The Book of Judith

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

Nabuchodonosor sends Holofernes to waste the countries of the west.

In the eighteenth year, the twenty-second day of the first month, there was talk in the house of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians that he should be avenged on all the land, even as he spoke.

He called together all his servants and all his great men, and communicated with them his secret counsel, and with his own mouth, recounted the wickedness of all the land.

They decreed to destroy all flesh which didn’t follow the word of his mouth.

It came to pass, when he had ended his counsel, Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians called Holofernes the chief captain of his army, who was second to himself, and said to him,

“The great king, the lord of all the earth, says: ‘Behold, you shall go out from my presence, and take with you men who trust in their strength, to one hundred twenty thousand footmen and twelve thousand horses with their riders.

And you shall go out against all the west country, because they disobeyed the commandment of my mouth.

You shall declare to them that they should prepare earth and water, because I will go out in my wrath against them, and will cover the whole face of the earth with the feet of my army, who will plunder them.

Their slain will fill their valleys and brooks, and the river will be filled with their dead until it overflows.

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

But you shall go forth, and take all their coasts for me first. If they will yield themselves to you,(a) then you must reserve them for me until the day of their reproof.

As for those who resist, your eye shall not spare; but you shall give them up to be slain and to be plundered in all your land.

For as I live, and by the power of my kingdom, I have spoken, and I will do this with my hand.

Moreover, you shall not transgress anything of the commandments of your lord, but you shall surely accomplish them, as I have commanded you. You shall not defer to do them.’”

So Holofernes went out from the presence of his lord, and called all the governors, the captains, and officers of the army of Asshur.

He counted chosen men for the battle, as his lord had commanded him, to one hundred twenty thousand, with twelve thousand archers on horseback.

He arranged them as a great multitude is ordered for the war.

He took camels, donkeys, and mules for their baggage, an exceedingly great multitude, and sheep, oxen, and goats without number for their provision,

and a large supply of rations for every man, and a huge amount of gold and silver out of the king’s house.

He went out, he and all his army, on their journey, to go before King Nebuchadnezzar, and to cover all the face of the earth westward with their chariots, horsemen, and chosen footmen.

A great company of various nations went out with them like locusts and like the sand of the earth. For they could not be counted by reason of their multitude.

And they departed out of Nineveh three days’ journey toward the plain of Bectileth, and encamped from Bectileth near the mountain which is at the left hand of the Upper Cilicia.

And he took all his army, his footmen, horsemen, and chariots, and went away from there into the hill country,

and destroyed Put and Lud, and plundered all the children of Rasses and the children of Ishmael, which were along the wilderness to the south of the land of the Chellians.

And he went over Euphrates, and went through Mesopotamia, and broke down all the high cities that were upon the river Arbonai, until you come to the sea.

And he took possession of the borders of Cilicia, and killed all who resisted him, and came to the borders of Japheth, which were toward the south, opposite Arabia.

He surrounded all the children of Midian, and set their tents on fire, and plundered their sheepfolds.

He went down into the plain of Damascus in the days of wheat harvest, and set all their fields on fire, and utterly destroyed their flocks and herds, plundered their cities, laid their plains waste, and struck all their young men with the edge of the sword.

And the fear and the dread of him fell upon those who lived on the sea coast, upon those who were in Sidon and Tyre, those who lived in Sur and Ocina, and all who lived in Jemnaan. Those who lived in Azotus and Ascalon feared him exceedingly.

Footnotes

(a)2:10 Gr. they will yield...and you shall reserve.

Nabuchodonosor sends Holofernes to waste the countries of the west.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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:

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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;

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.