Judith, 2

1. And in the eighteenth year, the two and twentieth day of the first month, there was talk in the house of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians that he should, as he said, avenge himself on all the earth.

1. On the twenty-second day of the first month in the eighteenth year of his reign, there was talk in the House of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, of punishing all those who had disobeyed the king's commands.

2. So he called unto him all his officers, and all his nobles, and communicated with them his secret counsel, and concluded the afflicting of the whole earth out of his own mouth.

2. He called together his ministers and his noblemen, and told them his secret plan.

3. Then they decreed to destroy all flesh, that did not obey the commandment of his mouth.

3. He proclaimed publicly the total destruction of the land and the punishment of all those who had disregarded his call.

4. And when he had ended his counsel, Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians called Holofernes the chief captain of his army, which was next unto him, and said unto him.

4. As soon as Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, had made this decision, he summoned Holofernes, the chief general of his army who was second in command, and said to him,

5. Thus saith the great king, the lord of the whole earth, Behold, thou shalt go forth from my presence, and take with thee men that trust in their own strength, of footmen an hundred and twenty thousand; and the number of horses with their riders twelve thousand.

5. "So says the Great King, Lord of all the earth, you will set out from my presence, taking with you men of true courage, about one hundred and twenty thousand foot soldiers and a great number of horses with about twelve thousand cavalrymen.

6. And thou shalt go against all the west country, because they disobeyed my commandment.

6. You will go to all the countries in the West and punish all the peoples, because they disregarded my orders.

7. And thou shalt declare unto that they prepare for me earth and water: for I will go forth in my wrath against them and will cover the whole face of the earth with the feet of mine army, and I will give them for a spoil unto them:

7. Tell them to submit themselves to me on land and water, lest in my anger I myself march against them. I will cover all the face of the earth with the footprints of my army, and I will give them over to my men to be plundered by them.

8. So that their slain shall fill their valleys and brooks and the river shall be filled with their dead, till it overflow:

8. The ravines will be filled with their wounded, rivers and torrents will be full of their dead.

9. And I will lead them captives to the utmost parts of all the earth.

9. I will lead away their prisoners as captives to the uttermost parts of the earth.

10. Thou therefore shalt go forth. and take beforehand for me all their coasts: and if they will yield themselves unto thee, thou shalt reserve them for me till the day of their punishment.

10. Go, then, and occupy in my name all their territories; if they surrender to you, keep them for me that I may punish them.

11. But concerning them that rebel, let not thine eye spare them; but put them to the slaughter, and spoil them wheresoever thou goest.

11. Show no pity to those who resist you. Hand them over to be massacred and plundered throughout all their lands.

12. For as I live, and by the power of my kingdom, whatsoever I have spoken, that will I do by mine hand.

12. For, as truly as I live and by the power of my kingdom, I will carry out with my own hands what I have said.

13. And take thou heed that thou transgress none of the commandments of thy lord, but accomplish them fully, as I have commanded thee, and defer not to do them.

13. And you, do not disobey the words of your lord nor fail to carry them out exactly as I have instructed you. Do not change any of them."

14. Then Holofernes went forth from the presence of his lord, and called ail the governors and captains, and the officers of the army of Assur;

14. Holofernes went out from the presence of his lord and called together all the chiefs of staff, the generals and commanders of the army of Assyria.

15. And he mustered the chosen men for the battle, as his lord had commanded him, unto an hundred and twenty thousand, and twelve thousand archers on horseback;

15. He gathered about a hundred and twenty thousand specially chosen men for the army as his lord had ordered him, and twelve thousand archers.

16. And he ranged them, as a great army is ordered for the war.

16. He arranged them in battle positions.

17. And he took camels and asses for their carriages, a very great number; and sheep and oxen and goats without number for their provision:

17. He took along camels, donkeys and mules to carry the baggage, and a great number of sheep, oxen, and goats for their food.

18. And plenty of victual for every man of the army, and very much gold and silver out of the king's house.

18. He took a sufficient quantity of provisions for each man, and an abundant supply of gold and silver from the king's treasury.

19. Then he went forth and all his power to go before king Nabuchodonosor in the voyage, and to cover all the face of the earth westward with their chariots, and horsemen, and their chosen footmen.

19. Then Holofernes set out on the march with all his army, with their chariots, cavalry and picked foot soldiers going ahead of King Nebuchadnezzar to cover all the lands to the West with this army.

20. A great number also sundry countries came with them like locusts, and like the sand of the earth: for the multitude was without number.

20. They were accompanied by a great crowd of people, so many were they that they were like locusts or the dust of the earth.

21. And they went forth of Nineve three days' journey toward the plain of Bectileth, and pitched from Bectileth near the mountain which is at the left hand of the upper Cilicia.

21. After marching for three days from Nineveh, Holofernes and his men reached the plain of Bectileth where they encamped before the city, near the mountains to the north of Upper Cilicia.

22. Then he took all his army, his footmen, and horsemen and chariots, and went from thence into the hill country;

22. Then Holofernes took all his army, foot soldiers, cavalry and chariots, and marched into the mountain region.

23. And destroyed Phud and Lud, and spoiled all the children of Rasses, and the children of Israel, which were toward the wilderness at the south of the land of the Chellians.

23. He utterly destroyed Put and Lud, and plundered all the land of Rassis and of Ishmael on the border of the desert to the south of the country of the Chaldeans.

24. Then he went over Euphrates, and went through Mesopotamia, and destroyed all the high cities that were upon the river Arbonai, till ye come to the sea.

24. Then he followed the Euphrates, crossed Mesopotamia and destroyed all the cities high above the torrent of Abron until he reached the sea.

25. And he took the borders of Cilicia, and killed all that resisted him, and came to the borders of Japheth, which were toward the south, over against Arabia.

25. He took possession of the land of Cilicia, and cut down all who opposed him, and arrived at the land of Japheth in the south toward Arabia.

26. He compassed also all the children of Madian, and burned up their tabernacles, and spoiled their sheepcotes.

26. He surrounded all the children of Midian, burned their tents and destroyed their livestock.

27. Then he went down into the plain of Damascus in the time of wheat harvest, and burnt up all their fields, and destroyed their flocks and herds, also he spoiled their cities, and utterly wasted their countries, and smote all their young men with the edge of the sword.

27. Then descending to the plain of Damascus at the time of the wheat harvest, he burned all their fields, scattered all their animals and killed the young ones, pillaged their villages, devastated their plains, and put all their young men to the sword.

28. Therefore the fear and dread of him fell upon all the inhabitants of the sea coasts, which were in Sidon and Tyrus, and them that dwelt in Sur and Ocina, and all that dwelt in Jemnaan; and they that dwelt in Azotus and Ascalon feared him greatly.

28. The fear and terror of him fell upon all the inhabitants of the seacoast, those in Tyre and Sidon, in Sur, Ocina and Jamnia. The people of Azotus and Ascalon also feared him.