17 When they had gone seven hundred and fifty furlongs[fn] from there, they made their way to Karax, to the Yehudim (Jews) that are called Tubieni.[fn] 18 They didn’t find Timotheos in that district, for he had by then departed from the district without accomplishing anything, but had left behind a very strong garrison in one place. 19 But Dositheos and Sosipatros, who were captains under Makabi (Maccabaeus), went out and destroyed those who had been left by Timotheos in the stronghold, more than ten thousand men. 20 Makabi, arranging his own army in divisions, set these[fn] two over the bands, and marched in haste against Timotheos, who had with him one hundred and twenty thousand infantry and two thousand and five hundred cavalry. 21 When Timotheos heard of the approach of Yehudah, he at once sent away the women and the children with the baggage into the fortress called Karnayim;[fn] for the place was hard to besiege and difficult of access by reason of the narrowness of the approaches on all sides. 22 When the band of Yehudah, who led the first division, appeared in sight, and when terror and fear came upon the enemy, because the manifestation of him who sees all things came upon them, they fled in every direction, carried this way and that, so that they were often injured by their own men, and pierced with the points of their own swords. 23 Yehudah continued the pursuit more vigorously, putting the wicked wretches to the sword, and he destroyed as many as thirty thousand men.

24 Timotheos himself, falling in with the company of Dositheos and Sosipatros, implored them with much crafty guile to let him go with his life, because he had in his power the parents of many of them and the kindred of some. “Otherwise, he said, little regard will be shown[fn] to these.”[fn] 25 So when he had with many words confirmed the agreement to restore them without harm, they let him go that they might save their kindred.

26 Then Yehudah, marching against Karnayim[fn] and the temple of Atergatis, killed twenty-five thousand people. 27 After he had put these to flight and destroyed them, he marched against Efron also, a strong city, wherein[fn] were multitudes of people of all nations. Stalwart young men placed on[fn] the walls made a vigorous defence. There were great stores of war engines and darts there. 28 But calling upon the Sovereign who with might shatters the strength[fn] of the[fn] enemy, they took the city into their hands, and killed as many as twenty-five thousand of those who were in it.

29 Setting out from there, they marched in haste against Beyt-Shean, which is six hundred furlongs[fn] away from Yerushalem (Jerusalem). 30 But when the Yehudim (Jews) who were settled there testified of the good will that the Scythopolitans had shown towards them, and of their kind treatment of them in the times of their misfortune, 31 they gave thanks, and further exhorted them to remain well disposed towards the race for the future. Then they went up to Yerushalem, the feast of weeks being close at hand.