2. When King Demetrius heard of it, he mustered a very large army and marched out to engage him in battle.
3. Demetrius sent a letter to Jonathan written in peaceful terms, to exalt him;
4. for he said: “Let us be the first to make peace with him, before he makes peace with Alexander against us,
5. since he will remember all the wrongs we have done to him, his brothers, and his nation.”
6. So Demetrius authorized him to gather an army and procure arms as his ally; and he ordered that the hostages in the citadel be released to him.
7. Accordingly Jonathan went to Jerusalem and read the letter to all the people and to those who were in the citadel.
8. They were struck with fear when they heard that the king had given him authority to gather an army.
9. Those in the citadel released the hostages to Jonathan, and he gave them back to their parents.