Judith 7 The next day Holophernes commaunded his hoast to go vp against Bethulia.

Bishops⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ The next day Holophernes commaunded his hoast to go vp against Bethulia. ² There were an hundred and twentie thousande fighting men on foote, and two and twentie thousande horsemen, beside the preparing of them that were wunne, and came to them on euery side out of the countreys and cities which he had taken. ³ All these prepared them selues vnto the battayl against the Israelites, and came on by the hilside, vnto the top that loketh ouer against Dothain, from the place which is called Belma, vnto Chelmon that lyeth towarde Esdrelon. ⁴ Nowe when the children of Israel sawe so great multitude of the Assyrians, they fell downe flat vpon the grounde, strawed asshes vpon their heades, and prayed with one accorde that the God of Israel woulde shewe his mercie vpon his people. ⁵ And so they toke their weapons, and sat betwixte the mountaynes in the narow place, and kept the way day and night. ⁶ But whyle Holophernes was goyng rounde about, he founde the water spring, whiche from the south side was conueyed into the citie be a conduite, and he commaunded their conduite to be cut in sunder. ⁷ There were welles also not farre from the walles, whiche they vsed secretely, more for pleasure then for necessitie. ⁸ Then went the Ammonites and the Moabites vnto Holophernes, and sayd: The children of Israel trust neither in speare nor arrow, but haue taken in and kepe the mountaynes, and steepe hilles defende them. ⁹ That thou mayest ouercome them therfore without the striking of any battayl, set men to kepe the welles that they drawe no water out of them, so shalt thou destroy them without sworde, or at the least they shall be so feeble that they must be fayne to geue ouer the citie, which they thinke not able to be wunne for so much as it lyeth in the mountaynes. ¹⁰ These wordes pleased Holophernes wel and all his men of warre, and he set an hundreth at euery well round about. ¹¹ And when this watch had endured twentie dayes, the cesternes and all that had water fayled them that dwelt in the citie of Bethulia, so that in the whole citie they had not drincke inough for one day, for the people had water geuen them dayly in a measure. ¹² Then came the men and women, young persons and children, al vnto Osias, and sayd al with one voyce: ¹³ God be iudge betwixt vs and thee, for thou hast dealt euyll with vs: thou wouldest not speake peaceably with the king of the Assyrians, therefore hath God solde vs into their handes. ¹⁴ And there is no man to helpe vs, wheras we are brought downe before their eyes in thirst and great destruction. ¹⁵ Therefore gather now together all the people that be in the citie, that we may all yeelde our selues wyllyngly vnto the people of Holophernes. ¹⁶ For better it is that we be captiue and prayse the Lorde with our liues, then to be slayne & perishe, and to be laughed to scorne and shamed of euery man when we see our wiues and children die before our eyes. ¹⁷ We take heauen and earth this day to record, & the God of our fathers, whiche punisheth vs according to [the deseruing of] our sinnes [and geue you warning,] that ye geue vp the citie nowe into the power of Holophernes hoast, that our end may be short with the sworde, which els shal endure long for want of water and for thirst. ¹⁸ When they had spoken out these wordes, there was a great weeping and howling in the whole congregation [and that of euery man,] and they cryed a whole houre long vnto God with one voyce, ¹⁹ Saying: We haue sinned with our fathers, we haue done a misse, we haue dealt wickedly. ²⁰ Thou that art gratious haue mercie vpon vs, or punishe our vnrighteousnes with thyne owne scourge, and geue not those ouer that knowledge thee, vnto a people which knowe thee not: ²¹ That they may not say among the heathen, Where is their God? ²² And when they were so weery with this crying and weeping that they helde their peace, ²³ Osias stoode vp with watry eyes, and sayde: O take good heartes vnto you deare brethren [and be of good cheare,] and let vs wayte yet these fiue dayes for mercie of the Lorde: ²⁴ Peraduenture he shal put away his indignation, & geue glorie vnto his name. ²⁵ But if he helpe vs not when the fiue dayes are past, we shall do as ye haue sayde.