8 He captured Jazer and its surrounding villages and then returned to Judea.
9 The Gentiles in Gilead assembled to attack and destroy the Israelites living in their territory. But the Israelites fled to the fortress of Dathema
10-11 and sent the following letter to Judas and his brothers: “The Gentiles around us are joining forces under Timothy. We have fled to this fortress for protection, and now they are getting ready to capture it and destroy us.
12 Many of us have already been killed. Come rescue us!
13 All the Jewish men in the region of Tob have been killed, their wives and their children have been taken captive, and their possessions have been carried off. A force of about 1,000 men has been destroyed there.”
14 This letter was still being read when other messengers, who had torn their clothes in sorrow, arrived with a report from Galilee.
15 They said, “An army from Ptolemais, Tyre, Sidon, and all of Galilee has come together to destroy us.”