43
Then he crossed over against them first, and the whole army followed him. All the Gentiles were defeated before him, and they threw away their arms and fled into the sacred precincts at Carnaim.
44
But he took the city and burned the sacred precincts with fire, together with all who were in them. Thus Carnaim was conquered; they could stand before Judas no longer.
45
Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites in Gilead, the small and the great, with their wives and children and goods, a very large company, to go to the land of Judah.
46
So they came to Ephron. This was a large and very strong city on the road, and they could not go round it to the right or to the left; they had to go through it.
47
But the men of the city shut them out and blocked up the gates with stones.
48
And Judas sent them this friendly message, "Let us pass through your land to get to our land. No one will do you harm; we will simply pass by on foot." But they refused to open to him.
49
Then Judas ordered proclamation to be made to the army that each should encamp where he was.
50
So the men of the forces encamped, and he fought against the city all that day and all the night, and the city was delivered into his hands.
51
He destroyed every male by the edge of the sword, and razed and plundered the city. Then he passed through the city over the slain.
52
And they crossed the Jordan into the large plain before Beth-shan.
53
And Judas kept rallying the laggards and encouraging the people all the way till he came to the land of Judah.