46. When they reached Ephron, a large and strongly fortified city along the way, they found it impossible to go around it on either the right or the left; they would have to march right through it.
47. But the people in the city shut them out and blocked up the gates with stones.
48. Then Judas sent them this peaceful message: “Let us cross your territory in order to reach our own; no one will harm you; we will only march through.” But they would not open to him.
49. So Judas ordered a proclamation to be made in the camp that everyone should take up positions where they were.
50. When the men of the army took up their positions, he assaulted the city all that day and night, and it was delivered into his hand.
51. He put every male to the sword, leveled the city, took spoils and passed through it over the slain.
52. Then they crossed the Jordan to the great plain in front of Beth-shan;
53. and Judas kept gathering the stragglers and encouraging the people the whole way, until he reached the land of Judah.
54. They ascended Mount Zion in joy and gladness and sacrificed burnt offerings, because not one of them had fallen; they had returned in safety.
55. In those days when Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Gilead, and Simon his brother was in Galilee opposite Ptolemais,
56. Joseph, son of Zechariah, and Azariah, the leaders of the army, heard about the brave deeds and the fighting that they were doing.