1 Maccabees 9:23-27

Good News Translation

Jonathan Succeeds Judas

²³ After the death of Judas, the lawless traitors began to reappear everywhere in Judea, and all the wicked people returned. ²⁴ Also at that time there was a severe famine, and the whole country went over to the side of the renegades. ²⁵ Bacchides deliberately appointed some renegade Jews as rulers over the country. ²⁶ These men hunted down the friends of Judas and brought them all before Bacchides, and he subjected them to torture and humiliation. ²⁷ It was a time of great trouble for Israel, worse than anything that had happened to them since the time prophets ceased to appear among them.