The Peace Delegation to King Nebuchadnezzar
1 All these nations sent a peace delegation to King Nebuchadnezzar with this message: 2 “We remain loyal to you, great King Nebuchadnezzar; we are ready to serve you and obey any command that you may wish to give us. 3 Our buildings, all our land, our wheat fields, our livestock, and our tents are at your disposal; use them in any way you wish. 4 Our people will be your slaves, and you may use our towns as you please.”
5 After the peace delegation had brought this message, 6 Holofernes led Nebuchadnezzar's army down to the Mediterranean coast. He stationed guards in all the walled towns and selected certain local men in each of the towns as reserve troops. 7 The people in the towns and in the surrounding countryside welcomed Holofernes by wearing wreaths of flowers and dancing to the beat of drums. 8 But Holofernes destroyed all their places of worship and cut down their sacred trees. He had been ordered to destroy all the gods of the land so that all the nations and tribes would worship only Nebuchadnezzar and pray to him as a god.
9 Then Holofernes passed through Jezreel Valley near Dothan, which faces the main ridge of the mountains of Judah, 10 and set up camp between Geba and Scythopolis. He stayed there for a month in order to get supplies for his army.
ǂKhîb ǂnûǁkhaebaǃnans ge Holoferneb ǃoa ra ǃgû
1 Nē ǁaedi hoadi ge ǂkhîb ǂnûǁkhaebaǃnansa nēti Holoferneba ge haisiba: 2 “Sida ge kai gao-aob Nebukadnesari di khoboda. Sida ge sats ai ra māǁnâsen, ǃkhōdana-ao Holofernetse tsî da ge hoaragase sa ǀgaib ǃnaka hâ. 3 Sida tentomdi, sida ǃhūb hoaragab, sida ǃhoroǃhanagu tsî sida ǀgoan ge sa ǃomǁae hâ, xuige sats ra ǂgao khami ǁîn ǀkha dī re. 4 Sida khoen ge nî sa khobo kai tsîts ge sida ǃādi ǀkha sats ra ǂâi khami a dī ǁkhā.”
5 ǂKhîb ǂnûǁkhaebaǃnans ge nē haisi-amsa hā-ūs khaoǃgâb 6 ge Holoferneba, Nebukadnesari toroǂnubisa Mediteraneahuri-ammi ǁga ge ǂgaeǂgui. ǁÎb ge ǂnubiǂgoagu ǀkha omǂnamisa kai ǃādi ǃnâ toroǃkhamaoga mâi tsî ǀnî ǃāǁîga, mâ ǃās hoasa xu ǃkhōǂuisa toroǃkhamaogu ase ge ǁhûiǂui. 7 Kai ǃādi tsî ǂnamipeb di khoen tsîn ge Holoferneba ǃkhān ǀkha kurusa ǂgapu-aidi tsî ǃkhomǃkharurudi ǀōb ǀkha ra ǂnāse gere ǁkhoreǁhare. 8 Xaweb ge Holoferneba ǁîn di ǀgoreǀîǃkhaiga hîkākā tsî ǃanu haidi ân tsîna ge ǁhāǁnâ. ǁÎb ge ǃhūb ǃnâ hâ elon hoanab nî hîkākā tsîb Nebukadnesari ǀguiba hoa ǁaedi tsî ǃhaodi xa ǃoabahe tsî elob ase nî ǀgoreǀîhe ǃkhaisa ge mîmā. 9 Ob ge Holoferneba Jesreelǃgoaǃnāb, Dotans ǀgūse ǁgoeb, Judab ǃhomgu danaǁgurub ǃoa-ai ge hâ ib ǁga ǂgaekhâi 10 tsî Gebas tsî Skitopolis tsîra ǁaegu sī tentomde ǂnaumâi tsî ǁnāpa ǀgui ǁkhâba, ǁîb toroǃkhamaogu ûixūnab nî ǀaroǃnâse ge hâ.
