Official Honors for Simon

25 Whereof when the people heard, they said, What thankes shall wee giue to Simon and his sonnes?

26 For hee and his brethren, and the house of his father, haue established Israel, and chased away in fight their enemies from them, and confirmed their libertie.

27 So then they wrote [it] in tables of brasse, which they set vpon pillars in mount Sion, and this is the copie of the writing. The eighteenth day of the moneth Elul, in the hundred threescore and twelft yeere, being the third yeere of Simon the hie priest,

28 At Saramel in the great congregation of the priests and people, and rulers of the nation, & elders of the country, were these things notified vnto vs.

29 Forsomuch as often times there haue bin warres in the countrey, wherin for the maintenance of their Sanctuarie, and the law, Simon the sonne of Mattathias of the posteritie of Iarib, together with his brethren, put themselues in ieopardie, and resisting the enemies of their nation, did their nation great honour.

30 (For after that Ionathan hauing gathered his nation together, and bene their hie priest, was added to his people,

31 Their enemies purposed to inuade their countrey that they might destroy it, and lay hands on the Sanctuary.

32 At which time Simon rose vp, and fought for his nation, and spent much of his own substance, & armed the valiant men of his nation, & gaue them wages,

33 And fortified the cities of Iudea, together with Bethsura that lieth vpon the borders of Iudea, where the armour of the enemies had bin before, but he set a garison of Iewes there.

34 Moreouer, hee fortified Ioppe which lieth vpon the Sea, and Gazara that bordereth vpon Azotus, where the enemies had dwelt before: but hee placed Iewes there, and furnished them with all things conuenient for the reparation thereof.)

35 The people therefore seeing the acts of Simon, and vnto what glory he thought to bring his nation, made him their gouernor and chiefe priest, because he had done all these things, and for the iustice and faith which hee kept to his nation, and for that hee sought by all meanes to exalt his people.

36 For in his time things prospered in his hands, so that the heathen were taken out of their countrey, and they also that were in the citie of Dauid in Ierusalem, who had made themselues a towre, out of which they issued, and polluted all about the Sanctuarie, and did much hurt in the holy place.

37 But he placed Iewes therein, and fortified it for the safetie of the countrey, and the city, and raised vp the wals of Ierusalem.

38 King Demetrius also confirmed him in the high priesthood, according to those things,

39 And made him one of his friends, and honoured him with great honour.

40 For he had heard say, that the Romanes had called the Iewes their friends, and confederates, and brethren, and that they had entertained the Embassadours of Simon honourably.

41 Also that the Iewes & priests were wel pleased that Simon should be their gouernour, and high priest for euer vntil there should arise a faithfull prophet.

42 Moreouer, that he should be their captaine, and should take charge of the Sanctuarie, to set them ouer their workes, and ouer the countrey, and ouer the armour, and ouer the fortresses, that (I say) he should take charge of the Sanctuarie.

43 Besides this, that he should be obeyed of euery man, and that all the writings in the countrey should be made in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple, and weare gold.

44 Also that it should be lawfull for none of the people or priests, to breake any of these things, or to gainesay his words, or to gather an assembly in the countrey without him, or to bee clothed in purple, or weare a buckle of gold.

45 And whosoeuer should do otherwise, or breake any of these things, he should be punished.

46 Thus it liked all þe people to deale with Simon, & to do as hath bene said.

47 Then Simon accepted hereof, and was well pleased to be high Priest, and captaine, and gouernour of the Iewes, & priests, & to defend them all.

48 So they commanded that this writing should be put in tables of brasse, and that they should be set vp within the compasse of the Sanctuary in a conspicuous place.

49 Also þt the copies therof should be laid vp in the treasurie, to the ende that Simon & his sonnes might haue them.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

Agere Sequitur Esse