Judith 3

DOUAI-RHEIMS	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Then the kings and the princes of all the cities and provinces, of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Syria Sobal, and Libya, and Cilicia sent their ambassadors, who coming to Holofernes, said:	1 Then the kings as well as the princes of the provinces sent their emissaries from all of the cities: from Syria, particularly Mesopotamia, and Syria Sobal, and Libya as well as Cilicia. These, upon coming to Holofernes, said:
2 Let thy indignation towards us cease: for it is better for us to live and serve Nabuchodonosor the great king, and be subject to thee, than to die and to perish, or suffer the miseries of slavery.	2 “Let your indignation concerning us cease. For it is better for us to live in service to Nebuchadnezzar, the great king, and to become subject to you, rather than to die, even though we may have to suffer our condemnation into the annihilation of slavery.
3 All our cities and our possessions, all mountains and hills, and fields, and herds of oxen, and flocks of cheep, and goats, and horses, and camels, and all our goods, and families are in thy sight:	3 All our cities and all our possessions, all mountains, and hills, and fields, and herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep, and goats, and horses, and camels, and all our resources and families are in your sight.
4 Let all we have be subject to thy law.	4 Let all that we have be subject to your law.
5 Both we and our children are thy servants.	5 We, and our sons, are your servants.
6 Come to us a peaceable lord, and use our service as it shall please thee.	6 Come to us as a peaceful lord, and use our service, just as it pleases you.”
7 Then he came down from the mountains with horsemen, in great power, and made himself master of every city, and all the inhabitants of the land.	7 Then he descended from the mountains with horsemen, in great power, and he took charge of every city and of every inhabitant of the land.
8 And from all the cities he took auxiliaries valiant men, and chosen for war.	8 And, from all the cities, he took for himself auxiliaries: strong men and well-chosen for war.
9 And so great a fear lay upon all those provinces, that the inhabitants of all the cities, both princes and nobles, as well as the people, went out to meet him at his coming.	9 And such a dread lay upon those provinces, that the leading and honored inhabitants of all the cities, together with the people, went out to meet him at his arrival.
10 And received him with garlands, and lights, and dances, and tumbrels, and flutes.	10 They received him with garlands and lamps; they were led by choirs with timbrels and flutes.
11 And though they did these things, they could not for all that mitigate the fierceness of his heart:	11 Yet, not even by doing these things were they able to mitigate the ferocity of his chest.
12 For he both destroyed their cities and cut down their groves.	12 For he both destroyed their cities and cut down their sacred groves.
13 For Nabuchodonosor the king had commanded him to destroy all the gods of the earth, that he only might be called God by those nations which could be brought under him by the power of Holofernes.	13 For king Nebuchadnezzar had instructed him to exterminate all the gods of the earth, evidently so that he alone might be called ‘god’ by those nations which were able to be subjugated by the power of Holofernes.
14 And when he had passed through all Syria Sobal, and all Apamea, and all Mesopotamia, he came to the Idumeans into the land of Gabaa,	14 But when he had passed through Syria Sobal, and all of Apamea, and all Mesopotamia, he came to the Idumeans in the land of Gibeah.
15 And he took possession of their cities, and stayed there for thirty days, in which days he commanded all the troops of his army to be united.	15 And he took their cities, and he sat there for thirty days, during which days he instructed all the troops of his army to regroup.