1. Gorgias took 5,000 infantry and 1,000 of his most experienced cavalry and left camp by night,
2. with men from the fort in Jerusalem as his guides. He had planned to make a surprise attack on the Jewish army,
3. but Judas learnt of the plan and moved out with his men to attack the king's army at Emmaus
4. while Gorgias and his troops were still away from the camp.
5. When Gorgias and his army reached Judas' camp that night, they found no one there. They thought Judas and his men were trying to escape, so they started looking for them in the mountains.
6. At dawn Judas appeared in the plain with 3,000 men, not all of them as well armed as they would have liked.
7. They saw the huge Gentile army of experienced troops wearing armour and protected by cavalry.
17-18. he said to his men, “Don't be greedy for loot. Gorgias and his army are near by in the mountains, so there is still heavy fighting ahead of us. We must stand firm and fight. After that, you can safely take all the loot you want.”
52-54. The 25th day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev, in the year 148 was the anniversary of the day the Gentiles had desecrated the altar. On that day a sacrifice was offered on the new altar in accordance with the Law of Moses. The new altar was dedicated and hymns were sung to the accompaniment of harps, lutes, and cymbals.