1 Maccabees [Hammers] 5

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¹And it came to pass, when the Gentiles round about heard that the altar was built, and the sanctuary dedicated as aforetime, they were exceeding angry.

²And they took counsel to destroy the race of Jacob Supplanter that was in the midst of them, and they began to kill and destroy among the people.

³And Judas Praised fought against the children of Esau Hairy in Idumaea at Akrabattine, because they besieged Israel God prevails: and he struck them with a great slaughter, and brought down their pride, and took their spoils.

⁴And he remembered the wickedness of the children of Baean, who were to the people a snare and a stumbling block, lying in wait for them in the ways.

⁵And they were shut up by him in the towers; and he encamped against them, and destroyed them utterly, and burned with fire the towers of the place, with all that were therein.

⁶And he passed over to the children of Ammon Tribal people, and found a mighty band, and much people, with Timotheus for their leader.

⁷And he fought many battles with them, and they were discomfited before his face; and he struck them,

⁸and got possession of Jazer, and the villages thereof, and returned again into Judea.

⁹And the Gentiles that were in Gilead gathered themselves together against the Israelites that were on their borders, to destroy them. And they fled to the stronghold of Dathema,

¹⁰and sent letters to Judas Praised and his brethren, saying, The Gentiles that are round about us are gathered together against us to destroy us:

¹¹and they are preparing to come and get possession of the stronghold whereunto we fled for refuge, and Timotheus is the leader of their host.

¹²Now therefore come and deliver us from their hand, for many of us are fallen.

¹³And all our brethren that were in the land of Tubias have been put to death; and they have carried into captivity their wives and their children and their stuff; and they destroyed there about a thousand men.

¹⁴While the letters were yet reading, behold, there came other messengers from Galilee District, Circuit with their clothes tore, bringing a report after this wise,

¹⁵saying, That there were gathered together against them those of Ptolemais, and of Tyre, and of Sidon, and all Galil-of-the-Goyim District, Circuit of Non-Jews to consume them.

¹⁶Now when Judas Praised and the people heard these words, there assembled together a great congregation, to consult what they should do for their brethren, that were in tribulation, and were assaulted of them.

¹⁷And Judas Praised said to Simeon Hearing his brother, Choose you out men, and go and deliver your brethren that are in Galilee District, Circuit, but I and Jonathan my brother will go into the land of Gilead.

¹⁸And he left Joseph May he add the son of Zacharias Remembered by Yah, and Azarias, as leaders of the people, with the remnant of the host, in Judea, for to keep it.

¹⁹And he gave commandment to them, saying, Take you the charge of this people, and fight no battle with the Gentiles until that we come again.

²⁰And to Simeon Hearing were divided three thousand men to go into Galilee District, Circuit, but to Judas Praised eight thousand men to go into the land of Gilead.

²¹And Simeon Hearing went into Galilee District, Circuit, and fought many battles with the Gentiles, and the Gentiles were discomfited before him.

²²And he pursued them to the gate of Ptolemais; and there fell of the Gentiles about three thousand men, and he took their spoils.

²³And they took to them those that were in Galilee District, Circuit, and in Arbatta, with their wives and their children, and all that they had, and brought them into Judea with great gladness.

²⁴And Judas Praised Maccabee Praised Hammer and his brother Jonathan passed over Jordan Descender, and went three days’ journey in the wilderness;

²⁵and they met with the Nabathaeans, and these met them in a peaceful manner, and told them all things that had befallen their brethren in the land of Gilead:

²⁶and how that many of them were shut up in Bosora, and Bosor, and Alema, Casphor, Maked, and Carnaim; all these cities are strong and great:

²⁷and how that they were shut up in the rest of the cities of the land of Gilead, and that tomorrow they have appointed to encamp against the strongholds, and to take them, and to destroy all these men in one day.

²⁸And Judas Praised and his army turned suddenly by the way of the wilderness to Bosora; and he took the city, and killed all the males with the edge of the sword, and took all their spoils, and burned the city with fire.

²⁹And he removed from thence by night, and went till he came to the stronghold.

³⁰And the morning came, and they lifted up their eyes, and, behold, much people which could not be counted, bearing ladders and engines of war, to take the stronghold; and they were fighting against them.

³¹And Judas Praised saw that the battle was begun, and that the cry of the city went up to heaven, with trumpets and a great sound,

³²and he said to the men of his host, Fight this day for your brethren.

³³And he went forth behind them in three companies, and they sounded with their trumpets, and cried out in prayer.

³⁴And the army of Timotheus perceived that it was Maccabaeus Hammer, and they fled from before him: and he struck them with a great slaughter; and there fell of them on that day about eight thousand men.

