Demetriub ge ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ra ūhe
1 ǀGuikaidisi tsî hûdisiǀgamǀaǁî kurib ǃnâb ge gao-aob Demetriub ǀGamǁîba hoaraga toroǂnubis âba ǀhaoǀhao tsî Mediab ǃoa Trifob ǃoagub nî dīse ī torob ǃaroma huiba ge ôa. 2 Persiab tsî Mediab di gao-aob Arsakeb ǃNaniǁîb ge Demetriub ge ǁîb ǀkharib ǃnâ ǂgâxa ǃkhaisab ge ǁnâu, o ǁîb ǂgaeǂgui-aogu di ǀguiba, toroǃkhamaogu ǀkha Demetriuba nî ûitsamase ǃkhō tsî hā-ūse ge sî. 3 ǁÎgu ge Demetriub di toroǂnubisa ǁnāǂam tsî ge dan, tsî gu ge Demetriuba ǃkhō tsî gao-aob Arsakeb tawa ge sī-ū tsîb ge gao-aoba ǁîba ǃkhō-oms ǃnâ ge aoǂgā.
4 Judeab ge Simonni ge ûitsama is kōse ǂkhîba ge ūhâ i. ǁÎb di hoaraga ǂgaeǂguis ǃnâb ge īǁkhā as kōse gere dītsâ ǁîb di khoena ǃgâiba khami dīsa tsîn ge ǂgaeǂgui-aob ase ǁîba hoaǁae ǃgôasiba ge ūba hâ i. 5 ǁÎb di ǃgôasiba nî ǀaroseb ge Jopasa doe-ommâ-aise ge ūbasen tsî Grike ǃnāǃnuidi ǃoa daoba ge ǁkhowa-am. 6 ǁÎb ge ǁaes âb ǃaroma ǀkhariba harahara tsî hoaraga ǃhūba gere ǂgaeǂgui. 7 Xaweb ge ǂgui ǃkhōsabena oahā-ū tsî Gesers, Betsurs tsî Jerusalems di ǁkhui-ommi tsîna ge ūbasen. ǁÎb ge ǁkhui-omma ge ǃanuǃanu tsî i ge ǀgui khoe-i tsîna ǁîba mâǃoa tama ge i.
8 Jodeǁîn ge ǂkhîb ǃnâ ǁîn di ǃhanagu ǃnâ gere sîsen. ǃHūb ge ǃhanaǂûna gere mā tsî di ge haide gere ǂûtani. 9 Kaira aogu ge ǃgangu ǃnâ ǂnû tsî ǃgâi tsēdi xa gere ǁgam tsî gu ge ǂkham khoega ǁîgu di anusa torosaragu ǃnâ gere ǃgûma. 10 Simonni ge ǃās khoena ǂûn tsî ǁkhaubasenūn nî ǁâtanin tsîna ge mā. ǁÎb di ǃgôasib ge harase ge ǂansa. 11 ǁÎb ge ǂkhîba ǃhūb ǃnâ ge hā-ū tsîs ge Israelǁaesa kaise gere ǃgâiaǂgao. 12 Mâ-i hoa-i ge ǂkhîb ǃnâ ǁî-i di draibeǃhanagu tsî ǀnomahaidi ǁaegu gere ǃgûma tsî i ge khoe-i xare-e ǁîna ge ǃaoǃao tama hâ i. 13 Khākhoexasiba ge ūhâ i gao-aogu hoagu ge ge hîkākāhe tsîb ge ǀguib tsîna Jodeǁîn ǃoagu nî torodīse ǃhūb ǃnâ ge ǃgau tama hâ i. 14 Simonni ge ǁîb khoen ǁaegu ge hâ i ǀgâsa khoen hoana huiba gere mā, tsîb ge Moseb ǂhanub xa ǂgaeǂguihe hâse eloxoresa tsî ǂhanuo khoegu hoaga ge dībē. 15 ǁÎb ge Tempela anu-anu tsî ǂgui xapade ǀgoreǃoabadi tawa nî sîsenūhese ge ǀaro.
