24. In those days there was a very great famine, and the country deserted to them.
25. Bacchides chose renegades and made them masters of the country.
26. These sought out and hunted down the friends of Judas and brought them to Bacchides, who punished and derided them.
27. There was great tribulation in Israel, the like of which had not been since the time prophets ceased to appear among them.
28. Then all the friends of Judas came together and said to Jonathan:
29. “Ever since your brother Judas died, there has been no one like him to lead us against our enemies, both Bacchides and those of our nation who are hostile to us.
30. Now therefore we have chosen you today to be our ruler and leader in his place, to fight our battle.”
31. From that moment Jonathan accepted the leadership, and took the place of Judas his brother.
32. When Bacchides learned of it, he sought to kill him.
33. But Jonathan and his brother Simon and all who were with him discovered this, and they fled to the wilderness of Tekoa and camped by the waters of the pool of Asphar. [
34. ]
35. Jonathan sent his brother as leader of the convoy to implore his friends, the Nabateans, to let them deposit with them their great quantity of baggage.
36. But the tribe of Jambri from Medaba made a raid and seized and carried off John and everything he had.
37. After this, word was brought to Jonathan and his brother Simon: “The tribe of Jambri are celebrating a great wedding, and with a large escort they are bringing the bride, the daughter of one of the great princes of Canaan, from Nadabath.”
38. Remembering the blood of John their brother, they went up and hid themselves under cover of the mountain.