Judith, 7

1. The next day Holofernes commanded all his army, and all his people which were come to take his part, that they should remove their camp against Bethulia, to take aforehand the ascents of the hill country, and to make war against the children of Israel.

1. The next day Holofernes gave an order to the whole of his army and to those people who had come to his help to move camp in the direction of Bethulia, to occupy the mountain slopes and to wage war against the Israelites.

2. Then their strong men removed their camps in that day, and the army of the men of war was an hundred and seventy thousand footmen, and twelve thousand horsemen, beside the baggage, and other men that were afoot among them, a very great multitude.

2. All his valiant warriors moved that day; the forces of fighting men numbered one hundred and seventy thousand foot soldiers and twelve thousand cavalry, without counting the baggage and the men who looked after it as well as the crowd of people who accompanied them - a considerable crowd.

3. And they camped in the valley near unto Bethulia, by the fountain, and they spread themselves in breadth over Dothaim even to Belmaim, and in length from Bethulia unto Cynamon, which is over against Esdraelon.

3. They camped in the valley near Bethulia, near the spring; they spread out the whole width from Dothan to Belbain, and the length from Bethulia to Cyamon which faces Esdraelon.

4. Now the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, were greatly troubled, and said every one to his neighbour, Now will these men lick up the face of the earth; for neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills, are able to bear their weight.

4. When the Israelites saw how numerous they were, they were extremely afraid and said to one another, "Without doubt this crowd is going to devour all the country, neither the high mountains nor the ravines nor the hills will be able to put a stop to their progress."

5. Then every man took up his weapons of war, and when they had kindled fires upon their towers, they remained and watched all that night.

5. Nonetheless each one seized his fighting equipment; they lit fires on the tops of the towers and kept watch all that night.

6. But in the second day Holofernes brought forth all his horsemen in the sight of the children of Israel which were in Bethulia,

6. The second day, Holofernes lined up all his cavalry in front of the Israelites in Bethulia.

7. And viewed the passages up to the city, and came to the fountains of their waters, and took them, and set garrisons of men of war over them, and he himself removed toward his people.

7. He observed the approaches to their town, discovered the sources supplying water, seized them and stationed guards over them, then he returned to his army.

8. Then came unto him all the chief of the children of Esau, and all the governors of the people of Moab, and the captains of the sea coast, and said,

8. The leaders of the Edomites, the commanders of the Moabites and the generals of the Seacoast approached Holofernes and said,

9. Let our lord now hear a word, that there be not an overthrow in thine army.

9. "Let our Master listen to us, and your army will not suffer loss.

10. For this people of the children of Israel do not trust in their spears, but in the height of the mountains wherein they dwell, because it is not easy to come up to the tops of their mountains.

10. This people of Israel really do not put their trust in javelins but in the height of the mountains which they inhabit, for it is not easy to reach the summit of their mountains.

11. Now therefore, my lord, fight not against them in battle array, and there shall not so much as one man of thy people perish.

11. Master, if you wish to save the lives of your men, do not fight against them in battle formation.

12. Remain in thy camp, and keep all the men of thine army, and let thy servants get into their hands the fountain of water, which issueth forth of the foot of the mountain:

12. Remain in your camp and keep all the men in your army safe but let us take possession of the spring which flows at the foot of the mountain,

13. For all the inhabitants of Bethulia have their water thence; so shall thirst kill them, and they shall give up their city, and we and our people shall go up to the tops of the mountains that are near, and will camp upon them, to watch that none go out of the city.

13. because it is from there that the people of Bethulia draw all their water. They will be dying of thirst and so they will hand over their town. We and our people will scale the summits of the neighboring mountains and set up outposts to prevent anyone from leaving the town.

14. So they and their wives and their children shall be consumed with fire, and before the sword come against them, they shall be overthrown in the streets where they dwell.

14. The famine will destroy them; men, women and children will be lying dead in the streets of their town before ever the sword is raised against them.

15. Thus shalt thou render them an evil reward; because they rebelled, and met not thy person peaceably.

15. So you will have punished them severely for having rebelled and for not having come out to meet you with offers of peace."

16. And these words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and he appointed to do as they had spoken.

16. This advice pleased Holofernes and all his officers, and he agreed to do what they said.

17. So the camp of the children of Ammon departed, and with them five thousand of the Assyrians, and they pitched in the valley, and took the waters, and the fountains of the waters of the children of Israel.

