Judit 2

1In the thirteenth year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor, the two and twentieth day of the first month, the word was given out in the house of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians, that he would revenge himself.

2And he called all the ancients, and all the governors, and his officers of war, and communicated to them the secret of his counsel:

3And he said that his thoughts were to bring all the earth under his empire.

4And when this saying pleased them all, Nabuchodonosor, the king, called Holofernes the general of his armies,

5And said to him: Go out against all the kingdoms of the west, and against them especially that despised my commandment.

6Thy eye shall not spare any kingdom, and all the strong cities thou shalt bring under my yoke.

7Then Holofernes called the captains and officers of the power of the Assyrians: and he mustered men for the expedition, as the king commanded him, a hundred and twenty thousand fighting men on foot, and twelve thousand archers, horsemen.

8And he made all his warlike preparations to go before with a multitude of innumerable camels, with all provisions sufficient for the armies in abundance, and herds of oxen, and flocks of sheep, without number.

9He appointed corn to be prepared out of all Syria in his passage.

10But gold and silver he took out of the king’s house in great abundance.

11And he went forth he and all the army, with the chariots, and horsemen, and archers, who covered the face of the earth, like locusts.

12And when he had passed through the borders of the Assyrians, he came to the great mountains of Ange, which are on the left of Cilicia: and he went up to all their castles, and took all the strong places.

13And he took by assault the renowned city of Melothus, and pillaged all the children of Tharsis, and the children of Ismahel, who were over against the face of the desert, and on the south of the land of Cellon.

14And he passed over the Euphrates and came into Mesopotamia: and he forced all the stately cities that were there, from the torrent of Mambre, till one comes to the sea:

15And he took the borders thereof from Cilicia to the coasts of Japheth, which are towards the south.

16And he carried away all the children of Madian, and stripped them of all their riches, and all that resisted him he slew with the edge of the sword.

17And after these things he went down into the plains of Damascus in the days of the harvest, and he set all the corn on fire, and he caused all the trees and vineyards to be cut down.

18And the fear of them fell upon alit the inhabitants of the land.

1Anno tertiodecimo Nabuchodonosor regis, vigesima et secunda die mensis primi, factum est verbum in domo Nabuchodonosor regis Assyriorum ut defenderet se.

2Vocavitque omnes majores natu, omnesque duces et bellatores suos, et habuit cum eis mysterium consilii sui:

3dixitque cogitationem suam in eo esse, ut omnem terram suo subjugaret imperio.

4Quod dictum cum placuisset omnibus, vocavit Nabuchodonosor rex Holofernem principem militiæ suæ,

5et dixit ei: Egredere adversus omne regnum occidentis, et contra eos præcipue, qui contempserunt imperium eum.

6Non parcet oculus tuus ulli regno, omnemque urbem munitam subjugabis mihi.

7Tunc Holofernes vocavit duces et magistratus virtutis Assyriorum, et dinumeravit viros in expeditionem sicut præcepit ei rex, centum viginti millia peditum pugnatorum, et equitum sagittariorum duodecim millia.

8Omnemque expeditionem suam fecit præire in multitudine innumerabilium camelorum, cum his quæ exercitibus sufficerent copiose, boum quoque armenta, gregesque ovium, quorum non erat numerus.

9Frumentum ex omni Syria in transitu suo parari constituit.

10Aurum vero et argentum de domo regis assumpsit multum nimis.

11Et profectus est ipse, et omnis exercitus cum quadrigis, et equitibus, et sagittariis: qui cooperuerunt faciem terræ sicut locustæ.

12Cumque pertransisset fines Assyriorum, venit ad magnos montes Ange, qui sunt a sinistro Ciliciæ: ascenditque omnia castella eorum, et obtinuit omnem munitionem.

13Effregit autem civitatem opinatissimam Melothi, prædavitque omnes filios Tharsis et filios Ismaël qui erant contra faciem deserti, et ad austrum terræ Cellon.

14Et transivit Euphraten, et venit in Mesopotamiam: et fregit omnes civitates excelsas quæ erant ibi, a torrente Mambre usquequo perveniatur ad mare:

15et occupavit terminos ejus, a Cilicia usque ad fines Japheth qui sunt ad austrum.

16Abduxitque omnes filios Madian, et prædavit omnem locupletationem eorum, omnesque resistentes sibi occidit in ore gladii.

17Et post hæc descendit in campos Damasci in diebus messis, et succendit omnia sata, omnesque arbores, et vineas fecit incidi:

18et cecidit timor illius super omnes inhabitantes terram.

1In the thirteenth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, on the twenty-second day of the first month, the word went forth from the house of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, that he would defend himself.

2And he called all the native leaders, and all the commanders, and his officers of war, and he met with them in his secret council.

3And he said to them that his thoughts were to subjugate all the earth to his authority.

4And when this saying pleased them all, king Nebuchadnezzar called Holofernes, the leader of his military.

5And he said to him: “Go out against all the kingdoms of the west, and against those in particular who showed contempt for my authority.

6Your eye must not spare any kingdom, and all the fortified cities you will subjugate to me.”

7Then Holofernes called the commanders and the magistrates of the army of the Assyrians. And he numbered men for the expedition, just as the king had instructed him: one hundred and twenty thousand foot-soldiers, and twelve thousand archers on horseback.

8And he caused his entire expeditionary force to go ahead with an innumerable multitude of camels, with whatever was needed in abundance for the armies, and with herds of cattle, and flocks of sheep, which could not be numbered.

9He appointed grain to be prepared from all of Syria, as he passed through it.

10In fact, he took up gold and silver from the house of the king in great abundance.

11And he set out, he and all the army, with the four-horse chariots, and horsemen, and archers. And they covered the face of the earth like locusts.

12And when he had crossed over the borders of the Assyrians, he came to the great mountains of Ange, which are on the left of Cilicia. And he ascended to all their castles, and he prevailed over all the fortifications.

13Moreover, he broke open the renowned city of Melothus, and he pillaged all the sons of Tarshish, and the sons of Ishmael, who were opposite the face of the desert and to the south of the land of Cellon.

14And he crossed over the Euphrates and came into Mesopotamia. And he crushed all the lofty cities that were there, from the torrent of Mambre, even until one passes through to the sea.

15And he occupied its furthest regions, from Cilicia all the way to the coastlines of Japheth, which are towards the south.

16And he carried away all the sons of Midian, and he plundered them in all their wealthy regions. And all who resisted him, he slew with the edge of the sword.

17And after these things, he descended to the plains of Damascus, in the days of the harvest, and he set fire to all the crops, and he caused all the trees and the vineyards to be cut down.

18And the fear of them fell upon all the inhabitants of the land.