22. appointed his brothers as commanders of each unit. Simon, Joseph, and Jonathan each commanded fifteen hundred men,
23. while Eleazar was publicly to read aloud the holy scroll.Giving the watchword of "God’s help," Judas took command of the first military unit and attacked Nicanor.
24. With the almighty as their ally, they slaughtered more than nine thousand of the enemy, wounding and disabling many of Nicanor’s army and driving them all to flight.
25. They seized the funds of those who came to buy them. After pursuing them a long way, they returned while there was still time
26. because it was the day before the Sabbath. For that reason they didn’t continue to pursue them.
27. After collecting the arms of the enemy and stripping them of their spoils, they kept the Sabbath, praising and giving thanks to the Lord for saving them that day and for giving them this initial sign of mercy.
28. When the Sabbath had ended, they shared the loot with those who had suffered torture, with the widows, and with the orphans. They divided up the rest with their children.
29. When they had completed these final tasks, they made a common appeal and prayed for the merciful Lord to be reconciled finally with his servants.
30. In close combat with the supporters of Timothy and Bacchides, they killed more than twenty thousand men and easily took control over some high fortresses. The war spoils that they took they divided equally between themselves and those suffering torture: the orphans, the widows, and also the elderly.
31. They carefully placed the captured armor all together in strategic places, but the rest of the spoils they carried into Jerusalem.
32. They killed the commander of Timothy’s troops, a most ungodly man who had caused grief to many Jews.
33. While celebrating victory in their homeland, they burned alive those who had set on fire the sacred gates, including Callisthenes, who had fled into a small house, so that he received the just reward for his sin.