Judith 2 - Common English Bible (CEB)

Nebuchadnezzar plans his revenge

2 In the eighteenth year of his rule, on the twenty-second day of the first month, a discussion took place in the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar of the Assyrians, about how to take revenge upon the whole region as he had promised. ²After calling together all his attendants and all his officials, he laid out before them his secret plan and established, with his own mouth, all the wickedness of the region. ³They determined to destroy everyone who hadn’t obeyed his command.^[a]

⁴When he finished laying out his plan, King Nebuchadnezzar of the Assyrians called for Holofernes, the general of his army and next in charge after the king himself. The king said to him, ⁵“The great king, the master of all the earth, says that you will leave my presence and take with you men who are sure of their own strength, one hundred twenty thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry. ⁶You will lead them out against all the lands in the west because they disobeyed my command.

⁷“You will tell the people to prepare earth and water, for I’m coming out against them in my rage, and I will cover the entire earth with the feet of my army. I will hand them over as spoil. ⁸Their wounded will fill up their valleys and every brook and river will be filled, overflowing with their dead. ⁹Then I will lead them as prisoners to the ends of the earth. ¹⁰You will go ahead of me to seize all of their territory. If they surrender to you, keep them for me until the day of their punishment. ¹¹But show no mercy to any who continue to resist. Hand them over to be killed and plundered. Do this wherever you go. ¹²As I live, and by the power of my kingdom, I have spoken, and I will do this with my own hand. ¹³Now don’t neglect even one of your master’s commands, but carry them out exactly as I have ordered you and without delay.”

Holofernes destroys the rebels

¹⁴Holofernes left the presence of his master and called together all the leaders, captains, and commanders of the Assyrian army. ¹⁵He assembled the chosen men in divisions as his master commanded him, one hundred twenty thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry armed with bows. ¹⁶He arranged them as a great army prepared for war. ¹⁷He also took a great many camels, donkeys, and mules to carry their baggage, and countless sheep, oxen, and goats as provisions. ¹⁸He took enough food for everyone, as well as a large quantity of gold and silver from the king’s palace.

¹⁹Then he and his whole army set out ahead of King Nebuchadnezzar to cover the whole face of the earth to the west with their chariots, cavalry, and chosen infantry. ²⁰Joining them was an assorted group of people, so many that they couldn’t be numbered. They were like swarms of locusts, like the dust of the earth.

²¹After marching for three days from Nineveh to the plain of Bectileth, they camped across from Bectileth near the mountain to the north of Upper Cilicia. ²²From there Holofernes took his whole army—the infantry, the cavalry, and his chariots—and he went up into the highlands. ²³He cut through Put and Lud, and looted all the people of Rassis and the Ishmaelites along the edge of the desert to the south of the Chelleans. ²⁴He traveled along the Euphrates, passing through Mesopotamia, and destroyed every strategic city along the brook of Abron until he reached the sea. ²⁵He seized the territory of Cilicia, killing everyone who resisted him. Then he went to the region of Japheth, to the south along the edge of Arabia. ²⁶He surrounded all of the Midianites, burned their tents, and plundered their sheep pens. ²⁷Then he went down onto the plain of Damascus during the wheat harvest and burned all their fields, destroyed their flocks and herds, and sacked their cities. He emptied their fields and killed all their young men with the sword.

People on the seacoast surrender

²⁸Fear and dread of Holofernes fell upon the people living along the seacoast, in Sidon and Tyre, those living in Sur and Ocina, and those living in Jamnia. The people who lived in Azotus and Ascalon were especially afraid of him.

Footnotes

Judith 2:3 Or the word of his mouth

Judith 2 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

2 In the thirteenth year of king Nebuchadnezzar, in the two and twentieth day of the first month, a word was made in the house of Nebuchadnezzar [or there is done a word in the house of Nebuchadnezzar], king of Assyrians, that he would defend him(self) from his enemies. 2 And he called to him(self) ...
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Judith 2 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Expedition against the West2 In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month, there was talk in the palace of Nebuchadnez′zar king of the Assyrians about carrying out his revenge on the whole region, just as he said. 2 He called together all his officers and all his nobles a...
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Judith 2 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Expedition against the West2 In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month, there was talk in the palace of Nebuchadnez′zar king of the Assyrians about carrying out his revenge on the whole region, just as he had said. 2 He called together all his officers and all his nobl...
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Judith 2 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

The Expedition against the West2 In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month, there was talk in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, about carrying out his revenge on the whole region, just as he had said. 2 He summoned all his ministers and all his nobles an...
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Judith 2 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE)

Judith 2 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Judith 2 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Expedition against the West2 In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month, there was talk in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, about carrying out his revenge on the whole region, just as he had said.(A)2 He summoned all his attendants and all his nobles ...
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Judith 2 - New Catholic Bible (NCB)

The Western CampaignChapter 2Council of War against the West. 1 In the eighteenth year, on the twenty-second day of the first month, there was a conference in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, about following through on his threat of vengeance against the entire region.[a] 2 Summo...
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Judith 2 - New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Chapter 2Revenge Planned Against the Western Nations.[a] 1 In the eighteenth year,[b] on the twenty-second day of the first month, there was a discussion in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, about taking revenge on all the land, as he had threatened.(A) 2 He summoned all his atte...
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Judith 2 - Good News Translation (GNT)

The War against the Nations in the West2 In the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, on the twenty-second day of the first month of that year, he and his advisers decided to carry out his threat to take revenge on all those countries that had refused to help him. 2-3 The king called his genera...
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Judith 2 - Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

2 In 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. 2 And he called all the ancients, and all the governors, and his officers of war, and com...
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