1 Macc 5

1 Now when the nations round about heard that the altar was built and the sanctuary renewedas before, it displeased them very much. 2 Wherefore they thought to destroy the generation of Jacob that was among them, and thereuponthey began to kill and destroy the people. 3 Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea at Arabattine, because they besiegedGael: and he gave them a great overthrow, and abated their courage, and took their spoils. 4 Also he remembered the injury of the children of Bean, who had been a snare and an offenceto the people, in that they lay in wait for them in the ways. 5 He shut them up therefore in the towers, and encamped against them, and destroyed themutterly, and burned the towers of that place with fire, and all that were therein. 6 Afterward he passed over to the children of Ammon, where he found a mighty power, andmuch people, with Timotheus their captain. 7 So he fought many battles with them, till at length they were discomfited before him;and he struck them. 8 And when he had taken Jazar, with the towns belonging thereto, he returned into Judea. 9 Then the heathen that were at Galaad assembled themselves together against the Israelitesthat were in their quarters, to destroy them; but they fled to the fortress of Dathema. 10 And sent letters to Judas and his brethren, The heathen that are round about us are assembledtogether against us to destroy us: 11 And they are preparing to come and take the fortress whereunto we are fled, Timotheusbeing captain of their host. 12 Come now therefore, and deliver us from their hands, for many of us are slain: 13 Yes, all our brethren that were in the places of Tobie are put to death: their wivesand their children also they have carried away captives, and borne away their stuff; and they have destroyedthere about a thousand men. 14 While these letters were yet reading, behold, there came other messengers from Galileewith their clothes tore, who reported on this wise, 15 And said, They of Ptolemais, and of Tyrus, and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles,are assembled together against us to consume us. 16 Now when Judas and the people heard these words, there assembled a great congregationtogether, to consult what they should do for their brethren, that were in trouble, and assaulted of them. 17 Then said Judas to Simon his brother, Choose you out men, and go and deliver your brethrenthat are in Galilee, for I and Jonathan my brother will go into the country of Galaad. 18 So he left Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the people, with theremnant of the host in Judea to keep it. 19 To whom he gave commandment, saying, Take you⌃ the charge of this people, and see thatyou⌃ make not war against the heathen until the time that we come again. 20 Now to Simon were given three thousand men to go into Galilee, and to Judas eight thousandmen for the country of Galaad. 21 Then went Simon into Galilee, where he fought many battles with the heathen, so thatthe heathen were discomfited by him. 22 And he pursued them to the gate of Ptolemais; and there were slain of the heathen aboutthree thousand men, whose spoils he took. 23 And those that were in Galilee, and in Arbattis, with their wives and their children,and all that they had, took he away with him, and brought them into Judea with great joy. 24 Judas Maccabeus also and his brother Jonathan went over Jordan, and travelled three days'journey in the wilderness, 25 Where they met with the Nabathites, who came to them in a peaceful manner, and told themevery thing that had happened to their brethren in the land of Galaad: 26 And how that many of them were shut up in Bosora, and Bosor, and Alema, Casphor, Maked,and Carnaim; all these cities are strong and great: 27 And that they were shut up in the rest of the cities of the country of Galaad, and thatagainst to morrow they had appointed to bring their host against the forts, and to take them, and to destroythem all in one day. 28 Hereupon Judas and his host turned suddenly by the way of the wilderness to Bosora; andwhen he had won the city, he killed all the males with the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils,and burned the city with fire, 29 From whence he removed by night, and went till he came to the fortress. 30 And betimes in the morning they looked up, and, behold, there was an innumerable peoplebearing ladders and other engines of war, to take the fortress: for they assaulted them. 31 When Judas therefore saw that the battle was begun, and that the cry of the city wentup to heaven, with trumpets, and a great sound, 32 He said to his host, Fight this day for your brethren. 33 So he went forth behind them in three companies, who sounded their trumpets, and criedwith prayer. 34 Then the host of Timotheus, knowing that it was Maccabeus, fled from him: wherefore hestruck them with a great slaughter; so that there were killed of them that day about eight thousand men. 35 This done, Judas turned aside to Maspha; and after he had assaulted it he took and killedall the males therein, and received the spoils thereof and burnt it with fire. 36 From thence went he, and took Casphon, Maged, Bosor, and the other cities of the countryof Galaad. 37 After these things gathered Timotheus another host and encamped against Raphon beyondthe brook. 38 So Judas sent men to espy the host, who brought him word, saying, All the heathen thatbe round about us are assembled to them, even a very great host. 39 He has also hired the Arabians to help them and they have pitched their tents beyondthe brook, ready to come and fight against you. Upon this Judas went to meet them. 40 Then Timotheus said to the captains of his host, When Judas and his host come near thebrook, if he pass over first to us, we shall not be able to withstand him; for he will mightily prevailagainst us: 41 But if he be afraid, and camp beyond the river, we shall go over to him, and prevailagainst him. 42 Now when Judas came near the brook, he caused the scribes of the people to remain bythe brook: to whom he gave commandment, saying, Suffer no man to remain in the camp, but let all cometo the battle. 43 So he went first over to them, and all the people after him: then all the heathen, beingdiscomfited before him, cast away their weapons, and fled to the temple that was at Carnaim. 44 But they took the city, and burned the temple with all that were therein. Thus was Carnaimsubdued, neither could they stand any longer before Judas. 45 Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites that were in the country of Galaad, fromthe least to the greatest, even their wives, and their children, and their stuff, a very great host, tothe end they might come into the land of Judea. 46 Now when they came to Ephron, (this was a great city in the way as they should go, verywell fortified) they could not turn from it, either on the right hand or the left, but must needs passthrough the midst of it. 47 Then they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the gates with stones. 48 Whereupon Judas sent to them in peaceful manner, saying, Let us pass through your landto go into our own country, and none shall do you any hurt; we will only pass through on foot: howbeitthey would not open to him. 49 Wherefore Judas commanded a proclamation to be made throughout the host, that every manshould pitch his tent in the place where he was. 50 So the soldiers pitched, and assaulted the city all that day and all that night, tillat the length the city was delivered into his hands: 51 Who then killed all the males with the edge of the sword, and rased the city, and tookthe spoils thereof, and passed through the city over them that were slain. 52 After this they went over Jordan into the great plain before Bethsan. 53 And Judas gathered together those that came behind, and exhorted the people all the waythrough, till they came into the land of Judea. 54 So they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, where they offered burnt offerings,because not one of them were slain until they had returned in peace. 55 Now what time as Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brotherin Galilee before Ptolemais, 56 Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the garrisons, heard of the valiantacts and warlike deeds which they had done. 57 Wherefore they said, Let us also get us a name, and go fight against the heathen thatare round about us. 58 So when they had given charge to the garrison that was with them, they went toward Jamnia. 59 Then came Gorgias and his men out of the city to fight against them. 60 And so it was, that Joseph and Azarias were put to flight, and pursued to the bordersof Judea: and there were slain that day of the people of Israel about two thousand men. 61 Thus was there a great overthrow among the children of Israel, because they were notobedient to Judas and his brethren, but thought to do some valiant act. 62 Moreover these men came not of the seed of those, by whose hand deliverance was givento Israel. 63 Howbeit the man Judas and his brethren were greatly renowned in the sight of all Israel,and of all the heathen, wherever their name was heard of; 64 Insomuch as the people assembled to them with joyful acclamations. 65 Afterward went Judas forth with his brethren, and fought against the children of Esauin the land toward the south, where he struck Hebron, and the towns thereof, and pulled down the fortressof it, and burned the towers thereof round about. 66 From thence he removed to go into the land of the Philistines, and passed through Samaria. 67 At that time certain priests, desirous to show their valour, were slain in battle, forthat they went out to fight unadvisedly. 68 So Judas turned to Azotus in the land of the Philistines, and when he had pulled downtheir altars, and burned their carved images with fire, and spoiled their cities, he returned into theland of Judea.