1 When Jonathan saw the time was right, he chose envoys and sent them to Rome to validate and renew friendship with them.
2 Also, he sent letters to Sparta and other localities for the same reasons.
3 So they left for Rome, entered the senate chamber, and said, “Jonathan, the high priest, and the nation of the Jews sent us here to renew the former friendship and alliance between ourselves.”
4 Then the Romans wrote letters to the citizens in every place, so they might send forth the ambassadors to the land of Judah in peace.
5 This is the copy of the letters which Jonathan wrote to the Spartans:
6 “Jonathan the high priest, the elders of the nation, the priests, and the Jewish people to their brothers the Spartans, greetings.
7 Some time earlier, letters were sent to Onias the high priest by Arius, who ruled over you, that you are our brothers, as the attached copy indicates.
8 Onias received the envoy with honor, and he accepted the letters, which plainly showed the alliance and friendship.
9 Therefore, although we do not need these things, since we have the holy books in our hands,
10 we have decided to send and renew our brotherhood and friendship, so we would not be estranged from you. For significant time has elapsed since you sent word to us.
11 Therefore at every opportunity, both on feast days and ordinary days, we remember you unceasingly in the sacrifices we offer and in our prayers, as it is right and proper to remember brothers;
12 for we rejoice in your glory.
13 But many troubles and many wars have surrounded us, and the kings around us have fought against us.
14 We did not wish to trouble you and our other allies and friends with these wars.
15 For we have had help from heaven assisting us, for we were freed from our enemies, and they were humbled.
16 Therefore we chose Numenius son of Antiochus and Antipater son of Jason, and sent them to Rome to renew our former friendship and alliance with them.
17 We also ordered them to go to you, to greet you and give you these letters from us concerning the renewal of our brotherhood.
18 Now then, please send us a reply.”
19 This is the copy of the letters they sent to Onias:
20 “King Arius of the Spartans to Onias the high priest, greetings.
21 It has been put in writing regarding both the Spartans and the Jews that they are brothers, and are both of the family of Abraham.
22 So now that we know this, please write us concerning your welfare.
23 Thus we are writing to you that your cattle and possessions are ours, and ours are yours. Therefore we order our ambassadors to report to you accordingly.”
24 Then Jonathan heard the officers of Demetrius had come back with a larger army than before to make war against him.
25 So he marched out of Jerusalem and engaged them in the area around Hamath, giving them no chance to invade his country.
26 So he sent out spies to their encampment. They later returned and told him the army of Demetrius planned to attack the Jews at night.
27 At sunset, Jonathan ordered those with him to stay awake and to be ready with their weapons for a fight during the night. Then he sent out an advance guard to surround the camp.
28 When the enemy got word that Jonathan and his soldiers were ready for battle, they were terrified at heart. So they lit fires in their camp and fled.
29 But Jonathan and his men did not know this until it was morning, for they saw the firelight.
30 So Jonathan chased after them, but could not overtake them, because they crossed over the Eleutherus River.
31 Then Jonathan turned aside against the Arabs, called Zabadeans, and struck them and took their spoils.
32 He then broke camp and marched to Damascus and throughout all that country.
33 Meanwhile, Simon went out and marched as far as Askelon and the fortresses nearby, and turned aside to Joppa and captured it.
34 For he heard they wished to hand over the fortress to the men sent by Demetrius. So he established a garrison there to guard it.
35 When Jonathan returned, he assembled the elders of the people. Together, they decided to build fortresses in Judea,
36 and to make the walls of Jerusalem even higher, and raise a great high wall between the citadel and the city to separate it from the city, so it would be isolated and its garrison could not buy nor sell goods.
37 So they assembled to rebuild the city and part of the wall on the valley to the east that had fallen; thus he repaired the wall that is called Chaphenatha.
38 Simon also built Adida in the Shephelah. They fortified it and set up bolted gates.
39 Then Trypho sought to rule Asia, to wear the crown, and to stretch forth his hand against King Antiochus.
40 He also took precautions lest Jonathan would not permit it, but wage war against him. So seeking to capture and destroy him, he marched forth to Beth-shan.
41 Then Jonathan went out to meet him with forty thousand soldiers chosen for battle, and he came to Beth-shan.
42 When Trypho saw that he came with a large army, he was afraid to stretch forth his hand against him.
43 So he received him honorably and met him with all his friends. He gave gifts to Jonathan, and ordered his friends and his own troops to obey him as himself.
44 Then he said to Jonathan, “Why have you troubled all these men? We are not at war!
45 Now send them home; but choose a few soldiers for yourself to be with you. Then come with me to Ptolemais, and I will give it over to you along with the rest of the fortresses and the remaining troops and officers. Then I will turn around and go home, for that is why I came here.”
46 So Jonathan believed Trypho, and did as he had said and sent away the troops, who departed for the region of Judah.
47 But he kept three thousand soldiers with him, two thousand of which he left in Galilee, and a thousand who went with him.
48 But when Jonathan entered Ptolemais, the men of the city shut the gates and captured him, and they slew with the sword all who entered with him.
49 Then Trypho sent soldiers and cavalry into Galilee and the Great Plain, to kill all Jonathan's men.
50 But when the soldiers learned that Jonathan and those with him had been captured and killed, they encouraged each other to keep marching in close formation, ready for attack.
51 But when the pursuers saw them ready to fight for their lives, they retreated.
52 So they all came safely to the land of Judah and cried out for Jonathan and his men. They were exceedingly afraid, and all Israel mourned greatly.
53 Then all the nations surrounding them tried to defeat them, saying, “There is none to lead them or to help them. Now then, let us wage war against them and erase them from memory.”