⁵For He pursued the wicked, and sought them out, and burnt up those that vexed his people. ⁶Wherefore the wicked shrunk for fear of him, and all the workers of iniquity were troubled, because salvation prospered in his hand. ⁷He grieved also many kings, and made Jacob glad with his acts, and his memorial is blessed for ever. ⁸Moreover he went through the cities of Juda, destroying the ungodly out of them, and turning away wrath from Israel: ⁹So that he was renowned unto the utmost part of the earth, and he received unto him such as were ready to perish. ¹⁰Then Apollonius gathered the Gentiles together, and a great host out of Samaria, to fight against Israel. ¹¹Which thing when Judas perceived, he went forth to meet him, and so he smote him, and slew him: many also fell down slain, but the rest fled. ¹²Wherefore Judas took their spoils, and Apollonius’ sword also, and therewith he fought all his life long. ¹³Now when Seron, a prince of the army of Syria, heard say that Judas had gathered unto him a multitude and company of the faithful to go out with him to war; ¹⁴He said, I will get me a name and honour in the kingdom; for I will go fight with Judas and them that are with him, who despise the king’s commandment. ¹⁵So he made him ready to go up, and there went with him a mighty host of the ungodly to help him, and to be avenged of the children of Israel. ¹⁶And when he came near to the going up of Bethhoron, Judas went forth to meet him with a small company: ¹⁷Who, when they saw the host coming to meet them, said unto Judas, How shall we be able, being so few, to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, seeing we are ready to faint with fasting all this day? ¹⁸Unto whom Judas answered, It is no hard matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few; and with the God of heaven it is all one, to deliver with a great multitude, or a small company: ¹⁹For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host; but strength cometh from heaven. ²⁰They come against us in much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and our wives and children, and to spoil us: ²¹But we fight for our lives and our laws. ²²Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: and as for you, be ye not afraid of them. ²³Now as soon as he had left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon them, and so Seron and his host was overthrown before him. ²⁴And they pursued them from the going down of Bethhoron unto the plain, where were slain about eight hundred men of them; and the residue fled into the land of the Philistines. ²⁵Then began the fear of Judas and his brethren, and an exceeding great dread, to fall upon the nations round about them: ²⁶Insomuch as his fame came unto the king, and all nations talked of the battles of Judas. ²⁷Now when king Antiochus heard these things, he was full of indignation: wherefore he sent and gathered together all the forces of his realm, even a very strong army. ²⁸He opened also his treasure, and gave his soldiers pay for a year, commanding them to be ready whensoever he should need them. ²⁹Nevertheless, when he saw that the money of his treasures failed and that the tributes in the country were small, because of the dissension and plague, which he had brought upon the land in taking away the laws which had been of old time; ³⁰He feared that he should not be able to bear the charges any longer, nor to have such gifts to give so liberally as he did before: for he had abounded above the kings that were before him. ³¹Wherefore, being greatly perplexed in his mind, he determined to go into Persia, there to take the tributes of the countries, and to gather much money.