1 Maccabees 5
Good News Translation
Wars with Neighboring Nations(A)
5 When the neighboring nations heard that the Jews had built the altar and restored the Temple as it had been before, they were so furious 2 that they made up their minds to destroy all the Jews who were living among them. So they began to murder and kill our people.
3 The Idumeans were blockading the Israelites, so Judas went to war against them at Akrabattene, crushed them, and looted them. 4 He also dealt with the people of Baean, who were a constant threat to the people of Israel, because they would lie in ambush waiting to trap Israelite travelers. 5 He shut the Baeanites up in their forts, took a solemn oath that he would destroy them, and burned their forts with everyone in them. 6 Then he marched against the land of Ammon, where he met a large and powerful army under the command of a man named Timothy. 7 Judas won many battles against them and finally defeated them. 8 He captured Jazer and its surrounding villages and then returned to Judea.
9 The Gentiles in Gilead assembled to attack and destroy the Israelites living in their territory. But the Israelites fled to the fortress of Dathema 10-11 and sent the following letter to Judas and his brothers:
The Gentiles around us are joining forces under Timothy. We have fled to this fortress for protection, and now they are getting ready to capture it and destroy us. 12 Many of us have already been killed. Come rescue us! 13 All the Jewish men in the region of Tob[a] have been killed, their wives and their children have been taken captive, and their possessions have been carried off. A force of about 1,000 men has been destroyed there.
14 This letter was still being read when other messengers, who had torn their clothes in sorrow, arrived with a report from Galilee. 15 They said,
An army from Ptolemais, Tyre, Sidon, and all of Galilee has come together to destroy us.
16 When Judas and the people heard all this, a great assembly was held to decide what should be done to help these countrymen, who were in such difficulty under enemy attack. 17 Judas said to his brother Simon,
Choose some men and go rescue our fellow Jews in Galilee; our brother Jonathan and I will go to Gilead. 18 Judas left the rest of his army to defend Judea and put the two leaders, Azariah and Joseph son of Zechariah, in charge of the people. 19 He told them:
I am leaving you in command here, but don't go out and fight the Gentiles until we get back. 20 Then 3,000 men joined Simon for the march into Galilee, and 8,000 remained with Judas for the march into Gilead.
21 Simon went into Galilee and fought many battles with the Gentiles. He defeated them 22 and pursued them all the way to the city of Ptolemais, killing about 3,000 of them, and taking the loot. 23 Then he took the Jews who were in Galilee and Arbatta, with their wives, their children, and all they owned, and brought them back to Judea with him. There was great rejoicing.
24 During this time, Judas Maccabeus and his brother Jonathan had crossed the Jordan River and had marched for three days through the desert. 25 They met some friendly Nabateans who told them all that had happened to the Jews in Gilead. 26 They reported that many Jews were imprisoned in the fortified cities of Bozrah, Bosor, Alema, Chaspho, Maked, and Karnaim, 27 while others were imprisoned in the smaller towns of Gilead. They also reported that the enemy was drawn up to make an attack the next day on the Jewish fortresses, hoping to destroy all the Jews in a single day.
28 So Judas and his army suddenly turned and attacked Bozrah by the desert road, captured the town, and killed every man in it. They looted the town and set it on fire. 29 They left there and marched all night to the fortress at Dathema. 30 At dawn Judas and his men saw a vast army attacking the fortress; they were bringing up ladders, siege platforms, and battering rams in an effort to capture it. 31 When Judas heard the noise, the shouts, and the sound of trumpets coming from the city, he realized that the battle had begun, 32 so he said to his men,
Fight today for our fellow Jews!
33 He ordered his men to march in three columns and attack the enemy from the rear. As they moved forward, they blew trumpets and shouted prayers. 34 When the army under Timothy's command saw that it was Judas Maccabeus, the soldiers turned and fled. Judas crushed them and killed about 8,000 men that day.
35 Then Judas turned aside to attack the town of Alema;[b] he captured it and killed all the men in it. He looted the town and set fire to it. 36 From there he went on and captured Chaspho, Maked, Bosor, and the other towns of Gilead.
