37. Let some of them be stationed in the king’s principal strongholds, and of these let some be given positions of trust in the affairs of the kingdom. Let their superiors and their rulers be chosen from among them, and let them follow their own laws, as the king has commanded in the land of Judah.
38. “Let the three districts that have been added to Judea from the province of Samaria be annexed to Judea so that they may be under one rule and obey no other authority than the high priest.
39. Ptolemais and its confines I give as a present to the sanctuary in Jerusalem for the necessary expenses of the sanctuary.
40. I make a yearly personal grant of fifteen thousand silver shekels out of the royal revenues, taken from appropriate places.
41. All the additional funds that the officials did not hand over as they had done in the first years shall henceforth be handed over for the services of the temple.
42. Moreover, the dues of five thousand silver shekels that used to be taken from the revenue of the sanctuary every year shall be canceled, since these funds belong to the priests who perform the services.
43. All who take refuge in the temple of Jerusalem or in any of its precincts, because of money they owe the king, or because of any other debt, shall be released, together with all the goods they possess in my kingdom.
44. The cost of rebuilding and restoring the structures of the sanctuary shall be covered out of the royal revenue.
45. Likewise the cost of building the walls of Jerusalem and fortifying it all around, and of building walls in Judea, shall be donated from the royal revenue.”
46. When Jonathan and the people heard these words, they neither believed nor accepted them, for they remembered the great evil that Demetrius had done in Israel, and the great tribulation he had brought upon them.
47. They therefore decided in favor of Alexander, for he had been the first to address them peaceably, and they remained his allies for the rest of his life.
48. Then King Alexander gathered together a large army and encamped opposite Demetrius.
49. The two kings joined battle, and when the army of Demetrius fled, Alexander pursued him, and overpowered his soldiers.
50. He pressed the battle hard until sunset, and Demetrius fell that day.
51. Alexander sent ambassadors to Ptolemy, king of Egypt, with this message:
52. “Now that I have returned to my realm, taken my seat on the throne of my ancestors, and established my rule by crushing Demetrius and gaining control of my country—
53. for I engaged him in battle, he and his army were crushed by us, and we assumed his royal throne—
54. let us now establish friendship with each other. Give me now your daughter for my wife; and as your son-in-law, I will give to you and to her gifts worthy of you.”
55. King Ptolemy answered in these words: “Happy the day on which you returned to the land of your ancestors and took your seat on their royal throne!
56. I will do for you what you have written; but meet me in Ptolemais, so that we may see each other, and I will become your father-in-law as you have proposed.”