Judit 3

1Then the kings and the princes of all the cities and provinces, of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Syria Sobal, and Libya, and Cilicia sent their ambassadors, who coming to Holofernes, said:

2Let thy indignation towards us cease: for it is better for us to live and serve Nabuchodonosor the great king, and be subject to thee, than to die and to perish, or suffer the miseries of slavery.

3All our cities and our possessions, all mountains and hills, and fields, and herds of oxen, and flocks of cheep, and goats, and horses, and camels, and all our goods, and families are in thy sight:

4Let all we have be subject to thy law.

5Both we and our children are thy servants.

6Come to us a peaceable lord, and use our service as it shall please thee.

7Then he came down from the mountains with horsemen, in great power, and made himself master of every city, and all the inhabitants of the land.

8And from all the cities he took auxiliaries valiant men, and chosen for war.

9And so great a fear lay upon all those provinces, that the inhabitants of all the cities, both princes and nobles, as well as the people, went out to meet him at his coming.

10And received him with garlands, and lights, and dances, and tumbrels, and flutes.

11And though they did these things, they could not for all that mitigate the fierceness of his heart:

12For he both destroyed their cities and cut down their groves.

13For Nabuchodonosor the king had commanded him to destroy all the gods of the earth, that he only might be called God by those nations which could be brought under him by the power of Holofernes.

14And when he had passed through all Syria Sobal, and all Apamea, and all Mesopotamia, he came to the Idumeans into the land of Gabaa,

15And he took possession of their cities, and stayed there for thirty days, in which days he commanded all the troops of his army to be united.

1Tunc miserunt legatos suos universarum urbium ac provinciarum reges ac principes, Syriæ scilicet Mesopotamiæ, et Syriæ Sobal, et Libyæ, atque Ciliciæ: qui venientes ad Holofernem, dixerunt:

2Desinat indignatio tua circa nos: melius est enim ut viventes serviamus Nabuchodonosor regi magno, et subditi simus tibi, quam morientes cum interitu nostro ipsi servitutis nostræ damna patiamur.

3Omnis civitas nostra, omnisque possessio, omnes montes, et colles, et campi, et armenta boum, gregesque ovium, et caprarum, equorumque et camelorum, et universæ facultates nostræ atque familiæ, in conspectu tuo sunt:

4sint omnia nostra sub lege tua.

5Nos, et filii nostri, servi tui sumus.

6Veni nobis pacificus dominus, et utere servitio nostro, sicut placuerit tibi.

7Tunc descendit de montibus cum equitibus in virtute magna, et obtinuit omnem civitatem, et omnem inhabitantem terram.

8De universis autem urbibus assumpsit sibi auxiliarios viros fortes, et electos ad bellum.

9Tantusque metus provinciis illis incubuit, ut universarum urbium habitatores principes et honorati simul cum populis exirent obviam venienti,

10excipientes eum cum coronis et lampadibus, ducentes choros in tympanis et tibiis.

11Nec ista tamen facientes, ferocitatem ejus pectoris mitigare potuerunt:

12nam et civitates eorum destruxit, et lucos eorum excidit.

13Præceperat enim illi Nabuchodonosor rex, ut omnes deos terræ exterminaret, videlicet ut ipse solus diceretur deus ab his nationibus quæ potuissent Holofernis potentia subjugari.

14Pertransiens autem Syriam Sobal, et omnem Apameam, omnemque Mesopotamiam, venit ad Idumæos in terram Gabaa,

15accepitque civitates eorum, et sedit ibi per triginta dies, in quibus diebus adunari præcepit universum exercitum virtutis suæ.

1Then 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:

2“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.

3All 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.

4Let all that we have be subject to your law.

5We, and our sons, are your servants.

6Come to us as a peaceful lord, and use our service, just as it pleases you.”

7Then he descended from the mountains with horsemen, in great power, and he took charge of every city and of every inhabitant of the land.

8And, from all the cities, he took for himself auxiliaries: strong men and well-chosen for war.

9And 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.

10They received him with garlands and lamps; they were led by choirs with timbrels and flutes.

11Yet, not even by doing these things were they able to mitigate the ferocity of his chest.

12For he both destroyed their cities and cut down their sacred groves.

13For 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.

14But when he had passed through Syria Sobal, and all of Apamea, and all Mesopotamia, he came to the Idumeans in the land of Gibeah.

15And he took their cities, and he sat there for thirty days, during which days he instructed all the troops of his army to regroup.