1 Maccabees 5:24-36
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
24 (A)Judas Maccabeus and his brother Jonathan crossed the Jordan and marched for three days through the wilderness. 25 There they met some Nabateans,[a] who received them peaceably and told them all that had happened to their kindred in Gilead: 26 “Many of them are shut up in Bozrah, in Bosor near Alema, in Chaspho, Maked, and Carnaim”—all of these are large, fortified cities— 27 “and some are shut up in other cities of Gilead. Tomorrow their enemies plan to attack the strongholds and to seize and destroy all these people in one day.”
28 Thereupon Judas suddenly changed direction with his army, marched across the wilderness to Bozrah, and captured the city. He put every male to the sword, took all their spoils, and set fire to the city. 29 [b]He led his army from that place by night, and they marched toward the stronghold. 30 When morning came, they looked ahead and saw a countless multitude, with ladders and machines for capturing the stronghold, beginning to attack. 31 When Judas perceived that the struggle had begun and that the noise of the battle was resounding to heaven with trumpet blasts and loud shouting, 32 he said to the men of his army, “Fight for our kindred today.” 33 He came up behind them with three columns blowing their trumpets and crying out in prayer. 34 When the army of Timothy realized that it was Maccabeus, they fled before him, and he inflicted on them a great defeat. About eight thousand of their men fell that day.
35 Then he turned toward Alema[c] and attacked and captured it; he killed every male, took spoils, and burned it down. 36 From there he moved on and took Chaspho, Maked, Bosor, and the other cities of Gilead.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 5:25 Nabateans: an Arab people who acquired wealth and power as caravan merchants in the final two centuries B.C. They established Petra as their capital and for a time controlled all of Transjordan, even as far as Damascus. It was from a Nabatean governor of Damascus that Paul escaped (2 Cor 11:32–33).
- 5:29 Cf. v. 9.
- 5:35 Alema: see v. 26; other manuscripts read Maapha, which may be Mizpah of Gilead (Jgs 11:29).
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