17. and assaulting them vigorously they made themselves masters of the positions, and kept off all that fought upon the wall, and killed those that fell in their way, and killed no fewer than twenty thousand.
18. And because no less than nine thousand were fled into two towers exceeding strong and having all things needed for a seige,
19. Maccabaeus, having left Simon and Joseph, and Zacchaeus besides and them that were with him, a force sufficient to besiege them, departed himself to places where he was most needed.
20. But Simon and they that were with him, yielding to covetousness, were bribed by certain of those that were in the towers, and receiving seventy thousand drachmas let some of them slip away.
21. But when word was brought to Maccabaeus of what was done, he gathered the leaders of the people together, and accused those men of having sold their brethren for money, by setting their enemies free to fight against them.
22. So he killed these men for having turned traitors, and forthwith took possession of the two towers.
23. And prospering with his arms in all things he took in hand, he destroyed in the two strongholds more than twenty thousand.
24. Now Timotheus, who had been before defeated by the Jews, having gathered together foreign forces in great multitudes, and having collected the horsemen which belonged to Asia, not a few, came as though he would take Judaea by force of arms.
25. But as he drew near, Maccabaeus and his men sprinkled earth upon their heads and girded their loins with sackcloth, in supplication to God,
26. and falling down upon the step in front of the altar, implored him to become gracious to them, and be an enemy to their enemies and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law declares.
27. And rising from their prayer they took up their arms, and advanced some distance from the city; and when they had come near to their enemies they halted.
28. And when the dawn was now spreading, the two armies joined battle; the one part having this, beside their virtue, for a pledge of success and victory, that they had fled to the Lord for refuge, the others making their passion their leader in the strife.
29. But when the battle waxed strong, there appeared out of heaven to their adversaries five men on horses with bridles of gold, in splendid array; and two of them, leading on the Jews,