25
And he wrote to them in these words: King Demetrius to the nation of the Jews, greeting.
26
Whereas you have kept covenant with us, and have continued in our friendship, and have not joined with our enemies, we have heard of it, and are glad.
27
Wherefore now continue still to keep fidelity towards us, and we will reward you with good things, for what you have done in our behalf.
28
And we will remit to you many charges, and will give you gifts.
29
And now I free you, and all the Jews from tributes, and I release you from the customs of salt, and remit the crowns, and the thirds of the seed:
30
And the half of the fruit of trees, which is my share, I leave to you from this day forward, so that it shall not be taken of the land of Juda, and of the three cities that are added thereto out of Samaria and Galilee, from this day forth and for ever:
31
And let Jerusalem be holy and free, with the borders thereof: and let the tenths, and tributes be for itself.
32
I yield up also the power of the castle that is in Jerusalem, and I give it to the high priest, to place therein such men as he shall choose to keep it.
33
And every soul of the Jews that hath been carried captive from the land of Juda in all my kingdom, I set at liberty freely, that all be discharged from tributes even of their cattle.
34
And I will that all the feasts, and the sabbaths, and the new moons, and the days appointed, and three days before the solemn day, and three days after the solemn day, be all days of immunity and freedom, for all the Jews that are in my kingdom:
35
And no man shall have power to do any thing against them, or to molest any of them, in any cause.