5:1 Now it came to pass, when the nations round about heard that the altar and the sanctuary were built up as before, that they were exceedingly angry.
5:2 And they thought to destroy the generation of Jacob who were among them, and they began to kill some of the people, and to persecute them.
5:3 Then Judas fought against the sons of Esau in Idumea, and those who were in Acrabathane: because they beset the Israelites round about, and he made a great slaughter of them.
5:4 And he remembered the malice of the sons of Bean: who were a snare and a stumblingblock to the people, by lying in wait for them in the way.
5:5 And they were shut up by him in towers, and he set on them, and devoted them to utter destruction, and burned their towers with fire, and all who were in them.
5:6 Then he passed over to the sons of Ammon, where he found a mighty power, and many people, and Timotheus was their captain.
5:7 And he fought many battles with them, and they were discomfited in their sight, and he struck them.
5:8 And he took the city of Gazer and her towns, and returned into Judea.
5:9 And the nations that were in Gilead, assembled themselves together against the Israelites who were in their quarters to destroy them: and they fled into the fortress of Datheman.
5:10 And they sent letters to Judas and his brothers, saying: The nations that are round about are gathered together against us, to destroy us.
5:11 And they are preparing to come, and to take the fortress into which we have fled. And Timotheus is the captain of their host.
5:12 Now therefore come, and deliver us out of their hands, for many of us have been slain.
5:13 And all our brothers who were in the places of Tubin, have been killed. And they have carried away their wives, and their children, captives, and taken their spoils, and they have slain there almost a thousand men.
5:14 And while they were yet reading these letters, look, there came other messengers out of Galilee with their garments rent, who related according to these words,
5:15 saying that those of Ptolemais, and of Tyre, and of Sidon, were assembled against them, and all Galilee is filled with strangers, in order to consume us.
5:16 Now when Judas and the people heard these words, a great assembly met together to consider what they should do for their brothers who were in trouble, and were assaulted by them.
5:17 And Judas said to Simon his brother: Choose you men, and go, and deliver your brothers in Galilee: and I, and my brother Jonathan will go into the country of Gilead.
5:18 And he left Joseph the [son] of Zacharias, and Azarias captains of the people with the remnant of the army in Judea to keep it.
5:19 And he commanded them, saying: Take+ the charge of this people: but make no war against the nations, until we return.
5:20 Now three thousand men were allotted to Simon, to go into Galilee: and eight thousand to Judas to go into the land of Gilead.
5:21 And Simon went into Galilee, and fought many battles with the nations: and the nations were discomfited before his face, and he pursued them even to the gate of Ptolemais.
5:22 And there fell of the nations almost three thousand men, and he took the spoils of them.
5:23 And he took with him those who were in Galilee and in Arbatis with their wives, and children, and all that they had, and he brought them into Judea with great joy.
5:24 And Judas Maccabeus, and Jonathan his brother passed over the Jordan, and went three days' journey through the desert.
5:25 And the Nabutheans met them, and received them in a peaceful manner, and told them all that happened to their brothers in the land of Gilead,
5:26 And that many of them were shut up in Barasa, and in Bosor, and in Alima, and in Casphor, and in Mageth, and in Carnaim: all these strong and great cities.
5:27 Yes, and that they were kept shut up in the rest of the cities of Gilead, and that they had appointed to bring their army on the next day near to these cities, and to take them and to destroy them all in one day.
5:28 Then Judas and his army suddenly turned their march into the desert, to Bosor, and took the city: and he slew every male by the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burned it with fire.
5:29 And they removed from there by night, and went until they came to the fortress.
5:30 And it came to pass that early in the morning, when they lifted up their eyes, look, there were people without number, carrying ladders and engines to take the fortress, and assault them.
5:31 And Judas saw that the fight had begun, and the cry of the battle went up to heaven like a trumpet, and a great cry out of the city:
5:32 And he said to his host: Fight+ today for your+ brothers.
5:33 And he came with three companies behind them, and they sounded their trumpets, and cried out in prayer.
5:34 And the host of Timotheus understood that it was Maccabeus, and they fled away before his face: and they made a great slaughter of them: and there fell of them in that day almost eight thousand men.
