Trypho Captures Jonathan

³⁹ Then Trypho attempted to become king in Asia and put on the crown and to raise his hand against King Antiochus.^{(A) 40} He feared that Jonathan might not permit him to do so but might make war on him, so he kept seeking to seize and kill him, and he marched out and came to Beth-shan. ⁴¹ Jonathan went out to meet him with forty thousand picked warriors, and he came to Beth-shan. ⁴² When Trypho saw that he had come with a large army, he was afraid to raise his hand against him.^{(B) 43} So he received him with honor and commended him to all his Friends, and he gave him gifts and commanded his Friends and his troops to obey him as they would himself.^{(C) 44} Then he said to Jonathan, “Why have you put all these people to so much trouble when we are not at war? ⁴⁵ Dismiss them now to their homes and choose for yourself a few men to stay with you and come with me to Ptolemais. I will hand it over to you, as well as the other strongholds and the remaining troops and all the officials, and will turn around and go home. For that is why I am here.”^(D)

⁴⁶ Jonathan^[a] trusted him and did as he said; he sent away the troops, and they returned to the land of Judah. ⁴⁷ He kept with himself three thousand men, two thousand of whom he left in Galilee, while one thousand accompanied him. ⁴⁸ But when Jonathan entered Ptolemais, the people of Ptolemais closed the gates and seized him, and they killed with the sword all who had entered with him.^(E)

⁴⁹ Then Trypho sent troops and cavalry into Galilee and the Great Plain to destroy all Jonathan’s soldiers.^{(F) 50} But they realized that Jonathan had been seized and had perished along with his men, and they encouraged one another and kept marching in close formation, ready for battle.^{(G) 51} When their pursuers saw that they would fight for their lives, they turned back. ⁵² So they all reached the land of Judah safely, and they mourned for Jonathan and his companions and were in great fear, and all Israel mourned deeply.^(H)