8
But Judas said to his men, "Don't worry about the size of their army, and don't be frightened when they attack.
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Remember how our ancestors were saved at the Red Sea when the king of Egypt was pursuing them with his army!
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Now let us ask the Lord to have mercy on us. Let us pray that he will honor his covenant with our ancestors and crush this army when we attack today.
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Then all the Gentiles will know that Israel has a God who rescues and saves them."
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When the Gentiles saw Judas and his men preparing for battle,
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they moved out of their camp to fight. Then Judas and his men sounded their trumpets
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and attacked. The Gentiles broke ranks and fled to the plain,
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but all the stragglers were killed. The Israelites pursued the enemy as far as Gezer, the plains of Idumea, and the towns of Azotus and Jamnia. Altogether they killed about 3,000 of the enemy.
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When Judas and his army came back from the pursuit,
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he said to his men, "Don't be greedy for loot. Gorgias and his army are nearby in the mountains, so there is still heavy fighting ahead of us. We must stand firm and fight. After that, you can safely take all the loot you want."