38. As for the three districts that have been added to Judea from the country of Samaria, let them be annexed to Judea so that they may be considered under one ruler and obey no other authority than the high priest.
39. I give Ptolemais as a gift and the land adjoining it to the sanctuary in Jerusalem, to provide the necessary expenses of the sanctuary.
40. I also grant fifteen thousand silver shekels annually out of the king’s revenues from appropriate places.
41. All the additional funds that the government officials haven’t paid as they used to, they will give from now on for the service of the temple.
42. Moreover, the five thousand silver shekels that my officials have received annually from the income of the services of the temple, this too is canceled, because it belongs to the priests who minister there.
43. As for all who have taken refuge on the grounds of the temple in Jerusalem because they owe money to the king or are in debt, they are released from debt and I will restore all their property in my kingdom.
44. Let the cost of rebuilding and restoring the structures of the sanctuary be paid from the king’s revenues.
45. And let the cost of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and revitalizing it all round, and the cost of rebuilding the walls in Judea, also be paid from the king’s revenues.
46. When Jonathan and the people heard these words, they didn’t believe or accept them. They remembered vividly the great wrongs Demetrius had done in Israel and how much he had oppressed them.
47. They preferred Alexander because he had been the first to speak peaceful words to them. So they remained his allies all of his days.
48. Now King Alexander assembled large forces and camped opposite Demetrius.
49. The two kings met in battle, and the army of Demetrius fled. Alexander pursued him and outmaneuvered them.
50. He pressed the battle hard until sunset, and on that day Demetrius died.
51. Then Alexander sent ambassadors to Egypt’s King Ptolemy, and they delivered the following message:
52. I have returned to my kingdom and taken my seat on the throne of my ancestors. I have established my rule by crushing Demetrius to gain control of our country.
53. I met him in battle, and we crushed him and his army. I have taken my seat on the throne of his kingdom.
54. Therefore, let us establish friendship with each other. Give me your daughter to be my wife, and I will become your son-in-law. I will give gifts to you and to her in keeping with your position.
55. Ptolemy the king replied,Happy was the day on which you returned to the land of your ancestors and took your seat on the throne of their kingdom.
56. Now I will do for you as you wrote, but meet me at Ptolemais so that we may see each other, and I will become your father-in-law, as you have said.