1 Maccabees 16:1-10

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

16 Then John came up from Gazara, and told Simon his father what Cendebeus had done against their people.

² And Simon called his two eldest sons, Judas and John, and said to them: I and my brethren, and my father's house, have fought against the enemies of Israel from our youth even to this day: and things have prospered so well in our hands that we have delivered Israel oftentimes.

³ And now I am old, but be you instead of me, and my brethren, and go out, and fight for our nation: and the help from heaven be with you.

⁴ Then he chose out of the country twenty thousand fighting men, and horsemen, and they went forth against Cendebeus: and they rested in Modin.

⁵ And they arose in the morning, and went into the plain: and behold a very great army of footmen and horsemen came against them, and there was a running river between them.

⁶ And he and his people pitched their camp over against them, and he saw that the people were afraid to go over the river, so he went over first: then the men seeing him, passed over after him.

⁷ And he divided the people, and set the horsemen in the midst of the footmen: but the horsemen of the enemies were very numerous.

⁸ And they sounded the holy trumpets: and Cendebeus and his army were put to flight: and there fell many of them wounded, and the rest fled into the strong hold.

⁹ At that time Judas John's brother was wounded: but John pursued after them, till he came to Cedron, which he had built:

¹⁰ And they fled even to the towers that were in the fields of Azotus, and he burnt them with fire. And there fell of them two thousand men, and he returned into Judea in peace.