Judith 1
1 In the
twelfth year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor, who reigned in Nineve, the great
city; in the days of Arphaxad, which reigned over the Medes in Ecbatane,
2 and built in Ecbatane walls round
about of stones hewn three cubits broad and six cubits long, and made the
height of the wall seventy cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits:
3 and set the towers thereof upon the
gates of it, an hundred cubits high, and the breadth
thereof in the foundation threescore cubits:
4 and he made the gates thereof, even
gates that were raised to the height of seventy cubits, and the breadth of
them was forty cubits, for the going forth of his mighty armies, and for the
setting in array of his footmen:
5 Even in those days king
Nabuchodonosor made war with king Arphaxad in the great plain, which is the
plain in the borders of Ragau. 6 And
there came unto him all they that dwelt in the hill country, and all that
dwelt by Euphrates, and Tigris, and Hydaspes, and the plain of Arioch the king
of the Elymeans, and very many nations of the sons of Cheleul, assembled
themselves to the battle.
7 Then Nabuchodonosor king of the
Assyrians sent unto all that dwelt in Persia, and to all that dwelt westward,
and to those that dwelt in Cilicia, and Damascus, and Libanus, and
Antilibanus, and to all that dwelt upon the sea coast,
8 and to those among the nations that
were of Carmel, and Galaad, and the higher Galilee, and the great plain of
Esdrelom, 9 and to all that were in
Samaria and the cities thereof, and beyond Jordan unto Jerusalem, and Betane,
and Chellus, and Kades, and the river of Egypt, and Taphnes, and Ramesse, and
all the land of Gesem, 10 until ye
come beyond Tanis and Memphis, and to all the inhabitants of Egypt, until ye
come to the borders of Ethiopia.
11 But all the inhabitants of the
land made light of the commandment of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians,
neither went they with him to the battle; for they were not afraid of him:
yea, he was before them as one man, and they sent away his ambassadors from
them without effect, and with disgrace.
12 Therefore Nabuchodonosor was very
angry with all this country, and sware by his throne and kingdom, that he
would surely be avenged upon all those coasts of Cilicia, and Damascus, and
Syria, and that he would slay with the sword all the inhabitants of the land
of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and all Judea, and all that were in Egypt,
till ye come to the borders of the two seas.
13 Then he marched in battle array
with his power against king Arphaxad in the seventeenth year, and he prevailed
in his battle: for he overthrew all the power of Arphaxad, and all his
horsemen, and all his chariots,
14 and became lord of his cities, and
came unto Ecbatane, and took the towers, and spoiled the streets thereof, and
turned the beauty thereof into shame.
15 He took also Arphaxad in the
mountains of Ragau, and smote him through with his darts, and destroyed him
utterly that day.
16 So he returned afterward
to Nineve, both he and all his company of sundry
nations, being a very great multitude of men of war, and there he took his
ease, and banqueted, both he and his army, an hundred and twenty days.