91 And when Demetrius had heard that Nicanor awas fallena with his forces ain battlea, he sent Bacchides and Alcimus again into the land of Judah ba second timeb, and the right wing (of his army) with them. 2 And theyc went by way of Gilgald, and encamped against Mesaloth, which is in Arbela, eand gat possession of ite, and destroyedf much people. 3 And gin the first month of the one hundred and fifty second yearg they encamped against Jerusalem. 4 And they removed and went unto Berea, with twenty thousand footmen and two thousand horse. 5 And Judas was encamped at Elasa, and three thousand chosen men with him. 6 And (when) they saw the multitude hof the forcesh, kthat theyi were manyk, they feared exceedingly; and many slipped away from the army; there were not left lof theml more than eight hundred men. 7 And (when) Judas saw that his army slipped away, mand that (nevertheless) the battle was imminent for himm, he was sore troubled in heart, for that he had no time to gather them together. 8 nAnd he became desperaten, and said to them that were left: ‘Let us arise and go up against our adversaries, if peradventure we may be able to fight against them.’ 9 And they turned from him, saying: ‘We shall in no wise be able o(to withstand them)o; but let us rather save our lives nowp; let us return (later on) with our brethren, and fight qagainst themq; we are (now too) few.’ 10 Then Judas said: ‘Far be it’ rfrom mer to do this thing, to flee from them! sAnd ift our time is comes, let us die manfullyu for our brethren’s sake vand not leave a cause (of reproach) against our gloryv.’ 11 And the (Syrian) host removed from the camp and (the Jews) stood to encounter them; and the horse was divided into two companies, and the slingers and the archers went before the host together with wall the mighty men that fought in the front (of the line of battle)w. 12 But Bacchides was on the right wing; and the phalanx drew near from both sides, and they blew with their trumpets, and the men of xJudas’ sidex also blew ywith their trumpetsy; and the earth shook zwith the shoutz of thea armies. 13 And the battle was joined, (and continued) from morning until evening. 14 And (when) Judas saw that Bacchides and the main strength of (his) army were on the right wing, bhis followers concentrated their whole attention (upon them)b, 15 and the right wingc was discomfited by them, and they pursued after them unto the mount Azotusd. 16 And (when) they that were on the left winge saw that the right winge was discomfited, they turned (and followed) upon the footsteps of Judas and those that were with him. 17 And the battle waxed sore, and manyf gon either sideg fell hwounded to deathh. 18 And Judas fell, and the rest fled. 19 And Jonathan and Simon itook Judas their brother, andi buried him in the sepulchre of hisk fathers at Modin. 20 And they bewailed himl, and all Israel mmade great lamentation for him andm mournedn many days, oand saido:

21 ‘pHow is the mighty one fallen, the saviour of Israel!p’

22 And the rest of the acts of Judas, pand (his) warsp, and the valiant deeds qwhich he didq, pand his greatnessp,—they are not written; for they were exceeding many.

Jonathan Maccabaeus. 9:23–12:53.

9:23–31. Jonathan succeeds Judas.

23 And it came to pass after the death of Judas that the lawless put forth their heads in all the borders of Israel, and all they that wrought iniquity rose up; 24 in those days rthere arose exceeding great murmuring that the land made peace with themr. 25 And Bacchides chose out the ungodly men, and made them lords of the country. 26 And they sought out and searched for the friends of Judas, and brought them to Bacchides, and he took vengeance on them, sand treated them with mockerys. 27 And there was great tribulation in Israel, such as was not since the time that a prophet appeared unto themt. 28 And all the friends of Judas were gathered together, and they said unto Jonathan: 29 ‘Since thy brother Judas hath died, we have no man like him to go forthu against our enemies and Bacchides, vand against them of our nation that are inimical (to us)v w. 30 Now therefore we have chosen thee this day to be our ruler and leader xin his steadx, ythat thou mayest fight our battlesy.’ 31 zAnd Jonathan tooka bthe leadership upon him at that timeb, and rose up in the stead of his brother Judasz.

9:32–73. Jonathan’s struggle with Bacchides.

32 And (when) Bacchides knew it, he sought to slay him. 33 But (when) Jonathan, cand Simon his brother, dand all that were with himd c, knew it, they fled into the wilderness of Tekoah, and encamped by the water eof the pool Asphare. 34 fAnd Bacchides got to know of this on the Sabbath day, and he came, he and all his army, over Jordanf.

