14. When Judas saw that Bacchides and the main force of the Syrian army was on the right, all his bravest men joined him,
15. and they crushed the Syrians' right wing. They pursued them as far as the foothills.
16. But when the Syrians on the left wing saw that their right wing had been crushed, they turned to attack Judas and his men from the rear.
17. The fighting became very fierce, and many on both sides were killed.
18. Finally Judas himself was killed. Then all his family fled.
19. Jonathan and Simon took their brother's body and buried it in the family tomb at Modein,
20. and there at the tomb they wept for him. All Israel mourned for him in great sorrow for many days. They said,
21. “It can't be true! The mighty hero and saviour of Israel has been killed!”
22. The other deeds of Judas, his battles, his courageous acts, and his great achievements, were too many to write down.
23. After the death of Judas, the lawless traitors began to reappear everywhere in Judea, and all the wicked people returned.
24. Also at that time, there was a severe famine, and the whole country went over to the side of the renegades.
25. Bacchides deliberately appointed some renegade Jews as rulers over the country.
26. These men hunted down the friends of Judas and brought them all before Bacchides, and he subjected them to torture and humiliation.
27. It was a time of great trouble for Israel, worse than anything that had happened to them since the time prophets ceased to appear among them.
28. Then all the friends of Judas came together and said to Jonathan,
29. “Since your brother Judas died, there has been no one like him to lead us against our enemies, against Bacchides and those of our own nation who oppose us.
30. So today we choose you to succeed him as our ruler and commander to carry on our war.”