Judith 7:19-32

Common English Bible

The Israelites begin to weaken

¹⁹ The Israelites cried out to the Lord their God, for their spirits were low, because their enemies had completely surrounded them, and no escape was in sight.

²⁰ The whole Assyrian army remained around them, the infantry and chariots and cavalry, for thirty-four days until the water supplies of everyone who lived in Bethulia ran dry. ²¹ Their reservoirs were nearly empty, and because drinking water was being rationed, on no day did anyone have enough to drink. ²² Their children were discouraged, and the women and young men fainted from thirst in the city streets, collapsing at the entrance to the gates. They had no strength left.

²³ Then all the people—the young men, the women, and the children—gathered around Uzziah and the rulers of the city. They cried out before all the elders with a loud voice, saying: ²⁴ “Let God judge between you and us! You have done us great wrong by not making peace with the Assyrians. ²⁵ Now there’s no one to help us. Instead, God has handed us over to them to be scattered before them in thirst and great destruction. ²⁶ Call them, therefore, and surrender the whole city as plunder to the people of Holofernes and his army. ²⁷ It would be better for us to be captured by them.^[a] Even though we would become slaves, we would save our lives and not have to see with our own eyes the deaths of our little ones, nor watch our wives and children losing their lives. ²⁸ “We testify against you by heaven and earth and our God, the Lord of our ancestors, who punishes us for our sins and the sins of our ancestors, if you don’t do everything we have spoken today.”

²⁹ The whole congregation was wailing aloud together as they cried out to the Lord with a loud voice. ³⁰ Uzziah said to them, “Be brave, brothers and sisters. Let’s wait five more days for the Lord our God to come to our aid. Surely he won’t abandon us in the end. ³¹ But if the days pass by and help hasn’t arrived, I’ll do as you have said.” ³² Then he dismissed the people. They went back to their various posts on the walls and towers of the city, and Uzziah sent the women and children home. They were in great misery throughout the city.