37. Following this, Timothy assembled another army and encamped opposite Raphon, on the other side of the stream.
38. Judas sent spies to observe the camp, and they reported: "All the Gentiles around us have gone over to him—it’s a very large force.
39. They have also hired Arabs to help them. They’re camped across the stream, and they’re ready to come and fight against you." So Judas went out to meet them.
40. As Judas and his army were drawing near to the stream of water, Timothy told the officers of his forces, "If Judas crosses the water first, we won’t be able to resist him, and he’ll surely defeat us.
41. But if he hesitates out of fear and camps on the other side of the river, then we’ll cross over and defeat him."
42. When Judas came to the stream of water, he stationed the scribes of the people there and issued this command: "Don’t let anyone start to make camp. Instead, force them all to enter the battle."
43. He then crossed over against them first, and the whole army followed him. All the Gentiles were defeated. They threw down their weapons and ran away into the sacred grounds at Carnaim.
44. But Judas took the town and burned the sacred grounds with fire, together with all who were hiding there. Even Carnaim was conquered, and they couldn’t oppose Judas any longer.
45. Then Judas gathered all the Israelites in Gilead to go to the land of Judah. It was a very large group, both small and great, with all their wives, children, and goods.
46. They came to Ephron, a large and secure town along the way. They couldn’t go around it on either side. They had to go through it.
47. But the townspeople shut them out and blocked up the gates with rocks.
48. Judas sent them a peaceful message: "Let us pass through your land to get to ours. We won’t do you any harm. We’ll just pass through by foot." But they still refused to open to him.