Jdt 2 | EngLXX | STEP | And in the eighteenth year, the two and twentieth day of the first month, there was talkin the house of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians that he should, as he said, avenge himself on allthe earth.

‏ Judith 2

1 And in the eighteenth year, the two and twentieth day of the first month, there was talkin the house of Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians that he should, as he said, avenge himself on allthe earth. 2 So he called to him all his officers, and all his nobles, and communicated with them hissecret counsel, and concluded the afflicting of the whole earth out of his own mouth. 3 Then they decreed to destroy all flesh, that did not obey the commandment of his mouth. 4 And when he had ended his counsel, Nabuchodonosor king of the Assyrians called Holofernesthe chief captain of his army, which was next to him, and said to him. 5 Thus says the great king, the lord of the whole earth, Behold, you shall go forth frommy presence, and take with you men that trust in their own strength, of footmen an hundred and twentythousand; and the number of horses with their riders twelve thousand. 6 And you shall go against all the west country, because they disobeyed my commandment. 7 And you shall declare to that they prepare for me earth and water: for I will go forthin my wrath against them and will cover the whole face of the earth with the feet of mine army, and Iwill give them for a spoil to them: 8 So that their slain shall fill their valleys and brooks and the river shall be filledwith their dead, till it overflow: 9 And I will lead them captives to the utmost parts of all the earth. 10 You therefore shall go forth. and take beforehand for me all their coasts: and if theywill yield themselves to you, you shall reserve them for me till the day of their punishment. 11 But concerning them that rebel, let not your eye spare them; but put them to the slaughter,and spoil them wherever you go. 12 For as I live, and by the power of my kingdom, whatever I have spoken, that will I doby mine hand. 13 And take you heed that you transgress none of the commandments of your lord, but accomplishthem fully, as I have commanded you, and defer not to do them. 14 Then Holofernes went forth from the presence of his lord, and called all the governorsand captains, and the officers of the army of Assur; 15 And he mustered the chosen men for the battle, as his lord had commanded him, to an hundredand twenty thousand, and twelve thousand archers on horseback; 16 And he ranged them, as a great army is ordered for the war. 17 And he took camels and asses for their carriages, a very great number; and sheep andoxen and goats without number for their provision: 18 And plenty of victual for every man of the army, and very much gold and silver out ofthe king's house. 19 Then he went forth and all his power to go before king Nabuchodonosor in the voyage,and to cover all the face of the earth westward with their chariots, and horsemen, and their chosen footmen. 20 A great number also sundry countries came with them like locusts, and like the sand ofthe earth: for the multitude was without number. 21 And they went forth of Nineve three days' journey toward the plain of Bectileth, andpitched from Bectileth near the mountain which is at the left hand of the upper Cilicia. 22 Then he took all his army, his footmen, and horsemen and chariots, and went from thenceinto the hill country; 23 And destroyed Phud and Lud, and spoiled all the children of Rasses, and the childrenof Israel, which were toward the wilderness at the south of the land of the Chellians. 24 Then he went over Euphrates, and went through Mesopotamia, and destroyed all the highcities that were upon the river Arbonai, till you⌃ come to the sea. 25 And he took the borders of Cilicia, and killed all that resisted him, and came to theborders of Japheth, which were toward the south, over against Arabia. 26 He compassed also all the children of Madian, and burned up their tabernacles, and spoiledtheir sheepcotes. 27 Then he went down into the plain of Damascus in the time of wheat harvest, and burntup all their fields, and destroyed their flocks and herds, also he spoiled their cities, and utterly wastedtheir countries, and struck all their young men with the edge of the sword. 28 Therefore the fear and dread of him fell upon all the inhabitants of the sea coasts,which were in Sidon and Tyrus, and them that lived in Sur and Ocina, and all that lived in Jemnaan; andthey that lived in Azotus and Ascalon feared him greatly.