The Battle at Emmaus

4 Now Gorgias took five thousand infantry and one thousand picked cavalry, and this division moved out by night ² to fall upon the camp of the Jews and attack them suddenly. Men from the citadel were his guides.^{(A) 3} But Judas heard of it, and he and his warriors moved out to attack the king’s force in Emmaus ⁴ while the division was still absent from the camp. ⁵ When Gorgias entered the camp of Judas by night, he found no one there, so he looked for them in the hills, because he said, “These men are running away from us.”

⁶ At daybreak Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men, but they did not have armor and swords such as they desired.^{(B) 7} And they saw the camp of the nations, strong and fortified, with cavalry all around it, and these men were trained in war. ⁸ But Judas said to those who were with him, “Do not fear their numbers or be afraid when they charge.^{(C) 9} Remember how our ancestors were saved at the Red Sea, when Pharaoh with his forces pursued them.^{(D) 10} And now, let us cry to heaven to see whether he will favor us and remember his covenant with our ancestors and crush this army before us today.^{(E) 11} Then all the nations will know that there is one who redeems and saves Israel.”

¹² When the foreigners looked up and saw them coming against them, ¹³ they went out from their camp to battle. Then the men with Judas blew their trumpets^{(F) 14} and engaged in battle. The nations were crushed and fled into the plain, ¹⁵ and all those in the rear fell by the sword. They pursued them to Gazara and to the plains of Idumea and to Azotus and Jamnia, and three thousand of them fell.^{(G) 16} Then Judas and his force turned back from pursuing them, ¹⁷ and he said to the people, “Do not be greedy for plunder, for there is a battle before us; ¹⁸ Gorgias and his force are near us in the hills. But stand now against our enemies and fight them and afterward seize the plunder boldly.”

¹⁹ Just as Judas was finishing this speech, a detachment appeared coming out of the hills. ²⁰ They saw that their army^[a] had been put to flight and that the Jews^[b] were burning the camp, for the smoke that was seen showed what had happened. ²¹ When they perceived this, they were greatly frightened, and when they also saw the army of Judas drawn up in the plain for battle, ²² they all fled into the land of the Philistines.^{[c](H) 23} Then Judas returned to plunder the camp, and they seized a great amount of gold and silver, and cloth dyed blue and sea purple, and great riches.^{(I) 24} On their return they sang hymns and praises to heaven: “For he is good, for his mercy endures forever.”^{(J) 25} Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.

²² I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. ²³ And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.^{(A) 24} The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.^{(B) 25} Its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.^{(C) 26} People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. ²⁷ But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.^(D)

The River of Life

22 Then the angel^[a] showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb^{(E) 2} through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life^[b] with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.^{(F) 3} Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him;^{(G) 4} they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.^{(H) 5} And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.^(I)

True Greatness

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” ² He called a child, whom he put among them, ³ and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.^{(A) 4} Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.^(B)

Temptations to Sin

⁶ “If any of you cause one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,^[a] it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.^{(C) 7} Woe to the world because of things that cause sin!^[b] Such things are bound to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!^(D)

⁸ “If your hand or your foot causes you to sin,^[c] cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire.^{(E) 9} And if your eye causes you to sin,^[d] tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell^[e] of fire.^(F)