I Maccabees 5

¹And it happened that, when the surrounding nations heard that the altar and the sanctuary had been rebuilt as before, they were very angry.

²And they intended to destroy the people of Jacob that were among them, and they began to kill some of the people, and to persecute them.

³Then Judas defeated in warfare the sons of Esau in Idumea, and those who were in Akrabattene, because they besieged the Israelites, and he struck them with a great scourging.

⁴And he remembered the malice of the sons of Baean, who were a snare and a scandal to the people, lying in ambush for them in the way.

⁵And they were trapped by him in the towers, and he took up a position near them, and he anathematized them, and he burned their towers with fire, along with all who were in them.

⁶Then he crossed over to the sons of Ammon, and he found a strong hand, and an abundant people, and Timothy was their commander.

⁷And he engaged in many battles with them, and they were crushed in their sight, and he struck them down.

⁸And he seized the city of Jazer, and her sister cities, and he returned to Judea.

⁹And the Gentiles, who were in Gilead, gathered together against the Israelites, who were within their borders, to take them away, and so they fled into the fortress of Dathema.

¹⁰And they sent letters to Judas and his brothers, saying: “The Gentiles all around have been gathering together against us to carry us away.

¹¹And they are preparing to come and occupy the fortress into which we have fled. And Timothy is the commander of their army.

¹²Now, therefore, come and rescue us from their hands, for many of us have fallen.

¹³And all our brothers, who were in the places of Tob, have been put to death. And they have led away as captives their wives, and their children, and their spoils. And they have slain nearly a thousand men in that place.”

¹⁴And while they were still reading these letters, behold, there arrived from Galilee other messengers, with torn garments, who announced according to these words:

¹⁵saying that those of Ptolemais and Tyre and Sidon have assembled against them, “and all of Galilee has been filled with foreigners, in order to consume us.”

¹⁶So then, when Judas and the people heard these words, a great assembly came together, to consider what they should do for their brothers who were in trouble and were being assailed by them.

¹⁷And Judas said to Simon his brother: “Choose men for yourself, and go, and free your brothers in Galilee. But I and my brother Jonathan, will go into the country of Gilead.”

¹⁸And he left behind Joseph, son of Zachariah, and Azariah, as commanders of the people, with the remainder of the army, in Judea, to guard it.

¹⁹And he instructed them, saying, “Take charge of this people, but do not go to war against the Gentiles, until we return.”

²⁰Now three thousand men were divided to Simon, to go into Galilee, but eight thousand were divided to Judas, to go into the land of Gilead.

²¹And Simon went into Galilee, and he engaged in many battles with the Gentiles, and the Gentiles were crushed before his face, and he pursued them even to the gates of Ptolemais.

²²And there fell of the Gentiles nearly three thousand men, and he took their spoils.

²³And he took with him those who were in Galilee and in Arbatta, with their wives and children, and all that was theirs, and he led them into Judea with great rejoicing.

²⁴And Judas Maccabeus, and Jonathan his brother, crossed over the Jordan, and they traveled three days’ journey through the desert.

²⁵And the Nabateans met them, and they accepted them peacefully, and they described to them all that had happened to their brothers in the land of Gilead,

²⁶and that many of them were trapped in Bozrah, and Bosor, and Alema, and in Chaspho, and Maked, and Carnaim. All these are large and fortified cities.

²⁷Moreover, they were held in their grasp in the other cities of Gilead, and they had arranged to move their army, on the next day, to these cities, and to seize them, and to destroy them all in one day.

²⁸Then Judas and his army unexpectedly turned their path into the desert, to Bosor, and they occupied the city. And he killed every male by the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burned it with fire.

²⁹And they arose from there by night, and they went forth all the way to the fortress.

³⁰And it happened that, at first light, when they lifted up their eyes, behold, there was a multitude of people, which could not be numbered, bringing ladders and machines, in order to seize the fortress, and to assault them.

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

³²And he said to his army, “Fight today on behalf of your brothers.”

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

³⁴And the camp of Timothy knew that it was Maccabeus, and they took flight before his face. And they struck them with a great scourging. And there fell from them in that day nearly eight thousand men.

