Judith 6

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 When the uproar of those crowding round the council had subsided, Holofernes, general-in-chief of theAssyrian army, reprimanded Achior in front of the whole crowd of foreigners and Ammonites.	1 When the noise of the crowd surrounding the council had subsided, Holofernes, commander-in-chief of the Assyrian army, said to Achior, in the presence of the whole throng of coastland peoples, of the Moabites, and of the Ammonite mercenaries:
2 'Achior, who do you think you are, you and the Ephraimite mercenaries, playing the prophet like this withus today, and trying to dissuade us from making war on the people of Israel? You claim their God wil protectthem. And who is God if not Nebuchadnezzar? He himself wil display his power and wipe them off the face ofthe earth, and their God wil certainly not save them.	2 "Who are you, Achior, to prophesy among us as you have done today, and to tell us not to fight against the Israelites because their God protects them? What god is there beside Nebuchadnezzar? He will send his force and destroy them from the face of the earth. Their God will not save them;
3 But we, his servants, shal destroy them as easily as a single individual. They can never resist thestrength of our cavalry.	3 but we, the servants of Nebuchadnezzar, will strike them down as one man, for they will be unable to withstand the force of our cavalry.
4 We shal burn them all. Their mountains will be drunk with their blood and their plains filled with theircorpses. Far from being able to resist us, every one of them wil die; thus says King Nebuchadnezzar, lord of thewhole world. For he has spoken, and his words will not prove empty.	4 We will overwhelm them with it, and the mountains shall be drunk with their blood, and their plains filled with their corpses. Not a trace of them shall survive our attack: they shall utterly perish, says King Nebuchadnezzar, lord of all the earth; for he has spoken, and his words shall not remain unfulfilled.
5 As for you, Achior, you Ammonite mercenary, who in a rash moment said these words, you wil not seemy face again until the day when I have taken my revenge on this brood from Egypt.	5 As for you, Achior, you Ammonite mercenary, for saying these things in a moment of perversity you shall not see my face after today, until I have taken revenge on this race of people from Egypt.
6 And then the swords of my soldiers and the spears of my officers wil pierce your sides. You wil falamong their wounded, the moment I turn on Israel.	6 Then at my return, the sword of my army or the spear of my servants will pierce your sides, and you shall fall among their slain.
7 My servants wil now take you into the hill-country and leave you near one of the towns in the passes;	7 My servants will now conduct you to the mountain region, and leave you at one of the towns along the ascent.
8 you wil not die, until you share their ruin.	8 You shall not die till you are destroyed together with them.
9 No need to look so sad if you cherish the secret hope that they wil not be captured! I have spoken; noneof my words will prove idle.'	9 If you still cherish the hope that they will not be taken, then there is no need for you to be downcast. I have spoken, and my words shall not prove false in any respect."
10 Holofernes having commanded his tent-orderlies to seize Achior, to take him to Bethulia and to handhim over to the Israelites,	10 Then Holofernes ordered the servants who were standing by in his tent to seize Achior, conduct him to Bethulia, and hand him over to the Israelites.
11 the orderlies took him, escorted him out of the camp and across the plain, and then, making for the hil -country, reached the springs below Bethulia.	11 So the servants took him in custody and brought him out of the camp into the plain. From there they led him into the mountain region till they reached the springs below Bethulia.
12 As soon as the men of the town sighted them, they snatched up their weapons, left the town and madefor the mountain tops, while al the slingers pelted them with stones to prevent them from coming up.	12 When the men of the city saw them, they seized their weapons and ran out of the city to the crest of the ridge; and all the slingers blocked the ascent of Holofernes' servants by hurling stones upon them.
13 However, they managed to take cover at the foot of the slope, where they bound Achior and left himlying at the bottom of the mountain and returned to their master.	13 So they took cover below the mountain, where they bound Achior and left him lying at the foot of the mountain; then they returned to their lord.
14 The Israelites then came down from their town, stopped by him, unbound him and took him to Bethulia,where they brought him before the chief men of the town,	14 The Israelites came down to him from their city, loosed him, and brought him into Bethulia. They haled him before the rulers of the city,
15 who at that time were Uzziah son of Micah of the tribe of Simeon, Chabris son of Gothoniel andCharmis son of Melchiel.	15 who in those days were Uzziah, son of Micah of the tribe of Simeon, Chabris, son of Gothoniel, and Charmis, son of Melchiel.
16 These summoned al the elders of the town. The young men and the women also hurried to theassembly. Achior was made to stand with al the people surrounding him, and Uzziah questioned him about whathad happened.	16 They then convened all the elders of the city; and all their young men, as well as the women, gathered in haste at the place of assembly. They placed Achior in the center of the throng, and Uzziah questioned him about what had happened.
17 He answered by tel ing them what had been said at Holofernes' council, and what he himself had saidin the presence of the Assyrian leaders, and how Holofernes had bragged of what he would do to the House ofIsrael.	17 He replied by giving them an account of what was said in the council of Holofernes, and of all his own words among the Assyrian officers, and of all the boasting threats of Holofernes against the house of Israel.
18 At this the people fel to the ground and worshipped God.	18 At this the people fell prostrate and worshiped God; and they cried out:
19 'Lord God of heaven,' they cried, 'take notice of their arrogance and have pity on the humiliation of ourrace. Look kindly today on those who are consecrated to you.'	19 "Lord, God of heaven, behold their arrogance! Have pity on the lowliness of our people, and look with favor this day on those who are consecrated to you."
20 They then spoke reassuringly to Achior and praised him warmly.	20 Then they reassured Achior and praised him highly.
21 After the assembly Uzziah took him home and gave a banquet for the elders; al that night they cal edon the God of Israel for help.	21 Uzziah brought him from the assembly to his home, where he gave a banquet for the elders. That whole night they called upon the God of Israel for help.