17 The blood-stained bodiesof God's faithful peoplenow lie scatteredeverywhere in Jerusalem.And there's no one leftto bury the dead.
18 Everyone started trembling with fear and said, “Alcimus and Bacchides are deceitful liars who never keep their word.”
19 Bacchides moved his army out of Jerusalem and set up camp near Beth-Zaith. From there he sent soldiers to arrest some of the Jews and those troops who had deserted his army. Then the soldiers murdered them all and dumped their bodies into a deep well.
20 Bacchides returned to Demetrius and left Alcimus with a large group of troops to control Judea.
21 Alcimus had a hard time keeping his position as high priest.
22 But a lot of troublemakers helped him, and together they took control of the nation and did horrible things to the people.
23 When Judas found out that Alcimus and his followers were causing so much trouble, he said, “They're worse than the Gentiles.”