38
Judas sent some men to spy on the camp, and they reported back to him that all the Gentiles in the region had joined Timothy and had formed a large army.
39
Timothy had also hired Arab mercenaries to help him, and these were camped on the other side of the river ready to attack Judas. So Judas went out to meet them in battle.
40
As Judas and his army came closer to the water, Timothy said to his officers, "If he keeps on coming and crosses the river, we won't be able to turn back his attack, and he will defeat us.
41
But if he is afraid and stops on the other side of the river, we will cross over to attack and defeat him."
42
When Judas reached the bank of the river, he gave orders to his officers to let no one stop but to push everyone forward into battle.
43
Judas was the first to cross the river against the enemy, and all his men followed him. The Gentiles broke ranks before them, threw away their arms, and fled to the pagan temple at Karnaim.
44
But Judas and his men took the city and burned down the temple with all who were in it. With Karnaim overthrown, the Gentiles could no longer offer any resistance to Judas.
45
Then Judas gathered together all the Jews in Gilead to take them back to Judea with him. It was a large group of all kinds of people, together with their wives and children and all that they owned.
46
They went as far as Ephron, a large, well-fortified town. It was impossible to go around it on either side, and the road passed directly through the town.
47
But the people there would not let them pass and blocked the town gates with stones.
48
Then Judas sent a friendly message to them: "Let us pass through your territory to return home. No one will harm you; we will just pass through." But they still refused to open the gates.