1 Maccabees 5:24–54

^24wJudas Maccabeus also and his brother Jonathan went over Jordan, and travelled three days’ journey in the wilderness, ²⁵where they met with the ^xNabathites, who came unto them in peaceable manner, and told them every thing that had happened to their brethren in ^jthe land of Galaad: ²⁶and how that many of them were shut up in Bossora, and ^yBosor, in Alema, Casphor, ^zMaked, and ^aCarnaim; (all these cities are strong and great:) ²⁷and that they were shut up in the rest of the cities of the country of ^jGalaad, and that against to morrow they had appointed to bring their host against the forts, and to take them, and to destroy them all in one day. ²⁸Hereupon Judas and his ^bhost turned suddenly by the way of the wilderness unto Bosorra; and when he had won the city, ^hhe slew all the males ^cwith the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burnt the city with fire, ²⁹From whence he removed by night, and went till he came to ^dthe fortress. ³⁰And betimes in the morning they looked up, and behold, there was an innumerable people bearing ladders and other engines of war, to take the fortress: for they assaulted them. ³¹When Judas therefore saw that the battle was begun, and that ^ethe cry of the city went up to heaven, with trumpets, and a great sound, ³²he said unto his host, Fight this day for your brethren. ³³So he went forth behind them ^fin three companies, who sounded their trumpets, and cried with prayer. ³⁴Then ^bthe host of Timotheus, knowing that it was Maccabeus, fled from him: wherefore he smote them with a great slaughter; so that there were killed of them that day about eight thousand men. ³⁵This done, Judas turned aside to ^gMaspha; and after he had assaulted it, he took it, and ^hslew all the males therein, and received the spoils thereof, and burnt it with fire. ³⁶From thence went he, and took ⁱCasphon, ^jMaged, Bosor, and the other cities of the country of Galaad.

³⁷After these things gathered ^kTimotheus another ^bhost, and encamped against Raphon beyond the brook. ³⁸So Judas sent men to espy ^bthe host, who brought him word, saying, All the heathen that be round about us are assembled unto them, even a very great host. ³⁹He hath also hired the ^lArabians to help them, and they have pitched their tents beyond the brook, ready to come and fight against thee. Upon this Judas went to meet them. ⁴⁰Then Timotheus said unto the captains of his host, When Judas and his ^bhost come near the brook, if he pass over first unto us, we shall not be able to withstand him; for he will mightily prevail against us: ⁴¹but if he be afraid, and camp beyond the river, we shall go over unto him, and prevail against him. ⁴²Now when Judas came near the brook, he caused ^mthe scribes of the people to remain by the brook: unto whom he gave commandment, saying, Suffer no man to remain in the camp, but let all come to the battle. ⁴³So he went first over unto them, and all the people after him: ⁿthen all the heathen, being discomfited before him, cast away their weapons, and fled unto the temple that was at ^aCarnaim. ⁴⁴But they took the city, and ^oburnt the temple with all that were therein. Thus was ^aCarnaim subdued, neither could they stand any longer before Judas.

⁴⁵Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites that were in the country of Galaad, ^pfrom the least unto the greatest, even their wives, and their children, and their ^qstuff, a very great ^rhost, to the end they might come into the land of Judea. ⁴⁶Now ^swhen they came unto Ephron, (this was a great city in ^tthe way as they should go, very well fortified) they could not turn from it, ^ueither on the right hand or the left, but must needs pass through the midst of it. ⁴⁷Then they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the gates with stones. ⁴⁸Whereupon Judas sent unto them in peaceable manner, saying, ^uLet us pass through your land to go into our own country, and none shall do you any hurt; we will only pass through on foot: howbeit they would not open unto him. ⁴⁹Wherefore Judas commanded a proclamation to be made throughout ^rthe host, that every man should pitch his tent in the place where he was. ⁵⁰So the soldiers pitched, and assaulted the city all that day and all that night, till at the length ^xthe city was delivered into his hands: ^51hwho then slew all the males ^cwith the edge of the sword, and rased the city, and took the spoils thereof, and passed through the city over them that were slain. ⁵²After this ^ywent they over Jordan ^zinto the great plain before ^aBethsan. ⁵³And Judas gathered together those that came behind, and exhorted the people all the way through, till they came into the land of Judea. ⁵⁴So they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, where they offered burnt offerings, because not one of them were slain ^buntil they had returned in peace.