¹⁸ Now be the first to come and do what the king commands, as all the nations and the people of Judah and those who are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the Friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.”^(A)

¹⁷ When they heard that his brother Simon had become high priest in his stead and that he was ruling over the country and the towns in it,^(A)

²⁰ This is a copy of the letter that the Spartans sent:

“The rulers and the city of the Spartans to the high priest Simon and to the elders and the priests and the rest of the Jewish people, our brothers, greetings.^(A)

³⁵ “The people saw Simon’s faithfulness^[a] and the glory that he had resolved to win for his nation, and they made him their leader and high priest because he had done all these things and because of the justice and loyalty that he had maintained toward his nation. He sought in every way to exalt his people.^(A)

³⁸ “In view of these things King Demetrius confirmed him in the high priesthood,^(A)

³⁹ made him one of his Friends, and paid him high honors.^(A)