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With thanksgiving and rejoicing, they went up to Mount Zion and sacrificed burnt offerings because they had returned safely without a single loss.
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While Judas and Jonathan were in Gilead and their brother Simon was attacking Ptolemais in Galilee,
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Joseph and Azariah, the commanders of the army in Judea, heard about their brave deeds and victories.
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They said to one another, "Let's go to war with the Gentiles around us and win some fame for ourselves."
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So they and their men attacked Jamnia.
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Gorgias and his men went out of the town to meet them in battle.
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They defeated Joseph and Azariah and pursued them as far as the borders of Judea. At least 2,000 Israelite men were killed that day.
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This great defeat came about because the Jewish commanders wanted to be heroes and refused to obey Judas and his brothers.
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Besides, they did not belong to the family of the Maccabees, whom God had chosen to bring freedom to the people of Israel.
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But Judas Maccabeus and his brothers won great respect among all the Israelites and all the Gentiles. When people heard of their fame,
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large crowds gathered to praise them.