he king, saying: Judas and his
brethren have destroyed all thy friends, and he hath driven us out of
our land.

7:7. Now, therefore, send some men whom thou trustest, and let him go,
and see all the havoc he hath made amongst us, and in the king's lands:
and let him punish all his friends and their helpers.

7:8. Then the king chose Bacchides, one of his friends, that ruled
beyond the great river in the kingdom, and was faithful to the king: and
he sent him,

7:9. To see the havoc that Judas had made: and the wicked Alcimus he
made high priest, and commanded him to take revenge upon the children of
Israel.

7:10. And they arose, and came with a great army into the land of Juda:
and they sent messengers, and spoke to Judas and his brethren with
peaceable words, deceitfully.

7:11. But they gave no heed to their words: for they saw that they were
come with a great army.

7:12. Then there assembled to Alcimus and Bacchides a company of the
scribes, to require things that are just:

7:13. And first the Assideans, that were among the children of Israel,
and they sought peace of them.

7:14. For they said: One that is a priest of the seed of Aaron is come,
he will not deceive us.

7:15. And he spoke to them peaceably: and he swore to them, saying: We
will do you no harm, nor your friends.

7:16. And they believed him. And he took threescore of them, and slew
them in one day, according to the word that is written: 7:17. The flesh
of thy saints, and the blood of them they have shed round about
Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

7:18. Then fear and trembling fell upon all the people: for they said:
There is no truth, nor justice among them: for they have broken the
covenant, and the oath which they made.

7:19. And Bacchides removed the camp from Jerusalem, and pitched in
Bethzecha: and he sent, and took many of them that were fled away from
him, and some of the people he killed, and threw them into a great pit.

7:20. Then he committed the country to Alcimus, and left with him troops
to help him. So Bacchides went away to the king. 7:21. But Alcimus did
what he could to maintain his chief priesthood.

7:22. And they that disturbed the people resorted to him, and they got
the land of Juda into their power, and did much hurt in Israel.

7:23. And Judas saw all the evils that Alcimus, and they that were with
him, did to the children of Israel, much more than the Gentiles.

7:24. And he went out into