³⁵And he turned aside to Mizpeh and fought against it, and took it, and killed all the males thereof, and took the spoils thereof, and burned it with fire.

³⁶From thence he removed, and took Casphor, Maked, Bosor, and the other cities of the land of Gilead.

³⁷Now after these things Timotheus gathered another army, and encamped over against Raphon beyond the brook.

³⁸And Judas Praised sent men to spy on the army; and they brought him word, saying, All the Gentiles that be round about us are gathered together to them, an exceeding great host.

³⁹And they have hired Arabians to help them, and are encamping beyond the brook, ready to come against you to battle. And Judas Praised went to meet them.

⁴⁰And Timotheus said to the captains of his host, when Judas Praised and his army drew near to the brook of water, If he pass over first to us, we shall not be able to withstand him; for he will mightily prevail against us:

⁴¹but if he be afraid, and encamp beyond the river, we will cross over to him, and prevail against him.

⁴²Now when Judas Praised came near to the brook of water, he caused the Torah-Teachers of the people to remain by the brook, and gave commandment to them, saying, Suffer no man to encamp, but let all come to the battle.

⁴³And he crossed over the first against them, and all the people after him: and all the Gentiles were discomfited before his face, and cast away their arms, and fled to the temple at Carnaim.

⁴⁴And they took the city, and burned the temple with fire, together with all that were therein. And Carnaim was subdued, neither could they stand any longer before the face of Judas Praised.

⁴⁵And Judas Praised gathered together all Israel God prevails, them that were in the land of Gilead, from the least to the greatest, and their wives, and their children, and their stuff, an exceeding great army, that they might come into the land of Judah Praised.

⁴⁶And they came as far as Ephron Fawn-like, and this same city was great, and it was in the way as they should go, exceeding strong: they could not turn aside from it on the right hand or on the left, but must needs pass through the midst of it.

⁴⁷And they of the city shut them out, and stopped up the gates with stones.

⁴⁸And Judas Praised sent to them with words of peace, saying, We will pass through your land to go into our own land, and none shall do you any hurt, we will only pass by on our feet. And they would not open to him.

⁴⁹And Judas Praised commanded proclamation to be made in the army, that each man should encamp in the place where he was.

⁵⁰And the men of the host encamped, and fought against the city all that day and all that night, and the city was delivered into his hands;

⁵¹and he destroyed all the males with the edge of the sword, and razed the city, and took the spoils thereof, and passed through the city over them that were slain.

⁵²And they went over Jordan Descender into the great plain over against Bethshan.

⁵³And Judas Praised gathered together those that lagged behind, and encouraged the people all the way through, until he came into the land of Judah Praised.

⁵⁴And they went up to mount Sion with gladness and joy, and offered whole burnt offerings, because not so much as one of them was slain until they returned in peace.

⁵⁵And in the days when Judas Praised and Jonathan were in the land of Gilead, and Simeon Hearing his brother in Galilee District, Circuit before Ptolemais,

⁵⁶Joseph May he add the son of Zacharias Remembered by Yah, and Azarias, rulers of the host, heard of their exploits and of the war, what things they had done;

⁵⁷and they said, Let us also get us a name, and let us go fight against the Gentiles that are round about us.

⁵⁸And they gave charge to the men of the host that was with them, and went toward Jamnia.

⁵⁹And Gorgias and his men came out of the city to meet them in battle.

⁶⁰And Joseph May he add 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 God prevails about two thousand men.

⁶¹And there was a great overthrow among the people, because they hearkened not to Judas Praised and his brethren, thinking to do some exploit.

⁶²But they were not of the seed of those men, by whose hand deliverance was given to Israel God prevails.

⁶³And the man Judas Praised and his brethren were glorified exceedingly in the sight of all Israel God prevails, and of all the Gentiles, wherever their name was heard of;

⁶⁴and men gathered together to them, acclaiming them.

⁶⁵And Judas Praised and his brethren went forth, and fought against the children of Esau Hairy in the land toward the south; and he struck Hebron and the villages thereof, and pulled down the strongholds thereof, and burned the towers thereof round about.

⁶⁶And he removed to go into the land of the Philistines To roll in dust (As an insult), and he went through Samaria.

⁶⁷In that day certain priests, desiring to do exploits there, were slain in battle, when as he went out to battle unadvisedly.

⁶⁸And Judas Praised turned aside to Azotus, to the land of the Philistines To roll in dust (As an insult), and pulled down their altars, and burned the carved images of their deities with fire, and took the spoil of their cities, and returned into the land of Judah Praised.