1
It came to pass, when the nations all around heard that the altar had been rebuilt and the sanctuary dedicated as before, they were exceedingly angry.
2
They took counsel to destroy the race of Ya’aqov that was in the midst of them, and they began to kill and destroy amongst the people.
3
Yehudah fought against the children of Esau in Edom at Akrabattine, because they besieged Yis’rael. He struck them with a great slaughter, humbled them, and took their spoils.
4
He remembered the wickedness of the children of Baean, who were a snare and a stumbling block to the people, lying in wait for them on the highways.
5
They were shut up by him in the towers. He encamped against them, and destroyed them utterly, and burnt with fire the towers of the place with all who were in them.
6
He passed over to the children of Ammon, and found a mighty band and many people, with Timotheos for their leader.
7
He fought many battles with them, and they were defeated before his face. He struck them,
8
and took possession of Ya’zer and its villages, and returned again into Yehudah.
9
The nations who were in Gil’ad gathered themselves together against the children of Yis’rael who were on their borders, to destroy them. They fled to the stronghold of Dathema,
10
and sent letters to Yehudah and his kindred, saying, “The nations who are around us are gathered together against us to destroy us.
11
They are preparing to come and get possession of the stronghold where we fled for refuge, and Timotheos is the leader of their army.
12
Now therefore come and deliver us from their hand, for many of us have fallen.
13
All our kindred who were in the land of Tubias have been put to death. They have carried their wives, their children, and their stuff into captivity. They destroyed about a thousand men there.”
14
While the letters were still being read, behold, other messengers came from Galil with their clothes torn, bringing a similar report,
15
saying, “People of Akko, of Tzor, of Tzidon, and all Galil of the nations have gathered together to destroy us.”
16
Now when Yehudah and the people heard these words, a great congregation assembled together to determine what they should do for their kindred who were in distress and under attack.
17
Yehudah said to Shim’on his brother, “Choose men and go deliver your kindred who are in Galil, but Yonatan my brother and I will go into the land of Gil’ad.”
18
He left Yosef the son of Zekharyah, and Azaryah, as leaders of the people, with the remnant of the army, in Yehudah, to guard it.
19
He commanded them, saying, “Take charge of this people, and fight no battle with the nations until we return.”
20
Then three thousand men were assigned to go into Galil with Shim’on, but eight thousand men were assigned to Yehudah to go into the land of Gil’ad.
21
Shim’on went into Galil and fought many battles with the nations, and the nations were defeated before him.
22
He pursued them to the gate of Akko. About three thousand men of the nations fell, and he took their spoils.
23
They took to them those who were in Galil and in Arbatta, with their wives, their children, and all that they had, and brought them into Yehudah with great gladness.
24
Yehudah Maqabi and his brother Yonatan passed over the Yarden, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness.
25
They met with the Nabatiym, and these met them in a peaceful manner and told them all things that had happened to their kindred in the land of Gil’ad,
26
and how many of them were shut up in Bosora, Bosor, Alema, Casphor, Maked, and Carnaim—all these cities are strong and large—
27
and how they were shut up in the rest of the cities of the land of Gil’ad, and that tomorrow they planned to encamp against the strongholds, and to take them, and to destroy all these men in one day.
28
Yehudah and his army turned suddenly by the way of the wilderness to Bosora; and he took the city, and killed all the males with the edge of the sword, took all their spoils, and burnt the city with fire.
29
He left there at night, and went until he came to the stronghold.
30
When the morning came, they lifted up their eyes and saw many people who couldn’t be counted, bearing ladders and engines of war, to take the stronghold; and they were fighting against them.
31
Yehudah saw that the battle had begun, and that the cry of the city went up to heaven, with trumpets and a great sound,
32
and he said to the men of his army, “Fight today for your kindred!”
33
Then he went out behind them in three companies. They sounded with their trumpets and cried out in prayer.
34
And the army of Timotheos perceived that it was Maqabi, and they fled from before him. He struck them with a great slaughter. About eight thousand men of them fell on that day.
