1 Maccabees 5:11-27

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

¹¹ And they are preparing to come, and to take the fortress into which we are fled: and Timotheus is the captain of their host.

¹² Now therefore come, and deliver us out of their hands, for many of us are slain.

¹³ And all our brethren that were in the places of Tubin, are killed: and they have carried away their wives, and their children, captives, and taken their spoils, and they have slain there almost a thousand men.

¹⁴ And while they were yet reading these letters, behold there came other messengers out of Galilee with their garments rent, who related according to these words:

¹⁵ Saying, that they of Ptolemais, and of Tyre, and of Sidon, were assembled against them, and all Galilee is filled with strangers, in order to consume us.

¹⁶ Now when Judas and all the people heard these words, a great assembly met together to consider what they should do for their brethren that were in trouble, and were assaulted by them.

¹⁷ And Judas said to Simon his brother: Choose thee men, and go, and deliver thy brethren in Galilee: and I, and my brother Jonathan will go into the country of Galaad.

¹⁸ And he left Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias captains of the people with the remnant of the army in Judea to keep it:

¹⁹ And he commanded them, saying: Take ye the charge of this people: but make no war against the heathens, till we return.

²⁰ Now three thousand men were allotted to Simon, to go into Galilee: and eight thousand to Judas to go into the land of Galaad.

²¹ And Simon went into Galilee, and fought many battles with the heathens: and the heathens were discomfited before his face, and he pursued them even to the gate of Ptolemais.

²² And there fell of the heathens almost three thousand men, and he took the spoils of them,

²³ And he took with him those that were in Galilee and in Arbatis with their wives, and children, and all that they had, and he brought them into Judea with great joy.

²⁴ And Judas Machabeus, and Jonathan his brother passed over the Jordan, and went three days' journey through the desert.

²⁵ And the Nabutheans met them, and received them in a peaceable manner, and told them all that happened to their brethren in the land of Galaad,

²⁶ And that many of them were shut up in Barasa, and in Bosor, and in Alima, and in Casphor, and in Mageth, and in Carnaim: all these strong and great cities.

²⁷ Yea, and that they were kept shut up in the rest of the cities of Galaad, and that they had appointed to bring their army on the morrow near to these cities, and to take them and to destroy them all in one day.