Judith, 5

1. It was reported to Holofernes, commander-in-chief of the Assyrian army, that the Israelites were ready for battle, and had blocked the mountain passes, fortified the summits of all the higher peaks, and placed roadblocks in the plains.

1. Holofernes, general-in-chief of the Assyrian army, received the intelligence that the Israelites were preparing for war, that they had closed the mountain passes, fortified all the high peaks and laid obstructions in the plains.

2. In great anger he summoned all the rulers of the Moabites, the generals of the Ammonites, and all the satraps of the seacoast

2. Holofernes was furious. He summoned all the princes of Moab, all the generals of Ammon and all the satraps of the coastal regions.

3. and said to them: "Now tell me, you Canaanites, what sort of people is this that dwells in the mountains? Which cities do they inhabit? How large is their army? In what does their power and strength consist? Who has set himself up as their king and the leader of their army?

3. 'Men of Canaan,' he said, 'tell me: what people is this that occupies the hill-country? What towns does it inhabit? How large is its army? What are the sources of its power and strength? Who is the king who rules it and commands its army?

4. Why have they refused to come out to meet me along with all the other inhabitants of the West?"

4. Why have they disdained to wait on me, as all the western peoples have?'

5. Then Achior, the leader of all the Ammonites said to him: "My lord, hear this account from your servant; I will tell you the truth about this people that lives near you (that inhabits this mountain region); no lie shall escape your servant's lips.

5. Achior, leader of all the Ammonites, replied, 'May my lord be pleased to listen to what your servant is going to say. I shall give you the facts about these mountain folk whose home lies close to you. You will hear no lie from the mouth of your servant.

6. "These people are descendants of the Chaldeans.

6. These people are descended from the Chaldaeans.

7. They formerly dwelt in Mesopotamia, for they did not wish to follow the gods of their forefathers who were born in the land of the Chaldeans.

7. They once came to live in Mesopotamia, because they did not want to follow the gods of their ancestors who lived in Chaldaea.

8. Since they abandoned the way of their ancestors, and acknowledged with divine worship the God of heaven, their forefathers expelled them from the presence of their gods. So they fled to Mesopotamia and dwelt there a long time.

8. They abandoned the way of their ancestors to worship the God of heaven, the God they learnt to acknowledge. Banished from the presence of their own gods, they fled to Mesopotamia where they lived for a long time.

9. Their God bade them leave their abode and proceed to the land of Canaan. Here they settled, and grew very rich in gold, silver, and a great abundance of livestock.

9. When God told them to leave their home and set out for Canaan, they settled there and accumulated gold and silver and great herds of cattle.

10. Later, when famine had gripped the whole land of Canaan, they went down into Egypt. They stayed there as long as they found sustenance, and grew into such a great multitude that the number of their race could not be counted.

10. Next, famine having overwhelmed the land of Canaan, they went down to Egypt where they stayed till they were well nourished. There they became a great multitude, a race beyond counting.

11. The king of Egypt, however, rose up against them, shrewdly forced them to labor at brickmaking, oppressed and enslaved them.

11. But the king of Egypt turned against them and exploited them by forcing them to make bricks; he degraded them, reducing them to slavery.

12. But they cried to their God, and he struck the land of Egypt with plagues for which there was no remedy. When the Egyptians expelled them,

12. They cried to their God, who struck the entire land of Egypt with incurable plagues, and the Egyptians expelled them.

13. God dried up the Red Sea before them,

13. God dried up the Red Sea before them

14. and led them along the route to Sinai and Kadesh-barnea. First they drove out all the inhabitants of the desert;

14. and led them forward by way of Sinai and Kadesh-Barnea. Having driven off all the inhabitants of the desert,

15. then they settled in the land of the Amorites, destroyed all the Heshbonites by main force, crossed the Jordan, and took possession of the whole mountain region.

15. they settled in the land of the Amorites and in their strength exterminated the entire population of Heshbon. Then, having crossed the Jordan, they took possession of all the hill-country,

16. They expelled the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Shechemites, and all the Gergesites; and they lived in these mountains a long time.

16. driving out the Canaanites before them and the Perizzites, Jebusites, Shechemites and all the Girgashites, and lived there for many years.

17. "As long as the Israelites did not sin in the sight of their God, they prospered, for their God, who hates wickedness, was with them.

17. All the while they did not sin before their God, prosperity was theirs, for they have a God who hates wickedness.

18. But when they deviated from the way he prescribed for them, they were ground down steadily, more and more, by frequent wars, and finally taken as captives into foreign lands. The temple of their God was razed to the ground, and their cities were occupied by their enemies.

18. But when they turned from the path he had marked out for them some were exterminated in a series of battles, others were taken captive to a foreign land. The Temple of their God was rased to the ground and their towns were seized by their enemies.

19. But now that they have returned to their God, they have come back from the Dispersion wherein they were scattered, and have repossessed Jerusalem, where their sanctuary is, and have settled again in the mountain region which was unoccupied.

19. Then having turned once again to their God, they came back from the places to which they had been dispersed and scattered, regained possession of Jerusalem, where they have their Temple, and reoccupied the hill-country which had been left deserted.

20. "So now, my lord and master, if these people are at fault, and are sinning against their God, and if we verify this offense of theirs, then we shall be able to go up and conquer them.

20. So, now, master and lord, if this people has committed any fault, if they have sinned against their God, let us first be sure that they really have this reason to fail, then advance and attack them.

21. But if they are not a guilty nation, then your lordship should keep his distance; otherwise their Lord and God will shield them, and we shall become the laughing stock of the whole world."

21. But if their nation is guiltless, my lord would do better to abstain, for fear that their Lord and God should protect them. We should then become the laughing-stock of the whole world.'

22. Now when Achior had concluded his recommendation, all the people standing round about the tent murmured; and the officers of Holofernes and all the inhabitants of the seacoast and of Moab alike said he should be cut to pieces.

22. When Achior had ended this speech, all the people crowding round the tent began protesting. Holofernes' own senior officers, as well as all the coastal peoples and the Moabites, threatened to tear him limb from limb.

23. "We are not afraid of the Israelites," they said, "for they are a powerless people, incapable of a strong defense.

23. 'Why should we be afraid of the Israelites? They are a weak and powerless people, quite unable to stand a stiff attack.

24. Let us therefore attack them; your great army, Lord Holofernes, will swallow them up."

24. Forward! Advance! Your army, Holofernes our master, will swallow them in one mouthful!'