37 After this, Timothy gathered another army and camped opposite Raphon, on the other side of a river. 38 Judas sent some men to spy on the camp, and they reported back to him that all the Gentiles in the region had joined Timothy and had formed a large army. 39 Timothy had also hired Arab mercenaries to help him, and these were camped on the other side of the river ready to attack Judas. So Judas went out to meet them in battle.
40 As Judas and his army came closer to the water, Timothy said to his officers,
If he keeps on coming and crosses the river, we won't be able to turn back his attack, and he will defeat us. 41 But if he is afraid and stops on the other side of the river, we will cross over to attack and defeat him.
42 When Judas reached the bank of the river, he gave orders to his officers to let no one stop but to push everyone forward into battle. 43 Judas was the first to cross the river against the enemy, and all his men followed him. The Gentiles broke ranks before them, threw away their arms, and fled to the pagan temple at Karnaim. 44 But Judas and his men took the city and burned down the temple with all who were in it. With Karnaim overthrown, the Gentiles could no longer offer any resistance to Judas.
45 Then Judas gathered together all the Jews in Gilead to take them back to Judea with him. It was a large group of all kinds of people, together with their wives and children and all that they owned. 46 They went as far as Ephron, a large, well-fortified town. It was impossible to go around it on either side, and the road passed directly through the town. 47 But the people there would not let them pass and blocked the town gates with stones. 48 Then Judas sent a friendly message to them:
Let us pass through your territory to return home. No one will harm you; we will just pass through. But they still refused to open the gates.
49 So Judas told everyone in the group, except the fighting men, to camp where they were. 50 The fighting men were ordered to take up their positions and attack the town. They fought all day and all night, until they had taken it. 51 Judas had all the men of Ephron put to death, plundered the town, and leveled it. Then he and his army marched through the town over the dead bodies. 52 They crossed the Jordan into the wide plain opposite Beth Shan. 53 Throughout the whole march Judas kept gathering up the stragglers and encouraging the people until they reached the land of Judea. 54 With thanksgiving and rejoicing, they went up to Mount Zion and sacrificed burnt offerings because they had returned safely without a single loss.
55 While Judas and Jonathan were in Gilead and their brother Simon was attacking Ptolemais in Galilee, 56 Joseph and Azariah, the commanders of the army in Judea, heard about their brave deeds and victories. 57 They said to one another,
Let's go to war with the Gentiles around us and win some fame for ourselves. 58 So they and their men attacked Jamnia. 59 Gorgias and his men went out of the town to meet them in battle. 60 They defeated Joseph and Azariah and pursued them as far as the borders of Judea. At least 2,000 Israelite men were killed that day. 61 This great defeat came about because the Jewish commanders wanted to be heroes and refused to obey Judas and his brothers. 62 Besides, they did not belong to the family of the Maccabees, whom God had chosen to bring freedom to the people of Israel.
63 But Judas Maccabeus and his brothers won great respect among all the Israelites and all the Gentiles. When people heard of their fame, 64 large crowds gathered to praise them.
65 Then Judas and his brothers went to war against the Edomites to the south. He attacked Hebron and its surrounding towns, destroyed its fortifications, and burned down the towers around it. 66 Then he marched into the land of the Philistines and passed through Marisa.[c] 67 That day a number of priests were killed in battle because they wanted to be heroes and foolishly went out to fight. 68 Judas turned aside to Azotus in Philistia. He pulled down the altars, burned the images of their gods, plundered their towns, and then returned to Judea.
Notas al pie
- 1 Maccabees 5:13 in the region of Tob; or who were fighting with Tobias.
- 1 Maccabees 5:35 alema: The name of the town is not certain.
- 1 Maccabees 5:66 Some ancient translations Marisa; Greek Samaria.
