17. He said to everyone: "Don’t be greedy to plunder, for there is still a battle ahead of us.
18. Gorgias and his force are still near us in the hills. Stand now against our enemies and fight them. Then afterward boldly seize the spoils."
19. Just as Judas said this, a detachment of Gentiles cautiously appeared, coming out of the hills.
20. They saw that their army had been put to flight and that the Jews were burning the camp, as evident from the smoke over the area.
21. When they saw the devastation and noticed Judas’ army in the plain ready for battle, they were terrified.
22. They ran away into the land of the Philistines.
23. So Judas went back to plunder the camp. His army took a great amount of gold and silver, cloth that was dyed blue and purple, and great riches.
24. As they returned, they sang hymns and songs of praise to heaven: "God is good, because his mercy endures forever."
25. That day Israel had a great deliverance.
26. The foreigners who escaped went and told Lysias about all that had happened.
27. When he heard it, he was perplexed and discouraged. Things hadn’t happened to Israel as he had intended, and they hadn’t turned out the way that the king commanded.
28. The next year he gathered together sixty thousand select men and five thousand cavalry, intending to subdue the Israelites.
29. They came to Idumea and camped at Beth-zur. Judas, on the other hand, went out to meet them with ten thousand men.
30. When Judas saw how numerous their army was, he prayed:Blessed are you, Savior of Israel,who crushed the attackof the mighty warriorthrough the powerof your servant David.You handed over the campof the Philistinesto Saul’s son Jonathanandand the man who carried his armor.
31. So surround this armyby the power of your people Israel,and let them be disappointedby their troops and cavalry.
32. Fill them with cowardice.Melt away the boldnessof their strength.Let them quake in their destruction.
33. Strike them down with the swordof those who love you,and let all who know your namepraise you with hymns.
34. Then both sides attacked each other. Five thousand men from Lysias’ army died in the fighting.
35. Lysias saw his troops being defeated and took note of the boldness that inspired Judas’ troops—how ready they were to live or die bravely. So he withdrew to Antioch and enlisted mercenaries so that he could invade Judea again with an even bigger army.
36. At that time Judas and his brothers said, "Look, our enemies have been crushed. Let’s go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary."
37. All the army gathered together and went up to Mount Zion.