45
For look! the battle is in front of us and behind us; the water of the Jordan is on this side and on that, with marsh and thicket; there is no place to turn.
46
Cry out now to Heaven that you may be delivered from the hands of our enemies."
47
So the battle began, and Jonathan stretched out his hand to strike Bacchides, but he eluded him and went to the rear.
48
Then Jonathan and the men with him leaped into the Jordan and swam across to the other side, and the enemy did not cross the Jordan to attack them.
49
And about one thousand of Bacchides' men fell that day.
50
Then Bacchides returned to Jerusalem and built strong cities in Judea: the fortress in Jericho, and Emmaus, and Beth-horon, and Bethel, and Timnath, and Pharathon, and Tephon, with high walls and gates and bars.
51
And he placed garrisons in them to harass Israel.
52
He also fortified the town of Beth-zur, and Gazara, and the citadel, and in them he put troops and stores of food.
53
And he took the sons of the leading men of the land as hostages and put them under guard in the citadel at Jerusalem.
54
In the one hundred and fifty-third year, in the second month, Alcimus gave orders to tear down the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary. He tore down the work of the prophets!
55
But he only began to tear it down, for at that time Alcimus was stricken and his work was hindered; his mouth was stopped and he was paralyzed, so that he could no longer say a word or give commands concerning his house.