43. Judas was the first to cross the river against the enemy, and all his men followed him. The Gentiles broke ranks before them, threw away their arms, and fled to the pagan temple at Karnaim.
44. But Judas and his men took the city and burnt down the temple with all who were in it. With Karnaim overthrown, the Gentiles could no longer offer any resistance to Judas.
45. Then Judas gathered together all the Jews in Gilead to take them back to Judea with him. It was a large group of all kinds of people, together with their wives and children and all that they owned.
46. They went as far as Ephron, a large, well-fortified town. It was impossible to go round it on either side, and the road passed directly through the town.
47. But the people there would not let them pass and blocked the town gates with stones.
48. Then Judas sent a friendly message to them: “Let us pass through your territory to return home. No one will harm you; we will just pass through.” But they still refused to open the gates.
49. So Judas told everyone in the group, except the fighting men, to camp where they were.
50. The fighting men were ordered to take up their positions and attack the town. They fought all that day and all night, until they had taken it.
51. Judas had all the men of Ephron put to death, plundered the town, and levelled it. Then he and his army marched through the town over the dead bodies.
52. They crossed the Jordan into the wide plain opposite Beth Shan.
53. Throughout the whole march Judas kept gathering up the stragglers and encouraging the people until they reached the land of Judea.
54. With thanksgiving and rejoicing, they went up to Mount Zion and sacrificed burnt offerings because they had returned safely without the loss of a single person.