1And in ⁷⁹the hundred and sixtieth year Alexander Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus, went up and took possession of Ptolemais: and they received him, and he reigned there.

2And king Demetrius heard thereof, and he gathered together exceeding great forces, and went forth to meet him in battle.

3And Demetrius sent letters unto Jonathan with words of peace, so as to magnify him.

4For he said, let us be beforehand to make peace with them, ere he make peace with Alexander against us:

5for he will remember all the evils that we have done against him, and unto his brethren and unto his nation.

6And he gave him authority to gather together forces, and to provide arms, and that he should be his confederate: and he commanded that they should deliver up to him the hostages that were in the citadel.

7And Jonathan came to Jerusalem, and read the letters in the audience of all the people, and of them that were in the citadel:

8and they were sore afraid, when they heard that the king had given him authority to gather together a host.

9And they of the citadel delivered up the hostages unto Jonathan, and he restored them unto their parents.

10And Jonathan dwelt in Jerusalem, and began to build and renew the city.

11And he commanded them that did the work to build the walls and the mount Sion round about with ⁸⁰square stones for defence; and they did so.

12And the strangers, that were in the strongholds which Bacchides had built, fled away;

13and each man left his place, and departed into his own land.

14Only at Bethsura were there left certain of those that had forsaken the law and the commandments; for it was a place of refuge unto them.

15And king Alexander heard all the promises which Demetrius had sent unto Jonathan: and they told him of the battles and the valiant deeds which he and his brethren had done, and of the toils which they had endured;

16And he said, Shall we find such another man? and now we will make him our ⁸¹Friend and confederate.

17And he wrote letters, and sent them unto him, according to these words, saying,

18King Alexander to his brother Jonathan, greeting:

19We have heard of thee, that thou art a mighty man of valour, and meet to be our ⁸²Friend.

20And now we have appointed thee this day to be high priest of thy nation, and to be called the king’s ⁸³Friend (and he sent unto him a purple robe and a crown of gold), and to take our part, and to keep friendship with us.

21And Jonathan put on the holy garments in the seventh month of ⁸⁴the hundred and sixtieth year, at the feast of tabernacles, and he gathered together forces, and provided arms in abundance.

22And Demetrius heard these things, and he was grieved, and said,

23What is this that we have done, that Alexander hath been beforehand with us in establishing friendship with the Jews, to strengthen himself?

24I also will write unto them words of encouragement and of honour and of gifts, that they may be with me to aid me.

25And he sent unto them according to these words: King Demetrius unto the nation of the Jews, greeting:

26Forasmuch as ye have kept your covenants with us, and continued in our friendship, and have not joined yourselves to our enemies, we have heard hereof, and are glad.

27And now continue ye still to keep faith with us, and we will recompense unto you good things in return for your dealings with us,

28and will grant you many immunities, and give you gifts.

29And now do I free you, and release all the Jews, from the tributes, and from the customs of salt, and from the crowns.

30And instead of the third part of the seed, and instead of the half of the fruit of the trees, which falleth to me to receive, I release it from this day and henceforth, so that I will not take it from the land of Judah, and from the three governments which are added thereunto from the country of Samaria and Galilee, from this day forth and for all time.

31And let Jerusalem be holy and free, and her borders; the tenths and the tolls also.

32I yield up also my authority over the citadel which is at Jerusalem, and give it to the high priest, that he may appoint in it such men as he shall choose to keep it.

33And every soul of the Jews, that hath been carried captive from the land of Judah into any part of my kingdom, I set at liberty without price; and let all remit the tributes of their cattle also.

34And all the feasts, and the sabbaths, and new moons, and appointed days, and three days before a feast, and three days after a feast, let them all be days of immunity and release for all the Jews that are in my kingdom.

35And no man shall have authority to exact from any of them, or to trouble them concerning any matter.

36And let there be enrolled among the king’s forces about thirty thousand men of the Jews, and pay shall be given unto them, as belongeth to all the king’s forces.

37And of them some shall be placed in the king’s great strongholds, and some of them shall be placed over the affairs of the kingdom, which are of trust: and let those that are over them, and their rulers, be of themselves, and let them walk after their own laws, even as the king hath commanded in the land of Judah.

38And the three governments that have been added to Judaea from the country of Samaria, let them be added to Judaea, that they may be reckoned to be under one, that they may not obey other authority than the high priest’s.

39As for Ptolemais, and the land pertaining thereto, I have given it as a gift to the sanctuary that is at Jerusalem, for the expenses that befit the sanctuary.

40And I give every year fifteen thousand shekels of silver from the king’s revenues from the places that are convenient.

41And all the overplus, which they that manage the king’s affairs paid not in as in the first years, they shall give from henceforth toward the works of the house.

42And beside this, the five thousand shekels of silver, which they received from the uses of the sanctuary from the revenue year by year, this also is released, because it appertaineth to the priests that minister.

43And whosoever shall flee unto the temple that is at Jerusalem, and be found within all the borders thereof, whether one owe moneys to the king, or any other matter, let them go free, and all that they have in my kingdom.

44And for the building and renewing of the works of the sanctuary the expense shall be given also out of the king’s revenue.

45And for the building of the walls of Jerusalem, and the fortifying thereof round about, shall the expense be given also out of the king’s revenue, and for the building of the walls in Judaea.

