20. And all the people of Israel wept for him with a great wailing, and they mourned him for many days.
21. And they said, "Such a powerful man has fallen, who accomplished the salvation of the people of Israel!"
22. But the rest of the words, about the wars of Judas, and the virtuous acts that he did, and his magnitude, have not been written. For they were very many.
23. And it happened that, after the death of Judas, the iniquitous began to emerge in all the parts of Israel, and they began to encourage all those who worked iniquity.
24. In those days, there occurred a very great famine, and the entire region handed itself over to Bacchides.
25. And Bacchides chose impious men, and he appointed them as rulers of the region.
26. And they sought out and persecuted the friends of Judas, and they led them to Bacchides, and he took vengeance on them and abused them.
27. And there occurred a great tribulation in Israel, such as had never been, since the day that there was no prophet seen in Israel.
28. And all the friends of Judas gathered together, and they said to Jonathan:
29. "Since your brother Judas has fallen away, there is not a man like him to go forth against our enemies, against Bacchides and those who are the enemies of our nation.
30. And so now, we have chosen you in his place, on this day, to be our leader and commander in order to wage our wars."
31. And so, at that time, Jonathan took upon himself the leadership, and he rose up in the place of Judas, his brother.
32. And Bacchides knew of it, and he sought to kill him.
33. And Jonathan and his brother Simon knew of this, and so did all who were with them. And they fled into the desert of Tekoa, and they settled by the water of lake Asphar.
34. And Bacchides knew of it, and on the day of the Sabbath, he himself arrived, with all his army, across the Jordan.