Judith 6

1And when the uproar of the men around the council had ceased, Holofernes, commander-in-chief of the army of Asshur, said to Achior in the presence of all the assembly of foreigners:

2And who are you, Achior, and the hirelings of Ephraim among all the sons of Moab, that you have prophesied among us as you did today, and said that one should not make war against the house of Israel because their God will defend them? And who is God except Nebuchadnezzar? He himself will send his force and destroy them from the face of the earth, and their God will not rescue them.

3But we, his servants, will strike them down as one man, and they will not withstand the might of our horses.

4For we will burn them up where they are, and their borders will be drenched with their blood, and their plains will be filled with their dead. The trace of their feet will not stand before us, but they will utterly perish, says King Nebuchadnezzar, lord of all the earth. For he said, ‘The words of his mouth will not prove empty.’

5But you, Achior, hireling of Ammon, who spoke these words in the day of your injustice, shall no longer see my face from this day until I take vengeance

6and then the iron of my army and the people of my servants will pass through your sides, and you will fall among their wounded when they return;

7and my servants will bring you back to the hill country and place you in one of the cities of the mountain passes,

8and he will not perish until you are destroyed with them.

9And if you hope in your heart that they will not be taken, do not let your face fall. I have spoken, and none of my words will fail.

10And Holofernes ordered his servants, who were standing by in his tent, to seize Achior and take him back to Bethyloua and hand him over into the hands of the sons of Israel.

11And his servants seized him and led him outside the camp into the plain, and they went up from the midst of the plain into the hill country, and they came to the springs that were below Bethulia.

12And when the men of the city saw them on the top of the mountain, they took up their weapons and went out of the city to the top of the mountain; and every man who used a sling held back their ascent and kept throwing stones at them.

13And after going down below the mountain, they bound Achior and left him lying at the foot of the mountain, and they went away to their lord.

14Then the sons of Israel came down from their city and confronted him; and after untying him, they brought him to Bethyloua and brought him before the rulers of their city,

15who were in those days: Uzziah son of Micah, from the tribe of Simeon, and Chabris son of Gothoniel, and Charmis son of Melchiel.

16And he called together all the elders of the city, and all their young men and women ran together into the assembly, and they set Achior in the midst of all their people, and Uzziah asked him what had happened.

17And in answer he reported to them the words of Holofernes’ council, and all the words that he had spoken in the midst of the rulers of the sons of Asshur, and whatever boastful things Holofernes had spoken against the house of Israel.

18And the people fell down and worshiped God, and they cried out, saying,

19Lord, God of heaven, look upon their arrogance, and have mercy on the humiliation of our people, and look upon the face of those sanctified to you on this day.

20And they encouraged Achior, and praised him greatly.

21And Uzziah took him from the assembly into his house, and made a feast for the elders; and they called on the God of Israel for help all that night.