4. So the soldiers killed them, and Demetrius assumed the royal throne.
5. Then all the lawless men and renegades of Israel came to him. They were led by Alcimus, who desired to be high priest.
6. They made this accusation to the king against the people: “Judas and his brothers have destroyed all your friends and have driven us out of our land.
7. So now, send a man whom you trust to go and see all the destruction Judas has wrought on us and on the king’s territory, and let him punish them and all their supporters.”
8. So the king chose Bacchides, one of the King’s Friends, who ruled the province of West-of-Euphrates, a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king.
9. He sent him and the renegade Alcimus, to whom he granted the high priesthood, with orders to take revenge on the Israelites.
10. They set out and, on arriving in the land of Judah with a great army, sent messengers who spoke deceitfully to Judas and his brothers in peaceful terms.
11. But these paid no attention to their words, seeing that they had come with a great army.