1 Maccabees 16:19-21

Good News Translation

¹⁹ He wrote a letter to the army officers inviting them to join him and promising them silver, gold, and gifts. Then he sent some of his men to Gezer to kill John, ²⁰ and others to take control of Jerusalem and the Temple hill. ²¹ But someone ran to Gezer ahead of Ptolemy's men and reported to John that his father and his brothers had been killed and that Ptolemy was sending his soldiers to kill him.