1 Maccabees 5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Wars with Neighboring Peoples
5 When the nations all around heard that the altar had been rebuilt and the sanctuary dedicated as it was before, they became very angry, 2 and they determined to destroy the descendants of Jacob who lived among them. So they began to kill and destroy among the people. 3 But Judas made war on the descendants of Esau in Idumea, at Akrabattene, because they kept lying in wait for Israel. He dealt them a heavy blow and humbled them and despoiled them.(A) 4 He also remembered the wickedness of the sons of Baean, who were a trap and a snare to the people and ambushed them on the highways. 5 They were shut up by him in towers, and he encamped against them, vowed their complete destruction, and burned with fire their towers and all who were in them.(B) 6 Then he crossed over to attack the Ammonites, where he found a strong band and many people, with Timothy as their leader.(C) 7 He engaged in many battles with them, and they were crushed before him; he struck them down. 8 He also took Jazer and its villages; then he returned to Judea.(D)
Liberation of Galilean Jews
9 Now the nations in Gilead gathered together against the Israelites who lived in their territory and planned to destroy them. But they fled to the stronghold of Dathema(E) 10 and sent to Judas and his brothers letters that said, “The nations around us have gathered together to destroy us. 11 They are preparing to come and capture the stronghold to which we have fled, and Timothy is leading their forces. 12 Now then, come and rescue us from their hands, for many of us have fallen, 13 and all our kindred who were in the land of Tobias have been killed; the enemy[a] have captured their wives and children and goods and have destroyed about a thousand persons there.”(F)
14 While the letters were still being read, other messengers, with their garments torn, came from Galilee and made a similar report;(G) 15 they said that the people of Ptolemais and Tyre and Sidon and all Galilee of the gentiles[b] had gathered together against them “to annihilate us.”(H) 16 When Judas and the people heard these messages, a great assembly was called to determine what they should do for their kindred who were in distress and were being attacked by enemies.[c] 17 Then Judas said to his brother Simon, “Choose your men and go and rescue your kindred in Galilee; Jonathan my brother and I will go to Gilead.”(I) 18 But he left Joseph, son of Zechariah, and Azariah, a leader of the people, with the rest of the forces in Judea to guard it,(J) 19 and he gave them this command, “Take charge of this people, but do not engage in battle with the nations until we return.”(K) 20 Then three thousand men were assigned to Simon to go to Galilee and eight thousand to Judas for Gilead.(L)
21 So Simon went to Galilee and fought many battles against the nations, and the nations were crushed before him. 22 He pursued them to the gate of Ptolemais; as many as three thousand of the nations fell, and he despoiled them.(M) 23 Then he took the Jews[d] of Galilee and Arbatta, with their wives and children, and all they possessed and led them to Judea with great rejoicing.(N)
Judas and Jonathan in Gilead
24 Judas Maccabeus and his brother Jonathan crossed the Jordan and made three days’ journey into the wilderness.(O) 25 They encountered the Nabateans, who met them peaceably and told them all that had happened to their kindred in Gilead:(P) 26 “Many of them have been shut up in Bozrah and Bosor, in Alema and Chaspho, Maked and Carnaim”—all these towns were strong and large(Q)— 27 “and some have been shut up in the other towns of Gilead; the enemy[e] are getting ready to attack the strongholds tomorrow and capture and destroy all these people in a single day.”
28 Then Judas and his army quickly turned back by the wilderness road to Bozrah, and he took the town and killed every male by the edge of the sword; then he seized all its spoils and burned it with fire.(R) 29 He left the place at night, and they went all the way to the stronghold of Dathema.[f] 30 At dawn they looked out and saw a large company, which could not be counted, carrying ladders and engines of war to capture the stronghold and attacking the Jews within.[g] 31 So Judas saw that the battle had begun and that the cry of the town went up to heaven, with trumpets and loud shouts, 32 and he said to the men of his forces, “Fight today for your kindred!”(S) 33 Then he came up behind them in three companies, who sounded their trumpets and cried aloud in prayer.(T) 34 And when the army of Timothy realized that it was Maccabeus, they fled before him, and he dealt them a heavy blow. As many as eight thousand of them fell that day.