16 Jonatanni ge ǁō ǃkhais ge Romes tsî Spartas hâra ǃnâ a ǁnâuhe, ob ge kai ǃoaba ǁnā ǃāra ǃnâ ge hâ i. 17 Xawe Spartaǁîn ge Simonni ge ǃgâsaba ǀgapipristerse saoǃgon tsî hoaraga ǃhūb tsî ǃās tsîra ra ǂgaeǂgui ti a ǁnâu, 18 on ge ǂkhîb ǃgaeǀhaos hîan ge ǁîb di ǃgâsakha, Judab tsî Jonatanni hâkha ǀkha dī hâ isa ǀasa kaisa brons ǂgapagu ai xoa tsî ǁîba ge sîba. 19 Nēn ge Jerusalems di ǀhûhâsiba ge khomaibahe. 20 Nēb ge Spartanǁîn ge sî sîǂkhanis di xoaǁnâba:
“Spartanǁîn tsî ǁîn ǂgaeǂgui-aoga xu, ǀgapipristeri Simonni tsî Jodeǁîn di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tsî pristergu tsî hoaraga Jodeǁî ǃgâsan ǃoa hâ tawedes. 21 ǂNûǁkhaebaǃnans sida khoen ǃoats ge sîs ge sats mâtikōse a ǃgôaǃgôasa tsî ǂanǂansa ǃkhaisa hā ge mîba da. ǁÎgu di hās ge sida ge ǃgâiaǂgaoba kai 22 tsîs ge saris âga sida di xoaǁguigu ǃnâ sao rase ge xoamâihe: ‘Antioxub ôab Numeniub tsî Jasonni ôab Antipateri, Jodeǁîn di ǃgôahesa ǂnûǁkhaeba-aokha ge ǁîgu di khoexaǃnâsib di ǃgaeǀhaosa nî ǀasaǀasase sida tawa ge hā. 23 ǀHûhâsib ge nē khoekhan ge ǃgôasib ǀkha ǃkhōǃoa tsî xoaǁguigan ge aibekam ǁaeb di xūn di sâuǃnâǃkhaib ǃnâ sâu ǁkhā i tsîn Spartaǁîn di xoahesa xoaǁnâ-e ūhâ ǁkhā ǃkhais xa gere ǃgâiaǂgao. Nē ǁgauǁgauǂkhanis di ǁgâiǁnâbab ge Simonni hîa ge ǀgapiprister iba ge dībahe.’ ”
24 Nēs khaoǃgâb ge Simonna, Numeniuba korokaidisi kiloxramgu ǃgomma ūhâ kai ǃhuniǀuri ǁkhaukhōs ǀkha Jodeǁîn ge Romeǁîn ǀkha ūhâ i ǃgaeǀhaosa nî ǁapoǁapose Romes ǃoa ge sî.
25 Israelǁîn ge nēn hoanan ge ǁnâu, o ǁîn ǃnâ ge dîsen: “Mâti da Simonni tsî ǁîb di ôaga nî gangan? 26 ǁÎb, ǁîb ǃgâsagu tsî ǁgûb di hoaraga omaris ge sida ǁaesa ǀgaisase ge mâba i. ǁÎgu ge sida khākhoena ǃkhambē tsî ǁaesa ge ǃnoraǃnora.”