35 And (Jonathan)g sent his brother, a leader of the multitude, and besought his friends, the Nabathaeans, that they might leave with them their baggage, which was much. 36 But the children of Ambri came out of Medaba, and took John, and all that he had, and went their way hwith ith. 37 iBut after these thingsi they brought word to Jonathan iand Simoni his brother, that the children of Ambri were making a great marriage, and were bringing the bride from Nadabath with a great train, a daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan. 38 And they rememberedk John theirl brother, and went up, 39 and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain; mand they lifted up their eyesm, and saw, and behold, a great ado and much baggage; and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends and his brethren to meet them (i.e. those forming the bridal procession) with timbrels, and minstrels, and nmanyo weaponsn. 40 And they rose up pfrom their ambushp against them, and slew them; and many fell wounded to death, and the rest fled into the mountain; and they took all their spoilsq. 41 And the marriage was turned into mourning, and the voice of theirr minstrels into lamentation. 42 And (thus) they avenged fully the blood of their brother; and they turned back to the marsh-lands of Jordan.

43 And (when) Bacchidest heard itu, he came on the Sabbath day unto the banks of the Jordan with a great host. 44 And Jonathan said unto his brethrenv: ‘Let us arise now and fight wfor our lives; for it is not (with us) to-day, as yesterday and the day before. 45 For, behold, the battle is before us and behind usw; moreover, the water of the Jordan is on this side and on that side, and (this is) marsh-x and wood-land, and there is no place to turn aside. 46 Now, therefore, cry unto heaven, that ye may be delivered out of the hand of youry enemies.’ 47 And the battle was joined, and Jonathan stretched forth his hand to smite Bacchides, and he turned away back from him. 48 And Jonathan, and they that were with himz, leapt into the aJordan, and swam over to the other side; and they (i.e. Bacchides and his followers) did not pass overa Jordan against them. 49 And there fellb cof Bacchides’ companyc dthat dayd about a thousande men.

50 And theyf returnedg to Jerusalem; and theyh built strong cities in Judaea, (namely), the stronghold that is in Jericho, and Emmaus, and Bethhoron, and Bethel, and Timnathi, Pharathon, and Tephon, with high walls, kand gates and barsk. 51 And theyl set garrisonsm in them to vex Israel. 52 And theyn fortified othe city Bethsurao, and Gazara, and the citadel; pand theyq put forces in them, and store of victualsp. 53 And theyr took the sonss of the chief men of the country for hostages, and putt them in ward in the citadel at Jerusalem.

54 Now in the one hundred and fifty-third year, uin the second monthu, Alcimus commanded to pull down the wall of the inner court uof the sanctuaryu, (in so doing) he pulled downv also the works of the prophets. 55 uAnd (when) he began to pull downu, at that (very) time, Alcimus was stricken, and his works were hindered; and his mouth was stopped, and he became palsied, uand he could no more speak anything, (nor) give order concerning his houseu. 56 And Alcimusw died at that time with great torment. 57 And (when) Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead, he returned to the king. And the land of Judah had rest two years.

58 And all the lawless men took counsel, saying: ‘Behold, Jonathan, and they of his part are dwelling at peace, (and) in security; xlet us therefore now bringx Bacchides, and he will lay hands on them ally in one night.’ 59 And they went and consulted with him. 60 And hez removed, and came with a great host, and sent letters privily to all his confederates that were in Judaea, that they should lay hands on Jonathan, and (on) them that were with him; but they werea not able (to do so), because their plan became known to themb. 61 And they (that were of Jonathan’s part) laid hands on cabout fifty menc of the country that were the ringleaders in the wickedness, and slewd them. 62 And Jonathan, and Simon, and they that were with him, got them awaye to Bethbasi, which is in the wilderness, and he built up fthat which had been pulled down thereoff, and madeg it strong. 63 And h(when) Bacchides knew ith, he gathered together alli his multitude, and sent word to them that were in Judaea. 64 And he kwent andk encamped against Bethbasi, and fought against it kmany days, and madek enginesl (of war). 65 And Jonathan left his brother Simon in the city, and went forth into the country; and he went with a (small) number. 66 And he smote Odomera and his brethren, and the children of Phasiron in their tents. 67 And hem began to smite (them) and to go up with (his) troops. Then Simon and they that were with him went out of the city and set on fire the engines (of war); 68 and they fought against Bacchides, and he was discomfited by them, and they afflicted him sore, nfor his plan and his attack had been in vainn. 69 And theyo were very wroth with the lawless men that gave him counsel to come into the country, and they slew many of them. And he determined to depart into his own land. 70 And (when) Jonathan had knowledge (thereof), he sent ambassadors punto himp, to the end that they should make peace with him, and that he should restore unto themq the captives. 71 And her accepted (the thing), sand did according to his wordss, and sware unto him that he would not seek his hurt all the days of his life. 72 And he restored unto him the captives which he had taken captive aforetime out of tthe land oft Judah; and heu returned and departed into his own land, and camev not any more into their borders. 73 And the sword ceased from Israel. And Jonathan dwelt at Michmash. And Jonathan began to judge the peoplew; and he destroyed the ungodly out of Israelx.

10:1–66. Jonathan supports Alexander Balas in his struggle With Demetrius I.