Judith 5 And worde came to Holophernes ye prince of the warre of the Assyrians, that the children of Israel prepared them selues to make resistaunce, and howe they had stopped the wayes betwixte the mountaynes.

Bishops⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ And worde came to Holophernes ye prince of the warre of the Assyrians, that the children of Israel prepared them selues to make resistaunce, and howe they had stopped the wayes betwixte the mountaynes. ² Then was he exceeding wroth, and called all the princes of Moab, and the captaynes of Ammon, ³ And sayde vnto them: Tell me what people is this that kepeth in the mountaynes? Or what maner and how great cities theirs are? What is their power? Or what maner of hoast haue they? who is their captayne? ⁴ And why do they despise vs more then all those that dwell in the east, and come not foorth to meete vs, that they might receaue vs with peace? ⁵ Then Achior the captayne of al the Ammonites aunswered, and sayde: Syr, if it please thee to heare, I will tell the trueth before thee concerning this people that dwel in the mountaynes, and there shall no vntrueth go out of my mouth. ⁶ This people is of the generation of the Chaldees: ⁷ They dwelt first in Mesopotamia, for they woulde not folowe the gods of their fathers that were in the lande of the Chaldees, ⁸ And so forsoke they the custome of their forefathers which had many gods, and worshipped one God that made heauen and earth: whiche also commaunded them that they shoulde go from thence and dwell at Charan. ⁹ Nowe when there came a dearth into the whole lande, they went downe to Egypt, and there they dwelt foure hundreth yeres, in the whiche they multiplied greatly, that their hoast might not be numbred. ¹⁰ And when the king of Egypt oppressed them, and yoked them in buylding of his cities with making of clay and brycke, they cryed vnto God their Lord which punished the whole lande of Egypt with diuers plagues. ¹¹ And when the Egyptians had cast them out & the plague ceassed from them, and they folowing after them to take them & to bring them againe into their bondage: ¹² Whyle they were flying away the God of heauen opened the sea, so that the waters stoode fast vpon both the sides as a wall, and these went through the botome of the sea drye shod. ¹³ In the whiche place when an innumerable people of the Egyptians folowed vpon them, they were so ouerwhelmed with the waters, that there remayned not one to tell them that came after how it happened. ¹⁴ So when this people was passed through the red sea, they came into the wildernesse of mount Sina, where neuer man might dwell afore, and where the sonne of man had neuer rested. ¹⁵ There were the bitter waters made sweete for them that they might drinke, and fourtie yeres had they meate from heauen. ¹⁶ Whersouer they went, without bow and arrow, without buckler or sworde, their God fought for them, and caused them to haue the victorie. ¹⁷ Yea, no man was able to hurt this people, except it were when they departed vnfaythfully from the worshipping of the Lorde their God. ¹⁸ But as ofte as they worshipped any other beside their God, he gaue them ouer to be spoyled, to be slayne, and to be put to confusion. ¹⁹ Neuerthelesse, as ofte as they were sory for their departing from the worshippe of their God: the same God of heauen gaue them power & strength to withstande [their enemies.] ²⁰ Moreouer, they slue the king of the Chanaanites, Iebusites, Pherezites, Hethites, Heuites, and Amorites, and al the mightie in Hesebon, and toke their landes and cities in possession: ²¹ And so long as they sinned not in the sight of their God, it went well with them: For their God hateth vnrighteousnesse. ²² For in times past when they went out of the way which God had geuen them that they shoulde walke in it, they were destroyed in diuers battaylles of many nations, and many of them were caried away prisoners vnto a strange countrey. ²³ But now lately they haue turned them selues agayne vnto the Lord their God, and are come together agayne out of the countreys where they were scattred abrode: and thus haue they conquered these mountaynes, and dwel therin: and as for Hierusalem where their sanctuarie is, they haue it againe in possession. ²⁴ And therfore my Lord, make diligent inquisition, if this people haue done wickednesse in the sight of their God, then let vs go vp against them: for doubtlesse their God shall deliuer them into thy handes, and subdue them vnto thy power. ²⁵ But if this people haue not displeased their God, we shall not be able to withstande them: for their God shall defende them, and so shall we be a shame to all the worlde. ²⁶ Nowe when Achior had spoken out these wordes, all the great men of Holophernes were wroth, and thought to slay him, and sayde one to another: ²⁷ What is he this whiche dare say that the children of Israel are able to withstande Nabuchodonosor the king and his hoastes? where as they are an vnweaponed people, without strength or vnderstanding of the feates of warre? ²⁸ That Achior therfore may know that he hath deceaued vs, we will go vp into the mountaynes: and when the mightie men of them are taken, he with them shall be stickte with the sworde: ²⁹ That all the people may knowe that Nabuchodonosor is the God of the earth, and that there is none other beside him.