V. * Now when the nations round about heard that athe altar was built, and bthe sanctuary renewed as before, it displeased them very much. 2 Wherefore they thought to destroy the generation of Jacob that was among them, and thereupon they began to slay and destroy the people. 3 Then Judas fought against cthe children of Esau in dIdumea at * Arabattine, because they besieged Israel: 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 ea snare and ean offence unto 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 fdestroyed them utterly, and burnt the towers of that place with fire, and all that were therein. 6 Afterward he passed over to gthe children of Ammon, where he found a mighty power, and much people, with ggTimotheus their captain. 7 So he fought many battles with them, till at length they were discomfited before him; and he smote them. 8 And when he had taken hJazar, with ithe towns belonging thereto, he returned into Judea.

9 Then the heathen that were at jGalaad assembled themselves together against the Israelites that were in their quarters, to destroy them; but they fled to the fortress of Dathema, 10 and sent letters unto Judas and his brethren, The heathen that are round about us are assembled together against us to destroy us: 11 and they are preparing to come and take the fortress whereunto we are fled, ggTimotheus being captain of their khost. 12 Come now therefore, and deliver us from their hands, for many of us are slain: 13 yea, all kkour brethren that were in the places of * lTobie are put to death: their wives and their children also they have carried away captives, and borne away their mstuff; and they have destroyed there about a thousand men. 14 While these letters were yet reading, behold, there came other messengers from Galilee nwith their clothes rent, who reported on this wise, 15 and said, They of oPtolemais, and of pTyrus, and Sidon, and all qGalilee 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 congregation together, to consult what they should do for their brethren, that were in trouble, and assaulted of them. 17 Then said Judas unto rSimon his brother, Choose thee out men, and go and deliver thy brethren that are in qGalilee, for I and sJonathan my brother will go into jthe country of Galaad. 18 So he left tJoseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the people, with the remnant of the host in Judea to keep it. 19 Unto whom he gave commandment, saying, Take ye the charge of this people, and usee that you make not war against the heathen until the time that we come again. 20 Now unto Simon were given three thousand men to go into yGalilee, and unto Judas eight thousand men for jthe country of Galaad. 21 Then went Simon into Galilee, where he fought many battles with the heathen, so that the heathen were discomfited by him. 22 And he pursued them unto the gate of oPtolemais; and there were slain of the heathen about three thousand men, whose spoils he took. 23 And * those that were in Galilee, and in vArbattis, 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 wJudas Maccabeus also and his brother Jonathan went over Jordan, and travelled three days’ journey in the wilderness, 25 where 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: 26 and 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:) 27 and 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. 28 Hereupon 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, 29 From whence he removed by night, and went till he came to dthe fortress. 30 And 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. 31 When 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, 32 he said unto his host, Fight this day for your brethren. 33 So he went forth behind them fin three companies, who sounded their trumpets, and cried with prayer. 34 Then 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. 35 This 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. 36 From thence went he, and took iCasphon, jMaged, Bosor, and the other cities of the country of Galaad.

37 After these things gathered kTimotheus another bhost, and encamped against Raphon beyond the brook. 38 So 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. 39 He 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. 40 Then 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: 41 but if he be afraid, and camp beyond the river, we shall go over unto him, and prevail against him. 42 Now 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. 43 So 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. 44 But * 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.

45 Then 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. 46 Now 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. 47 Then they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the gates with stones. 48 Whereupon 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. 49 Wherefore Judas commanded a proclamation to be made throughout rthe host, that every man should 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, till at the length xthe city was delivered into his hands: 51 hwho 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. 52 After this ywent they over Jordan zinto the great plain before aBethsan. 53 And Judas gathered together those that * came behind, and * exhorted the people all the way through, 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 buntil they had returned in peace.

55 Now what time as cJudas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and dSimon his brother in Galilee before ePtolemais, 56 fJoseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the garrisons, heard of the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done. 57 Wherefore they said, gLet us also get us a name, and go fight against the heathen that are round about us. 58 So when they had given charge unto the garrison that was with them, they went towards hJamnia. 59 Then came iGorgias and his men out of hthe city * to fight against them. 60 And so it was, that fJoseph and Azarias were put to flight, and pursued unto the borders of 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, gbecause they were not obedient unto 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 given unto Israel. 63 Howbeit the man Judas and his brethren were greatly renowned in the sight of all Israel, and of all the heathen, wheresoever their name was heard of; 64 insomuch as the people assembled unto them with joyful acclamations.

65 Afterward kwent Judas forth with his brethren, and fought against lthe children of Esau in the land toward the south, where he smote mHebron, and the * towns thereof, and pulled down the fortress of it, and burnt the towers thereof round about. 66 From thence he removed to go into the land of * the Philistines, and passed through nSamaria. 67 At that time certain priests, desirous to shew their valour, were slain in battle, for that they went out to fight unadvisedly. 68 So Judas turned to oAzotus in the land of the Philistines, and when he had pulled down their altars, and burnt their carved images with fire, and spoiled their cities, he returned into the land of Judea.