15 Even the Idumeans themselves attacked us, hoping to turn the whole country into a battleground. They controlled strong fortresses and welcomed all the troublemakers who had been run out of Jerusalem.
16 Because of these attacks, Judas and his troops begged God for help. Then they quickly set out for the Idumean fortresses.
17 They made violent attacks on them and forced the enemy soldiers to retreat from their positions on the walls. Then after they had captured these places, they killed everyone they could. At least 20,000 of their enemies died.
18 About 9,000 enemy troops took cover in two strong towers that had everything they needed to fight off attackers.
19 So Judas ordered his brothers Simon and Joseph, along with an officer named Zacchaeus and his troops, to surround these towers. And since they had enough soldiers to capture the towers, Judas left for other parts of the country that needed his help even more.
20 But a few of Simon's troops became greedy. They took a bribe of 12,000 silver coins from some enemy forces in the towers, then let them sneak away.
21 When Judas found out what had happened, he called together his officers and brought charges against these soldiers. He said, “They have sold out their friends, and now the enemy troops who escaped will return and attack us.”