ǁÎn ge Simonni ge dī xūna brons ǂgapagu ai xoaǂgā tsî Sionǃhommi ai mâ ǀuiǂkhâǃnâgu ai ge mâi. 27 Nē ǂgapagu ai i ge saorase ge xoasa i:
“ǀGuikaidisi tsî hûdisiǀgamǀaǁî kurib ǃnâ, Elulǁkhâb di disiǁkhaisaǀaǁî tsēs ai, ǀgapipristeri Simonni di ǃnonaǁî ǂgaeǂguis kurib ǃnâ, 28 kai ǂnû-i pristergu, ǁaes, ǂamkhoegu tsî ǃhūb ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tsîn ge ǀhao hâ i-i tawa gu ge sao ra xoaǁguiga ge ǂanǂanhe. 29 Torogu ge ǃhūb ǃnâ tsoatsoa, ob ge Matatiab ôab Simonni, Joarib omarisa xu hâ pristeri tsî ǁîb ǃgâsagu tsîna sida ǁaes, sida Tempeli tsî sida ǂhanuba khākhoen ǃoagu nî ǁkhaubase, ǁîgu ûiba ǃaorosasib ǃnâ ge mâi. ǁÎgu ge kai ǃgôasiba sida ǁaesa ge hā-ūba. 30 Jonatanni ge sida khoena ǀhaoǀhao tsî ǁōb nîs aiǃâ ge ǀgapiprister kai. 31 Jodeǁîn di khākhoen ge ǃhūba ǁnāǂam tsîn nî Tempela ǀuriǀuri ǃkhaisa gere ǀapeǀape. 32 Ob Simonna ǂgaeǂguis sida toroǂnubis disa ū tsî ǃhūb âba ge ǃkhamba. ǁÎb ge ǁîb ǂhunuma mari-e sîsenū tsî ǁaes di toroǃkhamaoga ǁâtanina mâ tsî gere matare. 33 ǁÎb ge Judeab di ǃāde ge omǂnami. ǃGōsaseb ge Betsurs, hîa ǃhūǀgoras tawa ǁgoes, khākhoen ge aiǃâ ǁâtanina gere sâuǃnâs tsîna omǂnami tsî toroǃkhamaoga ǁnāpa ge hâ kai. 34 ǁÎb ge huri-am ǃās Jopas tsî Gesers, Asotub ǃhūǀgoras ǀgūse ǁgoes hîa ge ǂguro khākhoetoroǃkhamaogu di hâǃkhai is tsîna ge omǂnami. ǁNāpab ge Jodeǁîna xūna dī-unus ǃaroma ǂhâbasa xūna mā tsî ge hâ kai. 35 Khoen ge Simonni di ǂgomǂgomsasib tsî mâtib ǁîb di ǁaesa ǃgôasiba ra hā-ūba ǂgao ǃkhaisan ge mû, o ǁîba ǂgaeǂgui-ao tsî ǀgapipristerse ge dī. ǁÎn ge nēsa hoan hîab ge îǂhôasib tsî ǂhanu-aisib, ǁîb ǁaes ǃaromab ge sīǃnâb ǃaroma ge dī. ǁÎb ge mâ ǀgaub hoab ai ǁaes âbab nî ǃgôasiba hā-ūba ǃkhaisa gere dītsâ.
36 “ǁÎb di ǂgaeǂguis ǃnakan ge Jodeǁî tamana ǃhūba xu ge ǁgariǂuihe. Khākhoe toroǃkhamaogu ge Tempeli di ǀapasǀkhāb ai gu ge kuru hâ i hâǃkhaib, ǁîba xu ǂoaxa tsî gu ge ǃanu Tempela gere ǀuriǀuriba xu ge ǁgariǂuihe. 37 Simonni ge Jodeǁîna nē hâǃkhaib ǃnâ hâ kai tsî ǁîba ǃhūb tsî Jerusalem tsîra di ǃnorasasib ǃaroma ǀgaiǀgai tsî ǃās ǂnamipe hâ ǂnubiǂgoaga ge ǀgapiǀgapi. 38 Nēs ǃaromab ge gao-aob Demetriuba, Simonni di ǀgapipristersisa ǁapoǁapo 39 tsî ǁîba ‘Gao-aob di ǀHōsab’ ti hâ ǂgaiǂams tsî kai ǃgôasiba ge mā. 40 Demetriub ge nēsa, Romeǁîn ra Jodeǁîna ǀhōsan, ǁîb ǀkha ǃgaeǀhaosa ūhân tsî ǃgâsan ti ǂgai tsîn ge Simonni di ǂnûǁkhaebaǃnansa ǀoasa ǃgôasib ǀkha ǃkhōǃoa ǃkhaisab ge ǁnâu xui-ao ge dī.
