Judith 7

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The following day Holofernes ordered his whole army, and all the allied troops that had come to his support, to move against Bethulia, seize the mountain passes, and engage the Israelites in battle.	1 But Holofernes, on another day, instructed his army to ascend against Bethulia.
2 That same day all their fighting men went into action. Their forces numbered a hundred and seventy thousand infantry and twelve thousand horsemen, not counting the baggage train or the men who accompanied it on foot-a very great army.	2 Moreover, there were one hundred and twenty thousand foot-soldiers, and twenty-two thousand horsemen, besides the contingents of those men who had been taken captive, and all the youths who had been abducted from the provinces and the cities.
3 They encamped at the spring in the valley near Bethulia, and spread out in breadth toward Dothan as far as Balbaim, and in length from Bethulia to Cyamon, which faces Esdraelon.	3 All these prepared themselves together to fight against the sons of Israel, and they came through the foothills of the mountain, even to the apex, which looks down upon Dothain, from the place which is called Belma, up to Chelmon, which is opposite Esdrelon.
4 When the Israelites saw how many there were, they said to one another in great dismay: "Soon they will devour the whole country. Neither the high mountains nor the valleys and hills can support the mass of them."	4 But the sons of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, prostrated themselves upon the ground, scattering ashes over their heads, praying with one accord that the God of Israel would show his mercy upon his people.
5 Yet they all seized their weapons, lighted fires on their bastions, and kept watch throughout the night.	5 And, taking up their arms of war, they set up positions at the places that lead along a narrow footpath between the mountains, and they guarded them all day and night.
6 On the second day Holofernes led out all his cavalry in the sight of the Israelites who were in Bethulia.	6 Now Holofernes, while circling around, discovered that the fountain that flowed in to them, led directly through an aqueduct on the south side, beyond the city. And he instructed their aqueduct to be cut off.
7 He reconnoitered the approaches to their city and located their sources of water; these he seized, stationing armed detachments around them, while he himself returned to his troops.	7 Even so, there were springs not far from the walls, from which they were seen to draw water secretly, to refresh themselves a little rather than to drink their fill.
8 All the commanders of the Edomites and all the leaders of the Ammonites, together with the generals of the seacoast, came to Holofernes and said:	8 But the sons of Ammon and Moab approached Holofernes, saying: “The sons of Israel do not trust in their lances, nor in their arrows, but the mountains are their defense, and the steep hills and precipices constitute their fortifications.
9 "Sir, listen to what we have to say, that there may be no losses among your troops.	9 Therefore, so that you may be able to overcome them without joining battle, set guards at the springs so that they may not draw water from them, and you will put them to death without the sword, or at least, being weary, they will hand over their city, which they suppose to be, by its position in the mountains, unable to be conquered.”
10 These Israelites do not rely on their spears, but on the height of the mountains where they dwell; it is not easy to reach the summit of their mountains.	10 And these words were pleasing before Holofernes and before his attendants, and so he stationed a hundred men around every spring.
11 Therefore, sir, do not attack them in regular formation; thus not a single one of your troops will fall.	11 And when they had kept this watch through twenty full days, the cisterns and collections of waters failed among all the inhabitants of Bethulia, so that there was within the city not enough to satisfy them for even one day, because water was given out to the people daily by measure.
12 Stay in your camp, and spare all your soldiers. Have some of your servants keep control of the source of water that flows out at the base of the mountain,	12 Then, all the men and women, youths and little ones, gathering together before Uzziah, all with one voice together,
13 for that is where the inhabitants of Bethulia get their water. Then thirst will begin to carry them off, and they will surrender their city. Meanwhile, we and our men will go up to the summits of the nearby mountains, and encamp there to guard against anyone's leaving the city.	13 said: “May God be judge between us and you, for you have done evil with us, in not being willing to speak peacefully with the Assyrians, and because of this, God has sold us into their hands.
