1 Maccabees 10:1–89

¹ In the one hundred sixtieth year, Alexander Epiphanes, the son of Antiochus, went up and took possession of Ptolemais. They received him, and he reigned there. (WEB) ² King Demetrius heard about this, and he gathered together exceedingly great forces, and went out to meet him in battle. (WEB) ³ Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan with words of peace, so as to honor him. (WEB) ⁴ For he said, “Let’s go beforehand to make peace with them, before he makes peace with Alexander against us; (WEB) ⁵ for he will remember all the evils that we have done against him, and to his kindred and to his nation.” (WEB) ⁶ So he gave him authority to gather together forces, and to provide weapons, and that he should be his ally. He also commanded that they should release the hostages that were in the citadel to him. (WEB) ⁷ Jonathan came to Jerusalem, and read the letter in the hearing of all the people, and of those who were in the citadel. (WEB) ⁸ They were very afraid when they heard that the king had given him authority to gather together an army. (WEB) ⁹ Those in the citadel released the hostages to Jonathan, and he restored them to their parents. (WEB) ¹⁰ Jonathan lived in Jerusalem and began to build and renew the city. (WEB) ¹¹ He commanded those who did the work to build the walls and encircle Mount Zion with square stones for defense; and they did so. (WEB) ¹² The foreigners who were in the strongholds which Bacchides had built fled away. (WEB) ¹³ Each man left his place and departed into his own land. (WEB) ¹⁴ Only at Bethsura, there were left some of those who had forsaken the law and the commandments, for it was a place of refuge to them. (WEB) ¹⁵ King Alexander heard all the promises which Demetrius had sent to Jonathan. They told him of the battles and the valiant deeds which he and his kindred had done, and of the troubles which they had endured. (WEB) ¹⁶ So he said, “Could we find another man like him? Now we will make him our friend and ally.” (WEB) ¹⁷ He wrote a letter and sent it to him, in these words, saying, (WEB) ¹⁸ “King Alexander to his brother Jonathan, greetings. (WEB) ¹⁹ We have heard of you, that you are a mighty man of valour, and worthy to be our friend. (WEB) ²⁰ Now we have appointed you this day to be high priest of your nation, and to be called the king’s friend, and to take our side, and to keep friendship with us.” He also sent to him a purple robe and a golden crown. (WEB) ²¹ And Jonathan put on the holy garments in the seventh month of the one hundred sixtieth year, at the feast of tabernacles; and he gathered together forces and provided weapons in abundance. (WEB) ²² When Demetrius heard these things, he was grieved and said, (WEB) ²³ “What is this that we have done, that Alexander has gotten ahead of us in establishing friendship with the J… (WEB)