35
He turned away to Mitzpah and fought against it, took it, killed all its males, took its spoils, and burnt it with fire.
36
From there he marched and took Casphor, Maked, Bosor, and the other cities of the land of Gil’ad.
37
Now after these things, Timotheos gathered another army and encamped near Raphon beyond the brook.
38
Yehudah sent men to spy on the army; and they brought him word, saying, “All the nations who are around us are gathered together to them, an exceedingly great army.
39
They have hired Aravim to help them, and are encamped beyond the brook, ready to come against you to battle.” So Yehudah went to meet them.
40
Timotheos said to the captains of his army when Yehudah and his army drew near to the brook of water, “If he crosses over to us first, we won’t be able to withstand him, for he will certainly defeat us;
41
but if he is afraid, and encamps beyond the river, we will cross over to him, and defeat him.”
42
Now when Yehudah came near to the water brook, he caused the scribes of the people to remain by the brook, and commanded them, saying, “Allow no man to encamp, but let all come to the battle.”
43
Then he crossed over against them first, and all the people after him; and all the nations were defeated before his face, and threw away their weapons, and fled to the temple at Carnaim.
44
They took the city and burnt the temple with fire, together with all who were in it. Carnaim was subdued. They couldn’t stand any longer before the face of Yehudah.
45
Yehudah gathered together all Yis’rael, those who were in the land of Gil’ad, from the least to the greatest, with their wives, their children, and their stuff, an exceedingly great army, that they might come into the land of Yehudah.
46
They came as far as Ephron, and this same city was large and very strong. It was on the road where they were going. They couldn’t turn away from it on the right hand or on the left, but needed to pass through the middle of it.
47
The people of the city shut them out and blocked the gates with stones.
48
Yehudah sent to them with words of peace, saying, “We will pass through your land to go into our own land, and no one will harm you. We will only pass by on our feet.” But they wouldn’t open to him.
49
Then Yehudah commanded proclamation to be made in the army, that each man should encamp in the place where he was.
50
So the men of the army encamped, and fought against the city all that day and all that night, and the city was delivered into his hands.
51
He destroyed all the males with the edge of the sword, razed the city, took its plunder, and passed through the city over those who were slain.
52
They went over the Yarden into the great plain near Beit-She’an.
53
And Yehudah gathered together those who lagged behind and encouraged the people all the way through, until he came into the land of Yehudah.
54
They went up to mount Tziyon with gladness and joy, and offered whole ascending offerings, because not so much as one of them was slain until they returned in peace.
55
In the days when Yehudah and Yonatan were in the land of Gil’ad, and Shim’on his brother in Galil before Akko,
56
Yosef the son of Zekharyah, and Azaryah, rulers of the army, heard of their exploits and of the war, and what things they had done.
57
They said, “Let’s also get us a name, and let’s go fight against the nations who are around us.”
58
So they gave orders to the men of the army that was with them, and went towards Yavneh.
59
Gorgias and his men came out of the city to meet them in battle.
60
Yosef and Azaryah were put to flight, and were pursued to the borders of Yehudah. About two thousand men of Yis’rael fell on that day.
61
There was a great overthrow amongst the people, because they didn’t listen to Yehudah and his kindred, thinking to do some exploit.
62
But they were not of the family of those men by whose hand deliverance was given to Yis’rael.
63
The man Yehudah and his kindred were glorified exceedingly in the sight of all Yis’rael, and of all the nations, wherever their name was heard of.
64
Men gathered together to them, acclaiming them.
65
Yehudah and his kindred went out and fought against the children of Esau in the land towards the south. He struck Chevron and its villages, pulled down its strongholds, and burnt its towers all around.
66
He marched to go into the land of the Pelishtim, and he went through Shomron.
67
In that day certain kohenim, desiring to do exploits there, were slain in battle, when they went out to battle unadvisedly.
68
But Yehudah turned towards Ashdod, to the land of the Pelishtim, pulled down their altars, burnt the carved images of their powers with fire, took the plunder of their cities, and returned into the land of Yehudah.