1
When these covenants were made, Lysias went unto the king, and the Jews were about their husbandry.
2
But of the governors of several places, Timothy and Apollonius the son of Gennaeus, also Hieronymus and Demophon, and besides them Nicanor the governor of Cyprus, would not suffer them to be quiet and live in peace.
3
The men of Joppa also did such an ungodly deed: they prayed the Jews that dwelt among them to go with their wives and children into the boats which they had prepared, as though they had meant them no hurt. He also went about to make a bridge to a certain strong city, which was fortified about with walls and inhabited by people of divers countries; and the name of it was Caspin.
4
They accepted it, according to the common decree of the city, as being desirous to live in peace and suspecting nothing; but when they had gone forth into the deep, they drowned no less than two hundred of them.
5
When Judas heard of this cruelty done unto his countrymen, he commanded those who were with him to make themselves ready.
6
And, calling upon God the righteous Judge, he came against those murderers of his brethren, and burned the haven by night and set the boats on fire, and those who fled thither he slew.
7
And when the town was shut up, he went backward, as if he would return to root out all those of the city of Joppa.
8
But when he heard that the Jamnites were minded to do in like manner unto the Jews who dwelt among them,
9
he came upon the Jamnites also by night, and set fire to the haven and the navy, so that the light of the fire was seen in Jerusalem two hundred and forty furlongs off.
10
Now when they were gone from thence more than a mile on their journey toward Timothy, no fewer than five thousand men on foot and five hundred horsemen of the Arabians set upon him,
11
whereupon there was a very sore battle; but Judas' side by the help of God got the victory, so that the nomads of Arabia, being overcome, besought Judas for peace, promising both to give him cattle and to please him otherwise.
12
Then Judas, thinking indeed that they would be profitable in many things, granted them peace, whereupon they shook hands; and so they departed to their tents.
14
But those who were within it put such trust in the strength of the walls and provision of victuals, that they behaved themselves rudely toward those who were with Judas, railing and blaspheming, and uttering such words as were not to be spoken.
15
Therefore Judas with his company, calling upon the great Lord of the world (who without rams or engines of war cast down Jericho in the time of Joshua), gave a fierce assault against the walls
16
and took the city by the will of God, and made unspeakable slaughters, insomuch that a lake a quarter of a mile nearby adjoining thereunto, being filled full, was seen running with blood.
17
Then they departed from thence ninety-five miles and came to Charax unto the Jews who are called Tubianites.
18
But as for Timothy, they found him not in the places; for before he had dispatched anything, he departed from thence, having left a very strong garrison in a certain stronghold.
19
However Dositheus and Sosipater, who were of Maccabeus' captains, went forth and slew those whom Timothy had left in the fortress, above ten thousand men.
20
And Maccabeus arranged his army by bands, and set them over the bands, and went against Timothy, who had about him a hundred and twenty thousand men on foot, and two thousand and five hundred horsemen.
21
Now when Timothy had knowledge of Judas' coming, he sent the women and children and the other baggage unto a fortress called Carnaim; for the town was hard to besiege and difficult to come unto by reason of the narrowness of all the places.
22
But when Judas' first band came in sight, the enemies, being smitten with fear and terror through the appearing of Him that seeth all things, fled amain, one running this way, another that way, so that they were often hurt by their own men and wounded with the points of their own swords.
23
Judas also was very earnest in pursuing them, killing those wicked wretches, of whom he slew about thirty thousand men.
24
Moreover Timothy himself fell into the hands of Dositheus and Sosipater, whom he besought with much craft to let him go with his life, because he had many of the Jews' parents and the brethren of some of them, who, if they put him to death, would not be regarded.
25
So when he had assured them with many words that he would restore them without hurt, according to the agreement, they let him go for the saving of their brethren.
26
Then Maccabeus marched forth to Carnaim and to the temple of Atargatis, and there he slew five and twenty thousand persons.
27
And after he had put to flight and destroyed them, Judas removed the host toward Ephron, a strong city wherein Lysias abode, and a great multitude of divers nations. And the strong young men kept the walls and defended them mightily, wherein also was great provision of engines and darts.
28
But when Judas and his company had called upon Almighty God, who with His power breaketh the strength of His enemies, they won the city, and slew twenty and five thousand of those who were within.
29
From thence they departed to Scythopolis, which lieth seventy-five miles from Jerusalem.
30
But when the Jews who dwelt there had testified that the Scythopolitans dealt lovingly with them and treated them kindly in the time of their adversity,
31
they gave them thanks, desiring them to be friendly still toward them; and so they came to Jerusalem, the Feast of the Weeks approaching.
32
And after the feast called Pentecost, they went forth against Gorgias, the governor of Idumea,
33
who came out with three thousand men on foot and four hundred horsemen.
34
And it happened that in their fighting together a few of the Jews were slain.
35
At that time Dositheus, one of Bacenor's company who was on horseback and a strong man, silently crept up upon Gorgias and, taking hold of his coat, drew him by force; and when he would have taken that accursed man alive, a horseman of Thracia, coming upon him, smote off his shoulder, so that Gorgias fled unto Marisa.
36
Now when those who were with Gorgias had fought long and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord, that He would show Himself to be their helper and leader of the battle.
37
And with that he began in his own language and sang psalms with a loud voice and, rushing unawares upon Gorgias' men, he put them to flight.
38
So Judas gathered his host and came into the city of Adullam. And when the seventh day came, they purified themselves, as the custom was, and kept the Sabbath in the same place.
39
And upon the day following, as the practice had been, Judas and his company came to take up the bodies of those who were slain, and to bury them with their kinsmen in their fathers' graves.
40
Now under the coats of every one who was slain they found things consecrated to the idols of the Jamnites, which is forbidden the Jews by the law. Then every man saw that this was the cause for which they were slain.
41
All men therefore, praising the Lord, the righteous Judge, who had opened the things that were hid,
42
resorted unto prayer and besought Him that the sin committed might wholly be put out of remembrance. Besides, that noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin, inasmuch as they saw before their eyes the things that came to pass for the sins of those who were slain.
43
And when he had taken a gathering throughout the company to the sum of two thousand drachmas of silver, he sent it to Jerusalem to offer a sin offering, doing therein very well and honorably, in that he was mindful of the resurrection.
44
For if he had not hoped that those who were slain should have risen again, it would have been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead.)
45
And also in that he perceived that there was great favor laid up for those who died godly, it was a holy and good thought. Thereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might be delivered from sin.