35 And king Demetrius responded to this word, and he wrote a letter in this manner:
36 "King Demetrius to Simon, the high priest and friend of kings, and to the elders, and to the people of the Jews: greetings.
37 The golden crown and the bahem that you sent, we have received. And we are prepared to make a great peace with you, and to write to the officers of the king to remit to you the things that we have released.
38 For whatever we have established remains in force for you. The strongholds that you have built, let them be yours.
39 Likewise, any oversight or fault, even to this day, we forgive it, along with the crown that you owed. And if anything else was taxed in Jerusalem, now let it not be taxed.
40 And if any of you is fit to be enrolled among our own, let them be enrolled. And let there be peace between us."
41 In the one hundred and seventieth year, the yoke of the Gentiles was taken away from Israel.