1 Now Antioḵos son of Dĕmĕtrios the sovereign sent letters from the islands of the sea to Shim’on the kohĕn and prince of the Yahuḏim, and to all the people;
2 the contents of which were these: “Sovereign Antioḵos to Shim’on the kohĕn ha’gadol and leader of his nation, and to the people of the Yahuḏim, greetings.
3 “Since some troublesome men have usurped the reign of our fathers, and my purpose is to challenge it again that I may restore it to the old estate, and to that end have gathered a multitude of foreign soldiers together and prepared ships of battle;
4 my purpose also being to go through the country that I may be avenged of those that have destroyed it and made many cities in the reign desolate.
5 “Now therefore I confirm to you all the offerings which the sovereigns before me granted you, and also whatever gifts they granted.
6 “I allow you to coin silver for your country with your own stamp.
7 “And concerning Yerushalayim and the Miqdash; let them be free, and all the armour that you have made, and fortresses that you have built, and keep in your hands, let them remain with you.
8 “And if whatever is, or shall be, owing to the sovereign, let it be forgiven you from this time on forever.
9 “Furthermore, when we have obtained our reign, we will honour you, and your nation, and your Hĕyḵal, with great honour, so that your honour shall be known throughout the world.”
10 In the hundred and seventy-fourth year Antioḵos went into the land of his fathers, at which time all the forces came together to him, so that few were left with Truphon.
11 Therefore being pursued by Sovereign Antioḵos, he fled to Dora, which lies by the sea coast,
12 for he saw that troubles came upon him all at once, and that his forces had deserted him.
13 Then Antioḵos encamped against Dora, having with him a hundred and twenty thousand men of battle, and eight thousand horsemen.
14 And when he had surrounded the city and linked ships close to the town on the sea coast, he troubled the city by land and by sea, neither did he allow any to go out or in.
15 In the winter Numĕnios and his army came from Rome, having letters to the sovereigns and countries in which were written these matters:
16 “Lukios, consul of the Romans to Sovereign Ptolemaeus, greetings.
17 “The Yahuḏim’s ambassadors, our friends and allies, came to us to renew the old friendship and alliance, being sent from Shim’on the kohĕn ha’gadol and from the people of the Yahuḏim,
18 and they brought a gold shield of one thousand minas.
19 “We thought it good therefore to write to the sovereigns and countries, that they should do them no harm, nor fight against them, their cities, or countries, nor indeed aid their enemies against them.
20 “It also seemed good to us to receive the shield from them.
21 “If therefore there are any troublesome fellows, that have fled from their country to you, deliver them to Shim’on the kohĕn ha’gadol, that he may punish them according to their own Law.”
22 He also wrote the same words to Dĕmĕtrios the sovereign, and Attalus, to Ariarathĕs, and Arsakĕs,
23 and to all the countries and to Lampsakos, and the Lakedaemonians and to Delos and Mundos and Sikion and Karia and Samos and Pamphulia and Lukia and Halikarnassos and Rhodos and Arados and Kos and Sidĕ and Aradus and Gortina and Knidos and Kupros and Kurĕnĕ.
24 And the copy of this they wrote to Shim’on the kohĕn ha’gadol.
25 So Antioḵos the sovereign encamped against Dora the second day, assaulting it continually, and making siege engines by which means he shut up Truphon, that he could neither go out nor go in.
26 At that time Shim’on sent him two thousand chosen men to aid him; also silver and gold and much armour.
27 Nevertheless he would not receive them, but broke all the covenants which he had made with him before, and became hostile toward him.
28 Furthermore he sent Athenobius, one of his friends to him, to speak with him, and say, “You withhold Yapho and Gezer – with the tower that is in Yerushalayim – which are cities of my reign.
29 “You have destroyed its borders, and done great evil in the land, and taken the rule of many places within my reign.
30 “Now therefore, deliver the cities which you have taken, and the tributes of the places, of which you have taken rule outside the borders of Yahuḏah;
31 or else give me five hundred talanton of silver for them and for the damage that you have done, and the tributes of the cities – another five hundred talanton. If not, we will come and fight against you.”
32 So Athĕnobius the sovereign’s friend came to Yerushalayim, and when he saw the esteem of Shim’on, and the storage of gold and silver plate and his great attendance, he was astonished and told him the sovereign’s message.
33 Then Shim’on answered and said to him, “We have neither taken other men’s land, nor held that which belongs to others, but the inheritance of our fathers which our enemies held wrongfully in possession for a certain time.
34 “Therefore we, having opportunity, hold the inheritance of our fathers.
35 “And whereas you demand Yapho and Gezer – although they did great harm to the people in our country – yet we will give you a hundred talanton for them.” To this Athĕnobius answered him not a word,
36 but returned in a rage to the sovereign, and reported these words to him, and of the esteem of Shim’on, and of all that he had seen. So the sovereign was exceedingly wroth.
37 In the meantime, Truphon fled by ship to Orthosia.
38 Then the sovereign made Kendĕbeus captain of the sea coast, and gave him an army of footmen and horsemen,
39 and commanded him to move his army toward Yahuḏah. He also commanded him to build up Qiḏron, and to fortify the gates, and to fight against the people. But as for the sovereign himself, he pursued Truphon.
40 So Kendĕbeus came to Yaḇneh and began to provoke the people and to invade Yahuḏah, and to take the people captive and slay them.
41 And when he had built up Qiḏron, he positioned horsemen there, and an army of footmen, so that coming out they might make attacks on the roads to Yahuḏah, as the sovereign had commanded him.