5:35 And Judas turned aside to Maspha, and assaulted, and took it, and he slew every male of it, and took the spoils of it, and burned it with fire.
5:36 From there he marched, and took Casbon, and Mageth, and Bosor, and the rest of the cities of Gilead.
5:37 But after this Timotheus gathered another army, and camped opposite Raphon beyond the torrent.
5:38 And Judas sent men to view the army: and they brought him word, saying: All the nations, that are round about us, have assembled to him an army exceedingly great:
5:39 And they have hired the Arabians to help them, and they have pitched their tents beyond the torrent, ready to come to fight against you. And Judas went to meet them.
5:40 And Timotheus said to the captains of his army: When Judas and his army come near the torrent of water, if he passes over to us first, we will not be able to withstand him: for he will certainly prevail over us.
5:41 But if he is afraid to pass over, and camps on the other side of the river, we will pass over to them and will prevail against him.
5:42 Now when Judas came near the torrent of water, he set the scribes of the people by the torrent, and commanded them, saying: Allow no man to stay behind: but let all come to the battle.
5:43 And he passed over to them first, and all the people after him, and all the nations were discomfited before them, and they threw away their weapons, and fled to the temple that was in Carnaim.
5:44 And he took that city, and the temple he burned with fire, with all things that were in it: and Carnaim was subdued, and could not stand against the face of Judas.
5:45 And Judas gathered together all the Israelites who were in the land of Gilead, from the least even to the greatest, and their wives, and children, and an army exceedingly great, to come into the land of Judah.
5:46 And they came as far as Ephron: now this was a great city situate in the way, strongly fortified, and there was no means to turn from it to the right hand or to the left, but the way was through the midst of it.
5:47 And those who were in the city, shut themselves in, and stopped up the gates with stones: and Judas sent to them with peaceful words,
5:48 saying: Let us pass through your+ land, to go into our country: and no man will hurt you+: we will only pass through on foot. But they would not open to them.
5:49 Then Judas commanded proclamation to be made in the camp, that they should make an assault every man in the place where he was.
5:50 And the men of the army drew near, and he assaulted that city all the day, and all the night, and the city was delivered into his hands.
5:51 And they slew every male with the edge of the sword, and he razed the city, and took the spoils of it, and passed through all the city over those who were slain.
5:52 Then they passed over the Jordan to the great plain that is over against Bethsan.
5:53 And Judas gathered together the hindmost, and he exhorted the people all the way through, until they came into the land of Judah.
5:54 And they went up to Mount Zion with joy and gladness, and offered burnt-offerings, because not one of them was slain, until they had returned in peace.
5:55 Now in the days that Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Gilead, and Simon his brother in Galilee before Ptolemais,
5:56 Joseph the [son] of Zacharias, and Azarias captain of the soldiers, heard of the good success, and the battles that were fought.
5:57 And he said: Let's also get ourselves a name, and let's go fight against the nations that are round about us.
5:58 And he gave charge to those who were in his army, and they went toward Jamnia.
5:59 And Gorgias and his men went out of the city, to give them battle.
5:60 And Joseph and Azarias were put to flight, and were pursued to the borders of Judea: and there fell, on that day, of the people of Israel about two thousand men, and there was a great overthrow of the people:
5:61 Because they did not listen to Judas, and his brothers, thinking that they should do manfully.
5:62 But they were not of the seed of those men by whom salvation was brought to Israel.
5:63 And the men of Judah were magnified exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and of all the nations where their name was heard.
5:64 And people assembled to them with joyful acclamations.
5:65 Then Judas and his brothers went forth and attacked the sons of Esau, in the land toward the south, and he took Hebron, and her towns. And he burned the walls of it and the towers all round it.
5:66 And he removed his camp to go into the land of the aliens, and he went through Samaria.
5:67 In that day some priests fell in battle, while desiring to do manfully they went out unadvisedly to fight.
5:68 And Judas turned to Azotus into the land of the strangers, and he threw down their altars, and he burned the statues of their gods with fire: and he took the spoils of the cities, and returned into the land of Judah.