2
They went by the road that leads to Gilgal and encamped against Mesaloth in Arbela, and they took it and killed many people.
3
In the first month of the one hundred fifty-second year they encamped against Jerusalem;
4
then they marched off and went to Berea with twenty thousand foot soldiers and two thousand cavalry.
5
Now Judas was encamped in Elasa, and with him were three thousand picked men.
6
When they saw the huge number of the enemy forces, they were greatly frightened, and many slipped away from the camp, until no more than eight hundred of them were left.
7
When Judas saw that his army had slipped away and the battle was imminent, he was crushed in spirit, for he had no time to assemble them.
8
He became faint, but he said to those who were left, "Let us get up and go against our enemies. We may have the strength to fight them."
9
But they tried to dissuade him, saying, "We do not have the strength. Let us rather save our own lives now, and let us come back with our kindred and fight them; we are too few."
10
But Judas said, "Far be it from us to do such a thing as to flee from them. If our time has come, let us die bravely for our kindred, and leave no cause to question our honor."
11
Then the army of Bacchides marched out from the camp and took its stand for the encounter. The cavalry was divided into two companies, and the slingers and the archers went ahead of the army, as did all the chief warriors.
12
Bacchides was on the right wing. Flanked by the two companies, the phalanx advanced to the sound of the trumpets; and the men with Judas also blew their trumpets.