1   And it was told Holofernes the General of the warres of the Assyrians, that the children of Israel prepared themselues to resist, and had shut vp the wayes of the mountaynes,

2   and with exceding furie he chafed in great anger, and called al the princes of Noab and dukes of Ammon,

3   and he sayd to them: Tel me ^note what is this people which besetteth

the mountaynes: or what, and of what sorte, and how great their cities are: also what their power is, or what is their multitude: or who is the king of their warfare:

4   and why aboue al that dwel in the East, haue these contemned vs, and haue not come forth to meete vs, that they might receiue vs with peace?

5   Then Achior captaine of al the children of Ammon answering, said: If thou woutsafe my Lord to heare, I wil tel the truth in thy sight of this people, which dwelleth in the mountaynes, and there shal not a false word come forth of my mouth.

6   This people is of the progenie of the Chaldees.

7   The same dwelt first in Mesopotamia, because they would not folow the goddes of their fathers, which were in the land of the Chaldees.

8   Forsaking therfore the ceremonies of their fathers, which were in multitude of goddes,

9   they worshipped one God of heauen, who also commanded them that they should depart from thence, and should dwel in Charan. And when there was famine ouer al the land, they went downe into Ægypt, and there for foure hundred yeares were so multiplied, that the host of them could not be numbred.

10   And when the king of Ægypt oppressed them, and in the buildinges of his cities had subdewed them in brick and claye, they cried to their Lord, and he stroke the whole Land of Ægypt with diuers plagues.

11   And when the Ægyptians had cast them out from them, and the plague had ceased from them, and they would take them againe, and cal them backe to their seruice,

12   these fleeing away, the God of heauen opened the sea, so that the waters were ^noteconsolidated as a wal, on either side, and they walking through the botome of the sea passed drie foote.

13   In which place whiles an innumerable armie of the Ægyptians pursewed them, they were so ouerwhelmed with the waters, that there was not one remayning, to tel the fact to posteritie.

14   Also being past the read sea, they possessed the desertes of Mount Sinai, in which neuer man could dwel, or sonne of man rested.

15   There bitter fountaynes were made sweete for them to drinke, and for fourtie yeares they receiued meate from heauen.

16   Wheresoever they entered without bow and arrow, and without shielde and sword, their God fought for them, and ouercame.

17   And there was not that did insult against this people, but when they departed from the worship of the Lord their God.

18   But as often as

beside their owne God, they worshiped another, they were geuen to praye, and into the sword, and to reproch.

19   And as often as they were penitent for that they reuolted from the worship of their God, the God of heauen gaue them power to resist.

20   Finally the king of the Chananeites, and of Iebuseites, and of the Pherezeites, and of the Hetheites, and of the Heueites, and of the Amorrheites, and al the mightie in Hesebon they ouerthrew, and they possessed their landes, & their cities:

21   and as long as they sinned not in the sight of their God, it was wel with them, for their God hateth iniquitie.

22   For ^note these yeares also past when they had reuolted from the way, which God had geuen them, that they should walke in it, they were destroyed in battels by manie nations, and verie manie of them were led captiue into a strange land.

23   But of late returning to the Lord their God, from the dispersion wherein they were dispersed, they are vnited & are come vp into al these mountaynes, and possesse Ierusalem againe where their Holies are.

24   Now therfore my Lord, search if there be any iniquitie of theirs in the sight of their God: and let vs goe vp to them, because their God deliuering wil deliuer them to thee, and they shal be subdewed vnder the yoke of thy power:

25   but if there be no offence of this people before their God, we can not resist them, because their God wil defend them: and we shal be a reproche to the whole earth.

26   And it came to passe, when Achior had ceased to speake these wordes, al the great men of Holofernes were angrie, and they thought to kil him, saying to each other:

27    ^notewho is this, that sayth the children of Israel can resist king Nabuchodonosor, and his armies, men vnarmed, and without force, and without skil of the feates of warre?

28   That Achior therfore may know that he deceiueth vs, let vs goe vp into the mountaynes: and when their mightie ones shal be taken, then shal he with them be strooken through with the sword:

29   that euerie nation may know that Nabuchodonosor is God of the earth, and besides him there is none other.

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