1 Maccabees 5:45-51
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Return to Jerusalem. 45 (A)Then Judas assembled all the Israelites, great and small, who were in Gilead, with their wives and children and their goods, a very large company, to go into the land of Judah. 46 When they reached Ephron,[a] a large and strongly fortified city along the way, they found it impossible to go around it on either the right or the left; they would have to march right through it.(B) 47 But the people in the city shut them out and blocked up the gates with stones. 48 Then Judas sent them this peaceful message: “Let us cross your territory in order to reach our own; no one will harm you; we will only march through.” But they would not open to him. 49 So Judas ordered a proclamation to be made in the camp that everyone should take up positions where they were. 50 When the men of the army took up their positions, he assaulted the city all that day and night, and it was delivered into his hand. 51 He put every male to the sword, leveled the city, took spoils and passed through it over the slain.
Read full chapterScripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.