16
The people in Rome, and those who were as far away as Sparta, learned that Jonathan had died, and they were all very sad.
17
They also heard that Simon his brother had become high priest in his place and that he was ruling over the country and its towns.
18
So they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendly alliance that they had established with his brothers Judas and Jonathan.
19
The tablets were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.
20
This is a copy of the letter that the Spartans sent: The rulers of the Spartans, with the city. To the high priest Simon, the elders, the priests, and the rest of the Jewish people, our brothers and sisters. Greetings!