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| [1]Ionathas seeing that the time was meete for him, chose certaine men, and sent them vnto Rome for to stablish and to renue the frendship with them: |
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| [2]He sent letters also vnto Sparta, and to other places in lyke maner. |
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| [3]So they went vnto Rome, and entred into the counsel, and saide: Ionathas the hie priest & the people of the Iewes, sent vs vnto you for to renue the olde frendship and bonde of loue. |
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| [4]Upon this the Romanes gaue them free pasportes, that men shoulde leade them home into the land of Iuda peaceably. |
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| [5]And this is the copie of the letters that Ionathas wrote vnto the Spartians. |
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| [6]Ionathas the hie priest, with the elders, priestes, and the other people of the Iewes, sende greeting vnto the Spartians their brethren. |
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| [7]There were letters sent long ago vnto Onias the hie priest, from Arius which then raigned among you, that ye are our brethren, as the copie here vnder written doth specifie. |
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| [8]And Onias entreated the Ambassadour that was sent honorably, and receaued the letters, wherein there was mention made of the bonde of loue and frendship. |
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| [9]But as for vs, we neede no such wrytinges, for why? we haue ye holy bookes of scripture in our handes to our comfort. |
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| [10]Neuerthelesse, we had rather sende vnto you, for the renuing of the brotherhood and frendship, lest we shoulde be straunge vnto you: for it is long since the time that ye sent worde vnto vs. |
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| [11]Wherfore, in the sacrifices that we offer, and other ceremonies vpon the hie solempe dayes, and other, we alway remember you without ceassing, lyke as reason is, and as it becommeth vs to thinke vpon our brethren, |
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| [12]Yea, and are right glad of your prosperous honour. |
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| [13]And though we haue had great troubles and warres, so that the kinges about vs haue fought against vs: |
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| [14]Yet woulde we not be greeuous vnto you, nor to other of our louers & frendes in these warres. |
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| [15]For we haue had helpe from heauen that hath succoured vs, so that we are deliuered, and our enemies subdued. |
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| [16]Wherefore we chose Numenius the sonne of Antiochus, and Antipater the sonne of Iason, and sent them vnto the Romanes, for to renue the olde bonde of frendship and loue with them. |
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| [17]We commaunded them also to come vnto you, to salute you, and to deliuer you our letters concerning the renouation of our brotherhood. |
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| [18]And now ye shal do right wel to geue vs an aunswere thereunto. |
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| [19]And this is the copie of the writing which Arius the king of Sparta sent vnto Onias. |
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| [20]Arius the king of the Spartians, sendeth greeting vnto Onias the hie priest: |
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| [21]It is founde in writing, that the Spartians and Iewes are brethren, & come out of the generation of Abraham: |
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| [22]And now forsomuch as this is come to our knowledge, ye shall do wel to write vnto vs of your prosperitie. |
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| [23]As for vs, we haue written our minde vnto you, our cattaile and goodes are yours, and yours ours: these thinges haue we comaunded to be shewed vnto you. |
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| [24]When Ionathas heard that Demetrius princes were come foorth to fight against him with a greater hoast then afore, |
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| [25]He went from Hierusalem, and met them in the land of Hemath: for he gaue them not space to come into his owne countrey. |
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| [26]And he sent spies vnto their tentes, which came againe and tolde him that they were appoynted to come vpon him in the night season. |
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| [27]Wherefore when the sunne was gone downe, Ionathas comaunded his men to watch all the night, and to be redie with weapons for to fight, and set watchmen rounde about the hoast. |
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| [28]But when the aduersaries heard that Ionathas was redie with his men to the battaile, they feared, & were afraid in their heartes, and kindled fires in their tentes, brake vp, and gat them away. |
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| [29]Neuerthelesse, Ionathas and his company knewe it not till the morning, for they sawe the fires burning. |
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| [30]Then Ionathas folowed vpon them, but he might not ouertake the, for they were gone ouer the water Eleutherus. |
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| [31]So Ionathas departed vnto the Arabians, which were called Zabadei, slue them, and toke their goodes. |
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| [32]He proceeded further also, and came vnto Damascus, and went through all the countrey. |
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| [33]But Simon his brother toke his iourney, and came to Ascalon, and to the next strong holdes, departing vnto Ioppa, and wan it, |
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| [34](For he heard that they would deliuer the holde to them that toke Demetrius parte) wherfore he set men of warre in the citie to kepe it. |
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| [35]After this came Ionathas home againe, and called the elders of the people together, and deuised with them for to build vp the strong holdes in Iurie, |
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| [36]And to make the walles of Hierusalem higher, to set vp an hie wall betwixt the castle and the citie, for to separate it from the citie, that it might be alone, and that men should neither bye nor sell in it. |
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| [37]Upon this, they came together for to builde vp the citie, and forsomuch as the wall vpon the brooke of the east side, called Caphetetah was fallen downe, repaired it. |
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| [38]And Simon set vp Adiada in Sephela, and made it strong, setting portes and lockes vpon it. |
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| [39]Now when Tryphon purposed to raigne in Asia, to be crowned, and to slay the king Antiochus: |
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| [40]He was afraide that Ionathas would not suffer him, but fight against him: wherefore he went about to take Ionathas and to kill him: So he departed, and came vnto Bethsan. |
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| [41]Then went Ionathas foorth against him to the battaile with fourtie thousand chosen men, and came vnto Bethsan also: |
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| [42]But when Tryphon sawe that Ionathas came with so great an hoast to destroy him, he was afraide: |
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| [43]And therefore he receaued him honorably, commended him vnto all his friendes, and gaue him rewardes, and commaunded his men of warre to be as obedient vnto him, as to him selfe: |
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| [44]And saide vnto Ionathas, Why hast thou caused this people to take such trauaile, seeing there is no warre betwixt vs? |
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| [45]Therefore sende them home againe, and choose certaine men to wayte vpon thee, and come thou with me to Ptolomais: for I wyll geue it thee, with the other strong holdes, men of warre, and their officers: as for me, I must depart, this is onely the cause of my comming. |
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| [46]Ionathas beleued him, and did as he saide, putting away his hoast, which went into the lande of Iuda. |
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| [47]He kept but three thousand by him, whereof he sent two thousand into Galilee, and one thousand went with him selfe. |
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| [48]Now assoone as Ionathas entred into Ptolomais, the citezins sparred the gates of the citie, and toke him, and slue all them with the sworde that came in with him. |
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| [49]Then sent Tryphon an hoast of footemen and horsmen into Galilee, and into the great plaine field, to destroy all Ionathas company: |
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| [50]But when they knewe that Ionathas was taken, and all they slaine that waited vpon him, they toke counsel together, and encouraged one another, and came foorth against them redie to fight. |
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| [51]So when they which folowed vpon them, sawe that it was a matter of lyfe, they turned backe againe. |
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| [52]As for the other, they went into the lande of Iuda peaceably, and bewayled Ionathas and them that were with him right sore: and Israel made great lamentation. |
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| [53]Then al the heathen that were round about them, sought to destroy them: |
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| [54]For they said, Now haue they no captaine, nor any man to helpe them, therfore let vs ouercome them, and roote out their name from among men. |
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