6,000 pounds of silver and send two of his sons as hostages to guarantee that he will not revolt against us when he is released.”
17 Although Simon knew that they were deceiving him, he sent for the money and the two sons because he did not want to arouse the hostility of the Jews. 18 He was afraid that they might later say that Jonathan was put to death because Simon would not send the money and the boys. 19 So he did as Trypho had demanded, but Trypho broke his promise and did not release Jonathan.
20 Then Trypho made his move to invade the land and destroy it, circling around by the road to Adora. But Simon and his army moved along facing him wherever he went. 21 The enemy soldiers in the fort in Jerusalem kept sending messengers to Trypho urging him to come to them quickly by way of the desert and to send them supplies. 22 Trypho got all his cavalry ready for the invasion, but that night there was a heavy snowstorm, and he was not able to move up into the hills. So he withdrew and went into Gilead. 23 When he was near Baskama, he had Jonathan put to death and his body buried there. 24 Then Trypho turned and went back to his own country.
25 Simon had the body of his brother Jonathan brought to Modein, to be buried in the town of their ancestors. 26 Everyone in Israel was in deep sorrow at the loss of Jonathan, and they mourned for him a long time. 27 Over the tomb of his father and his brothers Simon built a high monument that could be seen from a great distance. It was covered front and back with polished stone. 28 He constructed seven pyramids side by side for his father, his mother, and his four brothers. 29 For the pyramids he created a setting of tall columns on which there were carvings. Some of these carvings were of suits of armor and some were of ships. It was a monument to their victories, which travelers from overseas could visit. 30 The tomb which he built in Modein is still there today.
31 Meanwhile, Trypho assassinated the young king, Antiochus the Sixth, 32 and took over his kingdom in Syria. He brought that country great troubles.
33 Simon rebuilt the fortresses of Judea with high towers, strong walls, and barred gates; then he placed stores of supplies there. 34 He sent ambassadors to King Demetrius the Second to ask for tax relief for the land, since Trypho was doing nothing but robbing them. 35 King Demetrius sent the following letter in reply:
36 “King Demetrius to the High Priest Simon, the friend of kings, to the Jewish nation, and to their leaders, greetings. 37 I have received the gold crown and the gold palm branch which you sent, and I am prepared to make a peace treaty with you and to instruct our tax officials to grant you exemptions. 38 Our previous agreements with you are confirmed, and the fortresses which you have built are to remain yours. 39 I grant you pardon for treaty violations committed up to the present date, and I release you from payment of the special tax still due and any other taxes that have been collected up to this time in Jerusalem. 40 All Jews who are qualified may enroll in the royal service. Let us have peace.”
41 So in the year 170 the yoke of the Gentile oppressors was removed from the Jews. 42 People began to date their documents and contracts with these words: “In the first year of Simon, the great High Priest, commander and leader of the Jews.”
43 At that time Simon laid siege to Gezer and surrounded it with his army. He built a movable siege platform, brought it up to the town wall, attacked one of the towers, and captured it. 44 The men who had been on the siege platform then moved rapidly into the town, and this created great confusion. 45 The men of the town, their wives, and their children tore their clothes in distress and climbed up on the top of the town wall. They pleaded loudly with Simon for a truce. 46 “Have mercy on us,” they begged. “Don't punish us as we deserve!”
47 So Simon came to terms with them and ended the fighting. He made the people leave the town; then he purified the houses in which there had been idols. When that was done, he and his men entered the town singing hymns and songs of praise. 48 He eliminated everything that would make the town ritually unclean and settled it with people who would obey every command contained in the Law of Moses. He strengthened the defenses of the town and built himself a palace there.
49 Those in the fort in Jerusalem were now prevented from leaving to buy or sell anything. They were suffering from severe hunger and many of them had died of starvation. 50 Finally they appealed to Simon for a truce. He agreed, removed them from the fort, and purified it. 51 On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the year 171, there was a great celebration in the city because this terrible threat to the security of Israel had come to an end. Simon and his men entered the fort singing hymns of praise and thanksgiving, while carrying palm branches and playing harps, cymbals, and lyres. 52 Simon issued a decree that the day should be joyfully celebrated every year. He strengthened the defenses of the Temple hill on the side facing the fort, and he and his men made their headquarters there. 53 Simon's son John was now a grown man, so Simon made him commander of the whole army, and John set up headquarters at Gezer.
