1 Maccabees 9:58-73

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The End of the War

⁵⁸ Then all the lawless plotted and said, “See! Jonathan and his men are living in quiet and confidence. So now let us bring Bacchides back, and he will capture them all in one night.”^{(A) 59} And they went and consulted with him. ⁶⁰ He started to come with a large force and secretly sent letters to all his allies in Judea telling them to seize Jonathan and his men, but they were unable to do it, because their plan became known. ⁶¹ And Jonathan’s men^[a] seized about fifty of the men of the country who were leaders in this treachery and killed them.

⁶² Then Jonathan with his men and Simon withdrew to Bethbasi in the wilderness; he rebuilt the parts of it that had been demolished, and they fortified it. ⁶³ When Bacchides learned of this, he assembled all his forces and sent orders to the men of Judea. ⁶⁴ Then he came and encamped against Bethbasi; he fought against it for many days and made engines of war.

⁶⁵ But Jonathan left his brother Simon in the town while he went out into the country, and he went with only a few men. ⁶⁶ He struck down Odomera and his kindred and the people of Phasiron in their tents. ⁶⁷ Then he^[b] began to attack and went into battle with his forces, and Simon and his men sallied out from the town and set fire to the engines of war. ⁶⁸ They fought with Bacchides, and he was crushed by them. They pressed him very hard, for his plan and his expedition had been in vain.^{(B) 69} So he was very angry at the renegades who had counseled him to come into the country, and he killed many of them. Then he decided to go back to his own land.^(C)

⁷⁰ When Jonathan learned of this, he sent ambassadors to him to make peace with him and obtain release of the captives.^{(D) 71} He agreed and did as he said, and he swore to Jonathan^[c] that he would not try to harm him as long as he lived. ⁷² He restored to him the captives whom he had taken previously from the land of Judah; then he turned and went back to his own land and did not come again into their territory.^{(E) 73} Thus the sword ceased from Israel. Jonathan settled in Michmash and began to judge the people, and he destroyed the godless out of Israel.^(F)