14 They and their wives and children will languish with hunger, and even before the sword strikes them they will be laid low in the streets of their city.	14 And therefore, there is no one to help us, while we are prostrated before their eyes with thirst and great destruction.
15 Thus you will render them dire punishment for their rebellion and their refusal to meet you peacefully."	15 And now, gather together all who are in the city, so that we may willingly deliver everyone of us to the people of Holofernes.
16 Their words pleased Holofernes and all his ministers, and he ordered their proposal to be carried out.	16 For it is better that as captives, being alive, we should bless the Lord, than that we should die and become a disgrace to all flesh, after we have seen our wives and our children die before our eyes.
17 Thereupon the Moabites moved camp, together with five thousand Assyrians. They encamped in the valley, and held the water supply and the springs of the Israelites.	17 We call to witness this day heaven and earth, and the God of our fathers, who takes vengeance upon us according to our sins, so that now you may deliver the city into the hand of the military of Holofernes. And may our end be brief, by the edge of the sword, that would be made longer by the dryness of thirst.”
18 The Edomites and the Ammonites went up and encamped in the mountain region opposite Dothan; and they sent some of their men to the south and to the east opposite Egrebel, near Chusi, which is on Wadi Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army was encamped in the plain, covering the whole countryside. Their enormous store of tents and equipment was spread out in profusion everywhere.	18 And when they had said these things, there happened a great weeping and a loud lamentation within the assembly. From everyone and for many hours, with one voice, they cried out to God, saying:
19 The Israelites cried to the Lord, their God, for they were disheartened, since all their enemies had them surrounded, and there was no way of slipping through their lines.	19 “We have sinned like our fathers, we have acted unjustly, we have committed iniquity.
20 The whole Assyrian camp, infantry, chariots, and cavalry, kept them thus surrounded for thirty-four days. All the reservoirs of water failed the inhabitants of Bethulia,	20 May you have mercy on us, for you are pious, or with your own scourges avenge our iniquities, but do not be willing to deliver those trusting in you to a people who are ignorant of you,
21 and the cisterns ran dry, so that on no day did they have enough to drink, but their drinking water was rationed.	21 so that they may not say among the Gentiles, ‘Where is their God?’ ”
22 Their children fainted away, and the women and youths were consumed with thirst and were collapsing in the streets and gateways of the city, with no strength left in them.	22 And when, being weary from these outcries, and tired from these weepings, they became silent,
23 All the people, therefore, including youths, women, and children, went in a crowd to Uzziah and the rulers of the city. They set up a great clamor and said before the elders:	23 Uzziah, rising up covered in tears, said: “Be steadfast in soul, brothers, and let us wait these five days for mercy from the Lord.
24 "God judge between you and us! You have done us grave injustice in not making peace with the Assyrians.	24 For perhaps he will break off his indignation and give glory to his own name.
25 There is no help for us now! Instead, God has sold us into their power by laying us prostrate before them in thirst and utter exhaustion.	25 But if, with five days passing, help does not arrive, we will accomplish the words that you have spoken.”
26 Therefore, summon them and deliver the whole city as booty to the troops of Holofernes and to all his forces;
27 we would be better off to become their prey. We should indeed be made slaves, but at least we should live, and not have to behold our little ones dying before our eyes and our wives and children breathing out their souls.
28 We adjure you by heaven and earth, and by our God, the Lord of our forefathers, who is punishing us for our sins and those of our forefathers, to do as we have proposed, this very day."
29 All in the assembly with one accord broke into shrill wailing and loud cries to the Lord their God.
30 But Uzziah said to them, "Courage, my brothers! Let us wait five days more for the Lord our God, to show his mercy toward us; he will not utterly forsake us.
31 But if those days pass without help coming to us, I will do as you say."
32 Then he dispersed the men to their posts, and they returned to the walls and towers of the city; the women and children he sent to their homes. Throughout the city they were in great misery.