7 In the one hundred and fifty first year,[fn] Demetrios the son of Seleukos (Seleucus) came out of Romai, and went up with a few men to a city by the sea, and reigned there. 2 It came to pass, when he would go into the house of the kingdom of his fathers, that the army laid hands on Antiokos (Antiochus) and Lusias, to bring them to him. 3 The thing became known to him, and he said, “Don’t show me their faces!” 4 So the army killed them. Then Demetrios sat upon the throne of his kingdom.

5 All the lawless and ungodly men of Yisrael (Israel) came to him. Alkimos was their leader, desiring to be high priest. 6 They accused the people to the king, saying, “Yehudah and his kindred have destroyed all your friends, and have scattered us from our own land. 7 Now therefore send a man whom you trust, and let him go and see all the destruction which he has brought on us and the king’s country, and how he has punished them and all who helped them.” 8 So the king chose Bakides, one of the king’s[fn] friends, who was ruler in the country beyond the river, and was a great man in the kingdom, and faithful to the king. 9 He sent him and that ungodly Alkimos, whom he made the high priest; and he commanded him to take vengeance upon the children of Yisrael.

10 They marched away and came with a great army into the land of Yehudah (Judah). He sent messengers to Yehudah and his kindred with words of peace deceitfully. 11 They paid no attention to their words; for they saw that they had come with a great army. 12 A group of scribes gathered together to Alkimos and Bakides to seek just terms. 13 The[fn] Hasidim were the first amongst the children of Yisrael who sought peace from them, 14 for they said, “One who is a priest of the seed of Aharon (Aaron) has come with the army, and he will do us no wrong.” 15 He spoke with them words of peace, and swore to them, saying, “We won’t seek to harm you or your friends.” 16 They trusted him. Then he seized sixty men of them, and killed them in one day, according to the word which was written,

17 The flesh of your saints[fn]

and their blood was shed all around Yerushalem (Jerusalem),

and there was no one to bury them.

18 The fear and the dread of them fell onto all the people, for they said, “There is neither truth nor justice in them; for they have broken the covenant and the oath which they swore.” 19 Bakides withdrew from Yerushalem, and encamped in Bezeth. He sent and seized many of the deserters who were with him, and some of the people, and he killed them, throwing them into a large pit. 20 He placed Alkimos in charge of the country and left with him a force to aid him. Then Bakides went away to the king.

21 Alkimos struggled to maintain his high priesthood. 22 All those who troubled their people joined him, and they took control of the land of Yehudah (Judah), and did great damage in Yisrael. 23 Yehudah saw all the wrongs that Alkimos and his company had done amongst the children of Yisrael, even more than the Gentiles. 24 He went out into all the borders of Yehudah and took vengeance on the men who had deserted from him, and they were restrained from going out into the country. 25 But when Alkimos saw that Yehudah and his company had grown strong, and knew that he was not able to withstand them, he returned to the king, and brought evil accusations against them.