30 King Demetrius sends greetings to his good friend Jonathan and to the Jewish nation.
31 I am sending you a copy of the letter I wrote about you to my friend Lasthenes, and here is what I said:
32 “King Demetrius sends greetings to his dear friend Lasthenes.
33 “The Jews are our friends, and I have decided to do them a big favor since they are loyal to us and can be trusted to keep their promises.
34 The three regions of Aphairema, Lydda, and Ramathaim, together with the land around them, used to belong to Samaria. Now they belong to Judea and are an official possession of the Jews.“Those Jews who offer sacrifices in Jerusalem don't have to pay me my share of their grain and fruit each year.
35 And they don't have to pay me a tenth of their crops, the fee on salt, the special royal tax, or any other taxes.
36 “Lasthenes, no one may ever change even one of these orders.