41 “ǁNā-amagan ge Jodeǁîn tsî ǁîn pristergu tsîna Simonni tsî ǁîb surib tsînan ǁîn di ǂgaeǂgui-ao tsî ǀgapipristergu ase, ama kēbo-aob di hās kōse ūhâ ǃkhais xa gere ǃgâiaǂgao. 42 Simonni ge ǁîn ǃhūba gaoǂam, Tempela mûǂam tsî nî ǁîn toroǂnubis di ǃkhōdana-ao. ǁKhātib ge hâǃkhaigu, ǁâtanin tsî sîsengu tsîna nî mûǂam. 43 Khoen ge hoa xūn ǃnâ nî ǁnâuǀnam bi. ǂHanub di ǃgaeǁaredi hoadi ge ǁîb di ǀons ǃnâ nî ǂgaekhâihe. ǁÎb ge gaosarana ana tsî ǃhuniǀuri ǃgaesenna ǃhōb ai nî ǁgui.
44 “ǀGui khoe-i tamas ka io prister-i tsîn ge ǁîb di mîǁguiba ǁauǁaus, ǁîb ra mî xūna mâǃoas, mā-ams ose ǂnû-e nē ǃhūb ǃnâ gowaǀîs, gaosaraba anas tamas ka io ǃhuniǀuri ǃgaesenna ǃhōb ai ǁguisa mā-amhe tama hâ. 45 Nē ǂnûiǂgāde ra ǁnâuǀnamoǃnâ tamas ka io ǁnākhao-i khoe-i hoa-i ge nî ǁkharahe.
46 “Hoaraga khoen ge ǀguiǃnâxase Simonni nî nē ǂnûiǂgādi ǃoa sîsen ǃkhaisa ge ǃkhō-am. 47 Simonni ge ǀgapi ǂgaeǂgui-ao, ǀgapiprister, toroǂnubis di ǃkhōdana-ao tsî Jodeǁîn tsî pristergu di ǂgaeǂgui-aose mâihesa ge ūǃoa.”
48 ǁÎn ge nē gowaǂuis nî brons ǂgapagu ai xoahe tsî mûhe ǁkhā ǃkhai-i Tempeli di-i ai mâihe 49 tsî gu ǁgâiǁnâga Tempeli di ǁuiǂgaes ǃnâ, Simonni tsî ǁîb ôagu hō ǁkhā ǃkhaib ai nî sâuhe ǃkhaisa ge mîǁgui.
In Praise of Simon
1 In the year 172 King Demetrius the Second gathered his army and went to Media to seek additional help for his war against Trypho. 2 When King Arsaces the Sixth of Persia and Media heard that Demetrius had entered his territory, he sent one of his commanders with some troops to capture Demetrius alive. 3 They attacked and defeated the army of Demetrius, took him captive, and brought him back to King Arsaces, who threw him in prison.
4 The land of Judea was at peace as long as Simon lived. During his entire reign, he used his position of power and influence to do what was good for his people, and they were always pleased with him as their ruler. 5 He added to his reputation when he captured the port of Joppa and opened up the route to the Greek islands. 6 He not only enlarged the territory of his nation and gained control of the whole country, 7 but he brought back many prisoners of war and captured Gezer, Bethzur, and the fort in Jerusalem. He purified the fort, and there was no one to oppose him.
8 The Jews farmed their land in peace; the land produced its crops and the trees bore fruit. 9 The young men showed off their splendid military uniforms, while the old men sat around the city squares and talked about the great things that had happened. 10 Simon supplied the cities with food and provided them with weapons of defense. His fame spread everywhere. 11 He brought peace to the country, and Israel's joy knew no bounds. 12 Everyone lived in peace among his own grapevines and fig trees, and no one made them afraid. 13 In those days all the enemy kings had been defeated, and there was no one left in the land to fight the Jews. 14 Simon provided help for all the poor among his people, and guided by the Law of Moses, he eliminated all wicked and lawless men. 15 He provided the Temple with splendid furnishings and added a large number of utensils for use in worship.
