1 The next day Holofernes commanded all his army, and all his people which were come to take his part, that they should remove their camp against Bethulia, to take aforehand the ascents of the hill country, and to make war against the children of Israel.
2 Then their strong men removed their camps in that day, and the army of the men of war was an hundred and seventy thousand footmen, and twelve thousand horsemen, beside the baggage, and other men that were afoot among them, a very great multitude.
3 And they camped in the valley near unto Bethulia, by the fountain, and they spread themselves in breadth over Dothaim even to Belmaim, and in length from Bethulia unto Cynamon, which is over against Esdraelon.
4 Now the children of Israel, when they saw the multitude of them, were greatly troubled, and said every one to his neighbour, Now will these men lick up the face of the earth; for neither the high mountains, nor the valleys, nor the hills, are able to bear their weight.
5 Then every man took up his weapons of war, and when they had kindled fires upon their towers, they remained and watched all that night.
6 But in the second day Holofernes brought forth all his horsemen in the sight of the children of Israel which were in Bethulia,
7 And viewed the passages up to the city, and came to the fountains of their waters, and took them, and set garrisons of men of war over them, and he himself removed toward his people.
8 Then came unto him all the chief of the children of Esau, and all the governors of the people of Moab, and the captains of the sea coast, and said,
9 Let our lord now hear a word, that there be not an overthrow in thine army.
10 For this people of the children of Israel do not trust in their spears, but in the height of the mountains wherein they dwell, because it is not easy to come up to the tops of their mountains.
11 Now therefore, my lord, fight not against them in battle array, and there shall not so much as one man of thy people perish.
12 Remain in thy camp, and keep all the men of thine army, and let thy servants get into their hands the fountain of water, which issueth forth of the foot of the mountain:
13 For all the inhabitants of Bethulia have their water thence; so shall thirst kill them, and they shall give up their city, and we and our people shall go up to the tops of the mountains that are near, and will camp upon them, to watch that none go out of the city.
14 So they and their wives and their children shall be consumed with fire, and before the sword come against them, they shall be overthrown in the streets where they dwell.
15 Thus shalt thou render them an evil reward; because they rebelled, and met not thy person peaceably.
16 And these words pleased Holofernes and all his servants, and he appointed to do as they had spoken.
17 So the camp of the children of Ammon departed, and with them five thousand of the Assyrians, and they pitched in the valley, and took the waters, and the fountains of the waters of the children of Israel.
18 Then the children of Esau went up with the children of Ammon, and camped in the hill country over against Dothaim: and they sent some of them toward the south, and toward the east over against Ekrebel, which is near unto Chusi, that is upon the brook Mochmur; and the rest of the army of the Assyrians camped in the plain, and covered the face of the whole land; and their tents and carriages were pitched to a very great multitude.
19 Then the children of Israel cried unto the Lord their God, because their heart failed, for all their enemies had compassed them round about, and there was no way to escape out from among them.
20 Thus all the company of Assur remained about them, both their footmen, chariots, and horsemen, four and thirty days, so that all their vessels of water failed all the inhibitants of Bethulia.
21 And the cisterns were emptied, and they had not water to drink their fill for one day; for they gave them drink by measure.
22 Therefore their young children were out of heart, and their women and young men fainted for thirst, and fell down in the streets of the city, and by the passages of the gates, and there was no longer any strength in them.
23 Then all the people assembled to Ozias, and to the chief of the city, both young men, and women, and children, and cried with a loud voice, and said before all the elders,
24 God be judge between us and you: for ye have done us great injury, in that ye have not required peace of the children of Assur.
25 For now we have no helper: but God hath sold us into their hands, that we should be thrown down before them with thirst and great destruction.
26 Now therefore call them unto you, and deliver the whole city for a spoil to the people of Holofernes, and to all his army.
27 For it is better for us to be made a spoil unto them, than to die for thirst: for we will be his servants, that our souls may live, and not see the death of our infants before our eyes, nor our wives nor our children to die.
28 We take to witness against you the heaven and the earth, and our God and Lord of our fathers, which punisheth us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers, that he do not according as we have said this day.
29 Then there was great weeping with one consent in the midst of the assembly; and they cried unto the Lord God with a loud voice.
30 Then said Ozias to them, Brethren, be of good courage, let us yet endure five days, in the which space the Lord our God may turn his mercy toward us; for he will not forsake us utterly.
31 And if these days pass, and there come no help unto us, I will do according to your word.
32 And he dispersed the people, every one to their own charge; and they went unto the walls and towers of their city, and sent the women and children into their houses: and they were very low brought in the city.
