19. He commanded them, “Take charge of these people, but do not join battle against the Gentiles until we return.”
20. Three thousand men were allotted to Simon to go into Galilee, and eight thousand men to Judas, for Gilead.
21. Simon went into Galilee and fought many battles with the Gentiles. They were crushed before him,
22. and he pursued them to the very gate of Ptolemais. About three thousand of the Gentiles fell, and he gathered their spoils.
23. He took with him the Jews who were in Galilee and in Arbatta, with their wives and children and all that they had, and brought them to Judea with great rejoicing.
24. Judas Maccabeus and his brother Jonathan crossed the Jordan and marched for three days through the wilderness.
25. There they met some Nabateans, who received them peaceably and told them all that had happened to their kindred in Gilead:
26. “Many of them are shut up in Bozrah, in Bosor near Alema, in Chaspho, Maked, and Carnaim”—all of these are large, fortified cities—
27. “and some are shut up in other cities of Gilead. Tomorrow their enemies plan to attack the strongholds and to seize and destroy all these people in one day.”
28. Thereupon Judas suddenly changed direction with his army, marched across the wilderness to Bozrah, and captured the city. He put every male to the sword, took all their spoils, and set fire to the city.
29. He led his army from that place by night, and they marched toward the stronghold.
30. When morning came, they looked ahead and saw a countless multitude, with ladders and machines for capturing the stronghold, beginning to attack.
31. When Judas perceived that the struggle had begun and that the noise of the battle was resounding to heaven with trumpet blasts and loud shouting,
32. he said to the men of his army, “Fight for our kindred today.”