Now when the nations round about heard that the altar was built and the sanctuary rededicated as aforetime, they were exceeding wroth.

And they conspired to destroy the offspring of Jacob from among them; and they commenced to slay and lay waste among the people. And many of them were shut up in Bosra, and Baser, and Alim, and Casphor, and Maked, and Carnaim, all of which were great and strong cities.

And Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea, at Akrabattene, because they sorely vexed Israel: and he gave them a great overthrow, and drove them back, and took their spoils.

And he remembered the wickedness of the children of Bean, who were a snare and a stumbling-block to the people, lying in wait for them in the ways.

So he drove them into their towers, and besieged them, and utterly destroyed them, and burned their towers, and all that were therein, with fire. Then he commanded the army that was with him, so they marched against Jamnia.

Then he passed over to the children of Ammon, and found a mighty army and a great people under the command of Timotheus; because they had not given heed to Judas and his brethren, thinking that they would show zeal. And at that time certain priests fell in battle, who wished to show zeal, and went out to battle unadvisedly.

For he fought against them in many battles, and they were discomfited before him, and he smote them sorely.

And he took Gazara and its towns; then he returned to Judea.

Now the nations which were gathered together against those of Israel in their borders to destroy them, fled to the fortress of Dathema.

And they sent a letter to Judas and his brethren, saying, The nations around about us have gathered together against us, desiring to destroy us.

And they propose to come and take the stronghold whereunto we have fled, and their army is under the command of Timotheus.

Therefore come now and deliver us from their hands, for a great number of us have fallen.

And all our brethren who were in the land of Tob have been slain, and their wives and children carried away captive, and their goods plundered; and there perished there about a thousand men.

And while they were yet reading the letter, behold, other messengers came from Galilee, with their clothes rent, and reported the like things,

Saying, There are gathered against us from Ptolemais, and Tyre, and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles, to consume us.

Now when Judas and the people heard these words, they gathered a great assembly, and consulted what they should do for their brethren who were in distress and under siege.

Then Judas said to Simon his brother, Choose thee out men, and go and deliver thy brethren who are in Galilee, and I and Jonathan will go to the land of Gilead.

And he left Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the people, with the rest of the army in Judea, for their defense.

And he commanded them, saying, Meddle not with this people, nor engage in battle with the Gentiles, until we return.

So the men were divided, three thousand with Simon for Galilee, and eight thousand with Judas for the land of Gilead.

And Simon went into Galilee, and fought many battles against the nations. And the nations were discomfited before him, and he pursued them even to the gate of Ptolemais.

And there fell of the nations about three thousand men, and he took their spoils.

And he took those who were in Galilee and Arabatta, with their wives and children, and all their possessions, and brought them to Judea with great joy.

As for Judas Maccabeus and Jonathan his brother, they crossed over Jordan, and journeyed three days in the wilderness.

And they met with the Nabateans, who received them peaceably, and told them all things concerning their brethren in the land of Gilead,

That also they were shut up in all the cities of the land of Gilead, and the enemy were prepared to besiege them tomorrow in the strongholds, and to take them, and to destroy them all in one day.

So Judas suddenly turned his army, and took his way to the wilderness, to Bosra; and he took the city, and slew every male therein with the edge of the sword, and plundered all their spoils, and burned the city with fire.

Then he departed from thence by night, and marched towards the stronghold.

And when it was morning, they lifted up their eyes, and behold, there was an innumerable multitude, bearing ladders and engines of war to take the stronghold, and they were besieging them.

And Judas saw that the battle was joined, and the cry of the city ascended to heaven, with trumpets and a great shouting.

Then he said to the men of the army, Fight this day for your brethren!

And he came forth in three companies, and sounded their trumpets behind them, and cried aloud in prayer.

Then the army of Timotheus knew that it was Maccabeus, and they fled from his presence; and he smote them with a great slaughter, so that there fell of them that day eight thousand men.

Then he turned aside to Maspha, and fought against it, and took it, and slew every male therein, and plundered its spoils, and burned it with fire.

And from thence he went on, and took Casphor, and Maked, and Bosor, and the rest of the cities of the land of Gilead.

And after these things, Timotheus gathered another army, and encamped opposite Raphon beyond the brook.

And Judas sent men to explore the army, who reported to him, saying, All the nations round about us are joined with them, and they are a very great army.

And they have hired the Arabs to assist them, and they are encamped beyond the brook, and their purpose is to come to battle with thee. So Judas went out to meet them.

And Timotheus said to the captains of his army, If Judas and his army come to the brook of water, and he cross over to us first, we shall not be able to stand before him, but he will utterly prevail against us.

But if he fear, and encamp beyond the river, we will go over to him, and overcome him.

Now when Judas came to the brook of water, he placed the scribes of the people by the brook, and commanded them, saying, Let no man tarry here, but let them all go forth to battle.

And he crossed over to them, himself in the forefront, and the people followed him. And all the nations were discomfited before him, and cast away their arms, and fled to the temple that was in Carnaim.

And the Jews took the city, and burned the temple with all that were therein, with fire. And the people of Carnaim were destroyed, and were not able to stand before Judas.

And Judas gathered together all of Israel who were in the land of Gilead, from the least to the greatest, with their wives and children,

With their baggage, a very great army, to go into the land of Judea. And they came to Ephron, which was a great city, very strong, at the entrance; and they could not turn aside from it to the left hand or to the right, but must needs pass through the midst thereof.

So the citizens shut themselves in, and stopped up the gates with stones. Then Judas sent to them words of peace,

Saying, We will pass through thy land to go to our own land, and no man shall harm thee; we will only pass through on foot. But they refused to open to him.

Then Judas commanded proclamation to be made in the camp, that every man should assault the city from the place where he was.

So the valiant men assaulted, and fought against the city all that day and all that night, and the city was delivered into his hands.

And he slew every male with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed it, and plundered its spoils, and passed through the city over the slain.

Then they crossed over Jordan to the great plain opposite Beth-shean.

And Judas gathered together those who lagged behind, and encouraged the people all the way, until they came to the land of Judea.

And they went up to Mount Zion with joy and gladness, and offered whole burnt offerings, because not one of them had fallen until they returned in peace.

Now in those days, when Judas and Jonathan and Simon his brother were in Galilee, opposite Ptolemais,

Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, the captains of the army, heard of the zeal and valor they had shown.

And they said, Let us also make a name for ourselves, and go and fight against the nations round about us.

So Gorgias and his men came out of the city to meet them in battle.

And Joseph and Azarias were discomfited, and they pursued them to the borders of Judea. And there fell of the people of Israel that day two thousand men; and there was a great destruction among the people of Israel.

Yet they were not of the lineage of those valiant men by whose hands salvation was wrought for Israel.

And the man Judas and his brethren were greatly magnified in the eyes of all Israel, and all the nations whither their fame came.

And they gathered together unto them with shouts of congratulation.

Then Judas and his brethren went forth, and fought against the children of Esau in the land of the south, and he smote Hebron and its towns, and pulled down its walls, and burned its towers round about.

And he departed toward the land of the aliens, and passed through the land of Samaria.

Then Judas turned to Azotus in the land of the aliens, and he pulled down their altars, and burned the carved images of their gods with fire, and plundered the spoils of the cities, and returned to the land of Judea.