16 And John ascended or went up from Gazara, and told to Simon, his father, what things Cendebeus did in (or to) the people of them.
2 And Simon called his twain elder sons [or his two older sons], Judah and John, and said to them, I, and my brethren, and the house of my father, have overcome the enemies of Israel, from youth till into this day; and it had prosperity in our hands, for to deliver Israel sometimes.
3 Forsooth now I have elded [or Forsooth now I have olded], but be ye in my stead, and of my brother, and go ye out, and fight for our folk; forsooth (the) help of heaven be with you.
4 And he chose (out) of the country twenty thousand of fighting men, and horsemen; and they went out to (or against) Cendebeus, and slept in Modin.
5 And they rose early, and went into the field, and lo! a copious host came into the meeting of them, of footmen and horsemen; and a running flood (or a river) was betwixt the midst of them.
6 And he and his people moved the battle array [or the tents] (over) against the face of them, (or opposite them), and he saw the people trembling to pass over the stream of water, and he passed over the first; and (the) men saw him, and passed (over) after him.
7 And he parted the people, and (set the) horsemen in the middle of (the) footmen; forsooth the multitude of (the) horsemen of (the) adversaries was full plenteous.
8 And they cried on high with (the) holy trumps; and Cendebeus was turned into flight, and his host, and many of them fell wounded; soothly the residues fled into (the) strength (or and the rest fled into the stronghold).
9 Then Judas, the brother of John, was wounded; forsooth John pursued them, till Cendebeus came to Kedron, which he (had) builded (again).
10 And they fled till to (the) towers, that were in the fields of Azotus, and he burnt them with fire; and there fell of them two thousand of men, and he (re)turned again into Judea in peace.
11 And Ptolemy (or Ptolemeus), the son of Abubus, was ordained duke in the field of Jericho, and [he] had much silver and gold;
12 for he wedded the daughter of the highest priest.
13 And the heart of him was raised (up), and he would wield the country; and he thought guile against Simon and his sons, for to do away them (or to do them away).
14 Forsooth Simon walked by (the) cities that were in the country of Judea, and bare busyness of them (or took care of their needs), and came down into Jericho, he, and Mattathias, his son, and Judas, in the hundred year and seven and seventieth, in the eleventh month; this is the month of Shebat, that is, January-February. [Forsooth Simon walking by cities that were in the country of Judea, and bearing the busyness of them, came down into Jericho, he, and Mattathias, his son, and Judas, in the hundred year and seven and seventieth, in the eleventh month; this is the month of Shebat.]
15 And (Ptolemy) the son of Abubus, received them into a little strength (or into a small stronghold), that is called Docus, with guile, which he (had) builded; and made to them a great feast, and hid men there (or but he had men hidden there).
16 And when Simon was full of drink, and his sons, Ptolemy rose (up) with his men, and took their armours, (or their arms, or weapons), and entered into the feast, and slew him, and his two sons, and some children of him (or some of his servants).
17 And he did a great deceit in Israel, and yielded evils for goods.
18 And Ptolemy wrote these things, and sent to the king, for to send to him an host into help, and he should (or then he would) betake to him the country and (the) cities of them, and (the) tributes.
19 And he sent others into Gazara, for to do away John; and to the tribunes he sent epistles, that they should come to him, and he should give to them silver, and gold, and gifts.
20 And he sent other men [or And he sent others], for to occupy Jerusalem, and the mount of the temple.
21 And some man ran before, and told to John in Gazara, that his father (had) perished, and his brethren, and that he (Ptolemy, hath) sent (orders) that thou also be slain.
22 Forsooth as he heard, he wondered [or he dreaded] greatly; and (so) he caught the men that came to lose (or to destroy) him, and he slew them; for he knew, that they sought for to lose (or to destroy) him.
23 And other things of John’s words, and of his battles, and good virtues, in which he did strongly, and of (the) building of (the) walls, which he fully made, and of things done of (or by) him,
24 lo! these be written in the book of days of his priesthood, since he was made prince of priests after his father.
