Old Testament

New Testament

1 Maccabees 15:32-39 Good News Bible Anglicised (GNBDC)

32. When Athenobius came to Jerusalem and saw the splendour of Simon's court, the gold and silver dishes in his banqueting-hall, and the rest of the display of great wealth, he was amazed. He delivered the king's message to Simon,

33. and Simon answered, “We have never taken land away from other nations or confiscated anything that belonged to other people. On the contrary, we have simply taken back property that we inherited from our ancestors, land that had been unjustly taken away from us by our enemies at one time or another.

34. We are now only making use of this opportunity to recover our ancestral heritage.

35. As for Joppa and Gezer, which you claim, we will give you 3.4 tonnes of silver, in spite of the fact that the people of those cities have done great harm to our nation.”Athenobius made no reply,

36. but he returned to the king in a rage. When he told the king what Simon had said, and reported on the splendour of Simon's court and all that he had seen, the king became violently angry.

37. In the meantime, Trypho had boarded a ship and escaped to the town of Orthosia.

38. King Antiochus appointed Cendebeus as commander of the coastal area, provided him with infantry and cavalry,

39. and gave him orders to move against Judea. He also ordered him to rebuild the town of Kedron and fortify its gates, so that he could fight against the Jewish people. The king himself continued to pursue Trypho.

Read complete chapter 1 Maccabees 15