1. Meanwhile, when Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had fallen in battle, he again positioned Bacchides and Alcimus in Judea, and the right horn of his army with them.
2. And they traveled by the way that leads to Gilgal, and they set up camp in Mesaloth, which is in Arbela. And they occupied it, and they destroyed the lives of many men.
3. In the first month of the one hundred and fifty-second year, they positioned the army near Jerusalem.
4. And they rose up and went to Berea, with twenty thousand men and two thousand horsemen.
5. Now Judas had stationed his camp in Elasa, and three thousand chosen men were with him.
6. And they saw the multitude of the army, that they were many, and they became very afraid. And many withdrew themselves from the camp, and there remained of them no more than eight hundred men.
7. And Judas saw that his army had slipped away and that the battle pressed upon him, and his heart was shattered, because he did not have time to gather them together, and he was very discouraged.
8. And so, he said to those who were remaining, "Let us rise up and go against our enemies, perhaps we may be able to fight against them."
9. But they dissuaded him, saying: "We will not be able, but let us try to save our lives and return to our brothers, and then we will fight against them. For we are but few."