1 Maccabees 5

War with the Neighboring Peoples

1When the surrounding nations heard that the altar had been built anew and the sanctuary dedicated afresh, as it was before, they were filled with rage. 2They resolved to wipe out the race of Jacob living among them, and they began killing and destroying among the people. 3Judas made war on the sons of Esau in Idumea, at Akrabattene, because they had Israel under siege. He struck them a great blow, drove them back, and took their spoils. 4He also remembered the malice of the sons of Baean: to the people they were a trap and a stumbling block, ambushing them along the roads. 5He shut them up in their towers, camped against them, devoted them to destruction, and burned their towers with fire, together with everyone inside. 6Then he crossed over against the Ammonites, where he found a strong force and a numerous people, with Timothy as their leader. 7He joined battle with them many times, and they were crushed before him, and he struck them down. 8He took Jazer and its villages, and then he returned to Judea.

The Cry from Gilead and Galilee

9The nations in Gilead gathered against the Israelites within their borders to wipe them out, and the Israelites fled to the stronghold of Dathema. 10Letters went out to Judas and his brothers: “The nations around us have gathered against us to wipe us out. 11They are making ready to march and seize the stronghold where we have taken refuge, and Timothy commands their force. 12So come now, snatch us out of their hand, for a multitude of us has fallen. 13All our brothers in the region of Tobias have been killed. Their wives and children were carried off captive, their goods with them, and about a thousand men were destroyed there.” 14The letters were still being read when other messengers arrived from Galilee with their garments torn, bringing a report in the same terms. 15They said that men from Ptolemais, from Tyre, from Sidon, and from the whole of foreign Galilee had massed against them to finish them off. 16Hearing this, Judas and the people gathered in a great assembly to decide what to do for their brothers, who were in distress and under attack. 17To Simon his brother Judas said, “Pick out men for yourself and go rescue your brothers in Galilee. Jonathan my brother and I will go to Gilead.” 18He left Joseph son of Zechariah, and Azariah, as leaders of the people, with the rest of the force in Judea, to keep guard. 19And he ordered them, “Take charge of this people, but do not join battle with the nations until we return.” 20Simon was allotted three thousand men for Galilee, and Judas eight thousand for Gilead. 21Simon went to Galilee. He joined battle with the nations many times, and the nations were crushed before him. 22He chased them as far as the gate of Ptolemais, and of the nations there fell some three thousand men, and he took their spoils. 23He brought away the people of Galilee and of Arbatta, wives and children and everything they owned, and he led them into Judea with great gladness.

Judas Crosses the Jordan

24Judas Maccabeus and Jonathan his brother crossed the Jordan and traveled three days’ journey into the wilderness. 25They met the Nabateans, who received them peaceably and told them everything that had happened to their brothers in Gilead: 26and that many of their number were being held inside Bozrah and Bosor, in Alema, Chaspho, Maked, and Karnaim — all of them large, fortified cities — 27and that they were held shut up in the remaining cities of Gilead as well, and that for the next day they had arranged to move on the strongholds, to take them and wipe out all these people in a single day. 28Judas and his camp turned aside at once by the wilderness road to Bozrah. He captured the city, put every male to the sword’s edge, stripped it of all its spoils, and burned it with fire. 29He moved out from there by night, and they marched on until they reached the stronghold. 30At dawn they raised their eyes, and there was a people beyond counting, carrying ladders and siege engines to take the stronghold, and they were already attacking. 31Judas saw that the fighting had begun and that the city’s outcry was rising to heaven — trumpets and a great shout. 32He said to the men of the force, “Fight today for our brothers!” 33He came out behind them in three columns; the trumpets sounded, and they cried aloud in prayer. 34Timothy’s camp realized that this was Maccabeus, and they fled before him. He struck them a great blow, and about eight thousand of their men fell that day. 35He turned aside to Alema, attacked it, and took it; he killed every male in it, took its spoils, and burned it with fire. 36From there he moved on and took Chaspho, Maked, and Bosor, along with the remaining cities of Gilead. 37After all this Timothy gathered another army and camped opposite Raphon, across the wadi. 38Judas sent men to scout the camp, and they reported to him: “All the nations around us have gathered to him — a very great force. 39They have hired Arabs to help them, and they are camped across the wadi, ready to come against you in battle.” So Judas went to meet them. 40As Judas and his army drew near the water of the wadi, Timothy said to the officers of his force, “If he crosses over to us first, we will not be able to stand against him, for he will surely overpower us. 41But if his nerve fails him and he camps beyond the wadi, we will cross to him and overpower him.” 42When Judas drew near the water of the wadi, he stationed the scribes of the people along the wadi and ordered them, “Let no man stay behind in camp. Every one of them is to come to the battle.” 43He crossed over against them first, with all the people behind him. All the nations were crushed before them; they flung down their weapons and ran for the sacred precinct at Karnaim. 44They seized the city and burned the sacred precinct with fire, together with everyone in it. Karnaim was overthrown, and they could no longer stand before Judas.

The Road Home Through Ephron

45Judas gathered all the Israelites in Gilead, from the least to the greatest, along with their women, their children, and their baggage — an immense company — to go to the land of Judah. 46Their road brought them to Ephron. This was a large city on the way, very strongly fortified; there was no turning aside from it to the right or to the left, for the way ran straight through it. 47The townspeople barred them out and blocked the gates with stones. 48Judas sent them a message of peace: “We will pass through your land to reach our own. No one will harm you; we will only walk through.” But they refused to open to him. 49So Judas gave orders for a proclamation through the camp: each man was to take his position where he stood. 50The men of the force took their positions, and he assaulted the city through that whole day and the whole night, and the city was handed over into his hand. 51He destroyed every male at the sword’s edge, razed the city, took its spoils, and walked through it over the bodies of the slain. 52They crossed the Jordan into the great plain opposite Beth-shan. 53Judas kept gathering in the stragglers and encouraging the people all along the road, until they came to the land of Judah. 54They went up to Mount Zion in gladness and joy and presented burnt offerings, because not one of them had fallen, right up to their return in peace.

The Defeat of Joseph and Azariah

55In the days when Judas was in Gilead with Jonathan, and his brother Simon in Galilee facing Ptolemais, 56Joseph son of Zechariah and Azariah, commanders of the force, heard of the brave deeds and of the fighting they had done. 57They said, “Let us make a name for ourselves too. Let us go and fight the nations around us.” 58So they gave the word to those of the force that was with them, and they set out against Jabneh. 59Gorgias came out of the city with his men to meet them in battle. 60Joseph and Azariah were routed and pursued to the borders of Judea, and about two thousand of the people of Israel fell that day. 61There was a great rout among the people, because they had not listened to Judas and his brothers, imagining that they too would do something brave. 62For these men did not belong to the line through whose hand deliverance was given to Israel. 63The man Judas and his brothers won great honor before all Israel and among all the nations wherever their name was heard. 64People gathered around them with shouts of praise. 65Judas went out with his brothers, and they made war on the sons of Esau in the land to the south. He struck down Hebron and its villages, tore down its strongholds, and set fire to its towers on every side. 66Then he broke camp for Philistine territory, passing through Mareshah. 67On that day priests fell in battle, wanting to prove themselves brave, going out to fight without taking counsel. 68Judas turned aside to Azotus, in Philistine territory. He pulled down their pagan altars, burned the carved images of their gods, stripped the towns of their spoil, and went back to the land of Judah.