1 Maccabees 12:24-38

Common English Bible

Further campaigns of Jonathan and Simon

²⁴ Jonathan heard that Demetrius’ commanders had returned with a larger force than before to wage war against him. ²⁵ So he marched away from Jerusalem and met them in the region of Hamath. He didn’t allow them any opportunity to invade his country. ²⁶ He sent spies to their camp. They returned and reported to him that the enemy was lining up in battle formation to attack the Jews at night. ²⁷ When the sun had set, Jonathan commanded his troops to be on alert. They were to keep their weapons at hand so they could be ready through the night for battle. He also stationed guard posts around the camp. ²⁸ When the enemy heard that Jonathan and his troops were prepared for battle, they were extremely terrified. So they lit fires in their camp and retreated. ²⁹ Jonathan and his troops didn’t know about this until morning because they saw the fires burning. ³⁰ Then Jonathan tried to pursue them, but he couldn’t catch them since they had already crossed the Eleutherus River. ³¹ So Jonathan turned aside against the Arabs, who are called Zabadeans, and he crushed and plundered them. ³² Then he broke camp and went to Damascus and marched throughout that region.

³³ Simon also marched through the country as far as Ashkelon and the fortresses in the area. He turned aside to Joppa and took it by surprise, ³⁴ because he had heard that they were ready to hand over the fortress to people that Demetrius had sent. So he stationed a force there to occupy and guard it.

³⁵ When Jonathan returned to Jerusalem, he assembled the elders of the people and planned with them how to build fortresses in Judea. ³⁶ They also discussed how to build the walls of Jerusalem still higher, and to erect a high barrier between the elevated fortress and the city to separate them. This was to isolate the elevated fortress so that its troops couldn’t buy or sell things. ³⁷ So they gathered together to rebuild the city. Part of the wall toward the valley to the east had fallen, and he repaired the section called Chaphenatha. ³⁸ Simon also built Adida in the western foothills. He secured it and installed gates with bolts.