1 Maccabees 10:67-85

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

⁶⁷ In the year one hundred and sixty-five Demetrius the son of Demetrius came from Crete into the land of his fathers.

⁶⁸ And king Alexander heard of it, and was much troubled, and returned to Antioch.

⁶⁹ And king Demetrius made Apollonius his general, who was governor of Celesyria: and he gathered together a great army, and came to Jamnia: and he sent to Jonathan the high priest,

⁷⁰ Saying: Thou alone standest against us, and I am laughed at, and reproached, because thou shewest thy power against us in the mountains.

⁷¹ Now therefore if thou trustest in thy forces, come down to us into the plain, and there let us try one another: for with me is the strength of war.

⁷² Ask, and learn who I am, and the rest that help me, who also say that your foot cannot stand before our face, for thy fathers have twice been put to flight in their own land:

⁷³ And now how wilt thou be able to abide the horsemen, and so great an army in the plain, where there is no stone, nor rock, nor place to flee to?

⁷⁴ Now when Jonathan heard the words of Apollonius, he was moved in his mind: and he chose ten thousand men, and went out of Jerusalem, and Simon his brother met him to help him.

⁷⁵ And they pitched their tents near Joppe, but they shut him out of the city: because a garrison of Apollonius was in Joppe, and he laid siege to it.

⁷⁶ And they that were in the city being affrighted, opened the gates to him: so Jonathan took Joppe.

⁷⁷ And Apollonius heard of it, and he took three thousand horsemen, and a great army.

⁷⁸ And he went to Azotus as one that was making a journey, and immediately he went forth into the plain: because he had a great number of horsemen, and he trusted in them. And Jonathan followed after him to Azotus, and they joined battle.

⁷⁹ And Apollonius left privately in the camp a thousand horsemen behind them.

⁸⁰ And Jonathan knew that there was an ambush behind him, and they surrounded his army, and cast darts at the people from morning till evening.

⁸¹ But the people stood still, as Jonathan had commanded them: and so their horses were fatigued.

⁸² Then Simon drew forth his army, and attacked the legion: for the horsemen were wearied: and they were discomfited by him, and fled.

⁸³ And they that were scattered about the plain, fled into Azotus, and went into Bethdagon their idol's temple, there to save themselves.

⁸⁴ But Jonathan set fire to Azotus, and the cities that were around it, and took the spoils of them, and the temple of Dagon: and all them that were fled into it, he burnt with fire.

⁸⁵ So they that were slain by the sword, with them that were burnt, were almost eight thousand men.