1Maccabees:16

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* Then came up John from Gazera , and told Simon his father what Cendebeus had done . * Wherefore Simon called his two eldest sons , Judas and John , and said unto them , I , and my brethren , and my father 's house , have ever from my youth unto this day fought against the enemies of Israel ; and things have prospered so well in our hands , that we have delivered Israel oftentimes . * But now I am old , and ye , by God 's mercy , are of a sufficient age : be ye instead of me and my brother , and go and fight for our nation , and the help from heaven be with you . * So he chose out of the country twenty thousand men of war with horsemen , who went out against Cendebeus , and rested that night at Modin . * And when as they rose in the morning , and went into the plain , behold , a mighty great host both of footmen and horsemen came against them : howbeit there was a water brook betwixt them . * So he and his people pitched over against them : and when he saw that the people were afraid to go over the water brook , he went first over himself , and then the men seeing him passed through after him . * That done , he divided his men , and set the horsemen in the midst of the footmen : for the enemies ' horsemen were very many . * Then sounded they with the holy trumpets : whereupon Cendebeus and his host were put to flight , so that many of them were slain , and the remnant gat them to the strong hold . * At that time was Judas John 's brother wounded ; but John still followed after them , until he came to Cedron , which Cendebeus had built . * So they fled even unto the towers in the fields of Azotus ; wherefore he burned it with fire : so that there were slain of them about two thousand men . Afterward he returned into the land of Judea in peace . * Moreover in the plain of Jericho was Ptolemeus the son of Abubus made captain , and he had abundance of silver and gold : * For he was the high priest 's son in law . * Wherefore his heart being lifted up , he thought to get the country to himself , and thereupon consulted deceitfully against Simon and his sons to destroy them . * Now Simon was visiting the cities that were in the country , and taking care for the good ordering of them ; at which time he came down himself to Jericho with his sons , Mattathias and Judas , in the hundred threescore and seventeenth year , in the eleventh month , called Sabat : * Where the son of Abubus receiving them deceitfully into a little hold , called Docus , which he had built , made them a great banquet : howbeit he had hid men there . * So when Simon and his sons had drunk largely , Ptolemee and his men rose up , and took their weapons , and came upon Simon into the banqueting place , and slew him , and his two sons , and certain of his servants . * In which doing he committed a great treachery , and recompensed evil for good . * Then Ptolemee wrote these things , and sent to the king , that he should send him an host to aid him , and he would deliver him the country and cities . * He sent others also to Gazera to kill John : and unto the tribunes he sent letters to come unto him , that he might give them silver , and gold , and rewards . * And others he sent to take Jerusalem , and the mountain of the temple . * Now one had run afore to Gazera and told John that his father and brethren were slain , and , quoth he , Ptolemee hath sent to slay thee also . * Hereof when he heard , he was sore astonished : so he laid hands on them that were come to destroy him , and slew them ; for he knew that they sought to make him away . * As concerning the rest of the acts of John , and his wars , and worthy deeds which he did , and the building of the walls which he made , and his doings , * Behold , these are written in the chronicles of his priesthood , from the time he was made high priest after his father .

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