22. Now the rest of Judas’ achievements—his wars, the brave things that he did, his greatness—haven’t been recorded, but they were many.
23. After Judas’ death, renegades appeared throughout Israel. All the immoral people reappeared.
24. There was also a very great famine at that time, and the country went over to the enemy’s side.
25. Bacchides chose the godless and put them in charge of the country.
26. They hunted down Judas’ friends and brought them to Bacchides. He took vengeance on them and treated them terribly.
27. So there was great distress in Israel, the worst since the time when prophets ceased to appear among them.
28. Then the other friends of Judas assembled and said to Jonathan,
29. "Since your brother Judas died, there hasn’t been anyone like him to fight against our enemies and Bacchides, and to deal with those among our people who hate us.
30. So we’ve chosen you today to take his place as our ruler and leader to fight our battle."
31. Jonathan accepted the leadership at that time in place of his brother Judas.
32. When Bacchides learned about this development, he tried to kill Jonathan.
33. But Jonathan, his brother Simon, and all those with him heard about it and fled into the Tekoa wilderness. They camped beside the water of the pool of Asphar.
34. Bacchides found out about this on a Sabbath day, and he and his army crossed the Jordan River.
35. Jonathan sent his brother John, as leader of a large contingent, to beg his friends the Nabateans for permission to store with them the large amount of baggage that they had.