21. Jonathan put on the sacred vestments in the seventh month of the one hundred and sixtieth year at the feast of Booths, and he gathered an army and procured many weapons.
22. When Demetrius heard of these things, he was distressed and said:
23. “Why have we allowed Alexander to get ahead of us by gaining the friendship of the Jews and thus strengthening himself?
24. I too will write them encouraging words and offer honors and gifts, so that they may support me.”
25. So he sent them this message: “King Demetrius sends greetings to the Jewish nation.
26. We have heard how you have kept the treaty with us and continued in our friendship and not gone over to our enemies, and we are glad.
27. Continue, therefore, to keep faith with us, and we will reward you with favors in return for what you do in our behalf.
28. We will grant you many exemptions and will bestow gifts on you.
29. “I now free you and exempt all the Jews from the tribute, the salt tax, and the crown levies.
30. Instead of collecting the third of the grain and the half of the fruit of the trees that should be my share, I renounce the right from this day forward. Neither now nor in the future will I collect them from the land of Judah or from the three districts annexed from Samaria.
31. Let Jerusalem and her territory, her tithes and her tolls, be sacred and free from tax.
32. I also yield my authority over the citadel in Jerusalem, and I transfer it to the high priest, that he may put in it such men as he shall choose to guard it.
33. Every Jew who has been carried into captivity from the land of Judah into any part of my kingdom I set at liberty without ransom; and let all their taxes, even those on their cattle, be canceled.
34. Let all feast days, sabbaths, new moon festivals, appointed days, and the three days that precede each feast day, and the three days that follow, be days of immunity and exemption for all Jews in my kingdom.
35. No one will have authority to exact payment from them or to harass any of them in any matter.