Open English Translation 1 MAC Chapter 5

5 When the Gentiles all around heard that the altar had been rebuilt and the sanctuary dedicated as before, they were extremely angry. 2 They took counsel to destroy the race of Ya’akov (Jacob) that was among them, and they began to kill and destroy among the people. 3 Yehudah fought against the children of Esav (Esau) in Edom at Akrabattine, because they besieged Yisrael. He struck them with a great slaughter, humbled them, and took their spoils. 4 He remembered the wickedness of the children of[fn] Baean, who were a snare and a stumbling block to the people, lying in wait for them on the highways. 5 They were shut up by him in the towers. He encamped against them, and destroyed them utterly, and burnt with fire the towers of the place with all who were in them. 6 He passed over to the children of Amon, and found a mighty band and many people, with Timotheos for their leader. 7 He fought many battles with them, and they were defeated before his face. He struck them, 8 and took possession of Yazer and its villages,[fn] and returned again into Yehudah.

9 The Gentiles who were in Gilead gathered themselves together against the Israelis who were on their borders, to destroy them. They fled to the fortress of Dathema, 10 and sent letters to Yehudah and his kindred, saying, “The Gentiles who are around us are gathered together against us to destroy us. 11 They’re preparing to come and get possession of the fortress where we fled for refuge, and Timotheos is the leader of their army. 12 Now therefore come and deliver us from their hand, for many of us have fallen. 13 All our kindred who were in the land of Toviyah (Tobias)[fn] have been put to death. They’ve carried their wives, their children, and their stuff into captivity. They destroyed about a thousand men there.”

14 While the letters were still being read, look, other messengers came from Galil with their clothes torn, bringing a similar report, 15 saying, “People of Ptolemais, of Tsor (Tyre), of Tsidon (Sidon), and all Galil of the[fn] Gentiles have gathered together to destroy us.”

16 Now when Yehudah and the people heard those words, a great congregation assembled together to determine what they should do for their kindred who were in distress and under attack. 17 Yehudah said to Shim’on his brother, “Choose men and go deliver your kindred who are in Galil, but Yonatan (Jonathan) my brother and I’ll go into Gilead.” 18 He left Yosef (Joseph) the son of Zekaryah (Zechariah), and Azaryah, as leaders of the people, with the remnant of the army, in Yehudah, to guard it. 19 He commanded them, saying, “Take charge of this people, and fight no battle with the Gentiles until we return.” 20 Then three thousand men were assigned to go into Galil with Shim’on, but eight thousand men were assigned to Yehudah to go into Gilead.

21 Shim’on (Simon) went into Galil and fought many battles with the Gentiles, and the Gentiles were defeated before him. 22 He pursued them to Ptolemais’ gate. About three thousand men of the Gentiles fell, and he took their spoils. 23 They took to them those who were in Galil and in Arbatta, with their wives, their children, and all that they had, and brought them into Yehudah with great gladness.

24 Yehudah Makabi (Maccabaeus) and his brother Yonatan passed over the Yarden (Jordan), and went three days’ journey in the wilderness. 25 They met with the Nabataeans, and these met them in a peaceful manner and told them all things that’d happened to their kindred in Gilead, 26 and how many of them were shut up in Bosora, Bosor, Alema,[fn] Kasfor, Maked, and[fn] Karnayim—all these cities are strong and large—27 and how they were shut up in the rest of the cities of Gilead, and that tomorrow they planned to encamp against the fortresses, and to take them, and to destroy all these men in one day.

28 Yehudah 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, took all their spoils, and burnt the city with fire. 29 He left there at night, and went until he came to the fortress. 30 When the morning came, they lifted up their eyes and saw many people who couldn’t be counted, bearing ladders and engines of war, to take the fortress; and they were fighting against them. 31 Yehudah saw that the battle had begun, and that the cry of the city went up to heaven, with trumpets and a great sound, 32 and he said to the men of his army, “Fight today for your kindred!” 33 Then he went out behind them in three companies. They sounded with their trumpets and cried out in prayer. 34 And Timotheos’ army perceived that it was Makabi (Maccabaeus), and they fled from before him. He struck them with a great slaughter. About eight thousand men of them fell on that day.

