1 Maccabees 5
The surrounding nations were angry that the altar and sanctuary had been rebuilt and began to kill and persecute the Israelites. Judas defeated the sons of Esau in Idumea and the sons of Baean, who were a snare to the people. He then crossed over to the sons of Ammon and defeated them, seizing the city of Jazer and its sister cities. The Gentiles in Gilead gathered against the Israelites, who fled to the fortress of Dathema and sent letters to Judas for help. Judas and his brother Jonathan went to rescue them, while Simon went to Galilee to free their brothers. Judas and Jonathan defeated the Gentiles in Gilead, and Simon defeated them in Galilee, freeing many Israelites and bringing them back to Judea. Judas then gathered all the Israelites in Gilead and brought them back to Judea, destroying the city of Ephron and the temple in Carnaim along the way. Meanwhile, Joseph and Azariah, who were left in charge of Judea, were defeated by Gorgias, but Judas and his brothers continued to defeat the Gentiles, including the sons of Esau and the foreigners in Samaria and Azotus.
1And it happened that, when the surrounding nations heard that the altar and the sanctuary had been rebuilt as before, they were very angry2And they intended to destroy the people of Jacob that were among them, and they began to kill some of the people, and to persecute them3Then 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 scourging4And 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 way5And 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 them6Then he crossed over to the sons of Ammon, and he found a strong hand, and an abundant people, and Timothy was their commander7And he engaged in many battles with them, and they were crushed in their sight, and he struck them down8And he seized the city of Jazer, and her sister cities, and he returned to Judea9And 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 Dathema10And they sent letters to Judas and his brothers, saying: "The Gentiles all around have been gathering together against us to carry us away11And they are preparing to come and occupy the fortress into which we have fled. And Timothy is the commander of their army12Now, therefore, come and rescue us from their hands, for many of us have fallen13And 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 words15saying 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 them17And 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 it19And 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 Gilead21And 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 Ptolemais22And there fell of the Gentiles nearly three thousand men, and he took their spoils23And 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 rejoicing24And Judas Maccabeus, and Jonathan his brother, crossed over the Jordan, and they traveled three days’ journey through the desert25And 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 Gilead26and 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 cities27Moreover, 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 day28Then 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 fire29And they arose from there by night, and they went forth all the way to the fortress30And 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 them31And 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 city32And 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 prayer34And 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 men35And 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 fire36From there, he continued on, and he seized Chaspho, and Maked, and Bosor, and the rest of the cities of Gilead37But after these events, Timothy gathered together another army, and he positioned his camp opposite Raphon, across the torrent38And 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 army39And 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 them40And 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 us41If, 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 Carnaim44And 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 Judas45And 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 Judah46And 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 it47And those who were in the city shut themselves in and barricaded the gates with stones. And so Judas sent to them with words of peace48saying, "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 them49Then Judas instructed a proclamation to be made in the camp, that they would engage them, each one from the place where he was50And the men of the army drew close. And he assaulted that city all day and all night. And the city was delivered into his hand51And 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 slain52Then they crossed over the Jordan to the great plain that is opposite the face of Bethshan53And Judas was gathering the stragglers and exhorting the people, throughout the entire way, until they came into the land of Judah54And 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 peace55Now in the days that Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Gilead, and Simon his brother was in Galilee against the face of Ptolemais56Joseph, the son of Zachariah, and Azariah, the leader of the army, heard good things about the battles that were fought57And 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 Jamnia59And Gorgias and his men exited the city, to meet them in the fight60And 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 people61For they did not listen to Judas and his brothers, supposing that they should act boldly62But these were not of the offspring of those men by whom salvation was brought to Israel63And the men of Judah were magnified greatly in the sight of all Israel and of all the nations where their name was heard64And the people gathered to them with favorable acclamations65And 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 fire66And he moved his camp to go into the land of the foreigners, and he traveled through Samaria67In that day, some priests fell in battle. Since they desired to act boldly, they went out, without counsel, into the battle68And 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
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