Anonymous (Septuagint) · a new plain-English translation from the original language
1| Now when the surrounding nations heard that the altar had been rebuilt and the sanctuary rededicated as before, they were very angry.
2| And they plotted to destroy the race of Jacob living among them, and they began to kill among the people and to wipe them out.
3| And Judas made war against the sons of Esau in Idumea, in the region of Akrabattene, because they were besieging Israel; and he struck them a great blow, and beat them down, and took their spoils.
4| And he remembered the wickedness of the sons of Baean, who had been a trap and a snare to the people, lying in wait for them along the roads.
5| And they were shut up by him in their towers, and he laid siege against them, and put them under the ban, and burned their towers with fire, together with everyone in them.
6| Then he crossed over against the sons of Ammon, and found a strong force there, and a great people, with Timotheus leading them.
7| And he fought many battles against them, and they were crushed before him, and he struck them down.
8| And he seized Jazer and its villages, and returned to Judea.
9| Then the nations in Gilead gathered together against the Israelites within their borders to destroy them; and the Israelites fled to the stronghold of Dathema.
10| And they sent letters to Judas and his brothers, saying: The nations round about us have gathered together against us to destroy us,
11| and they are preparing to come and seize the stronghold to which we have fled; and Timotheus is leading their camp.
12| Now therefore come and rescue us from their hand, for a great number of us have fallen.
13| And all our kinsmen who were in the region of Tob have been put to death, and their wives and children and possessions have been taken captive, and about a thousand men have perished there.
14| While the letters were still being read, behold, other messengers arrived from Galilee with their clothes torn, bringing word to this same effect,
15| saying: The Gentiles of Ptolemais and Tyre and Sidon and all Galilee of the nations have gathered together against them, to consume us utterly.
16| As soon as Judas and his people had heard this report, a large gathering convened to weigh what could be done for their kinsmen, who were suffering and under enemy assault.
17| And Judas said to Simon his brother, Choose men for yourself, and go and rescue your kinsmen in Galilee; my brother Jonathan and I will head into Gilead.
18| And he left Joseph son of Zechariah, and Azariah, a leader of the people, with the rest of the forces in Judea to guard it,
19| and he commanded them, saying: Take charge of this people, and do not engage the nations in battle until we return.
20| And three thousand men were assigned to Simon to go into Galilee, and eight thousand to Judas to go into Gilead.
21| So Simon went into Galilee, and fought many battles against the nations, and the nations were crushed before him.
22| And he pursued them to the gates of Ptolemais; and about three thousand of the nations fell, and he took their spoils.
23| And he took with him those from Galilee and Arbatta, together with their wives and children and all that belonged to them, and brought them into Judea with great rejoicing.
24| Meanwhile Judas Maccabeus and Jonathan his brother crossed the Jordan, and journeyed three days through the wilderness.
25| And they met the Nabateans, who received them peaceably, and told them all that had happened to their kinsmen in Gilead,
26| and that many of them had been shut up in Bosora and Bosor, in Alema, Chaspho, Maked, and Carnaim — all these being strong, great cities.
27| And men were also shut up in the remaining cities of Gilead; and tomorrow the enemy planned to encamp against the strongholds, to seize them and destroy all these people in a single day.
28| Then Judas turned aside with his camp, taking the road into the wilderness toward Bosor without warning; and he seized the city, and put every male to death with the sword's edge, seized their entire plunder, and set it ablaze.
29| And he set out from there by night, and marched on toward the stronghold.
30| And it came to be morning, and they lifted up their eyes, and behold, a people beyond number, carrying ladders and siege engines to seize the stronghold; and they were making war against those within.
31| And Judas saw that the battle had begun, and that the city's outcry was rising skyward amid trumpet blasts and a mighty shout;
32| and he said to the men of his forces, Fight today for our kinsmen.
33| And he went out in three companies from behind them; and they sounded the trumpets, and cried out in prayer.
