1   So when they had left of speaking, Holophernes toke sore indignation, and sayde vnto Achior:

2   For so much as thou hast prophesied vnto vs, saying, That the people of Israel shalbe defended of their God: I will shew thee that there is no God but Nabuchodonosor,

3   Yea, when we slay them al as one man, thou also shalt perishe with them through the sword of the Assyrians, and all Israel shalbe destroyed with thee:

4   And then shalt thou feele that Nabuchodonosor is the lorde of the whole earth: then shal the sword of my knighthood go through thy sides, ∧ thou shalt fall downe stickte among the wounded of Israel, and ^note shalt not come to thy selfe agayne, but be vtterly destroyed with them.

5   Furthermore, if thou thinkest thy prophesie to be true, why doest thou then chaunge thy colour? why art thou afrayde? Thinkest thou that my wordes are not able to be perfourmed?

6   But that thou mayest knowe that thou shalt feele these thinges with them, beholde from this houre foorth will I send thee vnto yonder people, that when the punishement of my sworde (whiche they haue worthyly deserued) falleth vpon them, thou mayest be punished with them. B   

7   So Holophernes commaunded his seruauntes to take Achior, ∧ to cary him vnto Bethulia, and to deliuer him into the handes of the children of Israel.

8   Then Holophernes seruauntes toke

him, and went through the playne field: But when they drewe nye vnto the mountaynes, the slyng casters came out against them.

9   Neuerthelesse they gat them away by the side of the mountayne, and bounde Achior hande and foote to a tree, and so left him bounde with withes, and turned againe vnto their lorde.

10   After that, the children of Israel went downe from Bethulia, came vnto hym, loosed him, brought him into Bethulia, set him in the middest of the people, and asked him what the matter was that the Assyrians had left him bounde?

11   Osias the sonne of Micha of the tribe of Simeon, and Charmi which is also called Gothoniel, were the principal rulers at the same time.

12   Nowe when Achior stoode in the middest of the senatours, and before them al, he tolde them what aunswere he gaue Holophernes to the thing that he asked him, ∧ how Holophernes people would haue slayne him for so saying:

13   And howe Holophernes him selfe was wroth, and commaunded him for the same cause to be deliuered vnto the Israelites: that when he ouercame the children of Israel, he might commaunde Achior also to be put to death with diuers tormentes, because he sayde, The God of heauen is their defender. C   

14   And when Achior had playnly told out al these thinges, all the people fel downe vpon their faces, praysing the Lord, and powred out their prayers together vnto the Lorde, with a generall complaynt and weeping,

15   And sayde: O Lord God of heauen and of earth, beholde their pryde, and loke vpon our lowlinesse, and consider howe it standeth with thy sayntes, and make it to be knowen that thou forsakest not those which holde them fast by thee: and howe that thou bringest them low that presume of them selues, and make their boast in their owne strength.

16   So when the weeping and prayer of the people (whiche they had made the whole day long) was ended, they comforted Achior,

17   Saying: The God of our fathers, whose power and strength thou hast praysed, shall so rewarde thee, that thou shalt rather see their destruction.

18   When the Lorde our God then shall geue his seruauntes this libertie, God be also with thee among vs: so that as it shall please thee, so thou with all thyne mayst dwell with vs.

19   Now when Osias had ended the counsel, he toke him into his house, and made a great supper,

20   Called the elders to it: and so they refreshed them selues after the fasting. D   

21   And afterward was al the people called together, whiche made their prayers all the night long ^note in the congregation, and besought the God of Israel for helpe.

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