16 When the news that Jonathan had died reached Rome and Sparta, it brought great sorrow. 17 But when the Spartans heard that Simon had succeeded his brother as High Priest and that he was in control of the country and its towns, 18 they engraved on bronze tablets a renewal of the treaty of friendship which they had made with his brothers Judas and Jonathan and sent the tablets to him. 19 These were read to the assembly in Jerusalem. 20 What follows is a copy of the letter sent by the Spartans:
“The people of Sparta and their rulers to Simon the High Priest, to the leaders and the priests of the Jews, and to all our Jewish brothers, greetings. 21 The delegation that you sent to our people has told us how respected and renowned you are. Their visit has been a source of joy for us, 22 and a report of their visit has been written down in our public records, as follows: ‘Numenius son of Antiochus and Antipater son of Jason, honored representatives of the Jews, appeared before us to renew their treaty of friendship. 23 The assembly of the people was pleased to receive these men with all honors and to place a copy of their report in the public archives, so that the people of Sparta may have it on record. A copy of this document has been made for the High Priest Simon.’”
24 Later, Simon sent Numenius to Rome with the gift of a large gold shield weighing half a ton, to confirm the Jews' alliance with the Romans.
25 When the people of Israel heard about all this, they asked themselves, “How can we express our thanks to Simon and his sons? 26 He, his brothers, and his father's whole family have been towers of strength for our nation. They have fought off our enemies and set the nation free.”
So they recorded this on bronze tablets and set them up on columns on Mount Zion. 27 The inscription read as follows:
“On the eighteenth day of the month of Elul in the year 172, that is, in the third year of Simon, the High Priest, 28 at a great assembly of priests, people, officials, and national leaders the following facts were made known to us: 29 Often when wars broke out in the country, Simon son of Mattathias, a priest of the Jehoiarib family, and his brothers risked their lives in protecting our nation, our Temple, and our Law against our enemies. They have brought great glory to our nation. 30 Jonathan united our people and became the High Priest before he died. 31 The enemies of the Jews plotted to invade the land and defile the Temple. 32 Then Simon assumed command and fought for his country. He spent a large amount of his own money to provide weapons and wages for his nation's armed forces. 33 He fortified the towns of Judea, and especially Bethzur on the border, where enemy weapons had previously been stored. He stationed a detachment of soldiers there. 34 He fortified the seaport of Joppa and the city of Gezer on the border of Azotus, which was previously occupied by enemy soldiers. He settled Jews there and provided the towns with everything that the people needed. 35 When the people saw Simon's patriotism and how he wanted to bring glory to his nation, they made him their leader and High Priest. They did this because of all that he had accomplished through his loyalty and because he had brought about justice and had tried in every way to bring glory to his nation.
36 “Under his leadership the Gentiles were driven out of the land. Enemy soldiers were forced out of the area north of the Temple, where they had built the fort, from which the soldiers used to go out and defile the holy Temple. 37 Simon settled Jews in the fort, strengthened it for the security of the country and the city of Jerusalem, and increased the height of the city walls. 38 As a result, King Demetrius confirmed him as High Priest, 39 gave him the title of “Friend of the King,” and treated him with great honor. 40 Demetrius did this because he had heard that the Romans were calling the Jews their friends, allies, and brothers and that they had received Simon's delegation with full honors.
41 “Therefore, the Jews and their priests are happy to have Simon and his descendants as their leaders and High Priests, until a true prophet appears. 42 Simon shall govern their country, have charge of the Temple, and shall be their military commander. He shall be in charge of military supplies, fortifications, and public works. 43 The people must obey him in everything. All government contracts shall be drawn up in his name. He shall have the right to wear royal robes with the gold shoulder buckle.
44 “No one, priest or people, shall have the legal right to annul any of these decisions, to alter or change any of Simon's orders, to convene any assembly in the country without his permission, or to wear royal robes with the gold shoulder buckle. 45 Anyone who disobeys or disregards these regulations shall be subject to punishment.
46 “The people gave their unanimous approval to grant Simon the right to act in accordance with these regulations. 47 Simon consented and agreed to be supreme leader: High Priest, commander of the armies, and governor of the Jews and the priests.”
48 It was decided that this declaration should be engraved on bronze tablets and set up in a prominent place within the Temple area 49 and that copies should be placed in the Temple treasury, where Simon and his sons would have access to them.
