21. They set a day on which the leaders from each side would come to the same place in private, a chariot coming from each side, with chairs set out for the meeting.
22. Judas placed armed men in appropriate places, in order to prevent unexpected treachery from the enemies. So they held successful negotiations.
23. Nicanor lived for a time in Jerusalem and did nothing improper. He dismissed the crowds of ordinary people who gathered there.
24. He kept Judas continually in his presence since he became strongly attached to the man.
25. He encouraged him to marry and to have children. So Judas married, enjoyed tranquillity, and began to live a normal life.
26. When Alcimus noted the goodwill that Nicanor and Judas had toward each other, he obtained the documents of agreement drawn up between them and went to Demetrius. He claimed that Nicanor was disloyal to the government because he had appointed Judas, who plotted against the king, as his successor.
27. The king was furious and, provoked by the accusations of the thoroughly depraved Alcimus, wrote to Nicanor. He forcefully asserted that he was displeased with the terms of agreement and ordered him to send the Maccabee as a prisoner to Antioch immediately.
28. When this order reached Nicanor, he was upset and found it difficult to revoke the agreements, seeing how the man had done no wrong.
29. But he couldn’t defy the king, so he watched for an opportune time to set a trap.
30. But the Maccabee noticed that Nicanor was becoming more reserved toward him, conducting customary meetings in a less courteous manner. Sensing that this new rudeness wasn’t for the best, he gathered a large number of men and hid from Nicanor.
31. When Nicanor realized that Judas had completely outwitted him, he went to the great and holy temple where priests were offering up the appropriate sacrifices and ordered them to hand over the man.
32. When they asserted with solemn pledges that they didn’t know where he was,