Judith — Chapter 2

gloried as mightie inthe torce of his armie , and inthe lorie of his chariots. 5.In the twelfth yeare of hisreigne: Nabuchodo- nofor the King of the Aflyrians, who reigned ip Niniue the grcat Citie, fought avainft Arphaxad, and ouercame him 6. in the great held which is called Ragau,about Euphrates,and Tigris, and ladaion in the field of Ericch the King of the Elicians.7. Then was the Kingdom of Nabucho- donofor exalred,and his hare was cleuated: and he fentto al that dwelt : in Cilicia and Damafcus,and Libanus, 8, and ro thie nations, that are in of Efdrelon, g.andcoalthat wereim Samaria, and beyond the river Jordan euentolerufalem, and altheiand of Jeffe tii youcometo tre borders _—_— cow eee oe oe -_—-—. --- PAGE 929 --- * defen. deret fe. a YVDITH. gor: borders of Athiopia. ro. To al thefe Nabuchodonofer--King of the Affyrians fent meflengers --t7. Who al with one mind {aid nay , and. fentthem backe emptie, and reiected them without honour, 12. Then Nabuchodonofor the King taking indignation againft al that land , {wore by his throne and Kingdome that he would * reuenge himfelre ofal thofe countries,

- the Pricft wrote to al,that were againit Eidrelon,which is again{t the tace of the great field befide Dothain,andtoal, by whom there might be paffage of way ,6.thas they fhould take the afcéts of the temporal af- mountaynes, by which there might be way to Terufalem , and fhould -fayres of the keep watch , where the way was: narrow between the mountaynes. jcdmonwelth, 7.Aad the children of Ifrael did according asthe Prieft of our Lord, at this time, Eliachim had appointed them. 8. And al the:people eried to-our Lord. ey confent & ; 3 . fh: ommiillion of withgreat'inftance , and they. humbled their foules in faitings , and : 15 Manailes prayers,they and their wiues, 9, And the Prieits put on haire-cloths, 3¢ is’ molt pro- and they laide the infants: prottrate againit the tace ot the temple of bable thefe our Lord, andthe altar of our Lord they couered with haire-cloth ; things hapning:

and ma- giftrates of the power of the Affvrians : and he muftred men for the-ex- pedition , as the King commanded him , anhundred twentie thoufand fighting men on foot,and twelue thoufand archers horfemen. 8. And he made al his expeditiontogoe before ina multitude of innumerable ca- mels, with thofethings tharmight fuffice the armies aboundantly, heards of oxen alfo, & flocks of ineep, which had no number, 9. He appointed corneto be prepared out of al Syriaimhis paflage. 10, But golu & filuer he took out of the Kings noufe execeding much. 11: And he went-forth and al the armie, withthe chariots , & horfemen& thearchers, which coucred-the face of the earth as -locufts..12.And whem he.bad paffed through the coafts of the Afvrians he came tothe great mountaines of Anze, which are onthedefohand of Cisieia : and fre went ypinto althetr caftcls, and-wonne euerie fortrefic. 13. And he brake downe taere- nowmed citie of Melothus , and {peyicd al thechildren of Tharfis, and the children of Ifmacl, which were againit the face of tae defert , and Bbbbbb on the (a) This cruel! commandinen Was as crucliy put in execue tion by Holo-: fernes, ch,3, ¥. AL; 902 IVDIT H. onthe fouch of theland of Cellon. 14, And he pafled ouer Euphrates ,& came into Meféparamia: & he brake al che high cities chat were-there, from the torrent.of Membre, til ye come to the fea : 35. and he rooke the borders. therof, from Cilicia vnto the coafts of lapheth, which are toward the fouth. 16. And he caried away al the children of Madian, & ipoyled al their riches , and alzhae refifted him he flew in the edge of the word, 17. And after thefe things he went downe into the fields of Dama(cus in.thedaies of harueft , and he fer alrhe corneon fire ,& he made al che trees and vineyards to be cut'downe; 18, and the feare of him fel vpon al the inhabitants of the land.

