17
Then Judas said to his brother Simon, "Choose your men and go and rescue your kindred in Galilee; Jonathan my brother and I will go to Gilead."
18
But he left Joseph, son of Zechariah, and Azariah, a leader of the people, with the rest of the forces, in Judea to guard it;
19
and he gave them this command, "Take charge of this people, but do not engage in battle with the Gentiles until we return."
20
Then three thousand men were assigned to Simon to go to Galilee, and eight thousand to Judas for Gilead.
21
So Simon went to Galilee and fought many battles against the Gentiles, and the Gentiles were crushed before him.
22
He pursued them to the gate of Ptolemais; as many as three thousand of the Gentiles fell, and he despoiled them.
23
Then he took the Jews of Galilee and Arbatta, with their wives and children, and all they possessed, and led them to Judea with great rejoicing.
24
Judas Maccabeus and his brother Jonathan crossed the Jordan and made three days' journey into the wilderness.
25
They encountered the Nabateans, who met them peaceably and told them all that had happened to their kindred in Gilead:
26
"Many of them have been shut up in Bozrah and Bosor, in Alema and Chaspho, Maked and Carnaim"—all these towns were strong and large—
27
"and some have been shut up in the other towns of Gilead; the enemy are getting ready to attack the strongholds tomorrow and capture and destroy all these people in a single day."