THE BOOK OF
JUDITH
1
1 In the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned over the Assyrians in Nineveh, the great city; in the days of Arphaxad, who reigned over the Medes in Ecbatana, 2 and built at Ecbatana and round about it walls of hewn stones three cubits broad and six cubits long, and made the height of the wall seventy cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits; 3 and set the towers thereof at the gates thereof, a hundred cubits high, and the breadth thereof in the foundation threescore cubits; 4 and made the gates thereof, even gates that were raised to the height of seventy cubits, and the breadth of them forty cubits, for the going forth of his mighty hosts, and the setting in array of his footmen: 5 even in those days king Nebuchadnezzar made war with king Arphaxad in the great plain: this plain is in the borders of Ragau. 6 And there came to meet him all that dwelt in the hill country, and all that dwelt by Euphrates, and Tigris, and Hydaspes, and in the plain of Arioch the king of the Elymaeans; and many nations of the sons of Chelod assembled themselves to the battle.
7 And Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians sent unto all that dwelt in Persia, and to all that dwelt westward, to those that dwelt in Cilicia and Damascus and Lebanon and Antilebanon, and to all that dwelt over against the seacoast, 8 and to those among the nations that were of Carmel and Gilead, and to the higher Galilee and the great plain of Esdraelon, 9 and to all that were in Samaria and the cities thereof, and beyond Jordan unto Jerusalem, and Bethany, and Chelous, and Kadesh, and the river of Egypt, and Tahpanhes, and Rameses, and all the land of Goshen, 10 until thou comest above Tanis and Memphis, and to all that dwelt in Egypt, until thou comest to the borders of Ethiopia. 11 And all they that dwelt in all the land made light of the commandment of Nebuchadnezzar king of the Assyrians, and went not with him to the war; for they were not afraid of him, but he was before them as one man; and they turned away his messengers from their presence without effect, and with disgrace. 12 And Nebuchadnezzar was exceeding wroth with all this land, and he sware by his throne and kingdom, that he would surely be avenged upon all the borders of Cilicia and Damascus and Syria, that he would slay with his sword all the inhabitants of the land of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and all Judea, and all that were in Egypt, until thou comest to the borders of the two seas. 13 And he set the battle in array with his host against king Arphaxad in the seventeenth year; and he prevailed in his battle, and turned to flight all the host of Arphaxad, and all his horse, and all his chariots; 14 and he became master of his cities, and he came even unto Ecbatana, and took the towers, and plundered the streets thereof, and turned the beauty thereof into shame. 15 And he took Arphaxad in the mountains of Ragau, and smote him through with his darts, and destroyed him utterly, unto this day. 16 And he returned with them to Nineveh, he and all his company of sundry nations, an exceeding great multitude of men of war, and there he took his ease and banqueted, he and his host, a hundred and twenty days.