6 They made an accusation to King Demetrius against the people, "Judas and his brothers have destroyed all your political advisors and have driven us out of our land.
7 Now send someone that you trust to go and see all the ruin that Judas has brought on us and on the king’s land. Let that person punish them and all who help them."
8 The king selected Bacchides, one of the king’s chief political advisors and governor of the province called Beyond the River. He was a powerful man in the kingdom and was loyal to the king.
9 The king sent him and sent the wicked Alcimus along with him. He made Alcimus high priest and authorized him to take vengeance on the Israelites.
10 So they marched forward and came with a large force into the land of Judah. Bacchides sent messengers to Judas and his brothers using peaceful but deceitful words.
11 But they ignored the messengers because they saw that they had come with a large military force.
12 Then a group of legal experts came before Alcimus and Bacchides to ask for just terms.