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 when the nations round about heard that the altar was built and the sanctuary renewed as before, it displeased them very much.

²Wherefore they thought to destroy the generation of Jacob that was among them, and thereupon they began to slay and destroy the people.

³Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea at Arabattine, because they besieged Gael: and he gave them a great overthrow, and abated their courage, and took their spoils.

⁴Also he remembered the injury of the children of Bean, who had been a snare and an offence unto the people, in that they lay in wait for them in the ways.

⁵He shut them up therefore in the towers, and encamped against them, and destroyed them utterly, and burned the towers of that place with fire, and all that were therein.

⁶Afterward he passed over to the children of Ammon, where he found a mighty power, and much people, with Timotheus their captain.

⁷So he fought many battles with them, till at length they were discomfited before him; and he smote them.

⁸And when he had taken Jazar, with the towns belonging thereto, he returned into Judea.

⁹Then the heathen that were at Galaad assembled themselves together against the Israelites that were in their quarters, to destroy them; but they fled to the fortress of Dathema.

¹⁰And sent letters unto Judas and his brethren, The heathen that are round about us are assembled together against us to destroy us:

¹¹And they are preparing to come and take the fortress whereunto we are fled, Timotheus being captain of their host.

¹²Come now therefore, and deliver us from their hands, for many of us are slain:

¹³Yea, all our brethren that were in the places of Tobie are put to death: their wives and their children also they have carried away captives, and borne away their stuff; and they have destroyed there about a thousand men.

¹⁴While these letters were yet reading, behold, there came other messengers from Galilee with their clothes rent, who reported on this wise,

¹⁵And said, They of Ptolemais, and of Tyrus, and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles, are assembled together against us to consume us.

¹⁶Now 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.

¹⁷Then said Judas unto Simon his brother, Choose thee out men, and go and deliver thy brethren that are in Galilee, for I and Jonathan my brother will go into the country of Galaad.

¹⁸So he left Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the people, with the remnant of the host in Judea to keep it.

¹⁹Unto whom he gave commandment, saying, Take ye the charge of this people, and see that ye make not war against the heathen until the time that we come again.

²⁰Now unto Simon were given three thousand men to go into Galilee, and unto Judas eight thousand men for the country of Galaad.

²¹Then went Simon into Galilee, where he fought many battles with the heathen, so that the heathen were discomfited by him.

²²And he pursued them unto the gate of Ptolemais; and there were slain of the heathen about three thousand men, whose spoils he took.

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

²⁴Judas Maccabeus also and his brother Jonathan went over Jordan, and travelled three days’ journey in the wilderness,

²⁵Where they met with the Nabathites, who came unto them in a peaceable manner, and told them every thing that had happened to their brethren in the land of Galaad:

²⁶And how that many of them were shut up in Bosora, and Bosor, and Alema, Casphor, Maked, and Carnaim; all these cities are strong and great:

²⁷And that they were shut up in the rest of the cities of the country of Galaad, 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.

²⁸Hereupon Judas and his host turned suddenly by the way of the wilderness unto Bosora; and when he had won the city, he slew all the males with the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burned the city with fire,

²⁹From whence he removed by night, and went till he came to the fortress.

³⁰And 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.

³¹When Judas therefore saw that the battle was begun, and that the cry of the city went up to heaven, with trumpets, and a great sound,

³²He said unto his host, Fight this day for your brethren.

³³So he went forth behind them in three companies, who sounded their trumpets, and cried with prayer.

³⁴Then the 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.

³⁵This done, Judas turned aside to Maspha; and after he had assaulted it he took and slew all the males therein, and received the spoils thereof and and burnt it with fire.

³⁶From thence went he, and took Casphon, Maged, Bosor, and the other cities of the country of Galaad.

³⁷After these things gathered Timotheus another host and encamped against Raphon beyond the brook.

³⁸So Judas sent men to espy the host, who brought him word, saying, All the heathen that be round about us are assembled unto them, even a very great host.

³⁹He hath also hired the Arabians 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.

⁴⁰Then Timotheus said unto the captains of his host, When Judas and his host 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:

⁴¹But if he be afraid, and camp beyond the river, we shall go over unto him, and prevail against him.

⁴²Now when Judas came near the brook, he caused the 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.

⁴³So he went first over unto them, and all the people after him: then all the heathen, being discomfited before him, cast away their weapons, and fled unto the temple that was at Carnaim.

⁴⁴But they took the city, and burned the temple with all that were therein. Thus was Carnaim subdued, neither could they stand any longer before Judas.

⁴⁵Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites that were in the country of Galaad, from the least unto the greatest, even their wives, and their children, and their stuff, a very great host, to the end they might come into the land of Judea.

⁴⁶Now when they came unto Ephron, (this was a great city in the way as they should go, very well fortified) they could not turn from it, either on the right hand or the left, but must needs pass through the midst of it.

⁴⁷Then they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the gates with stones.

⁴⁸Whereupon Judas sent unto them in peaceable manner, saying, Let 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.

⁴⁹Wherefore Judas commanded a proclamation to be made throughout the host, that every man should pitch his tent in the place where he was.

⁵⁰So the soldiers pitched, and assaulted the city all that day and all that night, till at the length the city was delivered into his hands:

⁵¹Who then slew all the males with the edge of the sword, and rased the city, and took the spoils thereof, and passed through the city over them that were slain.

⁵²After this went they over Jordan into the great plain before Bethsan.

⁵³And Judas gathered together those that came behind, and exhorted the people all the way through, till they came into the land of Judea.

⁵⁴So they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, where they offered burnt offerings, because not one of them were slain until they had returned in peace.

⁵⁵Now what time as Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brother in Galilee before Ptolemais,

⁵⁶Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the garrisons, heard of the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done.

⁵⁷Wherefore they said, Let us also get us a name, and go fight against the heathen that are round about us.

⁵⁸So when they had given charge unto the garrison that was with them, they went toward Jamnia.

⁵⁹Then came Gorgias and his men out of the city to fight against them.

⁶⁰And so it was, that Joseph and Azaras 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.

⁶¹Thus was there a great overthrow among the children of Israel, because they were not obedient unto Judas and his brethren, but thought to do some valiant act.

⁶²Moreover these men came not of the seed of those, by whose hand deliverance was given unto Israel.

⁶³Howbeit 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;

⁶⁴Insomuch as the the people assembled unto them with joyful acclamations.

⁶⁵Afterward went Judas forth with his brethren, and fought against the children of Esau in the land toward the south, where he smote Hebron, and the towns thereof, and pulled down the fortress of it, and burned the towers thereof round about.

⁶⁶From thence he removed to go into the land of the Philistines, and passed through Samaria.

⁶⁷At that time certain priests, desirous to shew their valour, were slain in battle, for that they went out to fight unadvisedly.

⁶⁸So Judas turned to Azotus in the land of the Philistines, and when he had pulled down their altars, and burned their carved images with fire, and spoiled their cities, he returned into the land of Judea.