1
Now when the nations round about heard that the altar was built and the sanctuary renewed as before, it displeased them very much.
2
Therefore they thought to destroy the descendants of Jacob who were among them, and thereupon they began to slay and destroy the people.
3
Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea at Akrabattene, 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 Baean, who had been a snare and an offense unto the people, in that they lay in wait for them on the ways.
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He 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 who were therein.
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Afterward he passed over to the children of Ammon, where he found a mighty power and many people, with Timothy their captain.
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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 Jazer, with the towns belonging thereto, he returned into Judea.
9
Then the heathen who were at Gilead assembled themselves together against the Israelites who were in their borders to destroy them; but they fled to the fortress of Dathema,
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and sent letters unto Judas and his brethren: "The heathen who are round about us are assembled together against us to destroy us.
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And they are preparing to come and take the fortress whereunto we have fled, Timothy being captain of their host.
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Come now therefore and deliver us from their hands, for many of us have been slain.
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Yea, all our brethren who were in the places of Tob are put to death. Their wives and their children also they have carried away captives, and borne away their goods, and they have destroyed there about a thousand men."
14
While these letters were yet being read, behold, there came other messengers from Galilee with their clothes rent, who reported in this manner
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and said, "They of Ptolemais, and of Tyre and Sidon, and all Galilee of the Gentiles are assembled together against us to consume us."
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Now when Judas and the people heard these words, there assembled a great congregation together to consider what they should do for their brethren who were in trouble and assaulted by them.
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Then said Judas unto Simon his brother, "Choose thee out men, and go and deliver thy brethren who are in Galilee, for I and Jonathan my brother will go into the country of Gilead."
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So he left Joseph the son of Zechariah, and Azariah, captains of the people, with the remnant of the host in Judea to keep it.
19
Unto them he gave a commandment, saying, "Take ye the charge of this people, and see that you make not war against the heathen until the time that we come back."
20
Now unto Simon were given three thousand men to go into Galilee, and unto Judas eight thousand men for the country of Gilead.
21
Then went Simon into Galilee, where he fought many battles with the heathen, so that the heathen were discomfited by him.
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And he pursued them unto the gate of Ptolemais; and there were slain of the heathen about three thousand men, whose spoils he took.
23
And those who were in Galilee and in Arbatta, with their wives and their children and all that they had, took he away with him and brought them into Judea with great joy.
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Judas Maccabeus also and his brother Jonathan went over the Jordan and traveled three days' journey in the wilderness,
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where they met with the Nabateans, who came unto them in a peaceable manner and told them everything that had happened to their brethren in the land of Gilead;
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and that many of them were shut up in Bozrah, and Bosor, and Alema, Chaspho, Maked, and Karnaim (all these cities are strong and great),
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and that they were shut up in the rest of the cities of the country of Gilead; and that against tomorrow they had appointed to bring their host against the forts, and to take them and to destroy them all in one day.
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Hereupon Judas and his host turned suddenly by the way of the wilderness unto Bozrah; 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.
29
From thence he removed by night, and went till he came to the fortress.
30
And early in the morning they looked up and, behold, there were 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 had begun, and that the cry of the city went up to heaven with trumpets and a great sound,
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he said unto his host, "Fight this day for your brethren."
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So he went forth behind them in three companies, who sounded their trumpets and cried out in prayer.
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Then the host of Timothy, knowing that it was Maccabeus, fled from him. Therefore 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 Maspha; and after he had assaulted it he took it and slew all the males therein, and received the spoils thereof and burned it with fire.
36
From thence he went and took Chaspho, Maged, Bosor, and the other cities of the country of Gilead.
37
After these things Timothy gathered another host and encamped against Raphon beyond the brook.
38
So Judas sent men to espy the host, who brought him word, saying, "All the heathen that are round about us are assembled unto them, even a very great host.
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He 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.
40
Then Timothy 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.
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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 the scribes of the people to remain by the brook, unto whom he gave this 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. Then all the heathen, being discomfited before him, cast away their weapons, and fled unto the temple that was at Karnaim.
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But they took the city, and burned the temple with all who were therein. Thus was Karnaim subdued, neither could they stand any longer before Judas.
45
Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites who were in the country of Gilead, from the least unto the greatest, even their wives and their children and their goods, a very great host, to the end that they might come into the land of Judea.
46
Now when they came unto Ephron (this was a great city on the way that they should go, very well fortified), they could not turn from it either on the right hand or the left, but must pass through the midst of it.
47
Then they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the gates with stones.
48
Thereupon Judas sent unto them in a 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." However they would not open unto him.
49
Therefore Judas commanded a proclamation to be made throughout the host that every man should pitch his tent in the place where he was.
50
So the soldiers pitched camp, and assaulted the city all that day and all that night, till at length the city was delivered into his hands.
51
He then slew all the males with the edge of the sword, and razed the city and took the spoils thereof, and passed through the city over those who were slain.
52
After this went they over the Jordan into the great plain before Beth-shan.
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And Judas gathered together those who came behind, and exhorted the people all the way through till they came into the land of Judea.
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So they went up to Mount Zion with joy and gladness where they offered burnt offerings, because not one of them were slain until they had returned in peace.
55
Now at the time that Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Gilead and Simon his brother in Galilee before Ptolemais,
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Joseph the son of Zechariah, and Azariah, captains of the garrisons, heard of the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done.
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Therefore they said, "Let us also get us a name, and go fight against the heathen who are round about us."
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So when they had given charge unto the garrison that was with them, they went toward Jamnia.
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Then came Gorgias and his men out of the city to fight against them.
60
And so it was, that Joseph and Azariah 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.
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Thus 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.
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Moreover these men came not of the seed of those by whose hand deliverance was given unto Israel.
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Be it as it may, 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,
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insomuch that the people assembled unto them with joyful acclamations.
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Afterward Judas went 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.
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From thence he removed to go into the land of the Philistines and passed through Samaria.
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At that time certain priests, desirous to show their valor, were slain in battle, for they went out to fight unadvisedly.
68
So Judas turned aside to Azotus in the land of the Philistines, and when he had pulled down their altars and burned their carved images with fire, and despoiled their cities, he returned into the land of Judea.