1 Maccabees 5:46-48

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised

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. 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.