35 He turned away to Mitspah and fought against it, took it, killed all its males, took its spoils, and burnt it with fire. 36 From there he marched and took[fn] Kasfor, Maked, Bosor, and the other cities of Gilead.

37 Now after those things, Timotheos gathered another army and encamped near Rafon beyond the brook. 38 Yehudah sent men to spy on the army; and they brought him word, saying, “All the Gentiles who are around us are gathered together to them, a very great army. 39 They’ve hired Aravim to help them, and are encamped beyond the brook, ready to come against you to battle.” So Yehudah went to meet them.

40 Timotheos said to the captains of his army when Yehudah and his army drew near to the brook of water, “If he crosses over to us first, we won’t be able to withstand him, for he’ll certainly defeat us; 41 but if he’s afraid, and encamps beyond the river, we’ll cross over to him, and defeat him.” 42 Now when Yehudah came near to the water brook, he caused the scribes of the people to remain by the brook, and commanded them, saying, “Allow no man to encamp, but let all come to the battle.” 43 Then he crossed over the first against them, and all the people after him; and all the Gentiles were defeated before his face, and threw away their weapons, and fled to the temple at Karnayim.[fn] 44 They took the city and burnt the temple with fire, together with all who were in it. Karnayim was subdued. They couldn’t stand any longer before Yehudah’s face.

45 Yehudah gathered together all Yisrael (Israel), those who were in Gilead, from the least to the greatest, with their wives, their children, and their stuff, a very great army, that they might come into Yehudah. 46 They came as far as Efron, and this same city was large and very strong. It was on the road where they were going. They couldn’t turn away from it on the right hand or on the left, but needed to pass through the middle of it. 47 The people of the city shut them out and blocked the gates with stones. 48 Yehudah sent to them with words of peace, saying, “We’ll pass through your land to go into our own land, and no one will harm you. We’ll only pass by on our feet.” But they wouldn’t open to him. 49 Then Yehudah commanded an announcement to be made in the army, that each man should encamp in the place where he was. 50 So the men of the army encamped, and fought against the city all that day and all that night, and the city was delivered into his hands. 51 He destroyed all the males with the edge of the sword, razed the city, took its plunder, and passed through the city over those who were slain. 52 They went over the Yarden (Jordan) into the great plain near Beyt-Shean. 53 And Yehudah gathered together those who lagged behind and encouraged the people all the way through, until he came into Yehudah. 54 They went up to Mt. Tsiyon (Zion) with gladness and joy, and offered whole burnt offerings, because not so much as one of them was slain until they returned in peace.

55 In the days when Yehudah and Yonatan (Jonathan) were in Gilead, and Shim’on (Simon) his brother in Galil before Ptolemais, 56 Yosef (Joseph) the son of Zekaryah (Zechariah), and Azaryah, rulers of the army, heard of their exploits and of the war, and what things they’d done. 57 They said, “Let’s also get us a name, and let’s go fight against the Gentiles who are around us.” 58 So they gave orders to the men of the army that was with them, and went towards Yavneh. 59 Gorgias and his men came out of the city to meet them in battle. 60 Yosef and Azaryah were put to flight, and were pursued to the borders of Yehudah. About two thousand men of Yisrael fell on that day. 61 There was a great overthrow among the people, because they didn’t listen to Yehudah and his kindred, thinking to do some exploit. 62 But they weren’t of the family of those men by whose hand deliverance was given to Yisrael.

63 The man Yehudah and his kindred were glorified greatly in the sight of all Yisrael (Israel), and of all the Gentiles, wherever their name was heard of. 64 Men gathered together to them, acclaiming them.

65 Yehudah and his kindred went out and fought against the children of Esav (Esau) in the land towards the south. He struck Hevron and its villages,[fn] pulled down its fortresses, and burnt its towers all around. 66 He marched to go into the land of the[fn] Pelishtim, and he went through[fn] Shomron (Samaria). 67 In that day certain priests, desiring to do exploits there, were slain in battle, when they went out to battle unadvisedly. 68 But Yehudah turned towards Azotos, to the land of the[fn] Pelishtim, pulled down their altars, burnt the carved images of their gods with fire, took the plunder of their cities, and returned into Yehudah.