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CHAPTER 5
1 And it was done, as heathen men heard in compass, that the altar was builded, and the saintuary as before, they were wroth greatly.
2 And they thought for to do away, either destroy, the kin of Jacob, that was among them; and they began for to slay of the people, and pursue.
3 And Judas overcame the sons of Esau in Idumea, and them that were in Acrabattene, for they sat about men of Israel; and he smote them with a great wound.
4 And he thought on the malice of the sons of Bean, that were into snare, and into offence to the people of Israel, and espied it, either set ambushments to it, in the ways.
5 And these were closed altogether from him in the towers; and he applied to or pitched by them, and cursed them, and burnt with fire the towers of them, with all men that were in them.
6 And he passed to the sons of Ammon, and found strong hand, and plenteous people, and Timothy, duke of them.
7 And he smote many battles with them, and they were broken in the sight of him; and he smote them.
8 And he took the city [of] Jazer, and [the] villages thereof; and he turned again into Judea.
9 And heathen men that were in Gilead, were gathered against Israelites, that were in the coasts of them, to do away them [or to do them away]; and they fled into the strengthening of Dathema.
10 And they sent letters to Judas, and his brethren, and said, Heathen men be gathered against us by compass, that they do away us [or do us away];
11 and they make ready for to come, and occupy the strengthening, into which we fled; and Timothy is duke of the host of them.
12 Now therefore come thou, and deliver us from their hands, for a multitude of us fell down;
13 and all our brethren that were in places of Tob, everywhere be slain; and they led away captive the wives of them, and children, and took spoils; and killed there almost a thousand men.
14 And yet epistles were read, and lo! other messengers came from Galilee, with coats rent, and told by these words,
15 and said, that men came together against them from Ptolemais, and Tyre, and Sidon, and all Galilee is [full]-filled with aliens, for to destroy us.
16 Soothly as Judas heard, and the people, these words, a great church came together, for to think what they should do to their brethren, that were in tribulation, and were overcome of them.
17 And Judas said to Simon, his brother, Choose to thee men, and go, and deliver thy brethren in Galilee; I forsooth and my brother Jonathan, shall go into Gilead.
18 And he left Joseph, son of Zechariah, and Azariah, dukes of the people, with the residue host in Judea to keeping;
19 and [he] commanded to them, and said, Be ye sovereigns to this people, and do not ye smite battle against heathen men, till we turn again.
20 And men were given to Simon three thousands, for to go into Galilee; to Judas soothly eight thousand, into Gilead.
21 And Simon went into Galilee, and joined many battles with heathen men. And heathen men were all-broken from his face,
22 and he pursued them till to the gate of Ptolemais. And there fell down of heathen men almost three thousand of men; and he took the spoils of them.
23 And he took them that were in Galilee, and in Arbatta, with wives, and children, and all things that were to them; and brought into Judea with great gladness.
24 And Judas Maccabeus, and Jonathan, and his brethren passed over Jordan, and went forth the way of three days into desert.
25 And Nabathites or Nabateans came against them, and received them peaceably, and told to them all things that befell to their brethren in Gilead;
26 and that many of them were taken [or caught] in Bozrah, and Bosor, and in Alema, and in Casphor, and Maked, and Carnaim; all these were strong cities and great.
27 But and in other cities of Gilead they be holden caught. And on the morrow they ordained for to move the host to those cities, and for to take, and do away them in one day.
28 And Judas turned, and his host, the way into desert of Bozrah sudden-ly; and [he] occupied the city, and slew each male by the sharpness of sword, and took all the spoils of them, and burnt it with fire.
29 And they rose thence in night, and went unto the strengthening.
30 And it was made in springing of day, when they raised their eyes, and lo! much people, of whom was no number, bearing ladders and engines, for to take the strengthening, and overcome them.
31 And Judas saw, that battle began, and cry of battle ascended into heaven, as [a] trump, and great cry of [a] city.
32 And he said to his host, Fight ye today for your brethren.
33 And he came, and three orders after them [or And he came in three orders after them], and they cried with trumps, and cried in prayer.
34 And [the] hosts of Timothy knew, that it was Maccabeus, and they fled from his face. And they have smitten them with great wound; and there fell down of them in that day almost eight thousand of men.
