16. So we have chosen Numenius, son of Antiochus, and Antipater, son of Jason, and we have sent them to the Romans to renew with them the friendship and alliance of earlier times.
17. We have also ordered them to come to you and greet you, and to deliver to you our letter concerning the renewal of our brotherhood.
18. Therefore kindly send us an answer on this matter.”
19. This is a copy of the letter that they sent to Onias:
20. “Arius, king of the Spartans, sends greetings to Onias the high priest.
21. A document has been found stating that the Spartans and the Jews are brothers and that they are of the family of Abraham.
22. Now that we have learned this, kindly write to us about your welfare.
23. We, for our part, declare to you that your animals and your possessions are ours, and ours are yours. We have, therefore, given orders that you should be told of this.”
24. Then Jonathan heard that the officers of Demetrius had returned to attack him with a stronger army than before.
25. So he set out from Jerusalem and met them in the territory of Hamath, giving them no opportunity to enter his province.
26. The spies he had sent into their camp came back and reported to him that the enemy were preparing to attack them that night.
27. Therefore, when the sun set, Jonathan ordered his men to keep watch, with their weapons at the ready for battle, throughout the night; and he set outposts around the camp.
28. When the enemy heard that Jonathan and his men were ready for battle, their hearts sank with fear and dread. They lighted fires in their camp and then withdrew.
29. But because Jonathan and his men were watching the campfires burning, they did not know until the morning what had happened.
30. Then Jonathan pursued them, but he could not overtake them, for they had crossed the river Eleutherus.
31. So Jonathan turned aside against the Arabians who are called Zabadeans, and he struck them down and plundered them.
32. Then he broke camp, marched on toward Damascus and traveled through the whole region.
33. Simon also set out and traveled as far as Askalon and its neighboring strongholds. He then turned to Joppa and took it by surprise,
34. for he heard that its people intended to hand over the stronghold to the supporters of Demetrius. He left a garrison there to guard it.
35. When Jonathan returned, he assembled the elders of the people, and with them he made plans for building strongholds in Judea,
36. for making the walls of Jerusalem still higher, and for erecting a high barrier between the citadel and the city, to separate it from the city and isolate it, so that its garrison could neither buy nor sell.