25
King Antiochus besieged Dor for the second time, continually throwing his forces against it and making engines of war; and he shut Trypho up and kept him from going out or in.
26
And Simon sent to Antiochus two thousand picked troops, to fight for him, and silver and gold and a large amount of military equipment.
27
But he refused to receive them, and broke all the agreements he formerly had made with Simon, and became estranged from him.
28
He sent to him Athenobius, one of his Friends, to confer with him, saying, "You hold control of Joppa and Gazara and the citadel in Jerusalem; they are cities of my kingdom.
29
You have devastated their territory, you have done great damage in the land, and you have taken possession of many places in my kingdom.
30
Now then, hand over the cities that you have seized and the tribute money of the places that you have conquered outside the borders of Judea;
31
or else pay me five hundred talents of silver for the destruction that you have caused and five hundred talents more for the tribute money of the cities. Otherwise we will come and make war on you."
32
So Athenobius, the king's Friend, came to Jerusalem, and when he saw the splendor of Simon, and the sideboard with its gold and silver plate, and his great magnificence, he was amazed. When he reported to him the king's message,
33
Simon said to him in reply: "We have neither taken foreign land nor seized foreign property, but only the inheritance of our ancestors, which at one time had been unjustly taken by our enemies.
34
Now that we have the opportunity, we are firmly holding the inheritance of our ancestors.
35
As for Joppa and Gazara, which you demand, they were causing great damage among the people and to our land; for them we will give you one hundred talents." Athenobius did not answer him a word,