26. The spies he had sent into their camp came back and reported to him that the enemy were preparing to attack them that night.
27. Therefore, when the sun set, Jonathan ordered his men to keep watch, with their weapons at the ready for battle, throughout the night; and he set outposts around the camp.
28. When the enemy heard that Jonathan and his men were ready for battle, their hearts sank with fear and dread. They lighted fires in their camp and then withdrew.
29. But because Jonathan and his men were watching the campfires burning, they did not know until the morning what had happened.
30. Then Jonathan pursued them, but he could not overtake them, for they had crossed the river Eleutherus.
31. So Jonathan turned aside against the Arabians who are called Zabadeans, and he struck them down and plundered them.
32. Then he broke camp, marched on toward Damascus and traveled through the whole region.
33. Simon also set out and traveled as far as Askalon and its neighboring strongholds. He then turned to Joppa and took it by surprise,
34. for he heard that its people intended to hand over the stronghold to the supporters of Demetrius. He left a garrison there to guard it.
35. When Jonathan returned, he assembled the elders of the people, and with them he made plans for building strongholds in Judea,
36. for making the walls of Jerusalem still higher, and for erecting a high barrier between the citadel and the city, to separate it from the city and isolate it, so that its garrison could neither buy nor sell.
37. The people therefore gathered together to build up the city, for part of the wall of the eastern valley had collapsed. And Jonathan repaired the quarter called Chaphenatha.
38. Simon likewise built up Adida in the Shephelah, and fortified it by installing gates and bars.
39. Then Trypho sought to become king of Asia, assume the diadem, and do violence to King Antiochus.
40. But he was afraid that Jonathan would not permit him, but would fight against him. Looking for a way to seize and kill him, he set out and came to Beth-shan.
41. Jonathan marched out to meet him with forty thousand picked fighting men and came to Beth-shan.
42. But when Trypho saw that Jonathan had arrived with a large army he was afraid to do him violence.
43. Instead, he received him with honor, introduced him to all his friends, and gave him presents. He also ordered his friends and soldiers to obey him as they would himself.
44. Then he said to Jonathan: “Why have you put all these people to so much trouble when we are not at war?
45. Now pick out a few men to stay with you, send the rest to their homes, and then come with me to Ptolemais. I will hand it over to you together with other strongholds and the remaining troops, as well as all the officials; then I will turn back and go home. That is why I came here.”