60. Jonathan then marched with his army through the towns of Greater Syria, and all the Syrian forces joined him as allies. He went to Ashkelon, where the people welcomed him with great honours.
61. Then he went to Gaza, but the people there barred their gates against him. So he laid siege to the city and burnt and looted the surrounding area.
62. The people of Gaza then asked for peace, and Jonathan arranged a truce. He took the sons of the leaders and sent them to Jerusalem as hostages. After that he marched on as far as Damascus.
63. Jonathan learnt that the officers of Demetrius had come to Kedesh in Galilee with a large army, intending to keep him from carrying out his plan.
64. So he left his brother Simon in Judea and set out to meet them in battle.
65. Then Simon laid siege to Bethzur and fought against it for a long time.
66. The people asked for peace terms, and Simon agreed. He then took over the town, drove the people out, and stationed a detachment of troops there.
67. Jonathan and his army set up camp by Lake Galilee. Early the next morning he marched his troops to the plain of Hazor,
68. where the main force of the foreign army was advancing to meet him. Unknown to Jonathan, they had left a detachment of troops in ambush in the mountains,