11
So when he had come to the crown, he set one Lysias over the affairs of his realm, and appointed him chief governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia.
12
For Ptolemy, who was called Macron, choosing rather to do justice unto the Jews for the wrong that had been done unto them, endeavored to continue peace with them.
13
Thereupon, being accused by the king's friends before Eupator and called traitor at every word because he had left Cyprus, which Philometor had committed unto him, and departed to Antiochus Epiphanes, and seeing that he was in no honorable position, he was so discouraged that he poisoned himself and died.
14
But when Gorgias was governor of the strongholds, he hired soldiers and nourished war continually against the Jews;
15
and moreover the Idumeans, having gotten into their hands the most commodious strongholds, kept the Jews occupied and, receiving those who were banished from Jerusalem, they went about to nourish war.
16
Then those who were with Maccabeus made supplication and besought God that He would be their helper; and so they ran with violence upon the strongholds of the Idumeans,
17
and, assaulting them strongly, they won the fortresses, and kept off all who fought upon the wall and slew all who fell into their hands, and killed no fewer than twenty thousand.
18
And because certain ones, who were no less than nine thousand, had fled together into two very strong castles, having all manner of things necessary to sustain the siege,
19
Maccabeus left Simon and Joseph, and Zaccheus also and those who were with him, who were enough to besiege them, and departed himself unto those places which needed his help more.
20
Now those who were with Simon, being led by covetousness, were persuaded for money by certain of those who were in the castle, and took seventy thousand drachmas and let some of them escape.
21
But when it was told to Maccabeus what was done, he called the governors of the people together, and accused those men of having sold their brethren for money, and set their enemies free to fight against them.