Judith 5

Wycliffe Bible

5 And it was to Holofernes, (the) prince of the chivalry of (the) men of Assyria, that the children of Israel made ready themselves to against-stand him [or that the sons of Israel made themselves ready to withstand (him)], and that they had closed (al)together the ways of the hills.

² And by over-great madness he burnt out into great wrathfulness; and he called all the princes of Moab, and the dukes of Ammon, [And with full much madness he burned out into great wrath; and he called all the princes of Moab, and dukes of Ammon,]

³ and said to them, Say ye to me, who this people is, that besiegeth the hilly places; either which, and what manner, and how great be their cities; also what is the virtue, or the strength, of them, either what is the multitude of them, either who is the king of their chivalry; [and said to them, Saith to me, who be these people, that the hills (be)siege; and what manner, and how many be the cities of them; what also be the virtue of them, or what be the multitude of them, or who be the king of the chivalry of them;]

⁴ and why before all men, that dwell in the east, have these men despised me, and they have not gone out to receive us with peace? [why before all, that dwell in the east, these despised me, and went not out to meet with us, that they should take us with peace?]

⁵ Then Achior, duke of all the sons of Ammon, answered and said, My lord, if thou vouchest safe to hear me, I shall say the truth in thy sight of this people that dwelleth in the hilly places, and a false word shall not go out of my mouth. [Then Achior, duke of all the sons of Ammon, answering, saith, If thou vouch safe to hear, my lord, I shall say the truth in thy sight of this people that in the mountains dwelleth, and there shall not go out a false word of my mouth.]

⁶ This people is of the generation of (the) Chaldeans; [This people is of the progeny of Chaldeans;]

⁷ and this people dwelled first in Mesopotamia; for they would not (pur)sue [or follow] the gods of their fathers, that were in the land of Chaldea.

⁸ Therefore they forsook the ceremonies of their fathers, that were with the multitude of gods,

⁹ and they worshipped (the) one God of heaven, which also commanded to them to go out from thence, and to dwell in Canaan. And when hunger had covered all the land, they went down into Egypt, and there they were so multiplied by four hundred years [or and there by four hundred years so be multiplied], (so) that the host of them might not be numbered^[a].

¹⁰ And when the king of Egypt had grieved them, and had made them subjects in the buildings of his cities in clay and tilestone [or and in building of his cities in clay and tile(stone) had under-yoked them], they cried to their God, and he smote all the land of Egypt with diverse vengeances.

¹¹ And when (the) men of Egypt had cast out from them(selves) the men of Israel, and the vengeance had ceased from the men of Egypt, and (then) again when they would take the men of Israel, and again-call them to their service, [And when Egyptians had cast them out from them, and vengeance had ceased from them, and again they would them take, and to their service again-call,]

¹² then (the) God of heaven opened the sea to (or for) these men of Israel fleeing away, so that on this side and on that side [or so that on either side] the waters were made (as) firm as walls, and in their walking these men with dry feet passed the deepness of the sea.

¹³ In which place the while (an) unnumerable host of (the) men of Egypt [or the unnumberable host of Egyptians] pursued Israel, it was (or they were) so covered with waters, that there dwelled not namely one man alive [or there (was) left not one], that should tell the deed to (their) after-comers.

¹⁴ Also the men of Israel went out of the Red Sea (or the Reed Sea), and they occupied the deserts of the hill of Sinai [or of the mounts of Sinai], (or of Mount Sinai), in which deserts there might never (a) man dwell, neither any son of man rest there.

¹⁵ There bitter wells were made sweet to them for to drink; and by forty years they got livelode (or their livelihood) from heaven.

¹⁶ And wherever they entered, their God fought for them, and he overcame their adversaries without bow and arrow, and without shield and sword.

¹⁷ And there was no man that casted down this people, no but when it went away from the worshipping of their Lord God (or the Lord their God). [And there was not that should assail to that people, but when it went away from the praising of the Lord his God.]

¹⁸ Soothly as often ever as they worshipped any other except that their own God, they were given into prey, and into sword, and into shame [or into reproof].

¹⁹ But as often ever as they repented that they had gone away from the worshipping of their God, (the) God of heaven gave to them virtue (or strength) to against-stand their enemies.

²⁰ Certainly they casted down the king(s) of Canaanites, and of Jebusites, and of Perizzites, and of Shechemites, and of Girgashites, and of Amorites, and all the mighty men of Heshbon, and they had in possession the lands of them, and the cities of them;

²¹ and till that they had sinned in the sight of their God, good things and prosperity were with them, for the God of them hateth wickedness.

²² For why and before these years, when they had gone away from the way which God had given to them, that they should go therein, they were destroyed of (or by) diverse nations by (or in) many battles, and full many of them were led prisoners into a land not theirs. [For and before these years, when they had gone away from the way that God had given to them, that they should go in it, they be destroyed with many battles of nations, and many of them be led captive into a land not theirs.]

²³ But a while ago they (re)turned again to the Lord their God, and they were gathered together from the scattering, in which they were scattered; and now they have gone up into all these hilly places, and again they have Jerusalem in possession, where the holy of holy things be (or where the Temple is). [Forsooth not yore ago, turned again to the Lord their God, from the scattering that they were scattered, they be gathered into one; and they went up (into) all these mountains, and again wielded Jerusalem where be the holy things of hallows.]

²⁴ Now therefore, my lord, inquire thou perfectly, if any wickedness of them is [or if there is any wickedness of them] in the sight of their God, and go we then up to them; for their God betaking shall betake them to thee, and they shall be made subject under the yoke of thy might.

²⁵ Truly if none offence of this people is before their God, we be not able to against-stand them; for the God of them shall defend them, and we shall be into shame to all earth (or in reproof to all the land). [If forsooth there is none offensions of this people before their God, we shall not be able to withstand them; for their God shall defend them, and we shall be into reproof of all earth.]

²⁶ And it was done, when Achior had ceased to speak these words, all the great men of Holofernes were wroth against him, and they thought to slay him, and they said together,

²⁷ Who is this that saith, that the sons of Israel, men without armour, and without virtue, or strength, and without cunning, (or knowing, or knowledge), of the craft of fighting be able to against-stand king Nebuchadnezzar and his hosts? [Who is this that saith, the sons of Israel to be able to withstand to king Nebuchadnezzar and to his hosts, men without arms, (or weapons), and without virtue, and without wisdom of the craft of fighting?]

²⁸ Therefore (so) that this Achior know, that he deceiveth us, go we up into the hilly places; and when the mighty men of them be taken, then he shall be pierced with a sword with the same men; [That then Achior know, for he beguileth us, go we up into the mountains; and when the mighty men of them were taken, then with the same he shall be smitten through with sword;]

²⁹ and (then) all folk (shall) know, that Nebuchadnezzar is (the) god of (the) earth, and except him there is none other. [that all folk know, that Nebuchadnezzar is god upon earth, and besides him is not another.]