| 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. | 1 El año decimoctavo, el día veintidós del primer mes, se celebró consejo en el palacio de Nabucodonosor, rey de los asirios, para decidir cómo llevar a cabo su idea de venganza contra toda la tierra. |
| 2 He summoned all his ministers and nobles, laid before them his secret plan, and urged the total destruction of those countries. | 2 Convocados los ministros y magnates del reino, les comunicó su plan oculto y decretó personalmente la destrucción de aquella tierra. |
| 3 They decided to do away with all those who had refused to comply with the order he had issued. | 3 Todos acordaron que debían ser exterminados cuantos habían rechazado el mensaje del rey. |
| 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: | 4 Tan pronto como terminó el consejo, Nabucodonosor, rey de los asirios, llamó a Holofernes, jefe supremo del ejército y segundo en autoridad después del mismo rey, y le dijo: |
| 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, | 5 «Esto ordena el gran rey, señor de toda la tierra: Tan pronto como te retires de mi presencia, toma contigo hombres valerosos, hasta ciento veinte mil infantes y doce mil jinetes con sus caballos, |
| 6 and proceed against all the land of the West, because they did not comply with the order I issued. | 6 y marcha contra las tierras de Occidente que se negaron a cumplir mis órdenes. |
| 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. | 7 Diles que se preparen para recibirme, porque voy a descargar mi ira sobre ellos. Su tierra será ocupada por mis soldados y se la entregaré a ellos como botín. |
| 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. | 8 Sus muertos llenarán los valles, hasta el punto de que ríos y torrentes desbordarán de cadáveres. |
| 9 A sus cautivos los enviaré a los confines de la tierra. |
| 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. | 10 Ve, pues, y conquístame todos sus territorios. Si se te entregan, guárdamelos hasta que llegue el momento de su castigo. |
| 11 As for those who resist, show them no quarter, but deliver them up to slaughter and plunder in each country you occupy. | 11 No muestres piedad con los que se resistan; entrégalos a la muerte y al saqueo en toda tierra que conquistes. |
| 12 For as I live, and by the strength of my kingdom, what I have spoken I will accomplish by my power. | 12 Lo juro por mi vida y por mi reino. Lo he dicho y lo cumpliré con mis propias manos. |
| 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." | 13 Y tú no desobedezcas ninguna de las órdenes de tu señor; cúmplelas exactamente y sin demora». |
| 14 So Holofernes left the presence of his lord, and summoned all the princes, and the generals and officers of the Assyrian army. | 14 Nada más salir de la presencia de su señor, Holofernes convocó a todos los jefes, generales y oficiales del ejército asirio. |
| 15 He mustered a hundred and twenty thousand picked troops, as his lord had commanded, and twelve thousand mounted archers, | 15 Además, de acuerdo con el mandato de su señor, seleccionó ciento veinte mil hombres aguerridos y doce mil arqueros a caballo |
| 16 and grouped them into a complete combat force. | 16 y los organizó para la contienda. |
| 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; | 17 Tomó un gran número de camellos, asnos y mulos para transportar el bagaje e innumerables ovejas, bueyes y cabras para el aprovisionamiento, |
| 18 abundant provisions for each man, and much gold and silver from the royal palace. | 18 así como abundantes vituallas para cada hombre y gran cantidad de oro y plata del palacio real. |
| 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. | 19 Partió Holofernes de Nínive con todo su ejército, precediendo al rey Nabucodonosor, para invadir toda la tierra de Occidente con sus carros, jinetes e infantes selectos. |
| 20 A huge, irregular force, too many to count, like locusts or the dust of the earth, went along with them. | 20 Tras ellos iba una confusa muchedumbre, incontable como una plaga de langosta o como la arena de la tierra. |
| 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. | 21 En tres jornadas de marcha, llegaron desde Nínive a la llanura de Bectilet y acamparon cerca de allí, no lejos de las montañas que están al norte de la alta Cilicia. |
| 22 From there Holofernes took his whole force, the infantry, cavalry, and chariots, and marched into the mountain region. | 22 Holofernes avanzó luego, con todo su ejército de infantería, caballería y carros, hacia la región montañosa. |
| 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. | 23 Asoló Put y Lidia; saqueó a los rasitas e ismaelitas al borde del desierto, al sur de Jeleón. |
| 24 Then, following the Euphrates, he went through Mesopotamia, and battered down every fortified city along the Wadi Abron, until he reached the sea. | 24 Bordeando el Éufrates, cruzó Mesopotamia y destruyó todas las ciudades fortificadas que jalonan el torrente Abrona hasta el mar. |
| 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. | 25 Ocupó el territorio de Cilicia y, aniquilando a cuantos le oponían resistencia, llegó a la frontera meridional de Jafet, frente a Arabia. |
| 26 He surrounded all the Midianites, burned their tents, and plundered their sheepfolds. | 26 Cercó a todos los madianitas, incendió sus tiendas y se apoderó de sus rebaños. |
| 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. | 27 Durante la siega del trigo, bajó a la llanura de Damasco, prendió fuego a sus mieses, exterminó sus rebaños de ovejas y bueyes, saqueó sus ciudades, devastó sus campos y degolló a todos sus jóvenes. |
| 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. | 28 El pánico se apoderó de los habitantes de la costa, los de Tiro y Sidón, los de Sur y Aco. Ante él se aterrorizaron los de Yamnia, Azoto y Ascalón. |