17. The Moabites, with five thousand Assyrians, moved camp; they encamped in the valley and cut off the springs and the water supply from the Israelites.

18. Then the children of Esau went up with the children of Ammon, and camped in the hill country over against Dothaim: and they sent some of them toward the south, and toward the east over against Ekrebel, which is near unto Chusi, that is upon the brook Mochmur; and the rest of the army of the Assyrians camped in the plain, and covered the face of the whole land; and their tents and carriages were pitched to a very great multitude.

18. The Edomites and the Ammonites climbed up and camped on the mountain near Dothan; they sent some of their men to the south and to the east facing Egrebel, near Chusi, which is on the torrent of Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army encamped in the plain, covering the whole countryside. The camp site covered by their tents and their bag-gage spread out wide for they were an enormous crowd.

19. Then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord their God, because their heart failed, for all their enemies had compassed them round about, and there was no way to escape out from among them.

19. Disheartened, the people of Israel called upon the Lord their God because their enemies had encircled them and had cut off all means of escape.

20. Thus all the company of Assur remained about them, both their footmen, chariots, and horsemen, four and thirty days, so that all their vessels of water failed all the inhibitants of Bethulia.

20. All the Assyrian army, its foot soldiers, its chariots and horsemen surrounded them for thirty-four days.

21. And the cisterns were emptied, and they had not water to drink their fill for one day; for they gave them drink by measure.

21. The inhabitants of Bethulia saw the water jars becoming empty and the wells running dry so that drinking water had to be rationed every day.

22. Therefore their young children were out of heart, and their women and young men fainted for thirst, and fell down in the streets of the city, and by the passages of the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them.

22. The small children became weak with thirst; the women and the young collapsed in the streets and gateways of the town.

23. Then all the people assembled to Ozias, and to the chief of the city, both young men, and women, and children, and cried with a loud voice, and said before all the elders,

23. Then everyone - men, women, young people and children - gathered and accused Uzziah and the leaders of the town. They called out with loud cries and said before all the elders,

24. God be judge between us and you: for ye have done us great injury, in that ye have not required peace of the children of Assur.

24. "May God judge between you and us, for you are the cause of this misfortune by not engaging in peaceful negotiations with the Assyrians.

25. For now we have no helper: but God hath sold us into their hands, that we should be thrown down before them with thirst and great destruction.

25. And now there is no one who can bring us any help; God has delivered us into the hands of these pagans in such a way that we lie dying before them from great thirst and misery.

26. Now therefore call them unto you, and deliver the whole city for a spoil to the people of Holofernes, and to all his army.

26. You must call on the Assyrians and let the whole army of Holofernes pillage us.

27. For it is better for us to be made a spoil unto them, than to die for thirst: for we will be his servants, that our souls may live, and not see the death of our infants before our eyes, nor our wives nor our children to die.

27. It is better for us to become their booty, for then we shall become slaves, but at least we shall live and not have to see our women, our older children and the little ones die before our eyes.

28. We take to witness against you the heaven and the earth, and our God and Lord of our fathers, which punisheth us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers, that he do not according as we have said this day.

28. We urge you by heaven and earth and by our God, the Lord of our fathers, who punishes us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers: make this decision this very day."

29. Then there was great weeping with one consent in the midst of the assembly; and they cried unto the Lord God with a loud voice.

29. Altogether they raised a great lamentation in the midst of the assembly, and they cried out with a loud voice to the Lord God.

30. Then said Ozias to them, Brethren, be of good courage, let us yet endure five days, in the which space the Lord our God may turn his mercy toward us; for he will not forsake us utterly.

30. Then Uzziah said to them, "Have confidence, my brothers; hold out for five days more, during which time the Lord our God will show us his mercy, for he will not abandon us forever.

31. And if these days pass, and there come no help unto us, I will do according to your word.

31. If these days pass without his coming to our help, then we shall do what you say."

32. And he dispersed the people, every one to their own charge; and they went unto the walls and towers of their city, and sent the women and children into their houses: and they were very low brought in the city.

32. Then he dismissed the men, each to his post, and they went towards the ramparts and the towers of the town, and he sent the women and children back to their homes. Now there was a great depression throughout the town.