Liber Iudith, 1

1. Anno duodecimo regni Nabu chodonosor, qui regnavit in As syriis in Nineve civitate magna, in diebus Arphaxad, qui regnavit in Medis in Ecbatanis

1. In the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled over the Assyrians in the great city of Nineveh, in the days of Arphaxad, who ruled over the Medes in Ecbatana --

2. et aedificavit in Ecbatanis et in circuitu muros ex lapidibus excisis in latitudinem cubitorum trium et in longitudinem cubitorum sex et fecit altitudinem muri cubitorum septuaginta et latitudinem eius cubitorum quinquaginta

2. he is the king who built walls about Ecbatana with hewn stones three cubits thick and six cubits long; he made the walls seventy cubits high and fifty cubits wide;

3. et turres eius constituit super portas eius cubitorum centum et latitudinem earum fundavit in cubitos sexaginta.

3. at the gates he built towers a hundred cubits high and sixty cubits wide at the foundations;

4. Et fecit portas eius portas exsurgentes in altitudinem cubitorum septuaginta et in latitudinem earum cubitis quadraginta in exitum virtutis potentium eius et in dispositiones peditum eius.

4. and he made its gates, which were seventy cubits high and forty cubits wide, so that his armies could march out in force and his infantry form their ranks --

5. Et fecit bellum in diebus illis rex Nabuchodonosor ad Arphaxad regem in campo magno, hic est campus in finibus Ragau.

5. it was in those days that King Nebuchadnezzar made war against King Arphaxad in the great plain which is on the borders of Ragae.

6. Et convenerunt in pugnam omnes inhabitantes montanam et omnes inhabitantes Euphraten et Tigrin et Hidaspen et campos Arioch regis Elymaeorum. Et convenerunt gentes multae valde ad bellum filiorum Chaldaeorum.

6. He was joined by all the people of the hill country and all those who lived along the Euphrates and the Tigris and the Hydaspes and in the plain where Arioch ruled the Elymaeans. Many nations joined the forces of the Chaldeans.

7. Et misit Nabuchodonosor rex Assyriorum ad omnes inhabitantes Persidem et ad omnes inhabitantes ad occasum: inhabitantes Ciliciam et Damascum et Libanum et Antilibanum et ad omnes inhabitantes circa faciem maritimae;

7. Then Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians sent to all who lived in Persia and to all who lived in the west, those who lived in Cilicia and Damascus and Lebanon and Antilebanon and all who lived along the seacoast,

8. et ad eos, qui sunt in nationibus Carmeli et Galaad, et ad superiorem Galilaeam et ad campum magnum Esdrelon;

8. and those among the nations of Carmel and Gilead, and Upper Galilee and the great Plain of Esdraelon,

9. et ad omnes, qui in Samaria et civitatibus eius et trans Iordanen usque in Ierusalem et Bathanam et Chelus et Cades et flumen Aegypti et Taphnas et Ramesses et omnem terram Gessen,

9. and all who were in Samaria and its surrounding towns, and beyond the Jordan as far as Jerusalem and Bethany and Chelous and Kadesh and the river of Egypt, and Tahpanhes and Raamses and the whole land of Goshen,

10. usquedum veniatur supra Tanim et Memphin, et ad omnes inhabitantes Aegyptum, usquedum veniatur ad fines Aethiopiae.

10. even beyond Tanis and Memphis, and all who lived in Egypt as far as the borders of Ethiopia.

11. Et contempserunt omnes inhabitantes universam terram verbum Nabuchodonosor regis Assyriorum et non convenerunt cum eo in pugnam, quoniam non timuerunt eum, sed erat adversus eos quasi vir unus. Et remiserunt legatos eius vacuos in despectu faciei eorum.

11. But all who lived in the whole region disregarded the orders of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians, and refused to join him in the war; for they were not afraid of him, but looked upon him as only one man, and they sent back his messengers empty-handed and shamefaced.

12. Et indignatus est rex Nabuchodonosor ad omnem terram istam vehementer. Et iuravit per thronum et regnum suum se vindicaturum esse omnes fines Ciliciae et Damascenae et Syriae, sublaturum se gladio suo et omnes inhabitantes Moab et filios Ammon et omnem Iudaeam et omnes, qui in Aegypto, usquedum veniatur ad fines duorum marium.

12. Then Nebuchadnezzar was very angry with this whole region, and swore by his throne and kingdom that he would surely take revenge on the whole territory of Cilicia and Damascus and Syria, that he would kill them by the sword, and also all the inhabitants of the land of Moab, and the people of Ammon, and all Judea, and every one in Egypt, as far as the coasts of the two seas.

13. Et praeparavit se in virtute sua adversus regem Arphaxad in anno septimo decimo et invaluit in pugna sua et evertit omnem virtutem Arphaxad et omnem equitatum eius et omnes currus ipsius

13. In the seventeenth year he led his forces against King Arphaxad, and defeated him in battle, and overthrew the whole army of Arphaxad, and all his cavalry and all his chariots.

14. et dominatus est civitatibus eius. Et abiit usque ad Ecbatana et obtinuit turres et praedavit plateas eius et ornatum eius posuit in improperium illius.

14. Thus he took possession of his cities, and came to Ecbatana, captured its towers, plundered its markets, and turned its beauty into shame.

15. Et cepit Arphaxad in montibus Ragau et iaculatus est eum iaculis suis et disperdidit eum usque in illum diem.

15. He captured Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragae and struck him down with hunting spears; and he utterly destroyed him, to this day.

16. Et reversus est postea in Nineven ipse et commixtura eius, multitudo hominum pugnatorum multa valde. Et erat ibi requiescens et epulans ipse et virtus eius per dies centum viginti.

16. Then he returned with them to Nineveh, he and all his combined forces, a vast body of troops; and there he and his forces rested and feasted for one hundred and twenty days.