³⁵And Judas diverted to Mizpah, and he fought and seized it. And he killed all of its males, and he took its spoils, and he burned it with fire.

³⁶From there, he continued on, and he seized Chaspho, and Maked, and Bosor, and the rest of the cities of Gilead.

³⁷But after these events, Timothy gathered together another army, and he positioned his camp opposite Raphon, across the torrent.

³⁸And Judas sent men to catch sight of the army. And they reported back to him, saying: “All the nations that surround us have assembled before him, with an exceedingly great army.

³⁹And they have brought the Arabians as auxiliaries to them, and they have set up camp across the torrent, in preparation to come against you in battle.” And Judas went to meet them.

⁴⁰And Timothy said to the leaders of his army: “When Judas and his army approach, close to the torrent of water, if he crosses over to us first, we will not be able to withstand him. For he will be able to prevail against us.

⁴¹If, truly, he is afraid to cross over, and so he sets up camp across the river, we will cross over to them, and we will prevail against him.”

⁴²But when Judas approached, close to the torrent of water, he stationed the scribes of the people near the torrent, and he commanded them, saying, “Permit no man to stay behind, but let all come into the battle.”

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

⁴⁴And he occupied that city, and he burned the temple with fire, along with all the things that were in it. And Carnaim was subdued, and it could not stand against the face of Judas.

⁴⁵And Judas gathered together all the Israelites who were in the land of Gilead, from the least even to the greatest, with their wives and children, and a very great army, to come into the land of Judah.

⁴⁶And they came as far as Ephron. And this was a great city, positioned at the entrance, strongly fortified, and there was no way to go around it on the right or on the left, but the path was through the midst of it.

⁴⁷And those who were in the city shut themselves in and barricaded the gates with stones. And so Judas sent to them with words of peace,

⁴⁸saying, “Let us cross through your land, to go into our own land, and no one will harm you; we will only cross through on foot.” But they were not willing to open to them.

⁴⁹Then Judas instructed a proclamation to be made in the camp, that they would engage them, each one from the place where he was.

⁵⁰And the men of the army drew close. And he assaulted that city all day and all night. And the city was delivered into his hand.

⁵¹And they destroyed every male with the edge of the sword, and he eradicated the city, and he took its spoils, and he crossed through the entire city, over those who had been slain.

⁵²Then they crossed over the Jordan to the great plain that is opposite the face of Bethshan.

⁵³And Judas was gathering the stragglers and exhorting the people, throughout the entire way, until they came into the land of Judah.

⁵⁴And they ascended to mount Zion with joy and gladness, and they offered holocausts, because not one of them had fallen, until they had returned in peace.

⁵⁵Now in the days that Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Gilead, and Simon his brother was in Galilee against the face of Ptolemais:

⁵⁶Joseph, the son of Zachariah, and Azariah, the leader of the army, heard good things about the battles that were fought.

⁵⁷And he said, “Let us also make a name for ourselves, and let us go to fight against the Gentiles that are all around us.”

⁵⁸And he gave orders to those who were in his army, and they went out towards Jamnia.

⁵⁹And Gorgias and his men exited the city, to meet them in the fight.

⁶⁰And Joseph and Azariah were forced to flee, even to the borders of Judea. And there fell on that day, from the people of Israel, up to two thousand men, and it was a great defeat for the people.

⁶¹For they did not listen to Judas and his brothers, supposing that they should act boldly.

⁶²But these were not of the offspring of those men by whom salvation was brought to Israel.

⁶³And the men of Judah were magnified greatly in the sight of all Israel and of all the nations where their name was heard.

⁶⁴And the people gathered to them with favorable acclamations.

⁶⁵And so Judas and his brothers went out and assailed the sons of Esau, in the land that is toward the south, and he struck Hebron and her sister cities, and he burned its walls and the towers all around it with fire.

⁶⁶And he moved his camp to go into the land of the foreigners, and he traveled through Samaria.

⁶⁷In that day, some priests fell in battle. Since they desired to act boldly, they went out, without counsel, into the battle.

⁶⁸And Judas turned aside to Azotus, into the land of the foreigners, and he destroyed their altars, and he burned the statues of their gods with fire. And he seized the spoils of the cities, and he returned to the land of Judah.

