Page:The Holy Bible, containing the Old & New Testament & the Apocrypha (Volume 3).djvu/1349

VII] the son of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came up with a few men unto a city of the sea coast, and reigned there. And as he entered into the palace of his ancestors, so it was, that his forces had taken Antiochus and Lysias, to bring them unto him. Wherefore, when he knew it, he said. Let me not see their faces. So his host slew them. Now when Demetrius was set upon the throne of his kingdom, there came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain: and they accused the people to the king, saying, Judas and his brethren have slain all thy friends, and driven us out of our own land. Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him go and see what havock he hath made among us, and in the king's land, and let him punish them with all them that aid them.

Then the king chose Bacchides, a friend of the king, who ruled beyond the flood, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king. And him he sent with thatwicked Alcimus, whom he made high priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel. So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Judea, where they sent messengers to Judas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully. But they gave no heed to their