World English Bible

1 Maccabees 4:13-30 World English Bible (WEB)

13. and they went out of the camp to battle. And they that were with Judas sounded their trumpets,

14. and joined battle, and the Gentiles were discomfited, and fled into the plain.

15. But all the hindmost fell by the sword: and they pursued them to Gazara, and to the plains of Idumaea and Azotus and Jamnia, and there fell of them about three thousand men.

16. And Judas and his host returned from pursuing after them,

17. and he said to the people, Be not greedy of the spoils, inasmuch as there is a battle before us;

18. and Gorgias and his host are near to us in the mountain. But stand you⌃ now against our enemies, and fight against them, and afterwards take the spoils with boldness.

19. While Judas was yet making an end of these words, there appeared a part of them looking out from the mountain:

20. and they saw that their host had been put to flight, and that the Jews were burning the camp; for the smoke that was seen declared what was done.

21. But when they perceived these things, they were sore afraid; and perceiving also the army of Judas in the plain ready for battle,

22. they fled all of them into the land of the Philistines.

23. And Judas returned to spoil the camp, and they got much gold, and silver, and blue, and sea purple, and great riches.

24. And they returned home, and sang a song of thanksgiving, and gave praise to heaven; because his mercy is good, because his mercy endures for ever.

25. And Israel had a great deliverance that day.

26. But the strangers, as many as had escaped, came and told Lysias all the things that had happened:

27. but when he heard thereof, he was confounded and discouraged, because neither had such things as he would been done to Israel, nor had such things as the king commanded him come to pass.

28. And in the next year he gathered together threescore thousand chosen footmen, and five thousand horse, that he might subdue them.

29. And they came into Idumaea, and encamped at Bethsura; and Judas met them with ten thousand men.

30. And he saw that the army was strong, and he prayed and said, Blessed are you, O Saviour of Israel, who did quell the onset of the mighty man by the hand of your servant David, and did deliver the army of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul, and of his armor bearer: