1 In the hundreth and one and fiftieth yeere, Demetrius the sonne of Seleucus departed from Rome, and came vp with a fewe men vnto a citie of the Sea coast, and reigned there.
2 And as he entred into the palace of his ancestors, so it was, that his forces had taken Antiochus and Lysias to bring them vnto him.
3 Wherefore when he knew it, hee said; Let me not see their faces.
4 So his hoste slewe them. Now when Demetrius was set vpon the throne of his kingdome,
5 There came vnto him all the wicked and vngodly men of Israel, hauing Alcimus (who was desirous to be high Priest) for their captaine.
6 And they accused the people to the king, saying; Iudas and his brethren haue slaine all thy friends, and driuen vs out of our owne land.
7 Now therefore send some man whom thou trustest, and let him goe and see what hauocke he hath made amongst vs, and in the kings land, and let him punish them with all them that aide them.
8 Then the king chose Bacchides a friend of the king, who ruled beyond the flood, and was a great man in the kingdome, and faithfull to the king.
9 And him hee sent with that wicked Alcimus, whom hee made high Priest, and commanded that he should take vengeance of the children of Israel.
10 So they departed, and came with a great power into the land of Iudea, where they sent messengers to Iudas and his brethren with peaceable words deceitfully.
11 But they gaue no heede to their words, for they sawe that they were come with a great power.
12 Then did there assemble vnto Alcimus and Bacchides, a company of Scribes, to require iustice.
13 Now the Assideans were the first among the children of Israel, that sought peace of them:
14 For, said they, one that is a Priest of the seede of Aaron, is come with this armie, and he will doe vs no wrong.
15 So he spake vnto them peaceably, and sware vnto them, saying; We will procure the harme neither of you nor your friends.
16 Whereupon they beleeued him: howbeit hee tooke of them threescore men, and slewe them in one day, according to the words which he wrote:
17 The flesh of thy Saints [haue they cast out] and their blood haue they shed round about Ierusalem, and there was none to bury them.
18 Wherefore the feare and dread of them fell vpon all the people, who said, There is neither trueth, nor righteousnesse in them; for they haue broken the couenant and othe that they made.
19 After this remooued Bacchides from Ierusalem, and pitched his tents in Bezeth, where he sent and tooke many of the men that had forsaken him, and certaine of the people also, and when he had slaine them, [he cast them] into the great pit.
20 Then committed he the countrey to Alcimus, and left with him a power to aide him: so Bacchides went vnto the king.
21 But Alcimus contended for the high Priesthood.
22 And vnto him resorted all such as troubled the people, who after they had gotten the land of Iuda into their power, did much hurt in Israel.
23 Now when Iudas saw all the mischiefe that Alcimus and his company had done among the Israelites, euen aboue the heathen,
24 He went out into all the coast of Iudea round about, and tooke vengeance of them that had reuolted from him, so that they durst no more goe foorth into the countrey.
25 On the other side, when Alcimus saw that Iudas and his company had gotten the vpper hand, and knew that he was not able to abide their force, he went againe to the king, and said all the worst of them that he could.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).