9
1 And Demetrius heard that Nicanor was fallen with his forces in battle, and he sent Bacchides and Alcimus again into the land of Judah a second time, and the right wing of his army with them: 2 and they went by the way that leadeth to Gilgal, and encamped against Mesaloth, which is in Arbela, and gat possession of it, and destroyed much people. 3 And the first month of * the hundred and fifty and second year they encamped against Jerusalem: 4 and they removed, and went to Berea, with twenty thousand footmen and two thousand horse. 5 And Judas was encamped at Elasa, and three thousand chosen men with him: 6 and they saw the multitude of the forces, that they were many, and they feared exceedingly: and many slipped away out of the army; there were not left of them more than eight hundred men. 7 And Judas saw that his army slipped away, and that the battle pressed upon him, and he was sore troubled in heart, for that he had no time to gather them together, and he waxed faint. 8 And he said to them that were left, Let us arise and go up against our adversaries, if peradventure we may be able to fight with them. 9 And they would have dissuaded him, saying, We shall in no wise be able: but let us rather save our lives now: let us return again, we and our brethren, and fight against them: but we are few. 10 And Judas said, let it not be so that I should do this thing, to flee from them: and if our time is come, let us die manfully for our brethren’s sake, and not leave a cause of reproach against our glory. 11 And the host removed from the camp, and stood to encounter them, and the horse was parted into two companies, and the slingers and the archers went before the host, and all the mighty men that fought in the front of the battle. 12 But Bacchides was in the right wing; and the phalanx drew near on the two parts, and they blew with their trumpets. 13 And the men of Judas’ side, even they sounded with their trumpets, and the earth shook with the shout of the armies, and the battle was joined, and continued from morning until evening. 14 And Judas saw that Bacchides and the strength of his army were on the right side, and there went with him all that were brave in heart, 15 and the right wing was discomfited by them, and he pursued after them unto the mount Azotus. 16 And they that were on the left wing saw that the right wing was discomfited, and they turned and followed upon the footsteps of Judas and of those that were with him: 17 and the battle waxed sore, and many on both parts fell wounded to death. 18 And Judas fell, and the rest fled. 19 And Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother, and buried him in the sepulchre of his fathers at Modin. 20 And they bewailed him, and all Israel made great lamentation for him, and mourned many days, and said, 21 How is the mighty fallen, the saviour of Israel! 22 And the rest of the acts of Judas, and his wars, and the valiant deeds which he did, and his greatness, they are not written; for they were exceeding many.
23 And it came to pass after the death of Judas, that the lawless put forth their heads in all the coasts of Israel, and all they that wrought iniquity rose up 24 (in those days there was an exceeding great famine), and the country went over with them. 25 And Bacchides chose out the ungodly men, and made them lords of the country. 26 And they sought out and searched for the friends of Judas, and brought them unto Bacchides, and he took vengeance on them, and used them despitefully. 27 And there was great tribulation in Israel, such as was not since the time that no prophet appeared unto them. 28 And all the friends of Judas were gathered together, and they said unto Jonathan, 29 Since thy brother Judas hath died, we have no man like him to go forth against our enemies and Bacchides, and among them of our nation that hate us. 30 Now therefore we have chosen thee this day to be our prince and leader in his stead, that thou mayest fight our battles. 31 And Jonathan took the governance upon him at that time, and rose up in the stead of his brother Judas.
32 And Bacchides knew it, and he sought to slay him. 33 And Jonathan, and Simon his brother, and all that were with him, knew it; and they fled into the wilderness of Tekoah, and encamped by the water of the pool Asphar. 34 And Bacchides knew it on the sabbath day, and came, he and all his army, over Jordan. 35 And Jonathan sent his brother, a leader of the multitude, and besought his friends the Nabathaeans, that they might leave with them their baggage, which was much. 36 And the children of Jambri came out of Medaba, and took John, and all that he had, and went their way with it.
