4 Apollonius, the governor of Southwest Syria Province, started encouraging Simon with his evil plans. Finally, Onias understood that his life was in danger,
5 and he asked King Seleucus for help. Onias did not want to bring charges against other Jews. He only hoped to find ways of privately and publicly doing good for the entire nation.
6 But he knew that he needed the king's help to bring peace to the country and to bring Simon to his senses.
7 After the death of King Seleucus, Antiochus Epiphanes became ruler. Shortly afterwards, Jason, the brother of Onias, became high priest by bribery.
8 Jason went to the king and promised him 360,000 silver coins from one of his accounts and 80,000 from another.
9 He also agreed to pay 150,000 silver coins for permission to do two things. He wanted to make the Jews in Jerusalem citizens of Antioch, and he wanted to build a place where young Jewish men could exercise and have organized sports.
10 King Antiochus gave Jason everything he wanted. But no sooner had Jason become high priest than he began forcing Jews to live like Greeks.