Simonni ge Jodeǁîna ra ǂgaeǂgui
1 Simonni ge Trifob ge kai toroǂnubisa Judeabab nî ǁnāǂam tsî hîkākāse ǀhaoǀhao ǃkhaisa ge ǁnâu. 2 ǁÎb ge nē ǂhôas ge ǃaob tsî ǀkhūba khoen ǃnâ ǃaroma ǃkhaisab ge mû, o Jerusalems ǃoa ǃgû tsî khoena ǀhaoǀhao 3 tsî ǂgaoǂgaoǃnâ tsî ge mî: “Sadu ge ti îb di omaris, ti ǃgâsagu tsî tita tsîn ge mâtikō xūna Moseb ǂhanub tsî Tempeli ǃaroma dī ǃkhaisa a ǂan. ǁKhāti du ge sige ge ǃkham torogu tsî ū ge ge hâ i ǃgomsigu tsîna a ǂan. 4 Ti ǃgâsagu hoagu ge sada ǂhanub, Tempeli tsî sada ǁaes tsîn ǃaroma ge ǃgamhe tsî ta ge tita ǀguita ge ǃgau. 5 Xawe ta ge nē ǂkhabab di ǁaeb ǃnâ ti ǃgâsagu ge ǁō khami sada ǁaes ǃaroma ǁōsa a māsenxa. 6 Xawe ta ge hoa ǁaedi ge sada nî hîkākāse sada ǃoagu khāb ǃnâ ǀhaoǀhaosen xui-ao ti ǁaes, Tempeli tsî sago di taradi tsî ǀgôan tsîna nî ǀkhaoba.”
7 Nē mîdi ge hoaraga khoena ge ǂgaoǂgaoǃnâ 8 tsîn ge ǃgari dommi ǀkha “Sats ge nēsisa xu sa ǃgâsakha Judab tsî Jonatanni hâkha di soadi ǃnâ nî sida di ǂgaeǂgui-ao. 9 Sida torogats ga ǃkham, o da ge ǂgants ra xū-i hoa-e nî dī” ti ge ǃeream. 10 Ob ge Simonna hoaraga toroǃkhamaoga ǃnoesase gu Jerusalems di ǂnubiǂgoaga nî dītoa tsî hâǃkhaiga nî ǀgaiǀgaise ge ǀhaoǀhao. 11 ǁÎb ge Absalommi ôab Jonatanna kai toroǂnubis ǀkha Jopas ǃoa ge sî. Jonatanni ge hoaraga khoena ǃāsa xu sauruǂui tsî ǁnāpa ge hâ.
12 Trifob ge Simonni ǃgâsab, Jonatanna ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ūhâse, Judeaba nî ǁnāǂamse kai toroǂnubis ǀkha Ptolemaisa xu ge ǃgû. 13 Simonni ge ǂgāb amǃgâ, Adidas tawa tentomde ge ǂnaumâi. 14 Trifob ge Simonni ge ǃgâsab âb Jonatanna saoǃgon tsî nēsi ǁîb ǃoagub nî torodīsa ra ǀapeǀape ǃkhaisa ǁnâu, o ǁîba nēti ge haisiba: 15 “Tita ge sa ǃgâsab Jonatanna, gaosi ǁuiǂgaesab surude hâ xui-ao ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ūhâ. 16 Tsî ta ge ǃnonaǀoadisi kiloxramgu di ǀhaiǀuribats ga mā te tsî ǁîb ôakha ǃkhōsabese sîba te, îb ǃnora kaiheb ka, o tā sida ǃoagu khâikhâisen, o ǁîba nî ǁnāxū.”
17 Simonni ge ǁîgu xab ra gāxaǃnâhe ǃkhaisab ge ǂan i, xawe khākhoexasib Jodeǁîn dibab ge ǂgao tama hâ i xui-ao, mari-i tsî ǀgôakha tsîna ge sî. 18 ǁÎb ge ega gu nî Jonatanna ǃgam tsî mari-i tsî ǀgôakha tsînab ge Simonna mā tama i xui-ao ge go ǃgam, ti nî mî ǃkhaisa gere ǃao. 19 ǁNā-amagab ge Trifob ge mîmā khami ge dī, xaweb ge Trifoba ǁîb di mîmâisa ge khôa tsî Jonatanna ǃnora kai tama ge i.
20 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Trifoba ǁnā ǃhūba ǁnāǂam tsî ge hîkākā tsî ǀnî daob ǀkha Adoras ǃoa ge oa. Xawe Simonni tsî ǁîb di toroǂnubis tsîn ge ǃgûb ra ǃkhai-i hoa-i ai ǁîba ǃoa gere ǃoa. 21 Jerusalems di ǁkhui-ommi ǃnâ ge hâ i khākhoetoroǃkhamaogu ge Trifoba ǀûs ose sîsabega sîba tsî gere ǂgan, ǃgaroǃhūb di daob ǀkhab ǁîgu ǃoa nî hāsa tsî ǂû-eb nî sîba gusa. 22 Trifob ge ǁîb hātoroǃkhamaoga ǁnāǂam gu nîga ge ǂhomisen kai, xawes ge ǁnā tsuxuba ǀgaisa tsamarosa ge hâ i tsîs ge ǃhomgu ǃnâ-u ǂoasa ge īǁoa i. Ob ge ǂgae-oasen tsî Gileadi ǃnâ ge ǂgâ. 23 Baskamas ǃnâb ge sī, ob ge Jonatanna ǃgam tsî ǁnāpa ge ǁkhō. 24 ǁNāpa xub ge Trifoba ǁîb di ǂhunuma ǃhūb ǃoa ge oa.
