1 Maccabees 9

Furthermore ^awhen Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his host were slain in battle, he sent ^aaBacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judea ^bthe second time, and with them the chief strength of his host: ²who went forth by the way that leadeth to Galgala, and pitched their tents before Masaloth, which is in ^cArbela, and after they had won it, they slew much ^dpeople. ³Also the first month of the hundred fifty and second year they encamped before Jerusalem: ⁴from whence they removed, and went to Berea, with twenty thousand footmen and two thousand horsemen.

⁵Now Judas had pitched his tents at ^eEleasa, and three thousand chosen men with him: ⁶who seeing the multitude of the other army to be so great were sore afraid; whereupon many conveyed themselves out of the host, insomuch as there abode of them no moe but eight hundred men. ⁷When Judas therefore saw that his host slipt away, and that the battle pressed upon him, he was sore troubled in mind, and much distressed, for that he had no time to gather them together. ⁸Nevertheless unto them that remained he said, Let us arise and go up against our enemies, if peradventure we may be able to fight with them. ⁹But they dehorted him, saying, We shall never be able: let us now rather save our lives, and hereafter we will return with our brethren, and fight against them: for we are but few. ¹⁰Then Judas said, ^fGod forbid that I should do this thing, and flee away from them: if our time be come, let us die manfully for our brethren, and let us not stain our honour. ¹¹With that the host of Bacchides removed out of their tents, and stood over against them, their horsemen being divided into two ^gtroops, and their slingers and archers going before the host, and they that marched in the foreward were all mighty men. ¹²As for Bacchides, he was in ^hthe right wing: so the host drew near on the two ^gparts, and sounded their trumpets. ¹³They also of Judas’ side, even they sounded their trumpets also, so that the earth shook at the noise of the armies, and the battle continued from morning till night. ¹⁴Now when Judas perceived that Bacchides and the strength of his army were on ^hthe right side, he took with him all the hardy men, ¹⁵who discomfited ^hthe right wing, and pursued them unto the mount ⁱAzotus. ¹⁶But when they of the left wing saw that they of the right wing were discomfited, they followed upon Judas and those that were with him hard at the heels from behind: ¹⁷whereupon there was a sore battle, insomuch as ^jmany were slain on both parts. ¹⁸Judas also was killed, and the remnant fled. ¹⁹Then ^kJonathan and Simon took Judas their brother, and buried him in the sepulchre of his fathers in ^lModin. ²⁰Moreover they bewailed him, and ^mall Israel made great lamentation for him, and mourned many days, saying, ²¹How is the valiant man fallen, that delivered Israel! ^22mmAs for the other things concerning Judas and his wars, and the noble acts which he did, and his greatness, ⁿthey are not written: for they were very many.

²³Now after the death of Judas ^othe wicked began to put forth their heads in all the coasts of Israel, and there rose up all ^psuch as wrought iniquity. ²⁴In those days also was there a very great famine, by reason whereof the country revolted, and went with them. ²⁵Then Bacchides chose ^othe wicked men, and made them lords of the country. ²⁶And they made inquiry and search for Judas’ friends, and brought them unto Bacchides, who took vengeance of them, and used them despitefully. ²⁷So was there a great affliction in Israel, the like whereof was not since the time that ^qa prophet was not seen amongst them. ²⁸For this cause ^rall Judas’ friends came together, and said unto ^kJonathan, ²⁹Since thy brother Judas died, we have no man like him to go forth against our enemies, and Bacchides, and against them ^sof our nation that are adversaries to us. ³⁰Now therefore we have chosen thee this day to be our prince and captain in his stead, that thou mayest fight our battles. ³¹Upon this Jonathan took the governance upon him at that time, and rose up instead of his brother Judas.

³²But when Bacchides gat knowledge thereof, he sought for to slay him ³³Then ^kJonathan, and Simon his brother, and all that were with him, perceiving that, fled into ^tthe wilderness of ^uThecoe, and pitched their tents by the water of the pool Asphar. ³⁴Which when Bacchides understood, he came ^wnear to Jordan with all his host upon the sabbath day. ³⁵(Now Jonathan had sent his brother ^xJohn, a captain of the people, to pray his friends the ^yNabathites, that they might leave with them their ^zcarriage, which was much. ³⁶But the children of Jambri came out of ^bMedaba, and took ^cJohn, and all that he had, and went their way with it. ³⁷After this came word to Jonathan and Simon his brother, that the children of Jambri made a great marriage, and were bringing the bride from Nadabatha with a great train, as being the daughter of one of the great princes of ^dCanaan. ³⁸Therefore they remembered John their brother, and went up, and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain: ³⁹where they lift up their eyes, and looked, and behold, there was much ado and great ^ecarriage: and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends and brethren, to meet them with drums, and ^finstruments of musick, and many weapons. ⁴⁰Then ^gJonathan and they that were with him rose up against them from ^hthe place where they lay in ambush, and made a slaughter of them in such sort, as ⁱmany fell down dead, and the remnant fled into the mountain, and they took all their spoils. ⁴¹Thus was the marriage turned into mourning, and the noise of their ^fmelody into lamentation. ⁴²So when they had avenged fully the blood of their brother, they turned again to ^kthe marish of Jordan).

⁴³Now when Bacchides heard hereof, ^lhe came on the sabbath day unto the banks of Jordan with a great power. ⁴⁴Then Jonathan said to his company, ^llLet us go up now and fight for our lives, for it standeth not with us to day, as ^min time past: ⁴⁵for behold, the battle is before us and behind us, and the water of Jordan on this side and that side, ^kthe marish likewise and wood, neither is there place for us to turn aside. ⁴⁶Wherefore ⁿcry ye now unto heaven, that ye may be delivered from the hand of your enemies. ⁴⁷With that they joined battle, and Jonathan stretched forth his hand to smite Bacchides, but he turned back from him. ⁴⁸Then Jonathan and they that were with him leapt into Jordan, and swam over unto the farther bank: howbeit the other passed not over Jordan unto them. ⁴⁹So there were slain of Bacchides’ side that day about a thousand men.

⁵⁰Afterward returned Bacchides to Jerusalem, and repaired the strong cities in Judea; the fort in ^oJericho, and ^pEmmaus, and ^qBethoron, and ^rBethel, and ^sThamnatha, ^tPharathoni, and ^uTaphon, these did he strengthen ^vwith high walls, with gates, and with bars. ⁵¹And in them he set a garrison, that they might work malice upon Israel. ⁵²He fortified also the city ^wBethsura, and ^xGazara, and ^ythe tower, and put forces in them, and ^zprovision of victuals. ⁵³Besides, he took the chief men’s sons in the country for ^ahostages, and put them into ^ythe tower at Jerusalem to be kept. ⁵⁴Moreover in the hundred fifty and third year, in the second month, ^bAlcimus commanded that ^cthe wall of the inner court of the sanctuary should be pulled down; he pulled down also ^dthe works of the prophets ⁵⁵And as he began to pull down, even at that time was Alcimus plagued, and his enterprises hindered: for his mouth was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, so that he could no more speak any thing, nor ^egive order concerning his house. ⁵⁶So Alcimus died at that time with great torment. ⁵⁷Now when ^fBacchides saw that Alcimus was dead, he returned to the king: whereupon ^gthe land of Judea was in rest two year.

⁵⁸Then all ^hthe ungodly men held a council, saying, Behold, Jonathan and his company are at ease, and dwell without care: now therefore we will bring Bacchides hither, who shall take them all in one night. ⁵⁹So they went and consulted with him. ⁶⁰Then removed he, and came with a great host, and sent letters privily to his adherents in Judea, that they should take Jonathan and those that were with him: howbeit they could not, because their counsel was known unto them. ⁶¹Wherefore they took of the men of the country, that were authors of that mischief, about fifty persons, and slew them. ⁶²Afterward ⁱJonathan, and Simon, and they that were with him, got them away to ^lBethbasi, which is in the wilderness, and they ^krepaired the decays thereof, and made it strong. ⁶³Which thing when Bacchides knew, he gathered together all his host, and sent word to them that were of Judea. ⁶⁴Then went he and laid siege against Bethbasi; and they fought against it a long season, and made engines of war. ⁶⁵But Jonathan left his brother Simon in ^lthe city, and went forth himself into the country, and with a certain number went he forth. ⁶⁶And he smote Odonarkes and his brethren, and the children of Phasiron in their tent. ⁶⁷And when he began to smite them, and came up with his forces, Simon and his company went out of ^lthe city, and burnt up ^mthe engines of war; ⁶⁸and fought against Bacchides, who was discomfited by them, and they afflicted him sore: for his counsel and travel was in vain. ⁶⁹Wherefore he was very wroth at ^hthe wicked men that gave him counsel ⁿto come into the country, insomuch as he slew many of them, and purposed to return into his own country. ⁷⁰Whereof when Jonathan had knowledge, he sent ambassadors unto him, ^oto the end he should make peace with him, and deliver them the prisoners. ⁷¹Which thing he accepted, and did according to his demands, and sware unto him that he would never do him harm all the days of his life. ⁷²When therefore he had restored unto him ^pthe prisoners that he had taken aforetime out of the land of Judea, he returned and went his way into his own land, neither…