Good News Bible Anglicised

1 Maccabees 15:20-28 Good News Bible Anglicised (GNBDC)

20. We have decided to accept the shield and grant them protection.

21. Therefore if any traitors escape from Judea and seek refuge in your land, hand them over to Simon the High Priest, so that he may punish them according to Jewish law.”

22. Lucius wrote the same letter to King Demetrius, to Attalus, Ariarathes, and Arsaces,

23. and to all the following countries: Sampsames, Sparta, Delos, Myndos, Sicyon, Caria, Samos, Pamphylia, Lycia, Halicarnassus, Rhodes, Phaselis, Cos, Side, Aradus, Gortyna, Cnidus, Cyprus, and Cyrene.

24. A copy of the letter was also sent to Simon the High Priest.

25. King Antiochus laid siege to Dor for the second time, keeping it under constant attack. He built siege-platforms, and his blockade kept Trypho and his men from going in or out.

26. Simon sent 2,000 well-trained soldiers to help Antiochus, as well as silver and gold and a great deal of equipment.

27. But Antiochus refused to accept them, cancelled all the previous arrangements that he had made with Simon, and became his enemy.

28. Then Antiochus sent his trusted official Athenobius to negotiate with Simon. He said to Simon, “You are occupying Joppa, Gezer, and the fort in Jerusalem, cities that belong to my kingdom.