Holoferneb ge Betuliasa ra ǁnāǂam
1-3 Sao ra tsēb ge Holoferneba ǁîb ǂhunuma toroǃkhamaogu tsî ǁnāgu nau ǃhaode xu ge hâ igu tsîga ge mîmā, î gu tentomde khôaǁnâ tsî Betulias ǃoa dāǁnâ. ǁÎb ge ǁkhāti hoa daogu ǃhomgu ǃnâ-ū ra ǃkharugu nî ǁkhâuǁnâhe tsîn Israelǁîna nî ǁnāǂamhe ǃkhaisa ge mîmā. Kai ǃgôab di toroǃkhamaogu ge ge hâ i; ǀguikaidisi tsî hûdisiǀoadisi ǀnūtoroǃkhamaogu tsî disiǀgamǀaǀoadisi hātoroǃkhamaogu tsîga. Nēgu tawa gu ge ǂhâbasa xūna ge tani hâ iga ge ǃgôaǀarohe tama hâ i. Nē toroǃkhamaogu hoagu ge dāǁnâ tsî ǁîgu tentomde Betulias ǀgūse ǁgoe ǃgoaǃnāb ǃnâ ǂnôa ǁgamǀaudi xōǀkhā sī ge ǂnaumâi. Nē hâǃkhaib ge Dotansa xu Balbaims tsî Betuliasa xu Siamons, Jesreelǃgoaǃnāb ǁga ge ǃoa hâ is kōse ge khoraǂuisa i.
4 Tsî Israelǁîn ge nē toroǂnubis di ǂguisiban ge mû, o kaise ǃao tsî ge mîǀîgu: “ǁNā toroǃkhamaogu ge mû gu ra xū-i hoa-e nî hapu. Nēpa i ge ǁnātikō ǂû-i ǁnātikō ǂnubi-i nî ǂû-e nē ǃhomgu, ǃgoaǃnāgu tsî ǃnâugu ǃnâ a ǀkhai.” 5 ǃAo gu gere xawe gu ge hoaraga Israelǁîga ǃkhamūxūna ū, toroba ǃkhams ǁgauǂuis ǃamǀaede ǂgō-omgu ai ǃamam tsî hoaraga tsuxuba ge ǃûiǂkhai. 6 Sao ra tsēb ge Holoferneba, Israelǁîn Betulias din nî mûga ǁîb hoaraga hātoro-aoga ge ǂgaeǂguiǂui. 7 ǁÎb ge hoaraga daogu ǃās ǃnâ ra ǂgâgu tsî ǁgam-e ra mā ǀaudi tsîna ge ôaǃnâ. ǁÎb ge nēna ǁkhâuǁnâ tsî toroǂnubis ǁgab nî oas aiǃâ ǃkhē-aoga ǁnāpa ge ǃûi kai.
8 Hoa Edomǁîn tsî Moabǁîn toroǂnubira di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu ge Mediteraneahuri-ammi di toroǂnubis di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tsîgu ǀkha Holoferneb ǃoa hā tsî ge mî: 9 “ǃGôahesatse, sige ǀapemāsats ga ǂâiǃgâ, o gu ge ǂguigu, sa toroǃkhamaogu diga ǃgamhe tide. 10 Nē Israelǁîn ge ǁîn ǁhâigôagu ai ǁkhaubasens ǃaroma mûmâinǃgâ tama hâ, xawe ǁîn ǁan hâ ǃhomgu di ǀgapisib ai, nē ǃhomgu aits supuse a ǂharo ǁoa xui-ao. 11 ǁNā-amaga, ǃKhōdana-ao Holofernetse, sa toro-aogats ga ǀnî hâ ǃāde gu ra ǁnāǂam khami Betuliasa ǁnāǂam kai, o gu ge ǀnîgu sa toroǃkhamaogu diga nî ǃgamhe. 12 Sa hâǃkhaib ǃnâ hâ, î sa toroǃkhamaoga hâǃkhaidi âgu ǃnâ ǁnāxū. Sige digu hîa ra ǃgauga, ǀaudi ǃhommi ǂai-am ǂnôade gu nî ǃûimâ ǃkhaisa mîmā, 13 ǁnāpa ǀguin Betuliaǁîna ǁgam-e sī ra xuri xuige. ǁGâs xan ga ǁō, on ge ǁîn di ǃāsa sats ai nî ǁkhaeǁnâ. ǁNā soab ǃnâ ge ge sige tsî sige khoegu tsîna ǀgapise nē ǁgoeǂnami hâ ǃhomgu ǃoa ǂoa, ǁnāpa sī tentomde ǂnaumâi tsî ǀgui-i xawe-i ǃāsa xu nî ǂoa ǃkhaisa nî ǁkhae. 14 Aorekhoegu, tarekhoedi tsî ǀgôan hîa ǃās ǃnâ hân hoan ge ǃâtsūǀkhāb xa nî ǁō tsî gu ge ǃganga ǁîn di ǁō hâ sorodi xa, sa toroǂnubis nî ǁnāǂams aiǃâ nî ǀoa. 15 Nē ǀgaub aits ge ǁîna ǁîn di khâikhâisens tsî ǂkhîb ǃnâ satsa māǁnâsensan ra ǂkhā ǃkhais ǃaroma ǁkhara ǁkhā.”
