القراءة بلغتين

وأَرسَلوا إِلَيه رُسُلًا يَحمِلونَ كَلامَ سَلامٍ

ويَقولون: «ها إِنَّنا عَبيدُ نَبوكَدْنَصَّرَ المَلِكِ العَظيمِ بَينَ يَدَيكَ. فٱعمَلْ بِنا كَما يَحسُنُ لَدَيكَ

وها إِنَّ حَظائِرَنا وكُلَّ أَرضِنا وجَميعَ حُقولِ قَمحِنا وقُطْعانَ خِرافِنا وبَقَرِنا ومَرابِضَ مُخَيَّماتِنا بَينَ يَدَيكَ، فٱعمَلْ بِها كَما يَطيبُ لَكَ

وها إِنَّ مُدُنَنا أَيضًا والسَّاكِنينَ فيها عَبيدٌ لَكَ، فتَعالَ وٱدخُلْها كَما يَروقُ في عَينَيكَ»

ووَصَلَ الرِّجالُ إِلى أَليفانا وبَلَّغوهُ بِحَسَبِ هٰذا الكَلام

ثُمَّ نَزَلَ هو وجَيشُه إِلى الشَّاطِئ وأَقامَ حَرَسًا في المُدُنِ المُحَصَّنة وجَنَّدَ نُخبَةً مِنَ الرِّجالِ يُساعِدونَه

فٱستَقبَلَه هٰؤُلاءِ وكُلُّ النَّاحِيَةِ المُجاوِرَةِ لَهُم بِالأَكاليلِ وأَجْواقِ الرَّقْصِ والدُّفوف

فدَمَّرَ جَميعَ مَعابِدِهم وقَطَّعَ غاباتِهِمِ المُقَدَّسة، فقَد عُهِدَ إِلَيهِ بأَن يُبيدَ جَميعَ آلِهَةِ الأَرض لِكَي تَعبُدَ الأُمَمُ جَميعًا نَبوكَدْنَصَّرَ وَحدَه وتَدْعُوَه إِلٰهًا جَميعُ أَلسِنَتِهم وأَجْناسِهِم

ووَصَلَ أَمامَ يِزْرَعيل بِالقُرْبِ مِن دُوتائينَ الَّتي قَبلَ سِلسِلَةِ جِبالِ اليَهودِيَّةِ الكَبيرة

وعَسكَروا ما بَينَ جَبْعَ وبَيتَ شان، وأَقامَ هُناكَ طَوالَ شَهرٍ لِيَجمَعَ أَمتِعَةَ جَيشِه كُلِّها

And they sent to him messengers with words of peace, saying,

“Behold, we the servants of Nebuchadnezzar the great king lie before you. Use us as it is pleasing in your sight.

Behold, our dwellings, and all our country, and all our fields of wheat, and our flocks and herds, and all the sheepfolds of our tents, lie before your face. Use them as it may please you.

Behold, even our cities and those who dwell in them are your servants. Come and deal with them as it is good in your eyes.”

So the men came to Holofernes, and declared to him according to these words.

He came down toward the sea coast, he and his army, and set garrisons in the high cities, and took out of them chosen men for allies.

They received him, they and all the country round about them, with garlands and dances and timbrels.

He cast down all their borders, and cut down their sacred groves. It had been given to him to destroy all the gods of the land, that all the nations would worship Nebuchadnezzar only, and that all their tongues and their tribes would call upon him as a god.

Then he came toward Esdraelon near to Dotaea, which is opposite the great ridge of Judea.

He encamped between Geba and Scythopolis. He was there a whole month, that he might gather together all the baggage of his army.