35 And Judas turned away into Mizpeh; and [he] overcame, and took it, and slew each male thereof, and took spoils of it, and burnt it with fire.
36 From thence he went, and took Casphor, and Maked, and Bosor, and other cities of Gilead.
37 Forsooth after these words, Timothy gathered another host, and putted tents against Raphon, over the stream.
38 And Judas sent for to behold the host, and they told again to him, and said, That all heathen men that be in our compass, full much host, came together to him.
39 And they hired Arabians into help to them, and they have set tents over the stream, and be ready for to come to thee into battle. And Judas went against them.
40 And Timothy said to the princes of his host, When Judas nigheth, and his host, to the stream of water, if he passeth former or first to us, we shall not be able to abide him, for he mighty shall be able to be against us.
41 Soothly if he dreadeth for to pass, and setteth tents beyond the flood, pass we over to them, and we shall be able to be against him.
42 Forsooth as Judas nighed to the stream of water, he ordained scribes, either writers, of the people, beside the stream, and commanded to them, and said, Leave ye none of men, but come all into battle.
43 And he the former passed over to them, and all the people after him. And all these heathen men were all-broken from the face of them, and they casted away their arms; and they fled to the temple, that was at Carnaim.
44 And Judas occupied that city, and burnt the temple with fire, and all that were in it; and Carnaim was oppressed, and might not abide [or sustain] against the face of Judas.
45 And Judas gathered all Israelites that were in Gilead, from the least to the most, and wives of them, and children, and a full great host, that they should come into the land of Judea.
46 And they came till to Ephron, and this great city, put in the entry, was full strong; and there was not for to bow away from it, in [the] right half or left, but the way was through the middle.
47 And they that were in the city closed in them [or closed them in], and stopped the gates with stones.
48 And Judas sent to them with peaceable words, and said, Pass we by your land, for to go into our land, and no man shall annoy you, only on feet we shall go. And they would not open to them.
49 And Judas commanded for to preach in tents, either host, that each man should apply, that is, assail the city, in what place he was.
50 And men of virtue applied or pitched themselves, and he fought against that city all day and all night, and the city was betaken in his hands.
51 And they slew each male by the sharpness of sword, and drew up by the roots it [or drew it up by the roots], and took the spoils thereof, and passed by all the city on the slain men.
52 And they passed over Jordan, in the great field against the face of Bethshan.
53 And Judas was gathering the last men, and admonished the people by all the way, till they came into the land of Judea.
54 And they went up into the hill of Zion with gladness and joy, and offered burnt sacrifices, that no man of them fell down, or was dead, till they turned again in peace.
55 And in the days in which Judas was, and Jonathan, in the land of Gilead, and Simon, his brother, in Galilee, against the face of Ptolemais,
56 Joseph, son of Zechariah, heard, and Azariah, prince of virtue, the things done well [or well done], and battles that were made.
57 And he said, Make we also a name to us, and go we for to fight against heathen men, that be in our compass.
58 And he commanded to these that were in his host, and they went forth to Jamnia.
59 And Gorgias went out of the city, and his men, against them, into fight.
60 And Joseph and Azariah were driven unto the ends of Judea; and there fell down in that day of the people of Israel, men to two thousands [or men two thousands].
61 And a great wound was made in the people; for they heard not Judas and his brethren, and guessed them to do strongly.
62 Forsooth they were not of the seed of those men, by which health was made in Israel.
63 And men of Judas were magnified greatly in the sight of all Israel, and of all heathen men, where the name of them was heard.
64 And they came together, crying to them prosperity, either praisings.
65 And Judas went out, and his brethren, and overcame the sons of Esau, in the land that is at the south; and he smote Hebron, and [the] villages thereof, and destroyed the wardings, or the walls, thereof, and burnt with fire [the] towers thereof in compass.
66 And he moved tents, for to go into the land of aliens; and went through Samaria.
67 In that day priests fell down in battle, while they would do strongly, while without counsel they went out into battle.
68 And Judas bowed away into Azotus, in the land of aliens, and destroyed altars of them, and burnt in fire the spoils of their gods, and took preys of cities; and turned again into the land of Judea.

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© 2001,2010,2011,2012,2013,2015 Terry Noble