34| And the camp of Timotheus recognized that it was the Maccabee, and they fled before him, and he struck them a great blow; and about eight thousand of them fell that day.
35| Then he turned aside to Maapha and made war against it, and seized it, and killed every male in it, and took its spoils, and burned it with fire.
36| From there he set out and captured Chasphor, Maked, Bosor, and the rest of the cities of Gilead.
37| After these events, Timotheus gathered another camp, and encamped opposite Raphon, on the far side of the ravine.
38| And Judas sent men to scout out the camp; and they reported to him, saying: All the nations round about us have gathered together to them, a very great force,
39| and Arabs have been hired to help them, and they are encamped beyond the ravine, ready to come against you in battle. So Judas went out to meet them.
40| And Timotheus said to the officers of his forces, as Judas and his camp drew near the ravine of water: If he crosses over to us first, we will have no power to stand against him, for he will certainly overpower us.
41| But if he is afraid and encamps on the far side of the river, we will cross over against him.
42| Now when Judas drew near to the ravine of water, he stationed the officers of the people at the ravine, and gave them this order: Let no man make camp, but let all come into the battle.
43| And he crossed over against them first, and all his people behind him; and all the nations were crushed before him, and they threw down all their weapons, and fled to the sacred precinct at Carnaim.
44| And they seized the city, and burned the sacred precinct with fire, together with everyone in it; and Carnaim was overthrown, and could no longer stand against Judas.
45| Then Judas gathered together all Israel who were in Gilead, small and great alike, with their wives and children and possessions, a very great camp, to go into the land of Judah.
46| And they came as far as Ephron, a great city lying on the way in, very strong, with no turning aside to the right or the left, but only a path straight through the middle of it.
47| But the people of the city shut them out, and blocked the gates with stones.
48| And Judas sent to them with peaceable words, saying: Grant us passage across your territory so we may reach our own land; no one will do you harm, we will only pass through on foot. But they were not willing to open to him.
49| Then Judas ordered a proclamation to be made in the camp that each man should encamp where he stood.
50| So the men of his forces encamped, and they fought against the city that whole day and that whole night, and the city was given into his hands.
51| And he destroyed every male by the edge of the sword, and razed the city to the ground, and took its spoils, and passed through the city over the bodies of the slain.
52| Then they crossed the Jordan into the great plain facing Beth-shan.
53| And Judas kept gathering in those who lagged behind, and encouraging the people all along the way, until he came into the land of Judah.
54| And they went up to Mount Zion with gladness and joy, and offered whole burnt offerings, because not one of them had fallen before they returned in peace.
55| Now in the days when Judas and Jonathan were in Gilead, and Simon his brother was in Galilee facing Ptolemais,
56| Joseph son of Zechariah, and Azariah, commanders of the forces, heard of the brave deeds and the fighting they had done;
57| and they said, Let us also make a name for ourselves, and let us go and make war against the nations round about us.
58| So they gave orders to the forces that were with them, and they marched against Jamnia.
59| And Gorgias came out from the city, with his men, to meet them in battle.
60| And Joseph and Azariah were routed, and were pursued to the borders of Judea; and about two thousand of the people of Israel fell that day.
61| And there was a great rout among the people, because they had not listened to Judas and his brothers, thinking to do a brave deed themselves.
62| But they were not of the stock of those men, to whom it was given to bring about the deliverance of Israel by their own hand.
63| And the man Judas and his brothers were greatly glorified before all Israel and all the nations, wherever their name was heard;
64| and people gathered to them with words of praise.
65| Then Judas and his brothers went out and fought against the sons of Esau in the southern territory, and he struck Hebron and its villages, and tore down its stronghold, and burned its towers all around.
66| And he set out for the territory of the Philistines, journeying by way of Samaria.
67| On that day certain priests fell in battle, wanting to do a brave deed, when they went out to fight rashly.
68| And Judas turned aside into Azotus, the land of the Philistines, and tore down their altars, and burned the carved images of their gods, and plundered the spoils of the cities, and returned to Judea.