Books Jesus Read

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Books Jesus Read

therefore I will fight Judah and his army. And I will make a name for myself and gain honor in the kingdom.” Seron mustered a large army of the ungodly to take revenge on the children of Israel. As he drew near the high ridge of Bethhoron, Judas came out to meet him with only a few of his warriors. As they approached the battleline, some of Judas’ men asked, “How will we stand against such a mighty force? We have fasted all day and now are ready to faint!” “Don’t fear the enemy,” replied Judas. “With the God of heaven on our side, a great multitude will fall into the hands of a few. Our strength comes from heaven! Their plans are lawless and they are driven by pride to destroy us and our families. But we fight for our lives and for the sake of the law. The Lord himself will overthrow them before us!” Judas and his men then flew at the enemy and overcame them, pursuing them down into the valley. In all they killed eight hundred, while others managed to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then the fear and dread of Judas and his brothers fell on all the surrounding nations. Soon, their awesome prowess in battle came to the attention of Antiochus Epiphanes. When he received the report of Judas’ success against his army, the king was filled with rage. He put his legions on high alert and paid each man a year’s wages in advance. This decision, on top of his habit of giving generously to his friends, emptied the royal treasury. Moreover, the tribute he normally received from conquered lands was reduced by conflict and plague, the result of his policy of outlawing local laws and customs.