46Now when Jonathan and the people heard these words, they gave no credence unto them, nor received them, because they remembered the great evil which he had done in Israel, and that he had afflicted them very sore.

47And they were well pleased with Alexander, because he was the first that spake words of peace unto them, and they were confederate with him always.

48And king Alexander gathered together great forces, and encamped over against Demetrius.

49And the two kings joined battle, and the army of Alexander fled; and Demetrius followed after him, and prevailed against them.

50And he strengthened the battle exceedingly until the sun went down: and Demetrius fell that day.

51And Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy king of Egypt according to these words, saying,

52Forasmuch as I am returned to my kingdom, and am set on the throne of my fathers, and have gotten the dominion, and have overthrown Demetrius, and have gotten possession of our country;

53yea, I joined the battle with him, and he and his army were discomfited by us, and we sat upon the throne of his kingdom:

54now also let us establish amity one with the other, and give me now thy daughter to wife: and I will make affinity with thee, and will give both thee and her gifts worthy of thee.

55And Ptolemy the king answered, saying, Happy is the day wherein thou didst return into the land of thy fathers, and didst sit on the throne of their kingdom.

56And now will I do to thee, as thou hast written: but meet me at Ptolemais, that we may see one another; and I will make affinity with thee, even as thou hast said.

57And Ptolemy went out of Egypt, himself and Cleopatra his daughter, and came unto Ptolemais in ⁸⁵the hundred and threescore and second year:

58and king Alexander met him, and he bestowed on him his daughter Cleopatra, and celebrated her marriage at Ptolemais with great pomp, as the manner of kings is.

59And king Alexander wrote unto Jonathan, that he should come to meet him.

60And he went with pomp to Ptolemais, and met the two kings, and gave them and their ⁸⁶Friends silver and gold, and many gifts, and found favour in their sight.

61And there were gathered together against him certain pestilent fellows out of Israel, men that were transgressors of the law, to complain against him: and the king gave no heed to them.

62And the king commanded, and they took off Jonathan’s garments, and clothed him in purple: and thus they did.

63And the king made him sit with him, and said unto his princes, Go forth with him into the midst of the city, and make proclamation, that no man complain against him of any matter, and let no man trouble him for any manner of cause.

64And it came to pass, when they that complained against him saw his glory according as the herald made proclamation, and saw him clothed in purple, they all fled away.

65And the king gave him honour, and wrote him among his ⁸⁷Chief Friends, and made him a captain, and governor of a province.

66And Jonathan returned to Jerusalem with peace and gladness.

67And in ⁸⁸the hundred and threescore and fifth year came Demetrius, son of Demetrius, out of Crete into the land of his fathers:

68and king Alexander heard thereof, and he grieved exceedingly, and returned unto Antioch.

69And Demetrius appointed Apollonius, who was over Coelesyria, and he gathered together a great host, and encamped in Jamnia, and sent unto Jonathan the high priest, saying,

70Thou alone liftest up thyself against us, but I am had in derision and in reproach because of thee. And why dost thou vaunt thy power against us in the mountains?

71Now therefore, if thou trustest in thy forces, come down to us into the plain, and there let us try the matter together; for with me is the power of the cities.

72Ask and learn who I am, and the rest that help us; and they say, Your foot cannot stand before our face; for thy fathers have been twice put to flight in their own land.

73And now thou shalt not be able to abide the horse and such a host as this in the plain, where is neither stone nor flint, nor place to flee unto.

74Now when Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, he was moved in his mind, and he chose out ten thousand men, and went forth from Jerusalem, and Simon his brother met him for to help him.

75And he encamped against Joppa: and they of the city shut him out, because Apollonius had a garrison in Joppa:

76and they fought against it. And they of the city were afraid, and opened unto him: and Jonathan became master of Joppa.

77And Apollonius heard, and he gathered an army of three thousand horse, and a great host, and went to Azotus as though he were on a journey, and therewithal drew onward into the plain, because he had a multitude of horse, and trusted therein.

78And he pursued after him to Azotus, and the armies joined battle ⁸⁹.

79And Apollonius had left a thousand horse behind them privily.

80And Jonathan knew that there was an ambushment behind him. And they compassed round his army, and cast their darts at the people, from morning until evening:

81but the people stood still, as Jonathan commanded them: and their horses were wearied.

82And Simon drew forth his host, and joined battle with the phalanx (for the horsemen were spent), and they were discomfited by him, and fled.

83And the horsemen were scattered in the plain, and they fled to Azotus, and entered into Beth-dagon, their idol’s temple, to save themselves.

84And Jonathan burned Azotus, and the cities round about it, and took their spoils; and the temple of Dagon, and them that fled into it, he burned with fire.

85And they that had fallen by the sword, with them that were burned, were about eight thousand men.

86And from thence Jonathan removed, and encamped against Ascalon, and they of the city came forth to meet him with great pomp.

87And Jonathan, with them that were on his side, returned unto Jerusalem, having many spoils.

88And it came to pass, when king Alexander heard these things, he honoured Jonathan yet more;

89and he sent unto him a buckle of gold, as the use is to give to such as are of the kindred of the kings: and he gave him Ekron and all the coasts thereof for a possession.