I Maccabees 5

¹Now it came to pass, when the nations round about heard that the altar and the sanctuary were built up, as before, that they were exceeding angry.

²And they thought to destroy the generation of Jacob that were among them, and they began to kill some of the people, and to persecute them.

³Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea, and them that were in Acrabathane: because they beset the Israelites round about, and he made a great slaughter of them.

⁴And he remembered the malice of the children of Bean: who were a snare and a stumblingblock to the people, by lying in wait for them in the way.

⁵And they were shut up by him in towers, and he set upon them, and devoted them to utter destruction, and burnt their towers with fire, and all that were in them.

⁶Then he passed over to the children of Ammon, where he found a mighty power, and much people, and Timotheus was their captain:

⁷And he fought many battles with them, and they were discomfited in their sight, and he smote them:

⁸And he took the city of Gazer and her towns, and returned into Judea.

⁹And the Gentiles that were in Galaad, assembled themselves together against the Israelites that were in their quarters, to destroy them: and they fled into the fortress of Datheman.

¹⁰And they sent letters to Judas, and his brethren, saying: The heathens that are round about are gathered together against us to destroy us:

¹¹And they are preparing to come, and to take the fortress into which we are fled: and Timotheus is the captain of their host.

¹²Now therefore come, and deliver us out of their hands, for many of us are slain.

¹³And all our brethren that were in the places of Tubin, are killed: and they have carried away their wives, and their children, captives, and taken their spoils, and they have slain there almost a thousand men.

¹⁴And while they were yet reading these letters, behold there came other messengers out of Galilee with their garments rent, who related according to these words:

¹⁵Saying, that they of Ptolemais, and of Tyre, and of Sidon, were assembled against them, and all Galilee is filled with strangers, in order to consume us.

¹⁶Now when Judas and the people heard these words, a great assembly met together to consider what they should do for their brethren that were in trouble, and were assaulted by them.

¹⁷And Judas said to Simon, his brother: Choose thee men, and go, and deliver thy brethren in Galilee: and I, and my brother Jonathan, will go into the country of Galaad:

¹⁸And he left Joseph, the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the people, with the remnant of the army in Judea, to keep it:

¹⁹And he commanded them, saying: Take ye the charge of this people; but make no war against the heathens, till we return.

²⁰Now three thousand men were allotted to Simon, to go into Galilee: and eight thousand to Judas, to go into the land of Galaad.

²¹And Simon went into Galilee, and fought many battles with the heathens: and the heathens were discomfited before his face, and he pursued them even to the gate of Ptolemais.

²²And there fell of the heathens almost three thousand men, and he took the spoils of them.

²³And he took with him those that were in Galilee and in Arbatis, with their wives, and children, and all that they had, and he brought them into Judea with great joy.

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.

⁵⁵Now in the days that Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brother in Galilee, before Ptolemais,

⁵⁶Joseph, the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captain of the soldiers, heard of the good success, and the battles that were fought,

⁵⁷And he said: Let us also get us a name, and let us go fight against the Gentiles that are round about us.

⁵⁸And he gave charge to them that were in his army, and they went towards Jamnia.

⁵⁹And Gorgias and his men went out of the city, to give them battle.

⁶⁰And Joseph and Azarias were put to flight, and were pursued unto the borders of Judea: and there fell on that day, of the people of Israel, about two thousand men, and there was a great overthrow of the people:

⁶¹Because they did not hearken to Judas and his brethren, thinking that they should do manfully.

⁶²But they were not of the seed of those men by whom salvation was brought to Israel.

⁶³And the men of Juda were magnified exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and of all the nations where their name was heard.

⁶⁴And the people assembled to them with joyful acclamations.

⁶⁵Then Judas and his brethren went forth and attacked the children of Esau, in the land towards the south, and he took Chebron and her towns: and he burnt the walls thereof, and the towers all round it.

⁶⁶And he removed his camp to go into the land of the aliens, and he went through Samaria.

⁶⁷In that day some priests fell in battle, while desiring to do manfully they went out unadvisedly to fight.

⁶⁸And Judas turned to Azotus, into the land of the strangers, and he threw down their altars, and he burnt the statues of their gods with fire: and he took the spoils of the cities, and returned into the land of Juda.