26 In fact, everyone talked about his victories so much that even King Antiochus finally heard about Judas.
27 Antiochus was furious and brought his troops together from everywhere in his kingdom to build up a powerful army.
28 He took money from his treasury and gave each soldier a year's pay. Then he told them, “Be ready to fight at a moment's notice!”
29 Soon Antiochus ran out of money, and it became difficult to collect taxes, because of the hard feelings and trouble he had caused by doing away with the ancient customs of the land.
30 Once again Antiochus started worrying about how he would pay his bills and outdo the other kings before him who gave expensive gifts.
31 He was so upset that he decided to take his army and collect all the taxes he could from Persia and the other countries nearby.
32 A man by the name of Lysias was a respected member of the royal family and King Antiochus put him in charge of the land from the Euphrates River to the border of Egypt.