3 In fact, he went across the whole earth and took the treasures of many countries.Every nation on earth surrendered to Alexander, and he became very famous, but also very arrogant.
4 He gathered a powerful army and conquered lands, nations, and rulers, forcing them all to pay taxes to him.
5-7 Alexander had ruled for twelve years, when he became sick and knew he was going to die. So he called together some of the men who had grown up with him. They were now his most famous generals, and he gave each one a part of his kingdom.
8 The generals each took control of their countries.
9 Then after Alexander's death, they crowned themselves kings. Their descendants also ruled as kings for many years and caused trouble all over the world.
10 Antiochus Epiphanes, the evil son of King Antiochus the Third of Syria, was a descendant of one of these generals and had been a hostage in Rome. Then in the year 137 of the Syrian Kingdom, he became its ruler.
11 About this time, some worthless Jews rejected God's Law and talked many others into following them by saying, “Let's make an agreement with the Gentiles around here. We've had nothing but trouble ever since we stopped cooperating with them.”