16. When Judas and the people heard all this, a great assembly was called to decide what they should do to assist their people who were in distress and were being attacked by enemies.
17. Then Judas said to Simon his brother: "Choose your men and go rescue your people in Galilee. My brother Jonathan and I will go to Gilead."
18. He left Joseph, Zechariah’s son, and Azariah, a leader of the people, with the rest of the forces in Judea to guard it.
19. He commanded them, "Take charge of this people, but don’t engage in battle with the Gentiles before we return."
20. Three thousand men were assigned to Simon to go to Galilee, and eight thousand were to go with Judas to Gilead.
21. So Simon went to Galilee, fought several battles with the Gentiles, and crushed them.
22. He pursued them to the gate of Ptolemais. As many as three thousand Gentiles died, and he plundered their possessions.
23. Then he took the Jews of Galilee and Arbatta, together with their wives and children and all they owned, and led them to Judea with great rejoicing.
24. Judas Maccabeus and his brother Jonathan crossed the Jordan and traveled for three days into the wilderness.
25. They encountered the Nabateans, who greeted them in peace and related all that had happened to their people in Gilead:
26. "Many of them have been cornered inside Bozrah and Bosor, in Alema and Chaspho, in Maked and Carnaim." These were strong and large towns.
27. "Some have been confined in other towns in Gilead. The enemy is getting ready to attack the fortresses tomorrow. They intend to capture and destroy all these people in a single day."