25 Simonni ge ǃgâsab Jonatanni di sorosa sī ū kai tsî ǁîba ǁîn aboxagu di ǃās Modeins ǃnâ ge ǁkhō. 26 Hoaraga Israelǁaes ge Jonatannan ge ǂoaǃnâ ǃkhais xa kaise ge tsûaǂgao hâ i tsî gaxuse ǁîb ǃaroma ge ǃoa. 27 ǁÎb îb tsî ǁîb ǃgâsab hâkha di ǀhobadi aib ge Simonna ǃnūseba xu mûhe ǁkhā kai ǀuiba ge ommâi. ǁÎb ge aisǀkhāb tsî ǃgâbǀkhāb tsîkha ai ǂkhanuǂkhanuhe hâ ǀuigu ǀkha ge ǁguiǀkhāhe hâ i. 28 ǁKhātib ge hû piramidede ǁîb îb, îs tsî ǁîb di haka ǃgâsagu ǃaroma mâǃoagu hâse ge om. 29 Piramide di ǃaromab ge mâb hoab ǃgaoǂgāǃnâhesa, ǀgaisa ǂkhâǃnâga ge om. ǀNî xūn ǃgaoǂgāhe ge hâ in ge ǁâtanina tsî ǀnîna doe-omga gere ǁgauǂui. Nēgu ge ǁîgu dandi di īgu hîa ge ǃauga ǃhūgu di ǃnarisarima-aon xa nî hā kōhese omhede. 30 ǁÎb ge Modeins ǃnâ om ǀhobas ge nētsēs kōse ǁnāpa hâ.
31 ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâb ge Trifoba, ǂkham gao-aob, Antioxub ǃNaniǁîba ǃnariǃgam 32 tsî Siriab di gaosisa ge ūbasen. ǁÎb ge kai ǃgomsiga nē ǃhūb ǃnâ ge hā-ū.
33 Simonni ge Judeab di ǀgaisa hâǃkhaide ǀgapi ǂgō-omgu, ǀgaisa ǂnubiǂgoagu tsî ǀuridao-amdi ǀkha ǁkhawa ǂnubikhâi tsî ǁnās khaoǃgâ xūn di sâuǃkhaib tsîna ǁnāpa ge om. 34 ǁÎb ge gao-aob Demetriub ǀGamǁîb ǃoa ǂhanuǂnûǁkhaeba-aoga sî tsî ǁgui-aimarisa xub nî ǃhūba ǃnoraǃnorahe ǃkhaisa ge ǂgan, Trifob ǀnî xū-e tama i tsî ǁîn ǀguina ra ūǀhana xui-ao. 35 Gao-aob Demetriub ge sîǂkhanis ǃnâ-ū nēti ge ǃeream:
36 “Gao-aob Demetriuba xu ǀgapipristeri Simonni, gao-aogu di horesab tsî Jodeǁîn tsî ǁîn ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ǃoa hâ tawedes. 37 ǃHuniǀuri krons tsî ǃhuniǀuri palmǂgonab hâra sats ge sîba tera ta ge ge ǃkhōǃoa, tsî ta ge sats ǀkha ǂkhîb di ǃgaeǀhaosa dīs tsî ǂammâisaga ǁgui-aimarina xuts nî ǃnoraǃnorahe ǃkhaisa nî mîmās ǃoa ǂhomisen hâ. 38 ǂGuro ǃgaeǀhaodi sats ǀkha ta ge dīdi hoadi ge nî ǁapoǁapohe tsî sats ge om ǀgaisa hâǃkhaigu ge sase nî hâhâ. 39 ǃGaeǀhaos ai ge nēs kōse dīhe ǃûǂamdi tsîna ta ge ra ǀûba tsi tsî mâǂoa hâ ǀō-aisa tsî ǀnî khami ī ǁgui-aimarin, nēsis kōse Jerusalems ǃnâ ra ǀhaoǀhaohena mataresa xus tsîna ra ǃnoraǃnora tsi. 40 ǁKhāǁkhāǂuisa Jodeǁîn hoan ge gao-aosi ǃoabadi ǃnâ nî ǃgaeǂgāhe. Ab ǂkhîba sakhom ǁaegu hâ.”
