The Koine Bible

Now when these agreements had been made, Lysias indeed was going away to the king, but the Jews were occupied about the cultivation of the land

And of the local commanders, Timotheus and Apollonius son of Gennaeus, and moreover Hieronymus and Demophon, and besides these Nicanor the Cypriarch, did not allow them to be in peace and to lead the affairs of quietness

But the men of Joppa accomplished so great an impiety, having urged the Jews who lived with them to go aboard the boats set in order by them, with wives and children, as though no hostility were present toward them

But according to the common decree of the city, and when these had accepted them as though wishing to be at peace and having nothing suspicious, they brought them back and sank them, being not fewer than two hundred.

But Judas, having learned of the cruelty that had come upon his fellow countrymen, gave orders to the men around him,

And having called upon the just judge God, he came against the bloodstained murderers of the brothers, and he burned the harbor by night and set the ships on fire, and those who had fled there he pierced through.

But when the place had been shut in, he withdrew, as about to come again and to root out the whole commonwealth of the Ioppites.

And when he had also become aware of those in Jamnia wishing to do the same way to the Jews who were living there,

And he attacked the Iamnitai by night and set fire to the harbor together with the fleet, so that the dawns of the light were visible as far as Jerusalem, being two hundred and forty stadia away.

And from there, after drawing off nine stadia, as they were making the march against Timotheus, Arabs attacked him, not fewer than five thousand, and horsemen five hundred.

And when a hard battle had arisen and those around Judas had prospered through the help from God, the nomads, being reduced in number, were asking to give Judas their right hands, promising to give grazing animals and also to benefit them in the rest of the things.

But Judas, perceiving that they were truly useful in many matters, granted that he would bring peace toward them, and they, having received pledges of good faith, separated into the tents.

And he attacked also a certain city, fortified with bridges and surrounded by walls and inhabited by all-mixed nations, and its name was Caspin

But those inside, trusting in the strength of the walls and in the provision of food, were behaving more insolently toward those around Judas, reviling and in addition blaspheming and speaking things that are not lawful to say.

But those around Judas, having called upon the great ruler of the world, who without rams and mechanical engines cast down Jericho in the times of Joshua, attacked the wall savagely like wild beasts

And having taken the city by the will of God, they made countless slaughters, so that the nearby lake, having a width of two stadia, appeared flowing down, filled with blood

And from there, having set out seven hundred fifty stadia, they went on to Charax, to the so-called Tubian Jews.

And they did not find Timotheus inactive in those places at that time, since he had withdrawn from the places, but had left a garrison in a certain place, and very strong.

But Dositheus and Sositheus, of the leaders around Maccabaeus, going out destroyed those left by Timotheus in the stronghold, more than ten thousand men

But Maccabeus, having arranged the army around him, stationed them in a circular formation and rushed upon Timotheus, who had around him twelve myriads of foot soldiers and two thousand five hundred horsemen.

And Timotheus, having learned of the assault of Judas, sent ahead the women and the children and the other baggage to the place called Carnion, for the place was hard to besiege and hard to approach because of the narrowness of all the places.

But when the first band of Judah appeared, fear came upon the enemies, and terror from the appearance of the one who oversees all things came upon them; they rushed into flight, each being carried off in another direction, so that many times they were harmed by their own men and pierced by the sharp points of the swords.

But Judas made the pursuit more vigorous, and, gathering the lawless men, he destroyed them to the number of thirty thousand men.

But Timothy himself, falling upon those about Dositheos and Sosipater, with much enchantment was asking that they let him go out safe, because, indeed, of many, he has fathers, but of whom he has brothers, and that these will happen to be disregarded.

And when he had persuaded them by many things to restore these unharmed, they released him for the sake of the safety of the brothers.

And he went out against Karnion and Atargateion and slaughtered twenty-five thousand bodies.

And after the turning and destruction of these, he marched also against Ephrōn, a fortified city, in which Lysias lived, and all kinds of masses; and strong young men, standing before the walls, fought vigorously, and there were many placements of engines and of missiles there

But calling upon the ruler who with might crushes the strength of the enemies, they took the city under their control, and they laid low of those within to twenty-five thousand.

And having broken camp from there, they rushed against the city of the Scythians, which is distant from Jerusalem six hundred stadia.

But the Jews who were established there testified to the favor which the Scythopolitans had toward them, and in the times of misfortune a gentle reception

And after giving thanks and exhorting, they also came to Jerusalem, with goodwill toward the race for the rest, it being the feast of Weeks, now near.

But after the so-called Pentecost they rushed against Gorgias, the general of Idumea.

But he went out with three thousand foot soldiers and four hundred horsemen.

But when they had drawn up in battle order, it happened that a few of the Jews fell.

And a certain Dositheus, a mounted man and strong among the men of Bacenor, held Gorgias, and taking hold of the cloak he was leading him vigorously, and wishing to take the accursed man alive, one of the horsemen, a Thracian, having fallen upon him and struck down his shoulder, Gorgias escaped to Marisa.

But of those around Esdrias, as they were fighting for more time and being worn out, Judas, having called on the Lord to appear as ally and leader of the battle,

Having begun in the ancestral language, he suddenly raised the shout with hymns and made their turning of the ones around Gorgias.

But Judas, having taken up the army, came to Adullam, a city; and the seventh day being at hand, according to the custom, having been purified there, they spent the sabbath there.

But on the following day those around Judas came, at the time when it had become necessary to gather up the bodies of those who had fallen before and to restore them with their kin to the ancestral tombs.

And they found under the tunics of each of the dead sacred tokens of the idols from Jamnia, from which the law forbids the Jews; and it became clear to all that these had fallen for this cause.

So they all blessed the works of the justly judging Lord, who makes the things hidden manifest.

They turned to supplication, having asked that the sin that had happened be completely blotted out. But the noble Judas exhorted the multitude to keep themselves, to be sinless, having seen the things that had happened in view of the sin of those who had fallen before.

And having made a collection by poll for two thousand silver drachmas, he sent to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice for sin, doing very well and nobly, considering about the resurrection.

For if he did not expect those who had fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead.

And if, looking to those sleeping with godliness, he considered a very beautiful reward laid up, holy and pious is the thought; therefore he made the expiation for the dead, so that they might be released from sin.