Judith 2

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month, there was a discussion in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, about taking revenge on the whole world, as he had threatened.
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 summoned all his ministers and nobles, laid before them his secret plan, and urged the total destruction of those countries.
3 Then they decreed to destroy all flesh, that did not obey the commandment of his mouth.	3 They decided to do away with all those who had refused to comply with the order he had issued.
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 When he had completed his plan, Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, summoned Holofernes, general in chief of his forces, second to himself 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 "Thus says the great king, the lord of all the earth: Go forth from my presence, take with you men of proven valor, a hundred and twenty thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry,
6 And thou shalt go against all the west country, because they disobeyed my commandment.	6 and proceed against all the land of the West, because they did not comply with the order I issued.
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 have earth and water ready, for I will come against them in my wrath; I will cover all the land with the feet of my soldiers, to whom I will deliver them as spoils.
8 So that their slain shall fill their valleys and brooks and the river shall be filled with their dead, till it overflow:	8 Their slain shall fill their ravines and wadies, the swelling torrent shall be choked with their dead; 9 and I will deport them as exiles to the very ends of the earth.
9 And I will lead them captives to the utmost parts of all 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 "You go before me and take possession of all their territories for me. If they surrender to you, guard them for me till the day of their punishment.
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 As for those who resist, show them no quarter, but deliver them up to slaughter and plunder in each country you occupy.
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 I live, and by the strength of my kingdom, what I have spoken I will accomplish by my power.
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 Do not disobey a single one of the orders of your lord; fulfill them exactly as I have commanded you, and do it without delay."
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 So Holofernes left the presence of his lord, and summoned all the princes, and the generals and officers of the Assyrian army.
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 mustered a hundred and twenty thousand picked troops, as his lord had commanded, and twelve thousand mounted archers,
16 And he ranged them, as a great army is ordered for the war.	16 and grouped them into a complete combat force.
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 a very large number of camels, asses, and mules for their baggage; innumerable sheep, cattle, and goats for their food supply;
18 And plenty of victual for every man of the army, and very much gold and silver out of the king's house.	18 abundant provisions for each man, and much gold and silver from the royal palace.
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 he and his whole army proceeded on their expedition in advance of King Nebuchadnezzar, to cover all the western region with their chariots and cavalry and regular infantry.
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 A huge, irregular force, too many to count, like locusts or the dust of the earth, went along with them.
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 a three-day march from Nineveh, they reached the plain of Bectileth, and from Bectileth they next encamped 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 From there Holofernes took his whole force, the infantry, 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 devastated Put and Lud, and plundered all the Rassisites and the Ishmaelites on the border of the desert toward the south of Chaldea.
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, following the Euphrates, he went through Mesopotamia, and battered down every fortified city along the Wadi 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 seized the territory of Cilicia, and cut down everyone who resisted him. Then he proceeded to the southern borders of Japheth, 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 Midianites, burned their tents, and plundered their sheepfolds.
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 Descending to the plain of Damascus at the time of the wheat harvest, he set fire to all their fields, destroyed their flocks and herds, despoiled their cities, devastated their plains, and put all their youths 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 dread of him fell upon all the inhabitants of the coastland, upon those in Sidon and Tyre, and those who dwelt in Sur and Ocina, and the inhabitants of Jamnia. Those in Azotus and Ascalon also feared him greatly.