41 ǀGuikaidisihûdisiǁî kurib ǃnân ge Jodeǁîna, Jodeǁî taman di ǁgâiǀāba xu ge ǃnora kaihe. 42 Tsîn ge khoena mîmâiǃgaeǁaredi tsî nau ǂkhanin ǃnâ nēti ge xoatsoatsoa: “ǂGuro kurib Simonni, kai ǀgapiprister, ǃkhōdana-ao tsî ǂgaeǂgui-aob Jodeǁîn dib ǃnâ.”
43 ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâb ge Simonna Gesers ǃoagu hâǃkhaiga ǂnaumâi tsî ǁîsa ǁîb toroǃkhamaogu ǀkha ge ǁgoeǂnami. ǁÎb ge torob ra dī-ūhe masinsa kuru, ǃās kōse ǀgūǀgū tsî ǀgui ǂgō-omma ǁnāǂam tsî ge ǀhana. 44 Khoegu hîa ge masins ǃnâ hâ i gu ge ǃhaese ǁnāpa xu ǂoa tsî ǃās ǃnâ ge ǂgâ tsîs ge nē ǃkhaisa kai ǀhomaxasiba ge ǃaroma. 45 Aogu ǃās digu, ǁîgu taradi tsî ǁîgu ôan ge ǁîn di sarana doaǃā tsî ǃās di ǂnubiǂgoab ai ge ǂoa. ǁÎn ge Simonni ǃoa ǃgari dommi ǀkha ǂkhîb ǃaroma gere ǂgai: 46 “ǀKhomxa da re, î tā sida ǂkhabadīga ǃoa ǁkhara da!”
47 Simonni ge ǁîn ǀkha ǁnâugu tsî ǃkhamsa ge ǀû. ǁÎb ge khoena ǃāsa xu ǂoa kai tsî ǁgôa-elon ge hâǃnâ i omde ge ǃanuǃanu. Nēs ge dītoahe, ob ge ǁîb tsî ǁîb di khoegu tsîna ǁnaetsanadi tsî koatsanade ra ǁnaese ǃās ǃnâ ge ǂgâ. 48 ǁÎb ge ǃanuoǃnâ xūn hoana ǃāsa xu ūǂui tsî Moseb ǂhanuba ge ǁnâuǀnam khoega ǁnāpa ge hâ kai. Tsîb ge ǃās di ǁkhaubasenǃkhaide ǀgaiǀgai tsî ǁîs ǃnâ gao-omma ge ombasen.
49 Jerusalems di ǁkhui-ommi ǃnâ ge hâ i khoegu ge ǃhūb ǃnâ ǂgâxa tsî ǂoas tsî tare xū-i ǀgui-i ka xawe ǁama tsî ǁamaxūsa ge ǂkhāhe. Kaise gu ge ǀgaisase ge ǃâ, tsî gu ge ǂguiga ǃâs xa ge ǁō. 50 ǀUnis ai gu ge Simonna ǂkhîb ǃaroma ge ǀkhoma. ǁÎb ge nēsa ǁnâu-am, ǁîga ǁnāpa xu ūbē tsî ǁkhui-omma ge ǃanuǃanu. 51 ǀGuikaidisi tsî hûdisiǀguiǀaǁî kurib di ǀgamǁî ǁkhâb di ǀgamdisiǃnonaǀaǁî tsēs aib ge kai ǁâudība, Israelǁaes di khākhoen ge ūǂuihe xui-ao, ǃās ǃnâ ge hâ i. Simonni tsî ǁîb khoegu tsîn ge koatsanadi tsî gangantsanade ra ǁnaese, palmǂgonaga tani tsî harpdi, simbaldi tsî ǁapaxa ǀkhōxūna ra ǀkhōse ǁkhui-ommi ǃnâ ge ǂgâ. 52 Simonni ge nētsēs nî kurikorobe ǁâudīhe ǃkhaisa ge mîmā. ǁÎb ge Tempelǃhommi ai hâ ǀgaisa hâǃkhaidi hîa ǁkhui-ommi ǀkha ǃoagu mâde ǁkhaubasens ǃaroma ge ǀgaiǀgai tsîgu ge ǁîb tsî ǁîb khoegu tsîna ǁnāpa ge ǁan. 53 Simonni ôab, Johaneb ge ge kaikhoe kai tsîb ge Simonna ǁîba hoaraga toroǂnubis di ǃkhōdana-aose ge ǁgaumâi tsîb ge Johaneba Gesers ǃnâ ge ǁan.