35 Next he turned aside to Maapha[h] and fought against it and took it, and he killed every male in it, plundered it, and burned it with fire. 36 From there he marched on and took Chaspho, Maked, and Bosor and the other towns of Gilead.(U)
37 After these things Timothy gathered another army and encamped opposite Raphon, on the other side of the stream.(V) 38 Judas sent men to spy out the camp, and they reported to him, “All the nations around us have gathered to him; it is a very large force. 39 They also have hired Arabs to help them, and they are encamped across the stream ready to come and fight against you.” And Judas went to meet them.(W)
40 Now as Judas and his army drew near to the stream of water, Timothy said to the officers of his forces, “If he crosses over to us first, we will not be able to resist him, for he will surely defeat us. 41 But if he shows fear and camps on the other side of the river, we will cross over to him and defeat him.” 42 When Judas approached the stream of water, he stationed the officers[i] of the army at the stream and gave them this command, “Permit no one to encamp, but make them all enter the battle.”(X) 43 Then he crossed over against them first, and the whole army followed him. All the nations were defeated before him, and they threw away their arms and fled into the sacred precincts at Carnaim.(Y) 44 But he took the town and burned the sacred precincts with fire, together with all who were in them. Thus Carnaim was conquered; they could stand before Judas no longer.(Z)
The Return to Jerusalem
45 Then Judas gathered together all the Israelites in Gilead, the small and the great, with their wives and children and goods, a very large company, to go to the land of Judah. 46 So they came to Ephron. This was a large and very strong town on the road, and they could not go around it to the right or to the left; they had to go through it.(AA) 47 But the people of the town shut them out and blocked up the gates with stones.
48 Judas sent them this friendly message, “Let us pass through your land to get to our land. No one will do you harm; we will simply pass by on foot.” But they refused to open to him.(AB) 49 Then Judas ordered proclamation to be made to the army that all should encamp where they were. 50 So the men of the forces encamped, and he fought against the town all that day and all the night, and the town was delivered into his hands.(AC) 51 He destroyed every male by the edge of the sword and razed and plundered the town. Then he passed through the town over the bodies of the dead.
52 Then they crossed the Jordan into the large plain before Beth-shan.(AD) 53 Judas kept rallying the laggards and encouraging the people all the way until he came to the land of Judah. 54 So they went up to Mount Zion with joy and gladness and offered burnt offerings because they had returned in safety; not one of them had fallen.
Joseph and Azariah Defeated
55 Now while Judas and Jonathan were in Gilead and their[j] brother Simon was in Galilee before Ptolemais,(AE) 56 Joseph son of Zechariah and Azariah, the commanders of the forces, heard of their brave deeds and of the heroic war they had fought.(AF) 57 So they said, “Let us also make a name for ourselves; let us go and make war on the nations around us.”(AG) 58 So they issued orders to the men of the forces that were with them and marched against Jamnia.(AH) 59 Gorgias and his men came out of the town to meet them in battle.(AI) 60 Then Joseph and Azariah were routed and were pursued to the borders of Judea; as many as two thousand of the people of Israel fell that day.(AJ) 61 Thus the people suffered a great rout because, thinking to do a brave deed, they did not listen to Judas and his brothers.(AK) 62 But they did not belong to the family of those men through whom deliverance was given to Israel.
63 The man Judas and his brothers were greatly honored in all Israel and among all the nations, wherever their name was heard. 64 People gathered to them and praised them.
Success at Hebron and Philistia
65 Then Judas and his brothers went out and fought the descendants of Esau in the land to the south. He struck Hebron and its villages and tore down its strongholds and burned its towers on all sides.(AL) 66 Then he marched off to go into the land of the Philistines[k] and passed through Marisa.[l](AM) 67 On that day some priests who wished to do a brave deed fell in battle, for they went out to battle unwisely. 68 But Judas turned aside to Azotus in the land of the Philistines; he tore down their altars, and the carved images of their gods he burned with fire; he plundered the towns and returned to the land of Judah.(AN)
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson