Judith 7
1 The next day Holofernes commanded
all his army, and all his people which were come to take his part, that they
should remove their camp against Bethulia, to take aforehand the ascents of
the hill country, and to make war against the children of Israel.
2 Then their strong men removed their
camps in that day, and the army of the men of war was an hundred and seventy
thousand footmen, and twelve thousand horsemen, beside the baggage, and other
men that were afoot among them, a very great multitude.
3 And they camped in the valley near
unto Bethulia, by the fountain, and they spread themselves in breadth over
Dothaim even to Belthem, and in length from Bethulia unto Cyamon, which is
over against Esdraelom.
4 Now the children of Israel, when
they saw the multitude of them, were greatly troubled, and said every one to
his neighbour, Now will these men lick up the face of the earth; for neither
the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills, are able to bear their
weight. 5 Then every man took up his
weapons of war, and when they had kindled fires upon their towers, they
remained and watched all that night.
6 But in the second day Holofernes
brought forth all his horsemen in the sight of the children of Israel which
were in Bethulia, 7 and viewed the
passages up to the city, and came to the fountains of their waters, and took
them, and set garrisons of men of war over them, and he himself removed toward
his people.
8 Then came unto him all the chief of
the children of Esau, and all the governors of the people of Moab, and the
captains of the sea coast, and said,
9 Let our lord now hear a word, that
there be not an overthrow in thine army.
10 For this people of the children of
Israel do not trust in their spears, but in the height of the mountains
wherein they dwell, because it is not easy to come up to the tops of their
mountains.
11 Now therefore, my lord, fight not
against them in battle array, and there shall not so much as one man of thy
people perish. 12 Remain in thy camp,
and keep all the men of thine army, and let thy servants get into their hands
the fountain of water, which issueth forth of the foot of the mountain:
13 for all the inhabitants of
Bethulia have their water thence; so shall thirst kill them, and they shall
give up their city, and we and our people shall go up to the tops of the
mountains that are near, and will camp upon them, to watch that none go out of
the city. 14 So they and their wives
and their children shall be consumed with famine, and before the sword come
against them, they shall be overthrown in the streets where they dwell.
15 Thus shalt thou render them an
evil reward; because they rebelled, and met not thy person peaceably.
16 And these words pleased Holofernes
and all his servants, and he appointed to do as they had spoken.
17 So the camp of the children of
Ammon departed, and with them five thousand of the Assyrians, and they pitched
in the valley, and took the waters, and the fountains of the waters of the
children of Israel.
18 Then the children of Esau went up
with the children of Ammon, and camped in the hill country over against
Dothaim: and they sent some of them toward the south, and toward the east,
over against Ekrebel, which is near unto Chusi, that is upon the brook
Mochmur; and the rest of the army of the Assyrians camped in the plain, and
covered the face of the whole land; and their tents and carriages were pitched
to a very great multitude.
19 Then the children of Israel cried
unto the Lord their God, because their heart failed, for all their enemies had
compassed them round about, and there was no way to escape out from among
them. 20 Thus all the company of
Assur remained about them, both their footmen, chariots, and horsemen, four
and thirty days, so that all their vessels of water failed all the inhabitants
of Bethulia. 21 And the cisterns were
emptied, and they had not water to drink their fill for one day; for they gave
them drink by measure. 22 Therefore
their young children were out of heart, and their women and young men fainted
for thirst, and fell down in the streets of the city, and by the passages of
the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them.
23 Then all the people assembled to
Ozias, and to the chief of the city, both young men, and women, and children,
and cried with a loud voice, and said before all the elders,
24 God be judge between us and you:
for ye have done us great injury, in that ye have not required peace of the
children of Assur. 25 For now we have
no helper: but God hath sold us into their hands, that we should be thrown
down before them with thirst and great destruction.
26 Now therefore call them unto you,
and deliver the whole city for a spoil to the people of Holofernes, and to all
his army. 27 For it is better for us
to be made a spoil unto them, than to die for thirst: for we will be his
servants, that our souls may live, and not see the death of our infants before
our eyes, nor our wives nor our children to die.
28 We take to witness against you the
heaven and the earth, and our God and Lord of our fathers, which punisheth us
according to our sins and the sins of our fathers, that he do not according as
we have said this day. 29 Then there
was great weeping with one consent in the midst of the assembly; and they
cried unto the Lord God with a loud voice.
30 Then said Ozias to them, Brethren,
be of good courage, let us yet endure five days, in the which space the Lord
our God may turn his mercy toward us; for he will not forsake us utterly.
31 And if these days pass, and there
come no help unto us, I will do according to your word.
32 And he dispersed the people, every
one to their own charge; and they went unto the walls and towers of their
city, and sent the women and children into their houses; and they were brought
very low in the city.