and they cried to our Lord the Godvot Iirach with one accord.that erly ae their infants might not be giuen into-praye;and their wiues isto (poile, , Pasa, Be & their cities into deftruction, and their holie things into pollution,and they be made a reproch to. the Gentiles, u. Then Eliacaim che nigin Prieft of our Lord went about al Ifrael and{pake ta them , 12. faying :. Koow ye, that our Lord wil heare your prayers waif continuing you. continue to taitings and prayers inthe {sght of our Lord, 13..be mundtul of Moyfes che feruant of our Lord, who ouerthrew Annalee truiting in4 his.powez,and in his might,and in his armie,& in his iiclds, and in his. i (a) Thehigh » -Prieft mana~ ged alfo the chariots , and inhis horfemen, not by-tightung , but with holic pray- Bbbbbb 2 crs: --- PAGE 932 --- ! 1 \ ' i (a)Holofernes could narhe altogether ‘gnorant of fo famous a peo- ple as the {lowes, but in Phis rage mar- ucling at their; attempt de-~ mandeth more particulayly of their habilitie rorefift him, — Seeyeh7. 905 IV DITH. ers:14.fothal al the enemiesof Hracl be,if you perieuerin this warke, which you haue begun.15, They therfore atthis exhortarié of his befee- ching our Lord, continued in the fight of our Lord,16, fo thar they alio which offered the holocaufts to-our Lord , did offer the facrifices toour Lord girded sith haire-clothes , andthere were afhes vpon their head, 17, And they al prayed God with al their hart, that he wauld vilite his people Ifrael, CHAP, YW. Holofernes bearing that the Ifraclites prepare to refift bim., in great ragedeman- deth diuers partsculars concerning that people..5 , Achior an Ammonste telieth the meruslous works of God towards them, 22, aduifeth bim not to fight againfs them.26.The chief capitaines are offended,and threaten Achior. ee ND it was told Holofernes the General of che warres SRS of the Was themifelues to refift , and had hut vp the wayes of the great anger, & called al the Princes of Noab and dukes this people which beferreth the mountaynes:or what, ard of what fort, and how great their. cities are : alfo what their power is, or what istheir multirude ; orwho is theKing of their wartare : 4. and why aboue al that dwel in-the Eaft, haue thefe.contemned vs,@ haue not-come tortir to meetvs that they might receine vs with peace?5. Thé achior captaine of al the children of Ammon an{wering,faid: If chou-vaut(ate my Lord to heare,! wilrelthe truth in thy Sghr , ‘or this people , which dwel- leth in the mountaynes, & there tial-not a falfe word comeforth ot: my mouth.6, This people is of the progenieof the Chaldees, 7. Thefame dwelt ficttin Mefopotamia , becaufe they would not folew the Gods of their fathers., which were in the land of the Chaldees, 8. Farfa- ‘King therfore the cercmonies of their fathers , which were4a wulti- tude af Gods ,.9. they worfhipped one.God of heauen , who alio dwel in‘Charan, And when there was faraine ouer al the land, they went downe into. Agypt, and there for foure hundred yeares were fo multiplied , that the hoft of them could not be numbred. 10, And when the King of Agypt opprefled them , and in the buildings of his Cities had fubdued them in brick and claye, they cried to their Lord, and he ftrucke the whole Land of Agypr with diuers plagues. 11. And when the Agyptians had caft-them -out from them ,-and the plague. had Affyrians , that the children of I{rael prepared’ m Mounraynes ,2.and with exceeding furie hechafed in of Ammon, 3.and he fayd tothem: Tel me (4) what is commanded them that they fhould depart from thence, and fhould. Gen.11. Geni, Exod, i Exod. 7. ee. --- PAGE 933 --- * made [foisde or firme. Exe, Iq. 4 Exod, 15. {£o.27. “Tnedic, 2.

