31
He was very troubled by this. Then he decided to go to Persia and collect revenues there and raise a large sum of money.
32
The king appointed Lysias, a distinguished man from a royal family, to be in charge of his affairs from the Euphrates River to the Egyptian border.
33
He also wanted Lysias to take care of his young son Antiochus until he returned.
34
So he gave Lysias authority over half of his armed forces and war elephants. He gave him orders regarding what he wanted him to do, including the matter of the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem.
35
He wanted Lysias to send an army against them to wipe out and destroy Israel's strength and the few remaining in Jerusalem. He ordered that their memory should be completely erased from the place.