1 Maccabees 4:1-25

New Catholic Bible

Chapter 4

The Battle of Emmaus.^{[a] 1} Gorgias took five thousand infantry and a thousand picked cavalry, and this detachment set out at night ² in order to launch a surprise attack on the camp of the Jews. Men from the citadel served as his guides. ³ However, Judas learned of their plan, and he and his soldiers moved out to attack the royal forces at Emmaus ⁴ while some of the troops were still dispersed away from the camp. ⁵ When Gorgias reached the camp of Judas by night, therefore, he found no one there, and he began to search for them in the mountains, saying, “These men are fleeing from us.”

⁶ At daybreak, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men, although they lacked the armor and the swords they would have wished for. ⁷ They saw the camp of the Gentiles with its strong fortifications, flanked with cavalry, and a fighting force expert in the art of warfare. ⁸ Judas said to those who were with him: “Do not be afraid of their superior numbers or panic when they attack. ⁹ Remember how our ancestors were saved at the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing them with his forces. ¹⁰ So now let us cry out to Heaven, asking him to show us his favor, to remember his covenant with our ancestors, and to destroy this army confronting us today. ¹¹ Then all the Gentiles will know that there is one who redeems and saves Israel.”

¹² When the foreigners looked up and saw them advancing against them, ¹³ they came out of their camp to engage in battle. Then the men with Judas blew their trumpets, ¹⁴ and the fighting began. The Gentiles were defeated and fled into the plain. ¹⁵ All those who were in the rear fell by the sword, and the rest were pursued as far as Gazara^[b] and the plains of Judea, to Azotus and Jamnia, with about three thousand of them slain.

¹⁶ When Judas and his army broke off their pursuit, he said to the people: ¹⁷ “Do not be greedy for plunder, for we have yet another battle ahead of us. ¹⁸ Gorgias and his army are very close to us in the mountain area. Stand firm now against our enemies and defeat them. After that, you can safely take as much booty as you please.”

¹⁹ Just as Judas was finishing this speech, a detachment appeared, looking down from the mountain. ²⁰ They could see that their army had been put to flight and that their camp was being burned. The smoke that could be clearly seen indicated what had occurred. ²¹ When they perceived this, they were very much afraid, and when they also beheld the army of Judas in the plain, ready for battle, ²² they all fled into the territory of the Philistines.

²³ Then Judas went back to plunder the camp, and they confiscated a great amount of gold and silver, violet and purple cloths, and magnificent treasures. ²⁴ As they returned, they sang hymns of thanksgiving and praise to glorify Heaven, “for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.”^{[c] 25} Thus Israel experienced a great deliverance that day.