22. The heavenly one himself will crush them before us. Don’t be afraid of them."
23. After Judas said these words, his soldiers rushed suddenly against Seron’s army, and they crushed them.
24. Judas’ soldiers pursued Seron’s army down the hill from Beth-horon to the plain below. Eight hundred of them died. The rest fled into the land of the Philistines.
25. After this, Judas and his brothers were feared. Terror fell on all the Gentiles around them.
26. Even the king heard about his reputation, and the Gentiles talked about the battles waged by Judas.
27. When King Antiochus heard about these matters, he became very angry. So he gathered together all the forces of his empire, a mighty army.
28. He opened up his treasury and gave his soldiers a year’s pay in advance, and he ordered them to be ready for anything.