1Anti'ochus, the son of Deme'trius the king, sent a letter from the islands of the sea to Simon, the priest and ethnarch of the Jews, and to all the nation; 2its contents were as follows: “King Anti'ochus to Simon the high priest and ethnarch and to the nation of the Jews, greeting. 3Whereas certain pestilent men have gained control of the kingdom of our fathers, and I intend to lay claim to the kingdom so that I may restore it as it formerly was, and have recruited a host of mercenary troops and have equipped warships, 4and intend to make a landing in the country so that I may proceed against those who have destroyed our country and those who have devastated many cities in my kingdom, 5now therefore I confirm to you all the tax remissions that the kings before me have granted you, and release from all the other payments from which they have released you. 6I permit you to mint your own coinage as money for your country, 7and I grant freedom to Jerusalem and the sanctuary. All the weapons which you have prepared and the strongholds which you have built and now hold shall remain yours. 8Every debt you owe to the royal treasury and any such future debts shall be cancelled for you from henceforth and for all time. 9When we gain control of our kingdom, we will bestow great honour upon you and your nation and the temple, so that your glory will become manifest in all the earth.”

10In the one hundred and seventy-fourth year15.10 138 B.C. Anti'ochus set out and invaded the land of his fathers. All the troops rallied to him, so that there were few with Trypho. 11Anti'ochus pursued him, and he came in his flight to Dor, which is by the sea; 12for he knew that troubles had converged upon him, and his troops had deserted him. 13So Anti'ochus encamped against Dor, and with him were a hundred and twenty thousand warriors and eight thousand cavalry. 14He surrounded the city, and the ships joined battle from the sea; he pressed the city hard from land and sea, and permitted no one to leave or enter it.

15Then Nume'nius and his companions arrived from Rome, with letters to the kings and countries, in which the following was written: 16“Lucius, consul of the Romans, to King Ptol'emy, greeting. 17The envoys of the Jews have come to us as our friends and allies to renew our ancient friendship and alliance. They had been sent by Simon the high priest and by the people of the Jews, 18and have brought a gold shield weighing a thousand minas. 19We therefore have decided to write to the kings and countries that they should not seek their harm or make war against them and their cities and their country, or make alliance with those who war against them. 20And it has seemed good to us to accept the shield from them. 21Therefore if any pestilent men have fled to you from their country, hand them over to Simon the high priest, that he may punish them according to their law.”

22The consul15.22 Gk He wrote the same thing to Deme'trius the king and to At'talus and Ariar'athes and Ar'saces, 23and to all the countries, and to Sam'psames,15.23 The name is uncertain and to the Spartans, and to Delos, and to Myndos, and to Sic'yon, and to Ca'ria, and to Samos, and to Pamphyl'ia, and to Lyc'ia, and to Halicarnas'sus, and to Rhodes, and to Phase'lis, and to Cos, and to Side, and to Ar'adus and Gorty'na and Cni'dus and Cyprus and Cyre'ne. 24They also sent a copy of these things to Simon the high priest.

25Anti'ochus the king besieged Dor anew,15.25 Or on the second day continually throwing his forces against it and making engines of war; and he shut Trypho up and kept him from going out or in. 26And Simon sent to Anti'ochus15.26 Gk him two thousand picked men, to fight for him, and silver and gold and much military equipment. 27But he refused to receive them, and he broke all the agreements he formerly had made with Simon,15.27 Gk him and became estranged from him. 28He sent to him Athenob'ius, one of his friends, to confer with him, saying, “You hold control of Joppa and Gazar'a and the citadel in Jerusalem; they are cities of my kingdom. 29You have devastated their territory, you have done great damage in the land, and you have taken possession of many places in my kingdom. 30Now then, hand over the cities which you have seized and the tribute money of the places which you have conquered outside the borders of Judea; 31or else give me for them five hundred talents of silver, and for the destruction that you have caused and the tribute money of the cities, five hundred talents more. Otherwise we will come and conquer you.”

32So Athenob'ius the friend of the king came to Jerusalem, and when he saw the splendour of Simon, and the sideboard with its gold and silver plate, and his great magnificence, he was amazed. He reported to him the words of the king, 33But Simon gave him this reply: “We have neither taken foreign land nor seized foreign property, but only the inheritance of our fathers, which at one time had been unjustly taken by our enemies. 34Now that we have the opportunity, we are firmly holding the inheritance of our fathers. 35As for Joppa and Gazar'a, which you demand, they were causing great damage among the people and to our land; for them we will give a hundred talents.” Athenob'ius15.35 Gk He did not answer him a word, 36but returned in wrath to the king and reported to him these words and the splendour of Simon and all that he had seen. And the king was greatly angered.

37Now Trypho embarked on a ship and escaped to Ortho'sia. 38Then the king made Cendebae'us commanderin-chief of the coastal country, and gave him troops of infantry and cavalry. 39He commanded him to encamp against Judea, and commanded him to build up Kedron and fortify its gates, and to make war on the people; but the king pursued Trypho. 40So Cendebae'us came to Jam'nia and began to provoke the people and invade Judea and take the people captive and kill them. 41He built up Kedron and stationed there horsemen and troops, so that they might go out and make raids along the highways of Judea, as the king had ordered him.