Xu, 21, é Tofizt. i4-Reg. “ptt. the God of heauen IVDITH, 905 had ceated trom them, and they would take them againe, andcal then backe to their feruice, 12, thefe Aying-away,the God of heaucrropetted the fea, fo thatthe waters were* canfolidated asa wal , on either fide, } and they walking through the botome of the fea pafled drie-foor. 23.1n which place whiles an innumerable armic of the Agypuans purfued them, they were fo ouerwhelmed with the waters , thatchere was not one remayning,to tel the fatto pofteritie. 14. Alfo being paft the red fa, they: poffeffed the deferes of Mount Sinai , in which neuer man could dwel, or fonne of man refted. 15. There bitter fountaines were made {weet for them to drinke, and for fourtie yeares they recciued meate from heauen. 16. Wherefoeuer they-encred.wichaut bow and arrow,and without fhielde and (word, their God fought for them , and j. ouercainc, 17, And there was not that didinfult againtt this people, bur when they. departed from the worlhip of the Lord their God, 18. Burt as often as befide their owne God they worthiped another , they were giuen to prey , and into the fword,and to reproch. 19, Andas otten.as they were penitét tor thar they reuolted from the worthip of their God, gaue them power ww refift. 20. Finaliy the King of the Chananeites,and of the lebufeites,and of the Pherezeites,and of the Palate ged Hetheites, and ofthe Heucites , and ofthe Amorrheites , and al the mightic in Hefebon they ouerthrew, and: they pofiefied their lands, and asthey finned notin the fight at their God,ir , was wel with them, for their God hateth iniquirie.22.For(v)thefe yeares (6) He fecmetht their cities: 21, and as long alfo paft when they had reuolred from the way , which God had giuen them , that they fhould walkeia it, they were deftroyed in batteis by Mante nations, and verie manie of them were led captine into aftrange laid.23.Burof late returning to the Lord their God, trom the dipertion Wnerein they were difperfed, they are vnited and are comme vp into al al thefe mountaynes , and pofleffe lerufulem againe wizere their Holtes atc.24. Now therfore my Lord, {earch if there-be any. iniquiric ot theirs in the fight of their God : and let vs goe vp to them, becaufe their God delivering wildeliuer them to thee, and they fhal be fubdued vader the yoke of thy power: 25, bucif there beno offence of this peaple before thar God, we can not refift them , becaufe their God wil detend them: and weli.al be areproch te die wholeearth. 26. And itcameto pale, . when Achior had ceafed to fpeakethefe words , al the gteat men at Holoternes were angrie, andthey thought to kil him, faying to each othcr:: 7.(¢) whots this,thatfaycth thechildren of Hrael-can reiift Kiog Nabuchodonofor,and his armies en ynarmed, and without force, and without skil ofthe feates of warre?28, That Achior thertore may know that he deceiueth vs,ler vs goe vp.tnto the mountaynes : and when their imightie ones inal be raken,then thal he with thei be fteucken through with the fword: 29, that eueric nation niay Know that Nabucuodeno- for is God of the earth,and befides him there is none other, ternes v, 3, de-& jthings? - to fpeake of the captiuitre ot King Ma- nailes.2. Paral, 33.Secthear. f guinent of this$ Book, ™ NP ERE Oy ty Ceahar “c) As Holo- § manded thar ¢ which he in Breat part ‘ knew, fohis men Cknowingt Achior wel cnough , in ; “age demand, “hoheis that { dare fay fuch Bbbbbb 3 CHAP --- PAGE 934 --- a) Nabucodo- nofors vaffals would haue no other God but him. And God ‘Almightic is alfo ielous and wil haue no God but him- q 1 J ning out of the way by the fide of the mountayne, tyed Achior to a tree t hand and foote,and fo lett bim boun:! with withes,and returned to their Affyrians bad left him bound.11.In chofe dayes the Princes there, were ‘commanded him to be deliuered for this caufe to the Ifraclites : thar 906 IVDITH.