37 But after these things they brought word to Jonathan and Simon his brother, that the children of Jambri were making a great marriage, and were bringing the bride from Nadabath with a great train, a daughter of one of the great nobles of Canaan. 38 And they remembered John their brother, and went up, and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain: 39 and they lifted up their eyes, and saw, and, behold, a great ado and much baggage: and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends and his brethren, to meet them with timbrels, and minstrels, and many weapons. 40 And they rose up against them from their ambush, and slew them, and many fell wounded to death, and the remnant fled into the mountain, and they took all their spoils. 41 And the marriage was turned into mourning, and the voice of their minstrels into lamentation. 42 And they avenged fully the blood of their brother, and turned back to the marsh of Jordan
43 And Bacchides heard it, and he came on the sabbath day unto the banks of Jordan with a great host. 44 And Jonathan said to his company, Let us stand up now and fight for our lives, for it is not with us to-day, as yesterday and the day before. 45 For, behold, the battle is before us and behind us; moreover the water of the Jordan is on this side and on that side, and marsh and wood; and there is no place to turn aside. 46 Now therefore cry unto heaven, that ye may be delivered out of the hand of your enemies. 47 And the battle was joined, and Jonathan stretched forth his hand to smite Bacchides, and he turned away back from him. 48 And Jonathan and they that were with him leapt into the Jordan, and swam over to the other side: and they did not pass over Jordan against them. 49 And there fell of Bacchides’ company that day about a thousand men; 50 and he returned to Jerusalem. And they builded strong cities in Judaea, the stronghold that was in Jericho, and Emmaus, and Bethhoron, and Bethel, and Timnath, Pharathon, and Tephon, with high walls and gates and bars. 51 And in them he set a garrison, to vex Israel. 52 And he fortified the city Bethsura, and Gazara, and the citadel, and put forces in them, and store of victuals. 53 And he took the sons of the chief men of the country for hostages, and put them in ward in the citadel at Jerusalem.
54 And in † the hundred and fifty and third year, in the second month, Alcimus commanded to pull down the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary; he pulled down also the works of the prophets; 55 and he began to pull down. At that time was Alcimus stricken, and his works were hindered; and his mouth was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, and he could no more speak anything and give order concerning his house. 56 And Alcimus died at that time with great torment. 57 And Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead, and he returned to the king: and the land of Judah had rest two years.
58 And all the lawless men took counsel, saying, Behold, Jonathan and they of his part are dwelling at ease, and in security: now therefore we will bring Bacchides, and he shall lay hands on them all in one night. 59 And they went and consulted with him. 60 And he removed, and came with a great host, and sent letters privily to all his confederates that were in Judaea, that they should lay hands on Jonathan and those that were with him: and they could not, because their counsel was known unto them. 61 And they that were of Jonathan’s part laid hands on about fifty of the men of the country, that were authors of the wickedness, and he slew them. 62 And Jonathan, and Simon, and they that were with him, gat them away to Bethbasi, which is in the wilderness, and he built up that which had been pulled down thereof, and they made it strong. 63 And Bacchides knew it, and he gathered together all his multitude, and sent word to them that were of Judaea. 64 And he went and encamped against Bethbasi, and fought against it many days, and made engines of war. 65 And Jonathan left his brother Simon in the city, and went forth into the country, and he went with a few men. 66 And he smote Odomera and his brethren, and the children of Phasiron in their tent. 67 And they began to smite them, and to go up with their forces. And Simon and they that were with him went out of the city, and set on fire the engines of war, 68 and fought against Bacchides, and he was discomfited by them, and they afflicted him sore; for his counsel was in vain, and his inroad. 69 And they were very wroth with the lawless men that gave him counsel to come into the country, and they slew many of them. And he took counsel to depart into his own land. 70 And Jonathan had knowledge thereof, and sent ambassadors unto him, to the end that they should make peace with him, and that he should restore unto them the captives. 71 And he accepted the thing, and did according to his words, and sware unto him that he would not seek his hurt all the days of his life. 72 And he restored unto him the captives which he had taken aforetime out of the land of Judah, and he returned and departed into his own land, and came not any more into their borders. 73 And the sword ceased from Israel. And Jonathan dwelt at Michmash; and Jonathan began to judge the people; and he destroyed the ungodly out of Israel.
* 9:3 circa B.C. 161. † 9:54 circa B.C. 160.