Judith 1

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 It was the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyriansin the great city of Nineveh. At that time Arphaxad ruled over the Medes in Ecbatana.	1 It was the twelfth year of Nebuchadnezzar who reigned over the Assyrians in the great city of Nineveh.Arphaxad was then reigning over the Medes in Ecbatana.
2 Around this city he built a wall of blocks of stone, each three cubits inheight and six in length. He made the wall seventy cubits high and fifty thick.	2 He surrounded this city with walls of dressed stones three cubits thick and six cubits long, making therampart seventy cubits high and fifty cubits wide.
3 At the gates he raised towers of a hundred cubits, with a thickness of sixty cubits at the base.	3 At the gates he placed towers one hundred cubits high and, at the foundations, sixty cubits wide,
4 The gateway he built to a height of seventy cubits, with an opening forty cubits wide for the passage of his chariot forces and the marshaling of his infantry.	4 the gates themselves being seventy cubits high and forty wide to al ow his forces to march out in a bodyand his infantry to parade freely.
5 Then King Nebuchadnezzar waged war against King Arphaxad in the vast plain, in the district of Ragae.	5 About this time King Nebuchadnezzar gave battle to King Arphaxad in the great plain lying in the territoryof Ragae.
6 To him there rallied all the inhabitants of the mountain region, all who dwelt along the Euphrates, the Tigris, and the Hydaspes, and King Arioch of the Elamites, in the plain. Thus many nations came together to resist the people of Cheleoud.	6 Supporting him were al the peoples from the highlands, all from the Euphrates and Tigris andHydaspes, and those from the plains who were subject to Arioch, king of the Elymaeans. Thus many nations hadmustered to take part in the battle of the Cheleoudites.
7 Now Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, sent messengers to all the inhabitants of Persia, and to all those who dwelt in the West: to the inhabitants of Cilicia and Damascus, Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon, to all who dwelt along the seacoast,	7 Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians sent a message to al the inhabitants of Persia, to all theinhabitants of the western countries, Cilicia, Damascus, Lebanon, Anti-Lebanon, to al those along the coast,
8 to the peoples of Carmel, Gilead, Upper Galilee, and the vast plain of Esdraelon,	8 to the peoples of Carmel, Gilead, Upper Galilee, the great plain of Esdraelon,
9 to all those in Samaria and its cities, and west of the Jordan as far as Jerusalem, Bethany, Chelous, Kadesh, and the River of Egypt; to Tahpanhes, Raamses, all the land of Goshen,	9 to the people of Samaria and its outlying towns, to those beyond Jordan, as far away as Jerusalem,Bethany, Chelous, Kadesh, the river of Egypt, Tahpanhes, Rameses and the whole territory of Goshen,
10 Tanis, Memphis and beyond, and to all the inhabitants of Egypt as far as the borders of Ethiopia.	10 beyond Tanis too and Memphis, and to al the inhabitants of Egypt as far as the frontiers of Ethiopia.
11 But the inhabitants of all that land disregarded the summons of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, and would not go with him to the war. They were not afraid of him but regarded him as a lone individual opposed to them, and turned away his envoys empty-handed, in disgrace.	11 But the inhabitants of these countries ignored the summons of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyriansand did not ral y to him to make war. They were not afraid of him, since in their view he appeared isolated.Hence they sent his ambassadors back with nothing achieved and in disgrace.
12 Then Nebuchadnezzar fell into a violent rage against all that land, and swore by his throne and his kingdom that he would avenge himself on all the territories of Cilicia and Damascus and Syria, and also destroy with his sword all the inhabitants of Moab, Ammon, the whole of Judea, and those living anywhere in Egypt as far as the borders of the two seas.	12 Nebuchadnezzar was furious with al these countries. He swore by his throne and kingdom to takerevenge on al the territories of Cilicia, Damascus and Syria, of the Moabites and of the Ammonites, of Judaeaand Egypt as far as the limits of the two seas, and to ravage them with the sword.
13 In the seventeenth year he proceeded with his army against King Arphaxad, and was victorious in his campaign. He routed the whole force of Arphaxad, his entire cavalry and all his chariots,	13 In the seventeenth year, he gave battle with his whole army to King Arphaxad and in this battledefeated him. He routed Arphaxad's entire army and al his cavalry and chariots;
14 and took possession of his cities. He pressed on to Ecbatana and took its towers, sacked its marketplaces, and turned its glory into shame.	14 he occupied his towns and advanced on Ecbatana; he seized its towers and plundered its marketplaces, reducing its former magnificence to a mockery.
15 Arphaxad himself he overtook in the mountains of Ragae, ran him through with spears, and utterly destroyed him.	15 He later captured Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragae and, thrusting him through with his spears,destroyed him once and for al .
16 Then he returned home with all his numerous, motley horde of warriors; and there he and his army relaxed and feasted for a hundred and twenty days.	16 He then retired with his troops and al who had joined forces with him: a vast horde of armed men.Then he and his army gave themselves up to carefree feasting for a hundred and twenty days.