16 Holoferneb tsî ǁîb di ǃoaba-aogu hoagu ge nē mîdi ǀkha kaise ge ǂkhîǂâixa tsîb ge ǁnā ǃkhais ǃaroma nē ǀapemāsa ge sîsenxa kai. 17 Moabǁîgu tsî koroǀoadisi Asiriaǁîgu tsîgab ge ǃās di ǁgamamde gu nî ǃûise ǃgoaǃnāb ǃnâ ge khoraǂui. 18 Edomǁîgu tsî Amonǁîgu tsîgu ge Dotans ǃoagu, ǃhomgu ǃnâ tentomde ge ǂnaumâi. ǁÎgu ge ǁkhāti ǀnî toroǃkhamaoga ǃkhawagas aiǂoas ǁga Akrabas hîa Kusis, Mokmurǃāb xōǀkhā ǁgoes ǃoa ge sî. ǃGau ge Asiriaǁî toroǃkhamaogu ge ǃgoaǃnāb ǃnâ tentomde ge ǂnaumâi. ǁNātikōses toroǂnubisa ge kai i tsîn ge ǁîgu tentomdi tsî xūn tsîna hoaraga ǂgāba gere ǀoaǀoa.
Betulias ǃnâ hâ mâsigu
19 On ge Israelǁîna, ǃKhūb ǁîn di Eloba huib ǃaroma ge ǂgaiǀî. ǁÎn ge khākhoegu ge ǁîsa xun ǁhâǂoa ǁoase ǃāsa ǁgoeǂnami hâ i xui-ao ǃaruǀî ǁkhoaǂgaosi-e ge ūhâ tama hâ i. 20 Hoaraga Asiriaǁî toroǂnubis; ǀnūtoroǃkhamaogu, hākunidi tsî hātoroǃkhamaogu ge Betuliasa, ǃnonadisihakaǀa tsēde ge ǁgoeǂnami hâ i, ǃās di khoen ǁgamxapadi ge ǀkhaiǃnâs kōse. 21 Hoaraga ǁkhaegu tsî tsaugu hoagu ge ge ǀkhaiǃnâtsoatsoa, tsî gu ge ǃās di ǂgaeǂgui-aoga, mâ khoe-i hoa-i āǁgamro-e nî hō ǁkhāse ǁgam-e gere ǀnōǁnâ tsîs ge ǀgui tsēs tsîna hoan ǂâu hâse nî hōse ge ǃkharu tama hâ i. 22 ǀGôan ge ge ǂkhabutsoatsoa tsîn ge hoaraga ǃās ǃnâ, ǃgangu tsî dao-amdi ǃnâ tarekhoedi tsî ǂkham khoen tsîna ǁgâs xa ǂkhabu tsî gere ǁnā. ǀGai-i ge ǃaruǀî ǁîn ǃnâ ge ǀkhai i.
23 ǃĀs di khoen hoan ge Usiab tsî ǃās di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tawa sī ǀhao tsî ge ǂgaiǂui: 24 “Elob ge sago sida ǃoagu go ge dīn ǃaroma nî ǁkhara! Sago ge nē ra īn ǃaroma, ǂkhîba go Asiriaǁîn ǀkha dī tama xui-ao nî ǀhapixa. 25 Sida nî hui khoe-i xare-i ge nēsi a ǀkhai! Elob ge ǁîn di ǃomǁae sida go māǁnâ. Sida ge ǂkhabu hâ tsî ǁgâs xa ra ǁō. 26 Asiriaǁîna nēsi ǂgai, î ǁîn ai māǁnâsen, îb Holoferneb tsî ǁîb di toroǂnubisa sada ǃāsa ū tsî ǁîs ǃnâ hâ xūna ūbasen. 27 Sida i ge nî ǃgâiba ǁgâs xa da nî ǁōs xa ǃkhōsabese ǁîn xa ūhesa. ǁÎn ge sida nî khobodī, xawe da ge ûitsamase hâ tsî sida tarekhoedi tsî ǀgôan ra ǁō ǀgausa mûǃnâ tide. 28 ǀHommi tsî ǃhūbaib tsîkha ge sats ǃoagu a ǃkhō-amao tsî ǁkhāti sada Elob, sada aboxagu di ǃKhūb, hîa ǁîgu tsî sida di ǁoren ǃaroma ra ǁkhara dab tsîna. ǂGom tsî da ge ǀgores ǀguisa nî hî, nē tsū xūn nētsē sida ǀkha ī tide ǃkhaisa.”
29 ǁNāpa ge hâ i khoen hoan ge ǃgarise ātsoatsoa tsî ǃKhūb, Elob ǃoa ge ǀgore. 30 Ob ge Usiaba ǁîn ǃoa ge mî: “Ti khoedo, tā ǂkhabuǂâi! A da noxopa koro tsēde ǃâu tsî kō ǃKhūb sada Elob xa da ǀkhomxahe tide ǃkhaisa. Amaseb ge ǁîba sada hoaragase aoxū tide. 31 Xawe i ga hui-e koro tsēdi khaoǃgâ hā tama io, o ta ge sadu ra mî khami nî dī.” 32 Ob ge Usiaba khoega omǂnamiǂnubiǂgoagu tsî ǂgō-omgu ǃoa ǃkhē gu nîse ge oa kai. Hoaraga tarekhoedi tsî ǀgôan tsîn ge omdi ǃoa ge ǁaru. Hoaraga ǃās khoen ge kaise ge ǃan hâ i.
