16
It was heard in Rome, and as far away as Sparta, that Jonathan had died, and they were deeply grieved.
17
When they heard that his brother Simon had become high priest in his stead, and that he was ruling over the country and the towns in it,
18
they wrote to him on bronze tablets to renew with him the friendship and alliance that they had established with his brothers Judas and Jonathan.
19
And these were read before the assembly in Jerusalem.
20
This is a copy of the letter that the Spartans sent: "The rulers and the city of the Spartans to the high priest Simon and to the elders and the priests and the rest of the Jewish people, our brothers, greetings.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.