The Book of Judith

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

Many submit themselves to Holofernes. He destroys their cities, and their gods, that Nabuchodonosor only might be called God.

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:

“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.

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.

Let all that we have be subject to your law.

We, and our sons, are your servants.

Come to us as a peaceful lord, and use our service, just as it pleases you.”

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.

And, from all the cities, he took for himself auxiliaries: strong men and well-chosen for war.

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.

They received him with garlands and lamps; they were led by choirs with timbrels and flutes.

Yet, not even by doing these things were they able to mitigate the ferocity of his chest.

For he both destroyed their cities and cut down their sacred groves.(a)

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.

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.

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.(b)

Footnotes

(a)3:12 The word ‘lucos,’ or ‘groves,’ in this context refers to ‘sacred groves’ used in pagan worship.(Conte)

(b)3:15 The word ‘adunari’ literally means to come together as one, but in this context it refers to the regrouping of the troops.(Conte)

Many submit themselves to Holofernes. He destroys their cities, and their gods, that Nabuchodonosor only might be called God.

And they sent to him messengers with words of peace, saying,

“Behold, we the servants of Nebuchadnezzar the great king lie before you. Use us as it is pleasing in your sight.

Behold, our dwellings, and all our country, and all our fields of wheat, and our flocks and herds, and all the sheepfolds of our tents, lie before your face. Use them as it may please you.

Behold, even our cities and those who dwell in them are your servants. Come and deal with them as it is good in your eyes.”

So the men came to Holofernes, and declared to him according to these words.

He came down toward the sea coast, he and his army, and set garrisons in the high cities, and took out of them chosen men for allies.

They received him, they and all the country round about them, with garlands and dances and timbrels.

He cast down all their borders, and cut down their sacred groves. It had been given to him to destroy all the gods of the land, that all the nations would worship Nebuchadnezzar only, and that all their tongues and their tribes would call upon him as a god.

Then he came toward Esdraelon near to Dotaea, which is opposite the great ridge of Judea.

He encamped between Geba and Scythopolis. He was there a whole month, that he might gather together all the baggage of his army.