1   And it came to passe when they had ceased to speake, Holofernes being sore offended, said to Achior:

2   Because thou hast prophecied vnto vs saying, that the nation of Israel is defended of their God, that I may sheu thee ^note that there is no God, but Nabuchodonosor:

3   when we shal haue strook&ebar; them al as one man, then thy self with them shalt die by the sword of the Assyrians, and al Israel with thee shal perish by destruction:

4   and thou shalt proue that Nabuchodonosor is lord of the whole earth: and then the sword of my warfare shal passe through thy sides, & pearsed thou shalt fal among the wounded of Israel, and thou shalt no more fetch breath, til thou be destroyed with them.

5   But if thou thinke thy prophecie true, let not thy countenance quaile, and the palenesse that is in thy face, let it depart from thee, if thou thinke these my wordes can not be accomplished.

6   And that thou mayst know that thou shalt proue these thinges together with them, behold from this houre thou shalt be associate to their people, that whiles they shal receiue worthie punishment of my sword, thou withal may be subiect to the vengeance.

7   Then Holofernes commanded his seruantes that they should take Achior, and lead him into Bethula, and should deliuer him into the handes of the children of Israel.

8   And the seruantes of Holofernes taking him, went through the champaine: but when they came neere the mountaynes, the slingers came forth against them.

9   And they turning out of the way by the side of the mountayne, tyed Achior to a tree hand and foote, and so left him bound with withes, and returned to their lord.

10   Moreouer the children of Israel descending from Bethulia, came to him. Whom loosing they brought to Bethulia, and setting him in the middes of the people, demanded what was the matter, that the Assyrians had left him bound.

11   In those dayes the princes there, were Ozias the sonne of Micha of the tribe of Simeon, and Charmi, who also is Gothoniel.

12   In the middes therefore of the ancientes, and in the sight of al, Achior told al thinges that he had spoken being asked of Holofernes: and how the people of Holofernes would haue killed him for this word,

13   and how Holofernes him selfe being angrie c&obar;manded him to be deliuered for this cause to the Israelites: that when he should ouercome the children of Israel, then he might command Achior also himself to die by diuerse tormentes,

for this that he had said: The God of heauen is their defender.

14   And when Achior had declared al these thinges, al the people fel on their face, adoring our Lord, and with common lamentation and weeping they powred out their prayers with one accord to our Lord,

15   saying: Lord God of heauen and earth, behold ^note their pride, and haue regard to ^note our humilitie, and attend ^note the face of thy sainctes, and shew that ^note thou forsakest not them that presume of thee and, that thow humblest them that presume of them selues, and glorie of their power.

16   Their weeping therfore being ended, & the peoples prayer by the whole day being finished, they comforted Achior,

17   saying: The God of our fathers, whose power thou hast set forth, he wil geue thee this recompence, that thou rather shalt see their destruction.

18   And when the Lord our God shal geue this libertie to his seruantes, be God with thee also in the middes of vs: that as it shal please thee, so thou with al thine mayst conuerse with vs.

19   Then Ozias, the counsel being ended, receiued him into his house, and made him a greate supper.

20   And al the ancientes being called, they refreshed them selues together after the fasting was ended.

21   But afterwarde al the people was called together, and al the night long within the church, they prayed desiring helpe of the God of Israel.

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