39
The sunlight, reflected off the bronze and gold shields, shone on the mountains and flashed like burning torches.
40
Part of the king's army was spread out over the higher ground of the mountain slopes and part over the lower land, but they all moved forward steadily and in good order.
41
All the people were terrified when they heard the noise made by the clashing of weapons and the marching of that great and powerful army.
42
Judas and his army advanced into battle, and immediately killed 600 of the king's army.
43
When Eleazar Avaran saw that one of the elephants was larger than the others and that it was covered with royal armor, he thought that the king was riding on it.
44
Eleazar sacrificed his life to save his people and to gain eternal fame.
45
He ran boldly toward the elephant, which was in the middle of a battalion of infantry. He rushed forward killing men to the right and left, so that the enemy soldiers fell back before him on both sides.
46
He slipped in under the elephant and stabbed it to death, and it fell on him and killed him.
47
But when the Jews realized how strong the royal army was and how determined it was to fight, they retreated.
48
The king and his army advanced to fight the Jews at Jerusalem and laid siege to the whole of Judea and Jerusalem.
49
He made peace with the Jews of Bethzur, who then left the town. There had not been enough food in the town for them to withstand the siege because it was the sabbatical year, when no crops were planted.