7
It is their fault that I no longer hold the glorious position of High Priest, to which I am entitled by birth. And so I have come here,
8
primarily out of a genuine concern for your interests as king, but also out of consideration for my own people, for the foolish policies of Judas and his followers have brought terrible suffering on our entire nation.
9
When Your Majesty has examined all the details of these matters, please act in your usual kind and generous manner to relieve the oppression of our nation and its people.
10
As long as Judas is alive, it will be impossible for our nation to enjoy peace."
11
As soon as Alcimus had finished his speech, the other advisers quickly seized this opportunity to arouse Demetrius' anger against Judas, because they also hated him.
12
So King Demetrius immediately appointed Nicanor, who was the commander of his elephant forces, to be governor of Judea, and sent him there
13
with orders to kill Judas, scatter his followers, and make Alcimus High Priest of the greatest Temple in all the world.
14
All the foreigners in Judea, who had fled from Judas' attacks, now rushed to join forces with Nicanor, because they thought that any defeat or trouble that came to the Jews would be to their own advantage.
15
The Jews heard that Nicanor was attacking and that the foreigners in their country were giving him their support. So they threw dirt on themselves and prayed to their God, who had chosen their nation as his possession forever and had never failed to help them in time of need.
1
16
Then Judas, their leader, gave the orders, and they immediately marched out to engage the enemy in battle near the village of Adasa.
17
Judas' brother Simon was fighting Nicanor but was gradually losing the battle because of an unexpected move on the part of the enemy.