18. About 9,000 of the enemy, however, managed to take refuge in two easily defended forts, with everything they needed to withstand a siege.
19. Judas had to go on to some other places in the country, where he was more urgently needed, but he left behind Simon and Joseph, together with Zacchaeus and his men. This force was large enough to continue the siege,
20. but some of Simon's men were greedy, and when they were offered 64 kilogrammes of silver, they let some of the enemy escape from the forts.
21. When Judas heard what had happened, he called together the leaders of his troops and accused those men of selling their brothers by setting their enemies free to fight against them.
22. Then he executed the traitors and immediately captured the two forts.
23. Judas was always successful in battle, and in his assault on those two forts he killed more than 20,000 men.