27. And they wrote on tables of brass, and set them upon pillars in mount Sion: and this is the copy of the writing: On the eighteenth day of Elul, in the hundred and seventy and second year, and this is the third year of Simon the high priest,
28. in Asaramel, in a great congregation of priests and people and princes of the nation, and of the elders of the country, was it notified to us:
29. Forasmuch as oftentimes there have been wars in the country, but Simon the son of Mattathias, the son of the sons of Joarib, and his brethren, put themselves in jeopardy, and withstood the enemies of their nation, that their sanctuary and the law might be established, and glorified their nation with great glory:
30. and Jonathan assembled their nation together, and became their high priest, and was gathered to his people:
31. and their enemies purposed to invade their country, that they might destroy their country utterly, and stretch forth their hands against their sanctuary:
32. then rose up Simon, and fought for his nation, and spent much of his own substance, and armed the valiant men of his nation, and gave them wages:
33. and he fortified the cities of Judaea, and Bethsura that lies upon the borders of Judaea, where the arms of the enemies were aforetime, and set there a garrison of Jews:
34. and he fortified Joppa which is upon the sea, and Gazara which is upon the borders of Azotus, wherein the enemies lived aforetime, and placed Jews there, and set therein all things convenient for the reparation thereof:
35. and the people saw the faith of Simon, and the glory which he thought to bring to his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest, because he had done all these things, and for the justice and the faith which he kept to his nation, and for that he sought by all means to exalt his people:
36. and in his days things prospered in his hands, so that the Gentiles were taken away out of their country, and they also that were in the city of David, they that were in Jerusalem, who had made themselves a citadel, out of which they issued, and polluted all things round about the sanctuary, and did great hurt to its purity;
37. and he placed Jews therein, and fortified it for the safety of the country and the city, and made high the walls of Jerusalem:
38. and king Demetrius confirmed to him the high priesthood according to these things,
39. and made him one of his Friends, and honored him with great honor;
40. for he had heard say, that the Jews had been called by the Romans friends and confederates and brethren, and that they had met the ambassadors of Simon honorably;
41. and that the Jews and the priests were well pleased that Simon should be their leader and high priest for ever, until there should arise a faithful prophet;
42. and that he should be captain over them, and should take charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over the country, and over the arms, and over the strongholds; and that he should take charge of the sanctuary,
43. and that he should be obeyed by all, and that all instruments in the country should be written in his name, and that he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold;