1 Maccabees 5:24–54

²⁴And Judas Machabeus, and Jonathan, his brother, passed over the Jordan, and went three days’ journey through the desert.

²⁵And the Nabutheans met them, and received them in a peaceable manner, and told them all that happened to their brethren in the land of Galaad,

²⁶And that many of them were shut up in Barasa, and in Bosor, and in Alima, and in Casphor, and in Mageth, and in Carnaim; all these strong and great cities.

²⁷Yea, and that they were kept shut up in the rest of the cities of Galaad, and that they had appointed to bring their army on the morrow near to these cities, and to take them, and to destroy them all in one day.

²⁸Then Judas and his army suddenly turned their march into the desert, to Bosor, and took the city: and he slew every male by the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burnt it with fire.

²⁹And they removed from thence by night, and went till they came to the fortress.

³⁰And it came to pass that early in the morning, when they lifted up their eyes, behold there were people without number, carrying ladders and engines to take the fortress, and assault them.

³¹And Judas saw that the fight was begun, and the cry of the battle went up to heaven like a trumpet, and a great cry out of the city:

³²And he said to his host: Fight ye today for your brethren.

³³And he came with three companies behind them, and they sounded their trumpets, and cried out in prayer.

³⁴And the host of Timotheus understood that it was Machabeus, and they fled away before his face and they made a great slaughter of them, and there fell of them in that day almost eight thousand men.

³⁵And Judas turned aside to Maspha, and assaulted, and took it, and he slew every male thereof, and took the spoils thereof, and burnt it with fire.

³⁶From thence he marched, and took Casbon, and Mageth, and Bosor, and the rest of the cities of Galaad.

³⁷But after this Timotheus gathered another army, and camped over against Raphon, beyond the torrent.

³⁸And Judas sent men to view the army: and they brought him word, saying: All the nations, that are round about us, are assembled unto him an army exceeding great:

³⁹And they have hired the Arabians to help them, and they have pitched their tents beyond the torrent, ready to come to fight against thee. And Judas went to meet them.

⁴⁰And Timotheus said to the captains of his army: When Judas and his army come near the torrent of water, if he pass over unto us first, we shall not be able to withstand him: for he will certainly prevail over us.

⁴¹But if he be afraid to pass over, and camp on the other side of the river, we will pass over to them, and shall prevail against him.

⁴²Now when Judas came near the torrent of water, he set the scribes of the people by the torrent, and commanded them, saying: Suffer no man to stay behind: but let all come to the battle.

⁴³And he passed over to them first, and all the people after him, and all the heathens were discomfited before them, and they threw away their weapons, and fled to the temple that was in Carnaim.

⁴⁴And he took that city, and the temple he burnt with fire, with all things that were therein: and Carnaim was subdued, and could not stand against the face of Judas.

⁴⁵And Judas gathered together all the Israelites that were in the land of Galaad, from the least even to the greatest, and their wives and children, and an army exceeding great, to come into the land of Juda.

⁴⁶And they came as far as Ephron: now this was a great city, situate in the way, strongly fortified, and there was no means to turn from it on the right hand or on the left, but the way was through the midst of it.

⁴⁷And they that were in the city shut themselves in, and stopped up the gates with stones: and Judas sent to them with peaceable words,

⁴⁸Saying: Let us pass through your land, to go into our own country, and no man shall hurt you; we will only pass through on foot. But they would not open to them.

⁴⁹Then Judas commanded proclamation to be made in the camp, that they should make an assault, every man in the place where he was.

⁵⁰And the men of the army drew near, and he assaulted that city all the day, and all the night; and the city was delivered into his hands:

⁵¹And they slew every male with the edge of the sword, and he razed the city, and took the spoils thereof, and passed through all the city over them that were slain.

⁵²Then they passed over the Jordan to the great plain that is over against Bethsan.

⁵³And Judas gathered together the hindmost, and he exhorted the people, all the way through, till they came into the land of Juda.

⁵⁴And they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, and offered holocausts, because not one of them was slain, till they had returned in peace.